'Pitch only if your date wants to split the bill': Netizens react after Bengaluru-based entrepreneur says ‘dating as a founder is tough’

Divyanshu Shekhar, a CEO based in Bengaluru, faced social media trolling after sharing his struggles with dating as an entrepreneur. In a LinkedIn post, Shekhar explained that dating has become difficult for him as a start-up founder because he often finds himself talking about his business plans instead of personal topics.

“Dating as a founder is tough. I go in hoping to talk about feelings... and somehow end up pitching my business plan.

"Is it even a real date if I didn't try to explain my 'vision'?” added Shekhar.

Divyanshu Shekhar, co-founder and CEO of the start-up Zero, recently shared his dating challenges on LinkedIn. Several users responded to his post, suggesting he find a better balance between his personal and professional life.

“You need to keep your personal and professional lives separate but has any girl showed interest in funding your venture ? One quick way to check is if she is showing any interest in splitting the bill first. Pitch only if your date wants to split the bill,” wrote one user.

Another user wrote, “Navigating founder life is a unique journey! Balancing personal chats with business pitches can be tricky, but it's all part of the startup adventure!”

“No one defined that a date is not real if you talk about achieving greatness in life with your date, so I guess it is all good,” a third user wrote.

The post quickly spread beyond LinkedIn when a Reddit user, @algolian_suntiger, shared a screenshot with the caption, “What’s a real date?” This added more attention and discussion around Divyanshu’s experience.

The post sparked a debate on Reddit about the challenges young entrepreneurs face in balancing work and personal life. Some users criticized Shekhar, sharing similar dating experiences.

One user commented, "This is why my sister-in-law broke up with a founder. Real-life workaholic." Another shared, "A friend once dated a guy like this—he even brought blueprints to their first date, offering her a condo in another state. She blocked him right after."

Another Redditor humorously added, "Dating as a founder is hard, but being married is even tougher."