A software engineer shared how a colleague of hers, who had previously worked at Microsoft, joined the firm she was working in and left within 20 days as he found the job “too chill.”

In a now-viral post on X, Manisha Goyal shared that her new teammate from Singapore resigned from the company, explaining why the “grind” was important to him.

Goyal, in her post, said: “A guy from Singapore joined my team. Ex-Microsoft. Resigned in 20 days. When I asked why, he said: ‘The work is too chill. If I stay, I’ll stop growing. At 45, I’d enjoy this. But right now, I need the grind.’ Me: sitting here, chilling for the last 2 years.”

Take a look at the post here:

The post prompted strong reactions online. One user commented: “He did it right. If you genuinely want to grow, you must be grinding. Sitting in a company without real work or growth opportunities is enjoyable, but it ruins your career.”

Another drew a parallel from a different profession: “A Haldiram chef left the organisation where he had all the facilities of a formal setup. After Haldiram introduced a central kitchen and frozen food, his work was reduced to reheating and serving. When I asked why he left, he said: ‘I need to stay in the habit of making food from scratch, else I will lose touch and forget things. Later, no one will pay me much for reheating and serving.’”

Others pointed to cultural differences. “Singapore culture is such. They love the grind, and honestly, if you love your work, the grind is fun. It’s the routine that becomes a pain,” one user said.

Some, however, offered a contrasting view. “This is interesting because in my desi family, everyone always talks about having a ‘good enough’ job that doesn’t require a lot of work,” a user said.

“Every generation has its own kind of runners, but at the end of the day, running too fast is not advisable in many aspects,” another observed.

“Stay away from guys like him. They think working hard makes them irreplaceable, but they are just as replaceable as everyone else. Learn the art of balancing work and life. When your work is relaxing, take a chill pill. When it requires your 100%, give it 200%,” said a user.

One user even criticised the decision outright, writing: “That Singapore guy is an idiot. What if he doesn’t live till 45 to enjoy the chill, but instead passes away during his grind? You are better off chilling now. You won’t regret losing out on the chill when your time comes.”

See the comments here:

At its core, the discussion reflects a timeless conflict: choosing between the grind of ambition and the comfort of stability.

– Ends