Radhika Gupta, CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Funds, urges founders to look beyond the glitzy allure of startup life that has been romanticized with coworking spaces, viral social media posts and rounds of announcements celebration funding.

“Now there’s an increased air of ‘startup romance’ that paints startup life as working in cold suits outside a fancy co-working space, talking ideas all day, raising rounds of funding , giving gyaan on social media, organizing friday night drinks,” said Gupta. “Don’t fall in love.”

His message is a clear reality check. Real startup journeys are paved with painful executions, shoestring budgets, limited resources, and the constant struggle to hire and retain talent.

Founders face relentless pushback, unyielding pressure to generate revenue at any cost, and long periods of uncertainty.

For many entrepreneurs, these challenges are compounded by biases. Dhruv Suyamprakasam, CEO of telemedicine startup iCliniq, shared how his journey took unexpected turns after he faced discrimination from investors for not being an IIT alumnus or fluent in Hindi.

Hailing from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Dhruv’s move to Bangalore in 2010 seemed strategic: a leap into the heart of India’s startup ecosystem. “It wasn’t the best place for us,” he later admitted, citing unrealistic growth pressures.

“In healthcare, you can’t afford to fail quickly. Investors were expecting us to get to 100 paid consultations a day, which isn’t practical in a trust-based industry.”

Dhruv described the biases he encountered: “I felt left out because I didn’t speak Hindi, didn’t study at IIT and came from a small town that not many had heard of.”

Gupta and Dhruv’s experiences highlight the gap between the illusion of a vibrant and inclusive startup culture and its brave underbelly. For aspiring entrepreneurs, the message is clear: don’t mistake the brilliance of the startup ecosystem for the grit it demands.