Bengaluru founder couple brings toddler to office: ‘If he creates any trouble…’

A Bengaluru couple, who also happen to be founders of a start-up, shared their experience of raising their child while also working full-time to maintain their other baby — their company.
In a post on LinkedIn, Puneet Manuja, co-founder of YourDOST, a platform for people to access counselling support anytime, shared about the challenges faced by him and his wife as new parents while trying to also build a business.
“One of the most challenging situations for us as couple founders is balancing our new born (Rudra) with our other baby YourDOST. Richa and I being couple founders, a lot of people have asked us of the pros and cons of the same. But running a company together while raising our newborn was overwhelming,” he said in a lengthy post.
He shared that the sleepless nights staying up with their newborn quickly transformed into long workdays. “The guilt of not being able to give our 100% to either role was (and is) real. Some days, we questioned if we were doing enough as parents or as leaders. But we learned (and are learning). And the most important was – to integrate him into our work and vice versa,” he said, adding that the couple leaned on their team and family for support.
It was then when a friend suggested bringing their son to work. “That was probably one of the most effective things we have done. Today, our son is 1.5 years old, and YourDOST continues to grow. To all parents juggling careers and family—know that it’s okay to struggle,” he wrote, sharing a screenshot of the message sent by his wife on the office WhatsApp group telling the team about their newest addition.
“Good morning, everyone. Rudra is in office today. If he creates any trouble and disturbance please do let me know (pls do without any hesitation) so that we can ensure things are sorted. We are also learning,” read the message along with a photo of their son. (Also read: Hindi vs Kannada: Viral video shows Bengaluru autos charging Hindi-speaker more)
The post resonated with many users who commended the couple for their parenting skills. “It’s great that you’re leaning on your team and family for support. I am sure the experiences you are sharing will definitely resonate with many other parents who are facing similar challenges,” said one of them.
“It can be overwhelmingly overwhelming to take care of the two babies simultaneously. Be kind to yourself and to each other. All the very best!” said another user.