Lakshya Gupta, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and founder of the startup Lab0, publicly criticized Srikrishnan Ganesan, CEO of Rocketlane, after his company was barred from attending the Propel conference in San Francisco. Ganesan explained in an email that the ban was due to a direct competition between Lab0 and Rocketlane's services, which could create a conflict of interest. He assured Gupta that their tickets would be refunded and expressed willingness to meet one-on-one in the future. Gupta's social media post about the incident drew mixed reactions, with some supporting Rocketlane's decision and others criticizing Gupta for his response. Notably, entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo weighed in, suggesting that Gupta should appreciate the polite communication from Ganesan rather than mock him publicly. This incident highlights the complexities of competition in the startup ecosystem and the reactions that can arise from business decisions.