Latest update:
A Delhi startup founder’s 5am video went viral after he revealed the stress, sleepless nights and chaos behind entrepreneurship
The founder of a Delhi-based startup gave social media users a reality check on entrepreneurship after posting a video from his office at 5 am (Image-Instagram/@nikhill.gaur)
A Delhi-based entrepreneur has sparked an online controversy after sharing a raw and honest look at what startup life is like behind the scenes. Nikhil Gaur, founder of Hypeschool, shared a video on Instagram of him arriving at his office at 5am, the workplace completely empty around him.
After posting the clip with the caption, “Keep it up,” Gore used the video to talk about the stress, sleepless nights, and uncertainty that often comes with running a business.
In the video, Gore begins by showing viewers the abandoned office space, saying, “It’s 5 a.m. now, and I just came into the office. Right now, literally, there’s not a single person in the office. Let me show you the place. Literally, there’s not a single person in the office right now.”
He then introduces himself and explains that these unusually early office visits are not uncommon for him. According to Gore, every week brings with it a new challenge, whether it’s stress, unexpected setbacks or sleepless nights.
“So, I’m a founder, and I’m building this startup called Hypeschool. And this happens to me every week, every week at work, there’s some kind of stress, and something goes wrong, and I don’t sleep all night, and then I end up coming into the office at very weird times, sometimes at 2:00 a.m., sometimes at 3:00 a.m., and today is just one of those days,” he said.
Gower also spoke about how entrepreneurship is portrayed online, arguing that many people only see the glamorous side of startups and founder culture.
“Now, people glorify startups a lot, and they glorify founders a lot. Everyone wants to be a startup founder, but they don’t really know that that’s the actual backstory behind building a startup,” he said.
Despite speaking frankly about the difficulties, Gore emphasized that building a company is possible for anyone willing to go the extra mile and deal with uncertainty. He described success as being linked to “20% extra effort” and the ability to deal with stress and chaos.
He ended the video with a motivational message, encouraging viewers not to give up even when progress is slow. Gore stressed that purposeful companies are not built overnight, and often take years of consistent work before they become successful.
The clip quickly resonated with viewers, many of whom said they appreciated the founder’s honesty.
“This is the truth that no one shows,” one user wrote.
Another commented: “Respect honesty, not just a success story.”
A third user said: “People only see finance news, not sleepless nights like this.”
Others shared similar views. “Startup life sounds great on LinkedIn but that’s the truth,” one person commented, while another added: “That extra 20% effort is actually everything.”
Another user wrote: “Motivating and scary at the same time.”
However, not everyone fully agreed with Gower’s point of view.
“The truth is not just marketing…if you focus 8 hours of good work it is enough..a startup or any business…” one user said.
“Entrepreneurship is actually glorified by many and people only know the good things but the stress!!!! No one knows the late night thoughts, the fear of failure, things not going the way you think, and getting rid of the clutter!” Another said.
A third user said: “Great advice! Keep growing. I remember walking down the same hallways to motivate myself to keep moving forward. Cheers man.”
“I can see someone sitting at TS 0.32 on the couch, I hope it’s your security guard,” a fourth user said.
Apr 19, 2026 at 3:36 PM IST
Read more
