The Risks of Sudden Employee Exits: A Startup's Existential Crisis

Gen-Z and their work culture have been at the centre of heated debates in recent times. On one side, they are praised for speaking openly about mental health, work-life balance, and fair treatment. On the other, they are criticised for frequent job hopping, sudden exits, and a lack of long-term commitment. This debate resurfaced after Abhinav Dobrial, founder of Lean Protocol, shared on LinkedIn from his own startup journey. What happened, according to him, was not just an employee leaving but a breakdown of trust that cost the company dearly. Dobrial wrote that his first full-time hire was for the founder’s office, a role that sits very close to the heart of any startup. It was a position built on trust, access, and deep involvement in decision-making. “She had access to my months of thinking and the whole strategy I honed with the help of my founder friends,” he wrote. The employee was given access to sensitive data, pitch decks, launch plans, and internal structures. Over time, Dobrial says he mentored her, took her to investor meetings, and tried to be an empathetic and supportive manager. For him, this was not just a hire but it was a partnership in building the company. Things changed suddenly, and at the worst possible moment. A week before Lean Protocol’s first major launch, the employee went completely silent.“No calls. No replies. Four days of complete unresponsiveness.” The founder says he kept trying to reach her, worried something might be wrong. The silence continued, raising anxiety inside a company already under pressure ahead of launch. After four days, a message finally arrived. “Due to unforeseen circumstances, I won’t be able to continue. I can’t explain this over call or text.” Dobrial says he tried reaching out again, not to argue, but to understand if there was something he could do to help. There was no response. The timing made the situation even harder. With no handover, no explanation, and no transition, the company’s launch plans collapsed. “Our entire launch got cancelled, and the company is paying the price,” he wrote. What hurt more was what Dobrial found out later. Through the employee’s former colleagues, he learned that she had already joined another company. She had accepted a role elsewhere without informing him, even though she had been offered a 30% salary hike over her previous job, one she had joined just eight months earlier. Dobrial clarified that he chose not to reveal her identity. “I am not revealing her identity as I do not intend to shame or hurt her career.” But his concern went beyond personal disappointment. The bigger worry, he wrote, was the risk to the company itself.As a founder’s office hire, the employee had deep knowledge of Lean Protocol’s strategy, launch plans, and internal thinking. With her LinkedIn not yet updated, Dobrial said there was a strong chance she had joined a competitor in the same weight-loss space. “I am not sure at the moment, as she hasn’t updated her LinkedIn but there are high chances of her joining a competitor in the same weight loss space with all Lean Protocol’s insiders.” For a young startup, this kind of exit can feel existential. Rather than ending his post in anger, Dobrial asked a question that many founders quietly struggle with. “How do you deal with a situation when someone suddenly leaves like this?”