- Utkarsh Nanda shared a video revealing the personal costs of building his startup
- He works long hours alone and has not seen his parents in over two years
- Nanda gained over 20 kilograms due to unhealthy habits from his demanding routine
The glamorous image of startup success often hides the personal sacrifices behind it. A US-based Indian tech founder has gone viral after sharing how building his company has taken a heavy toll on his health, family life and mental well-being, prompting many entrepreneurs to open up about the realities of startup culture. Utkarsh Nanda posted a candid video documenting the challenges of working on his startup.
The video offers a glimpse into his daily routine. Nanda spends long hours working alone from a small room, with little time for anything else. He revealed that he has not been able to visit his parents for more than two years because he has been focused entirely on growing his business.
The physical impact has been significant as well. Nanda showed stacks of empty Diet Coca-Cola bottles, explaining that the demanding lifestyle has led to unhealthy habits and a weight gain of more than 20 kilograms over the past several months.
"Only a $1M investment can save my soul," he wrote in the caption of the video.
Watch the video here:
His honesty struck a chord with social media users, especially fellow founders, many of whom said they related to the loneliness, burnout and sacrifices that often come with building a company from scratch.
When one user asked what he was building, Nanda explained that his platform, MindHub, helps users organise their AI conversations on a visual canvas while automatically creating a growing knowledge base. He added that the next step is to build a social network around people's AI interactions, describing it as a blend of ChatGPT and LinkedIn.
A third user joked, saying, "Bro bro... 1 week of Diet Coke on me!"
A fourth added, "Haha, I understand."
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