Shantanu Deshpande, founder and CEO of Bombay Shaving Company, didn’t hold back in a recent LinkedIn post that’s now stirring up conversation across India’s startup and content creator circles. His message? Just because someone has followers doesn’t mean they’re ready to build a real business.
“Influencers make lousy founders,” Deshpande wrote bluntly. “They chase likes, retweets, views—whatever’s trending. That need for instant validation gets in the way of actual company-building.”
According to him, founders need more than social clout; they need stamina. “Real businesses are built over years, not reels. You need to have the patience to sit through the boring parts and build something people actually need. Not just something that goes viral.”
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He also didn’t shy away from calling out global stars-turned-brand-builders like Kylie Jenner, Logan Paul, and MrBeast. Deshpande called their ventures “exceptions,” suggesting they’ve been handed exaggerated valuations and media-fueled hype rather than true entrepreneurial grit. He referenced a quote by Adheet Gogate, warning that influencer-backed brands often burn investor money on packaging and perception instead of actual product development or operations.
“The Chinese will wipe these models out,” he added, hinting at the inevitable reckoning for businesses built on smoke and mirrors rather than solid supply chains and product-market fit.
And in classic Deshpande style, he wrapped up with a sharp punchline: “Doing goofy dances or one-minute gyaan videos doesn’t make you a founder. It just gives you a false sense of competence.”
His post has ignited plenty of debate—with some agreeing that digital fame isn’t the same as entrepreneurial depth, while others argue that creators bring community, storytelling, and agility to the table.
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Either way, Deshpande’s message is clear: entrepreneurship isn’t a shortcut to more influence—it’s a long, often thankless grind.
