'Stupid idea’: Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha regrets comment mocking ‘work-life balance’

Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha has opened up about his viral 2024 mocking comment on work-life balance, calling it a ‘stupid idea’. Speaking on a podcast with Y Combinator President Garry Tan, Palicha talked at length about the startup life, work culture, and Zepto’s startup vision.
The controversy emerged in December 2024, around a Reddit post that criticised Zepto’s work culture as toxic. The post highlighted 14-hour long shifts, late night meetings.
In response to the viral post, the 22-year-old CEO posted on X, “ Nothing against work-life balance. In fact, I recommend it to all our competitors.” This statement sparked backlash, with many accusing him of promoting burnout.
Addressing the broader debate around startup life in the recent podcast, Palicha has described Zepto's culture as intense and focused on getting results. He mentioned that the environment isn’t for everyone, emphasising that it suits those who are ‘super ambitious’ and ‘super capable’.
"Join Zepto if you're really looking to do the best work of your life". "This is the place that is going to get that out of you because it is a very execution-focused culture. Everyone is deep into the game, solving real problems every day."
Palicha candidly talked about the tough period for Zepto during the funding crisis in 2022 and 2023, where the company faced serious challenges due to reduced venture capital and the failure of Silicon Valley Bank.
"The biggest mistakes I made were wrong hires," he said. "We almost died. Those mistakes were very costly, especially during that 2022-2023 period when it was existential for us".
Despite the challenges, Zepto, which operates in the fiercely competitive quick-commerce space, managed to survive. It led the company to become more focused, he said.
Beyond Zepto, Palicha had a broader message for Indian entrepreneurs. Palicha encouraged Indian startups to aim higher, stating that there’s a tendency to underestimate what Indian founders can achieve. "We should not be building for small exits or small impact. We need to create companies that define global categories", he said.
Palicha also highlighted that India has a talent advantage in hiring skilled employees compared to places like San Francisco.