Noida founder fires senior employee for asking 'what to do next,' sparks backlash

Nitin Verma, the founder and CEO of InstaAstro, wrote about the incident in a post on LinkedIn, where he explained why he believed senior professionals should be able to take initiative without waiting for instructions.

In Short

• Noida founder fired senior employee for seeking instructions
• He expects senior hires to take initiative independently
• Founder believes ownership cannot be taught, must be innate

The founder of a Noida-based company has triggered a debate on workplace ownership and leadership styles after revealing that he once fired a senior employee for asking him what to do next.

Nitin Verma, the founder and CEO of InstaAstro, wrote about the incident in a post on LinkedIn, where he explained why he believed senior professionals should be able to take initiative without waiting for instructions.

The employee, Verma said, had been hired specifically so he would not have to oversee that particular function anymore. The senior hire was given “full freedom” from day one, without micromanagement, daily check-ins or approval processes.

However, things changed when the employee approached him asking for instructions.

“I fired someone because he asked me, ‘Sir tell me what to do next,’” Verma wrote.

Recalling the interaction, Verma said he asked the employee what he personally believed should be done. “He said, ‘Sir you know better.’ I asked, why did I hire you then?” Verma added.

The entrepreneur went on to share his views on leadership and accountability, arguing that ownership cannot be taught to someone who does not already possess it.

“You cannot give it to someone. Either they walk in with it. Or they never find it,” he said, adding: “Freedom without ownership is just confusion. And I cannot build a company on people who need to be told what to think.”

He further said that senior professionals should independently identify problems and take initiative instead of waiting for instructions from leadership.

Take a look at the post here:

In the comments section of the post, several LinkedIn users disagreed with Verma’s approach and argued that even experienced hires need clarity around expectations, vision and strategic direction.

One user suggested that the employee may simply have been trying to align with the founder’s broader vision before making an important decision. Another argued that startups often speak about innovation while resisting internal change and questioning.

Others said the issue may have stemmed from a lack of communication rather than a lack of ownership.

“I feel there may not have been clear expectations from the onset,” one user commented, adding that giving someone “full freedom” without defining priorities or outcomes could create confusion instead of accountability.

Another user wrote that new hires, regardless of seniority, still require some guidance regarding company vision and expected outcomes during the first few months.

At the same time, some users agreed with Verma’s stance, saying many organisations confuse years of experience with actual ownership and decision-making ability.

“A lot of companies confuse experience with ownership during hiring,” one user wrote, arguing that true seniority lies in identifying problems early and moving work forward without constantly seeking permission.

What is your take on this?

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