3 weeks ago
Bengaluru Founder Admits First Employee Quit Was Her Fault
A woman who runs a company called CreateHQ wrote a post on LinkedIn about a big mistake she made.
She hired a very excited and talented person to help her.
But after three months, that person quit because he was tired and stressed.
When he explained why he was leaving, he said he never knew what he was supposed to do and that the goals changed every day.
The woman, Meenal Goel, said the mistake was all her fault.
She had hired him with lots of enthusiasm but no clear plan, and she expected him to figure everything out on his own.
She learned that bosses should give workers clear instructions and goals.
When she hired her next worker, she made a clear job description and set specific goals, and that worker stayed for ten months.
She wants other bosses to learn from her mistake because early employees need clarity and direction, not just a mission.
Meenal Goel, founder of CreateHQ, went viral on LinkedIn after admitting her first employee's exit after three months was '100% my fault.'
The employee quit feeling burnt out, telling Goel in an exit interview: 'I don't know what success looks like here. Every day the goal changes.'
Goel cited data that 28% of new hires quit within the first 90 days, with lack of clear expectations and role clarity as the top reason.
She noted that replacing an employee costs 50-200% of their annual salary.
For her next hire, Goel added a detailed role description, 30-60-90 day goals, weekly one-on-ones, and documented processes; that employee remained with her 10 months later.
- Who
- Meenal Goel, founder of Bengaluru-based content and creative agency CreateHQ
- What
- A viral LinkedIn post in which Goel admitted her first employee's departure after three months was entirely her fault and shared lessons on giving early hires clarity
- Where
- Bengaluru (Goel's base); the post was shared on LinkedIn
- When
- The post was published approximately five days before this report
- Why
- The employee quit feeling burnt out because goals changed daily and expectations were unclear, prompting Goel to reflect on early-stage hiring practices
Key facts
- Founder
- Meenal Goel
- Company
- CreateHQ
- Base
- Bengaluru
- Platform
- First hire's tenure
- About 3 months
- New hires quitting within 90 days
- 28%
- Cost of replacing an employee
- 50-200% of annual salary
- Second hire's tenure
- Still with the company after 10 months
Quotes
Meenal Goel
Founder of content and creative agency CreateHQ
“"My first employee quit after 3 months and it was 100% my fault! He was talented. Excited. Ready to hustle. But by month 3, he was burnt out and frustrated."”
livemint.com
“"As a founder, chaos is your job. As an employee, clarity is their right."”
livemint.com











