Bangalore startup office: ₹5L/month rent. Founder's car: ₹2L/month EMI. Employee lunch budget: ₹50/day.
Visited a "hot" Bangalore startup last week for a potential collaboration.
Here's what I saw:
The Office:
→ Koramangala prime location: ₹5 lakh/month rent
→ Glass cabin for founder (unused - he's always in meetings)
→ Open workspace with 40 people cramped in 2000 sq ft
→ Air conditioning bill: ₹80k/month
→ Instagram-worthy interiors for LinkedIn photoshoots
Founder's Priorities:
→ BMW X3 in the parking: ₹2 lakh monthly EMI
→ "It's for client meetings," he says
→ Clients he meets: 2 per month
→ Uber rides he could have taken instead: ₹15k/month max
Employee Reality:
→ Lunch budget: ₹50/day ("We care about your health")
→ Darshini meal they actually afford: ₹35
→ Remaining ₹15 goes to evening tea/coffee
→ Salary delays: "Cash flow issues, bro"
The Math:
→ Monthly office rent: ₹5,00,000
→ Founder's car EMI: ₹2,00,000
→ 40 employees' lunch budget: ₹60,000 (₹50 × 40 × 30 days)
Office + Car > Employee food budget by 10x 📈
During the meeting: Founder: "We're bootstrapped and lean. Every rupee counts."
Also founder: Orders ₹2500 lunch from 5-star hotel during our meeting.
Also founder: "We can't afford salary increments this year due to market conditions."
The same founder posts on LinkedIn: "Our people are our most valuable asset!
"Meanwhile, those "valuable assets" are sharing ₹35 meals and taking BMTC buses while he drives his BMW to pitch about being "capital efficient."
But hey, the office photos look great on Instagram. Priorities. ✨
Makes sense.