Ankur Warikoo’s honest confession of ‘laying off 80 colleagues without any fault’ wins hearts online; see viral post

Ankur Warikoo shares an honest confession of laying off 80 colleagues from the company. Scroll down to see the post.

Viral News: The entrepreneur and author, Ankur Warikoo, shared an utterly honest confession from a low point in his life back in 2016. Warikoo shared that he laid off 80 people in the company out of 420, for which they were not even responsible. He shared that he took this decision in less than a year after having raised USD 17 million from Sequoia India. He further shared three things that helped him in the tough phase of life. People empathised with Warikoo’s story and shared their reactions.

Ankur Warikoo’s viral post

Ankur Warikoo shared the post on X on December 17. He wrote, “In 2016, less than a year after raising $17M from Sequoia India, I laid off 80 colleagues (out of 420) for no fault of theirs. My terrible decisions and judgment had led us to this point.”

In 2016, less than a year after raising $17M from Sequoia India, I laid off 80 colleagues (out of 420) for no fault of theirs.
My terrible decisions and judgment had led us to this point.
I had let everyone down – my cofounders, my team, my investors.
And myself.

Going to… https://t.co/dpq0elH5qx

— Ankur Warikoo (@warikoo) December 17, 2025

Ankur Warikoo’s toughest phase of life

Warikoo called it the toughest phase of his life and shared three things that helped his mental health to improve. The first thing he shared was reading ‘Better Under Pressure’, which saved him. Secondly, listening to Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’ after lunch outside the office, and lastly, meditation.

How are people reacting?

In the latest viral news, the netizens have been appreciating the entrepreneur and author of book ‘Do Epic Shit’. One user commented, “This honesty takes courage. Failure hurts more when it comes from your own decisions. What matters is not the fall, but the discipline to show up every day despite the weight”, and another wrote, “Helplessness is an underrated painful emotion.”

Ankur Warikoo’s honest confession came as relatable for many people online.