Tech Founder Faces Backlash After Dismissing Ex-Employee’s Uplifting Story as a ‘Sob Story’
New Delhi | May 2, 2025 — A UAE-based startup founder is facing intense backlash online after publicly criticising a former ex-employee for sharing her personal journey of being fired and bouncing back as an entrepreneur.
The controversy began when Namya Khan, co-founder of the design agency Supafast, shared a post reflecting on a turning point in her career. Without naming names, the ex-employee described how she was fired from her first tech job in 2023 and was told that her work might soon be replaced by AI. Rather than letting the moment break her, she used it as motivation to start her own agency. Her message: “If it won’t matter in five years, don’t give it five minutes of panic.”
Namya Khan’s post quickly gained traction for its positive, forward-looking tone and resonated with professionals who had experienced similar setbacks. However, the post also triggered an unexpected reaction from Keswin Suresh, co-founder of DarDoc—a health and wellness startup believed to be the company she referred to in her story.
Founder Fires Back, Sparks Outrage
In a lengthy response, Keswin Suresh openly criticised the ex-employee, accusing her of distorting facts for sympathy and personal brand growth. “Namya was hired as a frontend developer,” he wrote. “She was given multiple chances, detailed feedback, and more support than most startups would bother with. The truth is simple. The work was sloppy, deadlines were missed, and basic execution was consistently off.”
Keswin insisted that the ex-employee’s termination had nothing to do with artificial intelligence and everything to do with performance issues. He went on to say, “You weren’t replaced by AI. You were replaced by someone who could actually ship working code.”
He further accused the ex-employee of using a “sob story” to gain attention and freelance clients, stating, “We’re glad she’s running her own agency. But don’t rewrite history. Don’t twist facts. And don’t drag the company that gave you your first shot into your personal PR strategy.”
Social Media Reacts: “Unprofessional” and “Insecure”
What might have been intended as a clarification quickly spiralled into a PR crisis for Keswin and DarDoc. His comments were widely condemned across social media platforms, with users calling his response “insecure,” “unprofessional,” and “tone-deaf.”
One user pointed out, “She doesn’t mention your company name in the tweet nor does she have it in her bio. You exposed yourself and your company. And sadly, not in a good way.”
Another commenter echoed similar sentiments: “You just made your startup look way worse than she did.”
Many criticised the founder’s public takedown of an ex-employee who had not even named the company. “This is not how a founder reacts. Even if you disagree with her version of events, dragging an ex-employee online when she hasn’t named anyone is just unnecessary,” read one comment.
Some users highlighted the irony of the situation: the ex-employee kept the company anonymous, while the founder revealed it by responding. “Nobody knew it was your company until you said it,” one person wrote.
The incident has sparked a broader discussion about startup leadership and how founders treat ex-employees—especially when the criticism is not explicit or defamatory. It also highlights the risks of overreacting to vague online commentary and turning a silent post into a public scandal.
In response to the backlash, Keswin posted a follow-up defending his stance, claiming that sharing the company’s side of the story was necessary to protect its reputation. However, the damage had already been done. His reaction to the ex-employee’s motivational story was seen as excessive, defensive, and a poor display of leadership.
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