Bengaluru entrepreneur questions Indian founders’ ego, says US startup leaders show more humility. See post

According to Shubh Agrawal, the interaction with the Indian founder escalated into hostility when he requested access to a product.

A Bengaluru-based entrepreneur has sparked discussion on social media after describing what he said were sharply contrasting experiences seeking mentorship from Indian and US-based startup founders.

In a post on X, Shubh Agrawal, who lists his current employment as being with a New York-based company on LinkedIn, shared screenshots of two private exchanges he claimed to have had with founders he approached for professional guidance over the past six months.

“What’s with Indian founders and their ego?” Agrawal wrote while introducing his account. He said he had contacted several founders and chief executives he admired, adding that while many were willing to engage, he observed what he described as a noticeable difference in behaviour between Indian founders and those based abroad.

Providing background, Agrawal said one of the founders was Indian, a frequent podcast guest whose company reportedly generates around $40 million in annual revenue. The second founder, he said, is based in the United States, has built two unicorn companies, and currently runs a business with revenues exceeding $400 million a year.

According to Agrawal, the interaction with the Indian founder escalated into hostility when he requested access to a product. He alleged that the founder became angry and referred to the founding team using a derogatory slur.

By contrast, Agrawal said the US-based founder responded by spending approximately an hour discussing the problem in detail. “The American peer spent a good 60 minutes asking questions and diagnosing the issue and offered to hop on a call if needed,” he wrote.

While acknowledging that his conclusion might be subjective, Agrawal added, “I might be wrong in attributing this to their origin, but it's clear that the founder with 10x higher competence was a lot more humble and willing to help out.”

The post triggered mixed responses from other users on the platform.

What’s with Indian founders and their Ego?

Story time - In the last 6 months, I've reached out to countless founders and CEOs I admire for advice. Most of the time, they're willing to help - but there seems to be a massive difference between the ego levels of Indian founders… pic.twitter.com/OcZAfb7g6C — Shubh Agrawal (@ShubhAgrawal26) January 12, 2026

One user suggested the issue could stem from lived experiences rather than nationality, writing, “I guess when someone goes through hard steps and then makes it work, they feel it's worth the journey, so they would rather watch others suffer to get to the same level than offer a helping hand. Maybe that's how the Indian mindset works.”

Another disagreed with generalising the experience, commenting, “I think this is very specific. I reached out to people in India and outside, and the experiences were completely different. So I don't think this is a general thing. It's very, very specific to the people.”

Some responses broadened the discussion beyond founders. One user wrote, “Same with managers. Literally Indian managers s**k!” Another added, “Steve Jobs’ sixth child is an epic insult.”

Meanwhile, a user called out Agrawal and told him to share the whole conversion instead of a small part of it.