Latest news with #Siripragada
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Startup CEO has a Rs 55 lakh job offer for anyone who could do better than his 'subpar team lead'
Aditya Siripragada, CEO of US-based tech firm Fountane, triggered widespread debate after publicly announcing his decision to replace a high-salaried team lead over poor performance. His post on X drew thousands of views, job applications, and questions about leadership transparency and workplace norms. Siripragada, who once arrived in the US with just $700, has built one of Minnesota's fastest-growing tech companies. He stated he's open to paying more for top-tier talent, insisting, 'not the time to experiment.' Disclaimer Statement: This content is authored by a 3rd party. The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). ET does not guarantee, vouch for or endorse any of its contents nor is responsible for them in any manner whatsoever. Please take all steps necessary to ascertain that any information and content provided is correct, updated, and verified. ET hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, relating to the report and any content therein. More
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
NRI Tech CEO launches job hunt for Rs 72 lakh role to replace 'subpar' worker. Netizens call him for 'poor leadership'
A startup founder recently grabbed eyeballs when he launched a very public job hunt to replace an underperforming employee . Aditya Siripragada , the Chief Executive Officer of Fountane Inc.—a startup headquartered in New York—used the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to announce a job opening with a compensation package amounting to Rs 72 lakh annually. His message conveyed frustration over allocating a sizable salary to a team member who, according to him, was not meeting expectations. He invited applications from experienced professionals who could take charge of the role, stressing the urgency of the situation. Siripragada's post read, 'Paying Rs 55 lakh as base compensation for a team lead managing a high-stakes assignment. Current output isn't satisfactory, and I need a swift replacement. If you've successfully led teams and believe you can outperform the current standard, I'm open to a serious chat. If you don't have prior leadership experience in this context, this isn't the time to try something new.' Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo In response to a user who questioned the pay, wondering whether ₹55 lakh was a sufficient base salary for a team leader managing roughly 8–10 members, Siripragada clarified, 'That's the base—the complete offer comes to around ₹72 lakh per annum.' — dealzman_ (@dealzman_) The post, while bold and direct, was met with mixed reactions. A portion of the online community took issue with the public nature of the critique aimed at the current employee's performance. One commenter questioned the approach, stating, 'Announcing a job is okay, but airing an employee's shortcomings publicly isn't necessary. This could've been handled more privately.' Another user recommended offering support instead of termination, asking, 'Why not help the person upgrade their skills or manage them more effectively rather than dismiss them?' Another X user wrote, "Washing dirty linen in public is poor leadership and needs introspection!" Others critiqued the hiring strategy, suggesting flaws in the selection process. One user remarked, 'It seems like the person who interviewed the candidate failed to assess the right capabilities. That's where accountability lies. New hires need mentoring, not instant replacement.' Aditya Siripragada leads Fountane Inc., an enterprise that functions both as a digital consulting agency and a venture holding firm. He is a graduate of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, bringing a background in business leadership to his role.
NDTV
24-04-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Tech CEO Calls Out "Subpar" Team Lead Getting 72 Lakh Salary, Launches Job Hunt
An Indian-origin tech entrepreneur in the United States has sparked a lively discussion online after publicly expressing frustration over paying a high salary to what he described as an underperforming team lead. Aditya Siripragada, co-founder and CEO of New York-based startup Fountane, took to social media to announce he was seeking a replacement for the role - which comes with an annual compensation package of Rs 72 lakh. "Paying Rs 55 lakh for a team lead on a critical project - performance is subpar and I need to replace fast," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter), clarifying later that the total compensation was closer to Rs 72 lakh per annum. Paying 55L for a team lead on a critical project — performance is subpar and I need to replace fast. If you've led teams before and know you can do better, I'm open to a serious conversation. Please don't reach out if you haven't done this kind of role before — not the time to… — Aditya Siripragada 🫡 (@dealzman_) April 22, 2025 Siripragada's post quickly gained traction, garnering over 92,700 views and attracting interest from job seekers. He encouraged experienced professionals to reach out, but cautioned against applications from those lacking relevant leadership experience. "Please don't reach out if you haven't done this kind of role before - not the time to experiment," he said. Engaging with applicants in the comments, Siripragada also revealed he was open to offering a higher salary - provided the candidate could demonstrate exceptional capabilities. "If you're freaking amazing, I'm down to pay more than that," he wrote. Originally from India, Siripragada moved to the US a decade ago to build his company, which helps startups and small businesses scale using AI and digital solutions. In a LinkedIn post reflecting on his journey, he shared that he arrived in the US with just two bags, $700, and "a heart full of ambition." As of August 2024, Fountane was ranked the 884th fastest-growing business in the US, and was among the top 10 in Minnesota, topping the list for software and technology services in the region. Siripragada's candid post has reignited conversations around startup culture, leadership accountability, and compensation expectations in the tech industry, both in the US and India. Mr Siripragada clarified that the amount was only the basic pay, while the overall salary was around Rs 72 LPA. "If you've led teams before and know you can do better, I'm open to a serious conversation. Please don't reach out if you haven't done this kind of role before - not the time to experiment," he added. Siripragada's post drew a lot of reactions from interested applicants and received more than 90,000 views. Siripragada himself engaged in conversations with several candidates. Responding to one such comment, he added that he was willing to hire anyone as long as they are "freaking amazing". "Also, I'm down to pay more than that," he said. The tech entrepreneur had moved to the US about a decade ago to launch his company, Fountane, which uses digital and AI tools to help startups and SME become better and more scalable. Recalling the day he reached the US, Siripragada wrote on a LinkedIn post that he landed in the country with two bags, $700 in cash, and "a heart full of ambition". He added that as of August 2024, Fountane was the 884th fastest growing business in the US, top 10 in the state of Minnesota, and topped the list of software and technology services in the region.
