'Body shakes at thought of going to work': Techie leaves startup for MNC, wants to quit after 3.5 months

'Body shakes at thought of going to work': Techie leaves startup for MNC, wants to quit after 3.5 months

A software engineer who left a well-known startup for a multinational banking company has said he is considering quitting just three-and-a-half months into the new job, claiming that the work culture has left him mentally exhausted and made him want to resign almost every day.

The engineer, who identified himself as an SDE2, shared his experience in a social media post titled, “Left a startup, joined an MNC as an SDE2, feel like resigning every day”. According to his account, the move was motivated largely by money, but the working environment at his new employer has made him question whether the switch was worth it.

The employee said he had left a well-known startup to join JPMC as a software engineer. He claimed that, within his first few months, he was placed in a new team that did not even work from his office and was immediately assigned to an urgent project.

“Everyone was put under an urgent project and told by the manager to ‘figure it out’,” he wrote.

He alleged that the role involved 12-14 hours of work every day, along with multiple layers of bureaucracy, extensive follow-ups over text messages and email, and what he described as an unsupportive management style.

“I left a well-known startup to join JPMC as a software engineer. It's been 3.5 months and I am sick of how toxic and slow the work has become,” the techie said.

“12-14 hours of work every day, so much bureaucracy, chasing people over text and email, getting yelled at by the manager who does not care about you, and seeing my peers getting removed from the team who joined with me because they weren't able to ‘figure it out,’” they added.

The engineer claimed that the working conditions came as a surprise because the nature of the role had not been explained to him during the hiring process.

“No one in the interview panel or team matching told me about this,” he wrote.

He said he had initially been told that he would report to a different manager and join an existing team. Instead, he claimed, his reporting structure changed three times during his first month.

“I was told that I will be joining a different manager with an existing team. My reporting was changed 3 times in the first month,” he said.

The engineer also objected to being contacted late at night for work updates.

“Manager finds it normal to text you at 10 pm asking for updates,” he wrote.

He described the overall experience as “hell”, particularly because the work was not progressing at the pace he had expected and because completing even routine tasks allegedly involved navigating layers of bureaucracy.

Old startup now feels like ‘heaven’

The contrast with his previous workplace appears to have been one of the biggest factors behind his frustration.

The engineer said his former startup had also required long working hours, particularly around major product releases. At the time, he considered those hours toxic.After joining JPMC, however, he said his perspective had changed.

“My old startup sometimes had long hours but only on important releases, and I used to find that toxic but now that seems like heaven to me,” he wrote.

He said he had made the move primarily because of the higher salary.

“I only left because of money. I am making enough money now but I hate waking up everyday to go to work,” he said.

The engineer went on to describe the effect the job was having on him.

“I feel mentally exhausted and physically my body shakes at the thought of going to work,” he said.

Despite the financial benefit of his new role, the engineer said he was seriously considering leaving and potentially returning to his former employer.

He said his previous engineering manager had told him that he would always be welcome back, while his former team lead continued to encourage him to return.

“Should I resign? Should I go back to the old company? My EM told me when I left that the doors are always open. My TL from the old company still says to come back,” he wrote.

The engineer contrasted his experience at the startup with his current situation, saying he had previously felt that his work was meaningful and that he was respected by his colleagues.

“Life is hell in this bank. I was making an impact in the startup, releasing big features, everyone respected me. Here I am being treated like an insect,” he said.

At one point, he said he was considering resigning even before speaking to his former employer.

“I feel like resigning without even talking to my old company at this point,” he wrote.

Social media users offer mixed advice

The post prompted a range of responses from other users. Some suggested that the situation could be temporary and advised the engineer to speak to his team before making a decision. Others urged him to prioritise his health and explore the possibility of returning to his former employer.

One user suggested that workloads at JPMC could ease later in the year.

“Just a phase; usually things slow down by the end of the year in JPMC. Talk with your team if it's always like this,” the user wrote.

Another commenter said they had experienced a similar transition after leaving a startup for a large multinational.

“Same here bro, I also left a startup to join a well-known MNC. I have to take permission for small things that a work supposed to be done in a week stretches for months. I have started looking for new opportunities already.”

A third user advised the engineer to speak to his former employer before making a final decision.

“Honestly, if the old company's doors are genuinely open, talk to them before resigning. Money matters, but 12-14 hour days plus constant anxiety isn't suitable. Growth and decent team culture are worth a lot too.”

Another commenter took a broader swipe at the treatment of technology employees in banking companies.

“Banking companies treat all their employees like an analyst. They don't look at you like a developer. They will look at you like fodder that can be used to maximise profits. The pay matches the treatment.”

Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!

Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.

Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.