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Journalism of Courage
Just days after earning praise for securing a massive $61 million Series A funding round, Silicon Valley–based AI startup Giga, founded by IIT Kharagpur graduates Varun Vummadi and Esha Manideep, is now facing serious controversy.
The trouble began when Jared Steele, who briefly served as the company’s chief of staff for demand generation, shared a troubling account of his short-lived experience at the startup on X. Steele said he quit just one day after joining, despite relocating across the country to San Francisco on only three days’ notice.
According to Steele, he began noticing “red flags everywhere” as soon as he arrived. He alleged that Giga enforced an exhausting 12-hour, seven-day work schedule, creating an environment where “employees were expected to always be working.”
Steele claimed that what he encountered at the company sharply contradicted the promises made during recruitment, ranging from differences in compensation and job title to inconsistencies in the firm’s reported revenue figures.
In his X post, he also alleged that one executive had joked, “When we hit $10m ARR, we’re going to spend $100k on [illegal stuff],” and made bizarre remarks about “sacrificing a goat in India.”
There were also issues around leave and personal commitments. Steele said he had informed Giga before joining about two weddings he had to attend and received approval—but that changed after signing the contract. “After I signed the contract, they said, well you need to pick who you’re better friends with because you can’t do both weddings now,” he recalled.
Adding to his frustration was what he described as a cold welcome on his first day. “Founder walks in my direction, I stand up, extend my hand for a handshake. He snubs me – not even an acknowledgement,” Steele wrote. “I just moved my entire life & drove 26 hours across the country & not even a ‘welcome to the team’ or a hello.”
The claims have sparked intense discussion about the company’s internal culture, especially given its recent rise to fame as a bold, fast-scaling AI startup. Giga, known for developing voice-based AI agents for businesses, had been celebrated for its founders’ decision to turn down high-paying jobs and even a Stanford PhD offer to build their venture.
As of now, Giga and its founders have not publicly responded to the allegations.
