Techie feels the best companies are dictatorships. Netizens react: ‘Dude has no idea…'
entrepreneurship
unexpectedly became the subject of online mockery after a controversial LinkedIn post of his went viral. The post, which quickly made its way to the popular subreddit LinkedIn Lunatics, attracted widespread ridicule for its glorification of
authoritarian leadership
styles. The entrepreneur,
Nikunj K
, appeared to equate successful leadership with rigid control, using a dramatic workplace anecdote to support his claims.
In his now-infamous post, Nikunj recounted an incident from a product review meeting. His team had painstakingly prepared a detailed Product Requirements Document (PRD) over several weeks. But when the company's founder entered the room, he barely glanced at the document. Without engaging in any real discussion, the founder walked to the whiteboard, sketched out three rectangles, connected them with arrows, and then left the room as abruptly as he had entered. The moment left the team confused and demoralized. Despite the effort invested in the PRD, it was cast aside in favor of a spontaneous idea.
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As the project manager, Nikunj was left to translate this minimalist sketch into a complete product. This situation, instead of frustrating him, became an epiphany. He concluded that truly successful companies don't operate as democratic entities. Instead, he believed they thrive under top-down, uncompromising leadership—a structure resembling an autocracy rather than a cooperative.
Nikunj used this story to draw a broader lesson: in his view, great organizations aren't built through consensus but by enforcing singular visions. He compared such leaders to legendary figures like Brian Chesky and Jensen Huang—individuals known for their bold goals and exacting standards. According to Nikunj, many professionals hope to be part of revolutionary companies but also want workplace comfort, flexible hours, and freedom from pressure. However, he argued, these expectations are contradictory. Visionary leaders often demand sacrifice and discipline, not leniency.
To him, employees must make a choice: either align themselves with demanding founders who resonate with their own ambition or take the plunge into entrepreneurship and create their own version of a company-led empire.
However, not everyone received his message positively. Reddit users were quick to respond with criticism and satire. One person remarked that what Nikunj called 'dictatorship' was more accurately described as 'leadership' or 'decisiveness,' while another mocked the overly dramatic tone of the post, likening it to fiction where the narrator casts themselves as a dictator rather than an inspiring leader. Another critic pointed out that Nikunj seemed to misunderstand the actual implications of a dictatorship. "Dude has no idea what dictatorship actually means lol," said another.
In the end, what Nikunj may have intended as a bold commentary on leadership was interpreted by many as a glorification of authoritarianism—and the internet was not kind in its response.
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