A hiring post by a Bengaluru-based founder has sparked a debate online after it listed a number of unusual requirements for a senior role, including a salary benchmark linked to age.
Taking to X, Ruchir Jajoo, founder and CEO of Social Capital, announced that his company was recruiting a Head of Growth for its Bengaluru office with a salary of ₹50 lakh per annum. Among the requirements, Jajoo wrote that candidates should be “extremely articulate”, “cerebral”, and have a “top 1% viral sense”. He also added conditions such as a love for “Tech Twitter”, believing that LinkedIn is “cringe”, going to the gym, and being a “healthy workaholic”.
One line in particular caught the internet’s attention. The post stated, “If you’re 27+ and make <2L/month, probably don’t apply”. The job description also said the company was not looking for someone focused on work-life balance. “Not a ‘balance’ person. We’re not a yoga retreat,” the post read.
Jajoo said that the role involves working closely with founders of fast-growing startups and leading high-profile product launches, sometimes managing budgets worth millions of dollars. “You will be forward deployed into the fastest-growing companies in Silicon Valley, advising founders directly and orchestrating company-defining launches,” the description said.
How did social media react?
The post quickly drew attention for its unconventional criteria. Several social media users questioned the hiring criteria, especially the age and salary-related remarks.
“So if I’m above 27 and make lesser but have the qualifications I can’t apply???” one user wrote.
Another asked, “Why age shaming by 27+ can’t apply?”
Some users also criticised what they saw as contradictory expectations.
“‘Not a balance person’, ‘goes to the gym’, ‘Healthy Workaholic’ – what kind of ‘not a balance person’ you want that does balance health and work?” one commenter wrote.
Others, however, defended the post, arguing that it was meant to filter applicants.
“People in the comment section are not getting the idea behind it and stuck at 2 lakh, 27, fat shaming,” one user wrote.
Another commented that the requirement could be interpreted as a way to identify high performers early in their careers. “I think they are trying to narrow the pool to people who have been able to get to ₹2L+ by 27. It’s quite an effective filter to spot high performers,” the user wrote.