A Generative AI engineer has shared his struggles with work culture and burnout at a US-based startup, highlighting the pressures faced by early-career professionals in high-demand tech roles.
In his post, posted via r/developersIndia, the user, who has three years of professional experience, wrote that he has been working at the startup for the past six months. While his role was expected to focus on AI, he has spent much of his time handling Python backend work and shipping multiple features to production.
Unlike other teams, he works mostly with the founders directly, rather than with regular employees, which often increases both visibility and pressure.
He described the company’s work culture as highly demanding. According to his post, accomplishments are rarely acknowledged, but even small mistakes are immediately flagged. “Since I’m working solo on most of these projects, the responsibility and pressure falls entirely on me,” he wrote. Over time, this has taken a toll on both his mental and physical health. “I’m just at my laptop all day,” he added, noting that even festive seasons no longer feel enjoyable.
Other Reddit users chimed in with similar experiences. One wrote, “Well. Not exactly in your situation. But yeah I am being overworked as well. Almost pulling 13-14 hrs. The amount of work we are getting is huge. We have told multiple times to the management that we need more Engineers. Guess what now we have 2 managers instead of 1 but still no engineers. That’s the upper management for you.” Another user added, “Exactly in your situation currently. Same US startup and crazy ass high expectations. Rare appreciations, I think they still look at us Indians in slave mentality.”
He said he is now seeking opportunities in healthier, more supportive environments where he can continue applying his skills in Generative AI, Python, and backend engineering.
“If anyone here knows of any openings or could point me in the right direction, I’d really appreciate it,” he concluded, reflecting the challenges many early-career engineers face in high-pressure startup cultures.
