'I made a fake founder persona...' Indian-Origin Graduate's Shocking Confession Exposes Startup Funding Culture

World News: Bhavye Khetan, an Indian-origin UC Berkeley graduate's confession has sparked debate after successfully fooling 27 venture capitalists using a fake founder persona. His trail exposes the superficial nature of startup funding, where credentials and buzzwords often outweigh actual innovation. 

Indian Origin UCB Graduate's Shocking Confession Exposes Startup Funding Culture  

How He Pulled It Off
Khetan smartly made a fictional startup founder profile, claiming to be a Stanford Computer Science graduate and an ex-Palantir employee, while strategically using the term “AI” multiple times in cold emails. Without a product, pitch, or business plan, he reached out to 34 venture capitalists, and 27 responded positively, with four even requesting a call. 

Exposing the Startup Ecosystem
His viral post on X exposed reality of the venture capital industry, calling it “rigged” and revealing how surface-level credibility can generate investor interest, even in the absence of a viable business model.

Mixed Reactions Online
While some praised Khetan for exposing flaws in the system, others condemned his deceptive approach, arguing that prestigious affiliations like Stanford and Palantir do hold real value. One user wrote, “who would have thought having shiny logos on resume makes people more likely to wanna talk to you.” 

Another said, “27 replies is insane”. “There’s better logos to put than ex-Palantir.” said one more in a witty reply.

What This Means for Startups
Khetan’s experiment raises serious questions about how investors evaluate startups, and the need for substance over hype. As discussions continue, the incident sets an alarming call for both entrepreneurs and investors.