Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha says his 2024 post on work-life balance was a ‘stupid idea’
Aadit Palicha, CEO of Zepto, now considers his old post on work-life balance a ‘stupid idea’.
In a wide-ranging talk with Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan, Zepto’s Aadit Palicha touched upon everything from his quick commerce startup’s work culture to the bumps he has faced in his entrepreneurial journey. He also addressed the mini controversy generated by his 2024 post on work-life balance.
In December 2024, Aadit Palicha shared a humorous take on the work-life balance debate. “I have nothing against work-life balance. In fact, I recommend it to all our competitors,” he wrote on X - and was immediately inundated with accusations of fostering a toxic work environment.
Palicha now seems to regret his post, calling it a “stupid idea.”
"Stupid idea"
During the Y Combinator podcast, Tan asked the Zepto CEO about his post on work life balance, referring to his old tweet. “You once tweeted ‘nothing against work life balance. In fact I recommend it to all our competitors’,” Tan said.
Aadit Palicha interrupted him to say it was a “stupid idea.”
The co-founder and CEO then elaborated on his startup’s work culture. “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,” he said.
He acknowledged that this culture might not be the best fit for everyone.
“You're accountable for real problem statements every day. You can actually become like the best version of yourself. And I think it's not for everybody right? That sort of mindset and thought process. But it is for the super ambitious and the super capable that really want to to get the best out of themselves,” said Palicha.
The Zepto CEO said running the company does not feel like work to him, but admitted that might not be the case for his 3,000-plus corporate employees.
(Also read: Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha praises India’s incredible talent: ‘We interviewed American engineers but…’)
