An Indian startup founder has sparked significant debate online after sharing his frustration with over 150 candidates who applied for an internship position at his company. In an anonymous Reddit post, the entrepreneur expressed his disappointment not just with the candidates’ technical skills, but with their overall approach and mindset toward work.
A Frustrating Experience with India’s Talent Pipeline
The founder shared that his goal was to build a startup that could contribute to India’s economy. However, his experience interviewing a broad spectrum of candidates—ranging from B.Tech, M.Tech, to PhD students—left him feeling disheartened. Despite impressive academic credentials, he found that many candidates lacked strong fundamentals.
“The Indian curriculum is broken,” he wrote, citing how many candidates seemed to expect the company to train them from scratch rather than arriving with the mindset of “how can I contribute”. While the founder acknowledged that he was hiring for an internship, he clarified that he didn’t want to hold their hand at every step. He expected candidates to be self-sufficient and prepared to contribute from day one.
Comparison with Candidates from Egypt
The founder further compared Indian candidates to those from Egypt, claiming that the latter were significantly ahead. “Egyptian candidates not only had strong fundamentals but were also familiar with relevant tools, asked smart questions, and were prepared. They even dressed formally for virtual interviews and conducted themselves with professionalism.”
This stark contrast left the founder frustrated with the talent pipeline in India, leading him to describe it as “broken”. He stressed that many candidates lacked the professionalism and preparation necessary to succeed in a fast-paced startup environment.
Advice for Students Looking for Internships
In his post, the entrepreneur offered blunt advice to students hoping to land internships: “Your mindset should be: ‘How can I help the company?’ not the other way around. Companies aren’t charities. Nobody expects you to know everything, but you must understand your fundamentals. Show up on time, be respectful, and take the process seriously.”
Conclusion
This founder’s post has raised important questions about the state of talent development in India. It highlights a potential gap between academic education and practical, job-ready skills that many young candidates face when entering the workforce. The feedback serves as a reminder for students to focus on building strong foundations in their respective fields and approach internships with the mindset of contributing to the company, rather than expecting to be trained from the ground up.
