In a thought-provoking LinkedIn post, Pratham Jindal, the founder and CEO of Praper in Chandigarh, India, revealed his company's annual expenditure of ₹96 lakh (approximately $115,000 USD) on support staff who do not directly generate revenue. Jindal argues that these roles, including HR and administration, are crucial for the overall growth of the business, despite often being undervalued by startup founders. He explains that while revenue roles like sales and design are prioritized for their immediate return on investment, support roles are essential for enabling founders to focus on strategic growth.

After realizing that routine tasks such as payroll and vendor coordination were consuming significant time, Jindal developed a method to assess when support hiring is necessary. He advises founders to track their tasks and hire support staff when operational duties start to take up 8-10 hours a week. This shift in perspective has led him to view the monthly ₹8 lakh expense not as a burden but as an investment in his time and bandwidth, ultimately fostering a healthier work environment and promoting business success.