#WTF2023: When A Twitter Feud Erupted Between Intern & Startup Founder Over Stipend

#WTF2023 is a major throwback to the 40 off-the-wall stories that defined India in 2023. Bizarre incidents, crazy jugaad, and food you won't believe made it to a plate, it's all here.

Remember when an intern named Wasim Raja engaged in a heated Twitter argument with Soshals founder, Kritarth Mittal, accusing Mittal of exploiting him and withholding his stipend?

Here's What Exactly Happended:

Screenshot of Raja's Twitter Post

Note: Raja's post is no longer available on Twitter; the image shared above is the screenshot from the Indiatimes story last year.

In an extensive Twitter thread, Raja asserted that Mittal burdened him with impractical expectations, persistently sought updates even during his vacations, was assigned a challenging role, and ultimately declined to compensate him.

intern spat with founder

Raja narrates that his association with Soshals commenced when Mittal approached him on Twitter regarding a front-end development opportunity.

What Did Raja Further Inform?

During their initial conversation, Raja informed Mittal about his ongoing notice period and, being in his final semester, expressed his ability to commit only to part-time work with a minimum salary requirement of Rs 10,000.

According to Raja, Mittal agreed to a two-month part-time internship, intending to assess his skills and commitment before discussing the possibility of a full-time position. No specific obligations or notice terms were outlined during this agreement.

What Was Raja Expected To Do?

Raja mentioned that Mittal tasked him with developing a website for Soshals as part of the hiring process. However, Mittal later disclosed that the website needed to be completed within a week. Despite Raja expressing concerns, Mittal dismissed them as a misunderstanding. Raja dedicated extensive effort to the project, accommodating numerous design alterations and meeting seemingly unattainable deadlines.

Raja informed the management that while he wouldn't be available around the clock, he would make an effort to meet demands until the commencement of his final end-of-semester exams.

Raja mentioned that Mittal tasked him with developing a website for Soshals

Conversely, Mittal purportedly persisted in requesting updates from Raja and established expectations that were deemed unreasonable.

The Decision To Resign:

After enduring a month of managing overwhelming expectations alongside his full-time job, Raja made the challenging decision to resign. Regrettably, the founder declined to provide any stipend, asserting that Raja had missed deadlines and attributing the blame to his own losses.

In contrast, Kritarth Mittal defended himself, claiming that Raja spent 18 days on a task he estimated would only take seven hours. Mittal accused Raja of being unresponsive to calls, inaccessible, and leaving abruptly.

Mittal went on to assert that the intern consistently set unrealistic expectations and then placed the blame on Mittal for his fatigue. Despite requesting time off within a week of starting and without delivering any work, Raja remained dissatisfied and concerned. The question arises: How did Mittal handle the situation?

How Did Mittal React?

I am a very strong person but I almost broke down yesterday, all thanks to one bad hiring decision i.e. @wasim7raja10.

Wasim posted a thread stating his unpleasant experience working with me. It broke my heart but here's the other side of the story (w proof):

0/n?

¡ª Kritarth Mittal | Soshals (@kritarthmittal) June 18, 2023

In response to Raja's allegations, Mittal labelled him a "bad hiring decision" and substantiated his perspective with accompanying screenshots. Mittal claimed that Raja consistently took extended periods to complete tasks and often established inaccurate expectations. He defended his decision not to pay Raja's stipend by citing perceived shortcomings in delivery and failure to meet deadlines.

What are your thoughts on this situation? Share them in the comment.

For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram.