In a candid reflection on the harsh realities of startup life, Harsh Pokharna, the CEO and co-founder of OkCredit, opened up about his financial struggles in 2019, a time when his company had just secured Rs 120 crore in Series A funding. Despite what seemed like a massive milestone for the Bengaluru-based startup, Harsh Pokharna described himself as financially broke, without savings and burdened by the high cost of living in India’s tech capital. He described surviving on monthly paychecks and constantly worrying about rent, a scenario he insists is not unique to him.

Harsh Pokharna, an IIT Kanpur graduate, attributes this condition to a systemic issue within the startup ecosystem. He argues that many founders, even after raising millions, are pushed to live in near-poverty conditions, much like students still struggling to find their footing. The reason, according to him, lies in how venture capitalists operate. He claims that VCs deliberately keep founders financially constrained, suggesting that wealthy founders pose a threat by gaining the confidence to challenge investor directives and build businesses on their own terms.

This culture, he says, suppresses not just personal financial growth but also long-term entrepreneurial freedom. Harsh Pokharna emphasised that when founders request even modest personal liquidity — just enough to pay off debts or gain some financial breathing room — they are often discouraged with the argument that wealth might dampen their ambition. At the same time, he points out the apparent hypocrisy of investors who eagerly fund serial entrepreneurs with established wealth and luxurious lifestyles.

In his emotional message shared on social media, Harsh Pokharna urges other entrepreneurs not to accept this norm blindly. He believes founders should never be shamed into staying poor and should fight to build both their dreams and their personal freedom. His advice is clear: do not let financial struggle be the cost of ambition.

OkCredit, co-founded by Harsh Pokharna alongside Gaurav Kunwar and Aditya Prasad in 2017, is a digital bookkeeping platform designed to assist small businesses in managing daily accounts and improving receivable collections. The startup has attracted funding from major investors including Lightspeed India, Tiger Global Management and Y Combinator, with total funding reaching approximately $84.9 million, according to Tracxn.

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