A late-night post by a Flipkart software engineer on the anonymous work forum Grapevine has sparked discussion about burnout, long work hours, and how employees cope with stress in India’s tech industry.
In the post, the techie described being on a “P0 escalation call at 3 am” and feeling mentally exhausted. Titled “My 3 am delivery orders are a cry for help”, the post listed several unusual late-night purchases made through quick‑commerce apps during work-related insomnia.
“Brain is completely fried,” they said, wondering why 10-minute delivery apps allow customers to buy random items so late. “I just looked at my order history from the last month and I am genuinely concerned for my sanity. Last night I ordered three cans of Red Bull, a packet of Eno, and a skipping rope. A f***ing skipping rope at 2.45 am. Who skips at 3 am? Nobody. I just stared at it while some VP was rambling on Zoom,” the techie said.
Other recent orders mentioned in the post included UNO cards, a single lemon and toilet cleaner. The engineer said these purchases made him worry about his mental state, calling them a coping habit when “work trauma hits”.
“I am so burnt out, yaar. My organisation is squeezing the life out of me and my only coping mechanism is buying absolute garbage when the insomnia hits,” the techie said.
Grapevine founder responds
The post received wide engagement and comments from professionals across companies, including one of the founders of Grapevine. “Damn, this makes me realise there should be a way to block certain items on quick commerce apps,” they said, before suggesting that quick‑commerce apps should allow users to block certain items or restrict usage at specific times, especially for people struggling with impulse buying.
Other reactions were mixed. A verified Flipkart assistant manager advised the engineer to prioritise health. “You should leave Flipkart. I can imagine myself in this position there 3 months back, but now, I have peace of mind. Never compromise your physical/mental health for work. At max, work should be 1/3rd of your entire day,” they said.
In contrast, a TCS software developer said such stress was common in well-paid jobs and felt the situation was being exaggerated, arguing that people often give up personal comfort for career growth.
Replying to this, the Flipkart engineer said long hours may have become normal but were still harmful. “It might have become the norm, but it still hurts the brain,” they wrote, adding that his health was “definitely taking a massive hit”.