"Not For Money But For Learning": Man Praises Student Who Rejected Rs 25,000 Internship To Join Startup

In India's fast-growing startup ecosystem, young professionals often face difficult decisions at the beginning of their careers. Many interns must choose between a well-paying opportunity and a chance to gain practical experience at a small but ambitious company. Recently, a third-year student's decision to accept a much lower stipend for the sake of learning has drawn attention on social media.

Third-year student Ritesh decided to leave his Rs 25,000-per-month internship to work at Bengaluru-based startup Matics for a monthly stipend of only Rs 5,000. This decision was shared by Matics co-founder Sudhanshu Bhatia on X, sparking a discussion about early career priorities and learning opportunities.

In his post, Bhatia stated that team members play a crucial role in a startup's success. He explained that people often talk about the founders, but less attention is paid to the team that drives the company forward.

Referring to Ritesh, he explained that he was a third-year student and was already working in an internship paying Rs 25,000 per month. Despite this, he accepted Matics' offer of a Rs 5,000 stipend.

According to Bhatia, Ritesh made this decision because he felt that working closely with IIT-educated individuals would provide him with a greater learning opportunity. He explained that Ritesh joined the team in September 2024, around the same time the founders left their jobs to focus solely on the startup.

He further explained that the team moved to Bengaluru in October, and Ritesh also joined on the same stipend. During that time, the entire team was working seven days a week.

Dedication To Work

Bhatia also praised Ritesh's hard work and dedication. He explained that when he advised Ritesh to rest on Sundays. He replied, "what would i even do?"

Over time, Bhatia said Ritesh has become like a younger brother to him. He also said that Ritesh is currently an intern and will complete his studies this year, but according to him, his abilities surpass those of many engineers in Bengaluru with around five years of experience.

Check Out The Post Here:

everyone talks about founders
nobody talks about the team

so here i am talking about the people who build matiks.

first up, ritesh

he was a 3rd year student interning somewhere for ₹25k

we offered ₹5k

he still joined

not for money but for learning. said working closely… pic.twitter.com/xEg44gFQ7v

— Sudhanshu | Matiks (@cortisoul_) March 11, 2026

Social Media Reaction

Bhatia also shared a photo of Ritesh in his post. 

The post quickly spread on social media and drew varied reactions. Some praised Ritesh for prioritising learning opportunities over high pay. 

One user commented, "Working closely with IIT grads would teach him more."

Another user noted, "Early team members take a bet on the founders, and founders take a bet on them. When both sides grow together, that's when startup stories become meaningful."