‘Not fired, not failed’: Anupam Mittal on why startup founders should exit the CEO role

Anupam Mittal, founder of Shaadi.com and a judge on Shark Tank India Season 5, has weighed in on a growing but often misunderstood trend in India’s startup ecosystem: founders resigning from the CEO role in their own companies. 

In a detailed LinkedIn post, Mittal argued that such exits should not be viewed as failure — but as a sign of maturity and evolution. 

Mittal pointed out that for years, Indian startups have operated under the assumption that a founder must also remain the CEO indefinitely. However, he believes this thinking no longer fits today’s fast-scaling startup environment. 

Startups now grow at a pace where the skills required at different stages vary drastically. What works for a team of 10 often collapses at 100, and what succeeds at 100 can break down at 1,000 employees. 

Different stages, different skills 

According to Mittal, most founders excel in the early phases — taking an idea from zero to one, and then from one to ten. But as companies scale, they demand a different set of capabilities: operational depth, process management, and experience in running large organizations. 

At this stage, bringing in a professional CEO can strengthen the company rather than weaken it. 

Global norm, Indian stigma 

Mittal noted that in global markets, founders stepping aside for professional leadership is widely accepted and even encouraged. The founder retains ownership and long-term upside, while the company benefits from seasoned management—often leading to better outcomes for shareholders. 

In India, however, such transitions are frequently portrayed as the founder being “fired,” failing, or involved in wrongdoing. Mittal stressed that in most cases, this narrative is simply untrue. 

Making yourself replaceable 

One of Mittal’s strongest takeaways was that founders should aim to make themselves replaceable. He cited global tech giants like Google, Apple and Microsoft as examples of companies that became enduring institutions by evolving leadership beyond their founders. 

Often, stepping down as CEO is not about loss of control — but about choosing what is best for the company’s long-term growth. In Mittal’s view, a founder leaving the CEO role can be a mark of strategic clarity, not defeat.