Delhi-based founder enters empty office at 5am, Internet reports: ‘This is the reality no one is showing’

Last updated:April 19, 2026, 3:36 PM IST

Delhi startup founder’s 5am office video goes viral as it exposes the stress, sleepless nights and confusion behind entrepreneurship

Delhi startup founder makes social media users see the reality of entrepreneurship after posting a video from his office at 5am (Image-Instagram/@nikhill.gaur)

A Delhi-based entrepreneur has sparked an online debate after getting raw and honest about what life is really like behind the scenes at a startup. Nikhil Gaur, founder of Hypeschool, shared a video on Instagram of himself arriving at his office at 5am with a completely empty surrounding.

Gaur posted the clip with the caption, “Good luck,” and used it to talk about the pressures, sleepless nights, and uncertainty that come with running a business.

In the video, Gaul first shows viewers a deserted office space and says, “It’s 5 o’clock this morning and I just came into the office. There’s literally no one in the office right now. Let me show you around. There’s literally no one in the office right now.”

He then introduced himself and explained that such unusually quick office visits were not unusual for him. Gaur said each week brings new challenges, including stress, unexpected setbacks and sleepless nights.

“So, I’m a founder, I’m starting a startup called Hypeschool, and this happens to me every week. Every week in business, there’s some kind of stress, something goes wrong, I can’t sleep all night, and I end up coming to the office at very strange hours, sometimes 2 a.m., sometimes 3 a.m., and today is just one of those days,” he said.

Gaul also reflected on how entrepreneurship is often portrayed online, arguing that many people only see the glamorous side of startup and founder culture.

“Right now, people glorify startups a lot, but they glorify founders a lot too. Everyone wants to be a startup founder, but they don’t actually know that this is the actual backstory behind building a startup,” he said.

Despite being candid about the challenges, Gaur maintained that anyone willing to put in the effort and deal with uncertainty can start a company. He explained that success is related to the “extra 20% effort” and the ability to deal with stress and disruption.

He ended the video with a motivational message, encouraging viewers not to give up even when progress feels slow. Mr. Gaur emphasized that meaningful businesses are not built overnight and often require years of consistent work to become successful.

The clip immediately resonated with viewers, many of whom said they appreciated the founder’s honesty.

“This is the reality no one shows,” one user wrote.

“I respect integrity, not just success stories,” said another.

“People only watch funding news, not sleepless nights like this,” said a third user.

Others shared similar views. “Startup life looks cool on LinkedIn, but here’s the truth,” one person commented, while another added, “That 20% extra effort is really everything.”

Another user wrote: “Motivating and scary at the same time.”

But not everyone completely agreed with Gaul’s views.

“That’s not true, it’s just marketing… 8 hours of good work is enough if you’re focused… for a startup or any business…” said one user.

“In fact, entrepreneurship has been glorified by so many people that people know nothing but good things other than stress!!! Late night thoughts, fear of failure, things not going your way, and who knows what it’s like to escape the chaos!” said another.

“Great advice. Keep growing. I remember walking down the same hallway and pushing myself to keep moving forward. Cheers,” said a third user.

“I see someone sitting on the couch behind TS 0.32. I hope it’s a security guard,” said a fourth user.

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