Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Harsh Pokharna, co-founder and CEO of digital ledger app OkCredit, revealed that he was “living paycheck to paycheck” even after raising ₹120 crore in Series A funding for his startup in 2019.

“I had no savings and was still worrying about rent in Bangalore,” Pokharna wrote in a widely shared post on X. “And it’s not just my story. I’ve seen it happen again and again. Founders are raising millions, and still living like college kids. Stressed about survival.”

At the heart of his post is a sharp critique of venture capital culture. Pokharna argued that many investors prefer founders to remain financially strained, making them easier to control. “VCs want founders to stay poor,” he wrote. “A founder with money becomes dangerous. Dangerous enough to say no. Dangerous enough to walk away. Dangerous enough to build on their own terms.”

He pointed out the hypocrisy in how investor money is handled: “If a founder dares to ask for a little personal liquidity… they’re told they might ‘lose their hunger.’ Meanwhile, the same VCs have no problem throwing millions at serial founders who have beach houses and retirement funds. Apparently, money only kills ambition when it’s in your hands. Not theirs.”

The post has triggered a wave of responses from startup founders and investors alike. One user replied, “Well said Harsh! Although the mindset is changing fast.” Another disagreed, saying, “Investor money going to founders is not acceptable… Bootstrap it over years. Build your legacy!”

Some, like the team behind fintech platform Incentiv, offered tangible solutions: “We built Incentiv to solve this exact problem. We are currently working on creating liquidity for hundreds of customers.”

Pokharna ended his post with a message for fellow founders: “The truth is—a little financial security doesn’t make founders weak. It makes them fearless. So if you’re a founder, don’t let anyone shame you into staying poor. Build your dream. But build your freedom too.”