'If learning becomes the prerequisite...': Deepinder Goyal's Chief of Staff role reveals why he quit
Mulchandani recalled that he first met the Zomato founder on December 25, 2024, expecting an interview for the Chief of Staff position
- Aug 1, 2026,
- Updated Aug 1, 2026 8:00 AM IST
A man who landed Deepinder Goyal's widely discussed ₹20 lakh Chief of Staff opportunity has revealed why he walked away from the role just 16 months later, despite describing it as one of the most transformative experiences of his life. The story, shared by Harshit Mulchandani in a detailed social media post, has reignited interest in Goyal's unconventional hiring experiment.
Mulchandani recalled that he first met the Zomato founder on December 25, 2024, expecting an interview for the Chief of Staff position. Instead, he received an offer to help build what would later become LAT Aerospace, a company that, at the time, had neither a name nor a clear business plan.
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"On December 25, 2024, I walked into Deepinder Goyal's farmhouse for what I thought would be a conversation about a Chief of Staff role at Zomato. An hour later, he offered me a job building something that did not yet have a company, a team or even a fixed idea," he wrote.
The decision came quickly. "Two minutes after leaving his farmhouse, I sent in my resignation from my job in Toronto," he added.
The opportunity stemmed from Goyal's controversial Chief of Staff job post in November 2024, which required candidates to forgo a salary in the first year and contribute ₹20 lakh for the opportunity. While the proposal was criticised online as elitist and exploitative, Mulchandani said he saw it differently.
"The moment I read the post, I knew I had to apply," he wrote, adding that instead of submitting a polished resume, he sent an honest 200-word note about his journey from taking over his late father's textile business at the age of 13 to studying at the University of Toronto and building a career platform for students.
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At LAT Aerospace, he said there was no predefined roadmap. "We didn't even have a stable answer to the most basic question: What exactly are we building?" he recalled. The team eventually grew from around five people to nearly 55, spending months speaking with engineers, pilots and manufacturers before shaping the company's vision. He credited Goyal with encouraging rapid experimentation, saying the founder urged the team to "stop overthinking, behave more like a toy company and get something flying."
Explaining his decision to leave, Mulchandani said staying at LAT would have been the safer option, but his ambition to build something of his own became stronger. "If learning becomes the prerequisite for beginning, the beginning can be postponed indefinitely," he wrote.
A man who landed Deepinder Goyal's widely discussed ₹20 lakh Chief of Staff opportunity has revealed why he walked away from the role just 16 months later, despite describing it as one of the most transformative experiences of his life. The story, shared by Harshit Mulchandani in a detailed social media post, has reignited interest in Goyal's unconventional hiring experiment.
Mulchandani recalled that he first met the Zomato founder on December 25, 2024, expecting an interview for the Chief of Staff position. Instead, he received an offer to help build what would later become LAT Aerospace, a company that, at the time, had neither a name nor a clear business plan.
READ THIS: Skyroot's Vikram-1 milestone: How TakeMe2Space's battery cleared space's toughest test
"On December 25, 2024, I walked into Deepinder Goyal's farmhouse for what I thought would be a conversation about a Chief of Staff role at Zomato. An hour later, he offered me a job building something that did not yet have a company, a team or even a fixed idea," he wrote.
The decision came quickly. "Two minutes after leaving his farmhouse, I sent in my resignation from my job in Toronto," he added.
The opportunity stemmed from Goyal's controversial Chief of Staff job post in November 2024, which required candidates to forgo a salary in the first year and contribute ₹20 lakh for the opportunity. While the proposal was criticised online as elitist and exploitative, Mulchandani said he saw it differently.
"The moment I read the post, I knew I had to apply," he wrote, adding that instead of submitting a polished resume, he sent an honest 200-word note about his journey from taking over his late father's textile business at the age of 13 to studying at the University of Toronto and building a career platform for students.
ALSO READ: All about Kanika Tekriwal, aancer survivor who built a ₹420 crore aviation empire with just ₹5,600
At LAT Aerospace, he said there was no predefined roadmap. "We didn't even have a stable answer to the most basic question: What exactly are we building?" he recalled. The team eventually grew from around five people to nearly 55, spending months speaking with engineers, pilots and manufacturers before shaping the company's vision. He credited Goyal with encouraging rapid experimentation, saying the founder urged the team to "stop overthinking, behave more like a toy company and get something flying."
Explaining his decision to leave, Mulchandani said staying at LAT would have been the safer option, but his ambition to build something of his own became stronger. "If learning becomes the prerequisite for beginning, the beginning can be postponed indefinitely," he wrote.