Indian-origin CEO praises co-founder who flew 16 hours for marathon, came back to work on Monday

In the startup world, some founders take commitment to a whole new level. Karun Kaushik, an Indian-origin CEO, recently shared a story about his co-founder Selin Kocalar that left everyone amazed.

Flying to Morocco for a Marathon

Kaushik noticed a rare "Out of Office" on Selin’s calendar. Curious, he asked her what was going on. She told him, “On Friday, I’m flying 16 hours to Morocco, running a marathon in the morning, and then flying back to SF at night. She showed up at the office with her suitcase on Monday.”

And she did exactly that. Selin flew from San Francisco to Morocco, ran the Marrakech Marathon, and returned straight to work on Monday morning. She summed up her weekend in a tweet: “I flew to Morocco for 36 hours over the weekend to run the Marrakech Marathon and then came right back to the office. Founder's definition of fun.”

CEO’s praise

Karun Kaushik shared his admiration on social media. He said, “the single craziest and most determined person I’ve worked with.” He also added, “Sometimes in life, you have to take a risk and say, ‘Why not?’ This attitude is rare, but embodying it through impromptu-marathon-level action is different. Thank you for inspiring the rest of the Delve team every day. Honored to get to work with you!”

Adding a little humor, he wrote, “Stay tuned for more adventures from me. Written on my sofa.”

Social media reactions

Selin’s story got a lot of attention online. Some praised her, saying, “You are a star. So proud of you,” and “You are actually the most insane person I know (positive connotation).”

Others were not that impressed. Some wrote, “Is this considered a lot? I mean, I’m no founder, but this is hardly an interesting example for it,” and “This is not the flex you think that it is lmao.”

Disclaimer: This article is based on social media posts and reactions shared online. The Times of India has not independently verified the claims made in the posts, and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the publication.Thumb image: X/ Selin Kocalar