Rohit Kapoor, the CEO of Swiggy Food and Marketplace, has delivered a powerful message to tech professionals, urging them to prioritize work-life balance and avoid falling into the trap of "hustle culture." Speaking at the TechSparks 2024 event in Bengaluru, Kapoor emphasized the importance of taking care of oneself and maintaining healthy relationships.
Kapoor acknowledged the intense pressure and long hours that many tech professionals face in today's competitive landscape. However, he stressed that it is essential to find a balance between work and personal life. Speaking to the audience, Kapoor recognized that many industries encourage working long hours to succeed, but warned about the dangers of this mindset. "You don't need to hustle and work until 3 AM every day," he said. "Hard work is important, and we should work very hard," he added, but emphasized the importance of setting limits to avoid overworking.
He advised against working late into the night, saying "burning the midnight oil" isn't necessary. He urged employees to spend more time with their families instead of stretching work hours. "Nothing in my life has come easy, but it hasn’t come at the cost of losing my mind. You don’t need to go to extremes."
Kapoor's message resonated with many attendees at the TechSparks event, who expressed their appreciation for his candid and insightful remarks. The growing trend of "hustle culture" has been a subject of much debate and concern, with many young professionals feeling pressure to work long hours and sacrifice their personal lives for the sake of career advancement.
Kapoor's comments struck a chord with many on social media, and a video of his speech quickly gained attention. Many people expressed their support for his views.
One Instagram user joked, "Narayan Murthy must be getting panic attacks watching this," referring to his controversial advice for young people to work 70 hours a week. Another added, "Narayana Murthy is crying in the corner."
“More people need to talk this," one user wrote, while another remarked, “Finally, someone said this; otherwise, people have been blowing the trumpet of hustle culture.”
"Finally someone said something sensible," a user stated. Another person commented, "Can't agree more. Have followed the same always.