Startup Founder Criticizes Rocketlane CEO for Excluding His Company from Conference
IITian founder calls out Indian-American CEO of $400M company after conference ban: ‘Not cool’
Hindustan Times
Image: Hindustan Times
Lakshya Gupta, founder of the startup Lab0, expressed frustration after being barred from attending Rocketlane's Propel conference in San Francisco. Rocketlane's CEO, Srikrishnan Ganesan, cited a conflict of interest due to competition between the two companies, prompting a mixed response on social media.
- 01Lakshya Gupta's startup Lab0 was banned from Rocketlane's Propel conference due to competition.
- 02Rocketlane CEO Srikrishnan Ganesan communicated the ban politely via email.
- 03The decision has sparked a debate on social media regarding the appropriateness of the ban.
- 04Some users defended Rocketlane's right to exclude competitors from their event.
- 05Entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo advised Gupta to show more respect towards established companies.
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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.
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