Indian-origin founder seeks interns in Bengaluru for AI firm. Has to work 12 hours, Rs 1 lakh stipend

The post provoked criticism shortly after it was published, particularly over the extended daily schedule set out for interns.

A LinkedIn advertisement posted by the San Francisco-based co-founder of an artificial intelligence start-up drew widespread criticism after it outlined an internship in Bengaluru that required candidates to work 12-hour shifts. The role, which the founder said needed to be filled immediately, offered a monthly stipend of Rs 1 lakh along with a series of additional benefits, but the stated working hours prompted objections across platforms.

In the recruitment note, the co-founder said the company was “Tier-1 VC-backed, already live with Fortune 500 customers, and growing fast”. He wrote that the opening was suitable for someone wishing “to build with real users, solve deep technical challenges, and shape the future of how enterprises run”. The details specified that the internship was an on-site position in Bengaluru, with interns expected to work from 11am to 11pm, six days a week.

The founder said the selected intern would receive a meal allowance or food subscription, access to a gym or a hobby-related subscription, and the chance to work directly with the founding team on building new products from the outset.

The eligibility requirements stated that applicants should be high achievers, demonstrate a “can-do” approach, take responsibility for their work, and be “hungry” to establish themselves.

The post provoked criticism shortly after it was published, particularly over the extended daily schedule set out for interns. Responding to it, one individual wrote: “The 11am–11pm, 6-day work requirement reflects a larger issue in the Indian startup culture. While many countries are moving toward 4-day workweeks for better productivity and well-being, we’re still normalising burnout as a badge of honour. Long hours don’t build better products, healthy teams do.”

Another person questioned the practicality of the stated perks, saying: “Um, Perks look great until someone reads the 11 AM - 11 PM. At what time of the day are you expecting your employee to go to the Gym? Just curious!”