Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Bengaluru CEO Says Spite Motivated Employees’ Weekend Work
Vikram Pai runs a company called ReferRush in Bengaluru.
He said a former customer treated his team badly.
The customer later decided to build a product that competes with ReferRush.
Pai said this made his employees very angry.
He said they began choosing to work late at night and on Sundays.
One employee reportedly promised to skip Sundays for at least three weeks, except during an emergency.
Pai said bonuses, deadlines and ownership in the company had not worked as well.
People online debated whether the story and the employees’ reaction made sense.
ReferRush CEO and co-founder Vikram Pai said employees were voluntarily working nights and Sundays.
Pai attributed the extra effort to anger over a former customer who allegedly treated his team badly.
The former customer reportedly went on to develop a competing product.
Pai said bonuses, incentives, deadlines and equity had not accelerated the company as much.
The post drew online debate, with users questioning the rivalry and the employees’ motivation.
- Who
- Vikram Pai, CEO and co-founder of ReferRush, and employees at the company.
- What
- Employees reportedly volunteered to work nights and Sundays after becoming angry with a former customer who developed a competing product.
- When
- Pai said one employee planned to take no Sundays off for at least three weeks, except in an emergency.
- Where
- ReferRush is based in Bengaluru, and Pai shared the account on X.
- Why
- Pai said employees were motivated by anger or “spite” after the former customer allegedly treated his team badly.
Pai’s Explanation
Online Skepticism
What motivated the extra work
Pai’s Explanation
Pai said employees were so angry about the former customer’s alleged treatment of the team that they voluntarily worked nights and Sundays.
Online Skepticism
Some users questioned the connection between the customer’s behavior and the employees’ decision to work extra hours, while others treated the story as an example of unusual motivation.
The competing product
Pai’s Explanation
Pai said a former customer who treated his team badly later decided to build a competing product.
Online Skepticism
Users questioned why the customer would treat the team badly before developing a competing product and said the sequence did not make sense.
Workplace incentives
Pai’s Explanation
Pai said conventional incentives such as bonuses, deadlines and equity had been less effective than the employees’ anger over the dispute.
Online Skepticism
Online commenters offered mixed reactions, with some joking about retaliating against the rival product and others questioning the logic of the account.
- Company
- ReferRush
- CEO and co-founder
- Vikram Pai
- Reported motivation
- Anger or “spite” directed at a former customer
- Extra work
- Employees reportedly worked nights and Sundays voluntarily
- Employee commitment
- One employee said he would take no Sundays off for at least three weeks, except in an emergency
- Earlier incentives
- Bonuses, incentives, deadlines and equity
- Online response
- Pai’s post attracted more than 23,500 views and generated debate
