From childhood trauma to controversial leadership tactics—Zomato founder gets brutally honest
Deepinder Goyal isn’t your typical billionaire CEO. In a rare, unfiltered conversation, the Zomato founder revealed truths that most successful entrepreneurs would never dare to share publicly. Here’s what he said:
1. 😢 Bullied His Entire Childhood
Deepinder didn’t grow up privileged or confident. He was bullied throughout his childhood for three things:
- Being short
- Having dark skin
- Stuttering when he spoke
The bullying went so deep that friends’ parents told their kids not to hang out with him. Imagine being rejected not just by peers, but by adults who should know better.
The Real Reason He Built Zomato
His confession hit hard: “I started a company to reach a social status where people would finally listen to me.”
Not for money. Not for fame. But for basic human respect.
That’s the fuel behind Zomato’s success—a man who refused to stay invisible.
2. 🚀 Zomato Has ZERO Annual Goals
Think every big company runs on quarterly targets and yearly plans? Not Zomato.
Deepinder revealed his company operates on a high-trust, no-goals model. Instead of spreadsheets and KPIs, he expects one thing from his team: obsession.
His philosophy?
“Startups can’t be built with a 9-to-5 attitude. Senior leaders must view the company as their life.”
Controversial? Absolutely.
Effective? Zomato’s growth speaks for itself.
But this approach isn’t for everyone—and Deepinder knows it.
3. 🧠 His Wild “Gravity Aging” Theory
Here’s where things get weird.
Deepinder believes gravity is an overlooked cause of aging. His theory? Gravity makes it harder for the heart to pump blood to the brain, accelerating the aging process.
Sound like pseudoscience? Maybe. But he’s putting his money where his mouth is:
- Funding research on this hypothesis
- Developing a hardware device called “Temple” to measure brain blood flow
Whether this is genius or madness remains to be seen. But you can’t deny the man thinks differently.
4. 💰 The Blinkit “Bailout” Drama
When Zomato acquired Blinkit (formerly Grofers), critics accused Deepinder of “bailing out a friend”—the company was struggling, and the founder was his close buddy.
His response? Cold business logic.
Deepinder claims he asked his friend—the Blinkit founder—to leave the company TWICE because he wasn’t the right fit at the time. Friendship took a backseat to business decisions.
“I remained objective,” he said, addressing the bailout accusations head-on.
Lesson: Even friendships don’t escape tough calls in business.
5. 😰 He Ran Out of Money During COVID
Billionaire CEO running a multi-billion dollar company… and broke on a personal level?
Yes.
During COVID-19, Deepinder ran out of personal cash and had to borrow money from a friend to sustain his personal life.
This isn’t a rags-to-riches story. This is a riches-to-rags-to-riches-again story that shows even successful founders face financial lows.
Reality check: Networth ≠ Cash in hand.
6. 🦈 Shark Tank Controversy: Swiggy’s Condition
Remember when Deepinder was suddenly missing from Shark Tank India?
Here’s why: According to him, the production team told him that Swiggy sponsored the show on one condition—remove Deepinder Goyal as a judge.
Competitor politics at play? Looks like it.
Swiggy wasn’t about to fund a platform where their biggest rival got free PR every episode. Smart move by Swiggy. Brutal reality for Deepinder.
7. 🔥 His “Rock Bottom Feedback” Method
Deepinder’s leadership style isn’t for the faint-hearted.
He admits to:
- Losing his cool with top executives
- Telling senior leaders to “get out” during heated moments
- Using a “rock bottom feedback” technique where he deliberately hurts people’s self-confidence
Wait, What?
Yes, you read that right. He intentionally destroys confidence to see if someone can:
- Introspect on their mistakes
- Bounce back stronger
- Prove they belong at the top
Is this toxic? Some would say yes.
Does it work? Apparently, for Zomato’s high-performance culture.
But this management style walks a razor-thin line between pushing people to excel and breaking them completely.
🤔 What This All Means
Deepinder Goyal’s confessions paint a picture of:
- A man driven by childhood trauma to prove his worth
- A leader who rejects conventional corporate structures
- An entrepreneur willing to mix friendship with ruthless business decisions
- A CEO who funds his own wild scientific theories
- A boss with an aggressive, uncompromising leadership style
Love him or hate him, you can’t ignore him.
The Bottom Line
Deepinder Goyal isn’t trying to be likable. He’s not crafting a perfect founder story for TED Talks.
He’s raw. Flawed. Controversial. And brutally honest about it.
Whether his methods are genius or toxic depends on who you ask. But one thing’s certain: this level of transparency from a billionaire CEO is rare.
And in a world of curated LinkedIn posts and polished PR statements, maybe that’s exactly what we need to hear.
What do you think? Is Deepinder’s leadership style inspiring or toxic? Would you work at Zomato? Drop your thoughts below!
