Reddit polls Indian startup founders: Byju Raveendran ranked ‘worst,’ Sridhar Vembu voted ‘best’

The poll, conducted by the 'Startup India' community on Reddit, has sparked widespread discussions among users

Byju Raveendran, co-founder and CEO of Indian edtech platform Byju's, has been voted the "worst founder" by a Reddit community due to allegations of fostering a toxic work environment, engaging in unethical business practices, and damaging the reputation of the Indian startup ecosystem. The poll, conducted by the “Startup India” community on Reddit, has sparked widespread discussions among users about Raveendran’s handling of employees, customers, and investors.

Raveendran, 44, currently faces multiple legal and financial challenges, including accusations of fraudulently transferring $533 million to offshore accounts, a charge that he firmly denies. His company, Byju’s, is also grappling with significant debt defaults in both the US and India, leading to large-scale layoffs, delayed salaries, and a steep decline in the company’s valuation. Insolvency proceedings are also underway for the edtech giant.

The Reddit community highlighted several concerns regarding Raveendran’s leadership. One user remarked, "He scams families of their savings under the pretext of education,” while another stated, “He screwed everyone whom he hired… he spoiled the Indian startup reputation abroad.”

Day 4 - Worst Founder (Seems like the Most Awaited Category, Most Mentions and Upvotes will be added)
byu/The_Decent_Observer inStartUpIndia

The critique also focused on Byju’s aggressive sales tactics, which have reportedly left many parents in financial distress. One post summarised these grievances, stating that Raveendran had contributed to a “toxic work culture with employee exploitation” and criticised the company’s lack of transparency and poor corporate governance.

While Raveendran faced heavy criticism, the poll also identified Ola’s Bhavish Aggarwal as a close contender for the “worst founder” title, mainly due to recent dissatisfaction among Ola Electric customers.

In contrast, Sridhar Vembu, founder of Zoho, was recognised as the “best founder” by the Reddit community. Vembu was praised for creating jobs in his hometown, developing a successful business model, and launching a competitive product without relying on venture capital funding. One user commented, “He operates from a village in Tamil Nadu… giving tough competition to Google and Microsoft.” Another highlighted Vembu’s commitment to community development, noting, “He created a company in his village providing so many jobs to people in his hometown.”