Toxic Leadership in Startups - Raghav Gupta (1% Club & Futurense)
Working with Raghav Gupta at the 1% Club, was a distressing experience for many. The culture was marked by relentless verbal abuse and emotional turmoil, defined by Raghav’s aggressive, unpredictable outbursts. Meetings often devolved into shouting matches where he would single out employees for public humiliation over even minor mistakes or perceived inefficiencies. This wasn’t limited to high-stakes situations; it was a regular occurrence that turned the workplace into a pressure cooker filled with fear and anxiety. Talented individuals soon found themselves questioning their abilities, and productivity suffered as employees struggled under the weight of constant stress. Instead of fostering an environment where collaboration and openness could thrive, the toxic atmosphere led to silence and conformity, causing high turnover as valuable team members left to protect their mental health. The workplace dynamic was further poisoned by Raghav’s treatment of female employees, which went be...