A confession by Nitin Verma, founder and CEO of InstaAstro, has ignited a fierce online debate around leadership, accountability and workplace ownership after he revealed that he once fired a senior employee for asking ‘what to do next’.
A confession by Nitin Verma, founder and CEO of InstaAstro, has ignited a fierce online debate around leadership, accountability and workplace ownership after he revealed that he once fired a senior employee for asking ‘what to do next’.
Sharing the incident in a LinkedIn post, Verma explained why he believes senior professionals should be capable of taking independent decisions instead of waiting for instructions from leadership.
According to Verma, the employee had been hired specifically to take complete charge of a particular function so that he no longer had to remain involved in its day-to-day operations. The senior hire, he said, was given “full freedom” from the very beginning, without micromanagement, approval chains or constant supervision.
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“I fired someone because he asked me, ‘Sir tell me what to do next,’” Verma wrote.
Recalling the exchange, the entrepreneur said he immediately questioned the employee’s approach. “He said, ‘Sir you know better.’ I asked, why did I hire you then?” Verma added.
The post quickly sparked discussion on modern workplace culture, with Verma arguing that ownership is an inherent mindset rather than a skill leaders can teach employees over time.
“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.”
Verma further stressed that senior professionals should proactively identify problems, make decisions and move work forward independently instead of constantly seeking approval from founders or managers.
Many LinkedIn users challenged Verma’s leadership philosophy, arguing that even experienced professionals require clarity on expectations, priorities and company vision.
Several users suggested that the employee may simply have been trying to align with the founder’s broader strategy before taking a major decision. Others argued that startups often celebrate innovation publicly while internally discouraging questions or collaborative discussions.
