Archive · 19 Dec 2025
Ankur Warikoo on Layoffs After $17M Funding
Ankur Warikoo, a successful entrepreneur, recently shared a difficult time in his career.
In 2016, after his company received $17 million in funding, he had to let go of 80 employees.
He felt very guilty and responsible for this decision.
He talked about how he coped with this tough time by reading a book, listening to music and crying, and practicing meditation.
Many people appreciated his honesty and shared their own experiences of similar struggles.
Warikoo's openness about his failures and how he handled them has inspired others to talk about their own challenges.
Ankur Warikoo laid off 80 employees in 2016 after raising $17 million from Sequoia India.
He took full responsibility for the layoffs, attributing them to his poor decisions and judgment.
Warikoo shared his coping mechanisms: reading, a daily crying ritual, and meditation.
His openness on social media resonated widely, prompting others to share their experiences.
The book 'Better Under Pressure' played a significant role in his mental health recovery.
- Who
- Ankur Warikoo, entrepreneur and digital creator
- What
- Layoffs of 80 employees after raising $17 million
- When
- 2016, following a 2015 investment
- Where
- India
- Why
- Due to Warikoo's decisions and judgment leading to financial difficulties
- Ankur Warikoo
- Entrepreneur and digital creator
- Company Layoffs
- 80 employees laid off in 2016
- Total Employees Before Layoffs
- 420
- Investment
- $17 million from Sequoia India
- Year of Investment
- 2015
- Mental Health Strategies
- Reading, crying ritual, meditation
- Book That Helped
- Better Under Pressure
- Social Media Platform
- X (formerly Twitter)