Divyanshu Shekhar, a Bengaluru-based CEO, was trolled on social media platforms after he shared his dating experience as an entrepreneur, and termed it ‘tough’ as he ends up pitching his business plan.
In a LinkedIn post, Shekhar mentioned that dating as a start-up founder has become a challenge.
“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 is co-founder and CEO of a start-up named Zero, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Several LinkedIn users commented on his post, advising him to keep a balance between 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 advised, “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,” added another.
However, his post was not limited to LinkedIn. The post garnered further attention when a social media user named@algolian_suntigershared a screenshot of his post on Reddit with the caption, “What’s a real date?”
The post sparked a debate among Reddit users on the challenges of balancing professional and personal life among young entrepreneurs. Several users criticised Shekhar and shared their own dating experience.
“This is exactly why my SIL (sister-in-law) broke up with a founder. Real life lunatic indeed,” commented one user.
“I had a friend who talked to a guy like this, total workaholic with low self esteem. I could see right through him. She finally went on a first date and he brought blue prints to dinner offering her a condo for her in another state. Total whack job. She blocked him immediately,” wrote another Reddit user.
“Dating as a founder is tough, but it’s even tougher when you’re married,” added another.
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