Long working hours, late night calls and endless meetings are often seen as part of startup life. But for software engineer Devaansh Bhandari, working at a remote US based startup showed him that things can be very different.The post has sparked a wider conversation on workplace culture. (Unsplash)In a post on X that has resonated with many professionals online, Bhandari reflected on his experiences at multiple Indian startups before joining a US startup seven months ago. While he expected salary to be the biggest difference between the two work cultures, he said what stood out most was how employees were treated."I've been working at a remote US startup for around seven months now. Before this, I worked at multiple Indian startups. I thought the biggest difference would be the salary. It wasn't. It was the way people are treated," he wrote.According to Bhandari, employees at some of the startups he worked for in India were expected to be available almost all the time."Getting a call at 11 PM on a Sunday wasn't unusual," he recalled.(Also Read: Techie says company hasn't confirmed his last working day despite resignation: ‘I feel anxious’)'I stayed awake until 4 AM'One incident from his college days continues to stand out in his memory."I still remember one incident from college. I had an exam at 8 AM the next morning, but I stayed awake until 4 AM because the founder wanted to launch the product that day," he wrote.What frustrated him, he explained, was that the work was not urgent.“The launch wasn't blocked by any critical bug. We were adding animations and visual polish, not fixing something that couldn't wait.”Bhandari also highlighted the difference in how work is organised at his current company. Instead of spending hours in meetings, the team relies largely on asynchronous communication."Today, we have one short stand up to discuss what needs to be done. Everything else happens asynchronously. If someone gets stuck, we simply schedule a call," he wrote.Comparing it with his earlier jobs, he added, "Entire days would disappear into meetings. I'd barely get back to coding before another call popped up."Another major difference, according to him, is the level of trust employees receive. He said nobody monitors where he is working from or what time he logs in. The focus is simply on delivering results."Today, nobody asks where I'm working from or what time I logged in. People care that the work gets done."He concluded by explaining why he enjoys his current role despite its imperfections.“Today, I love my work. Not because it's perfect. But because I'm trusted. Because my time is respected. Because outcomes matter more than hours. That's what a good culture does. It makes work feel like something you want to do, not something you have to do.”How did the internet react?The post prompted many users to share similar experiences."I worked with a Dubai based company. Everything is exactly as you mentioned. Like I said earlier, it's all about the founder," one user commented.Another user offered a different perspective, writing, "The asynchronous nature of a company depends on the organisation, right? Not all foreign startups work asynchronously."(Also Read: ‘It’s never too late for a first’: Delhi woman takes grandparents on first overseas trip to London)"I've been on one side of this story, and it really is like this," another commented."It's eye opening how workplace culture can have such a profound impact on our professional experiences," wrote a fourth user.