Startup company promises to ‘deliver humans in 10 minutes’, sparks debate

After groceries, the public’s demand has expanded to career advice being delivered at lightning-fast speed. One startup bridging the gap of demand and supply brings you career guidance from industry professionals at the press of a button- or as the contemporary model puts it, “in 10 minutes”. 

Topmate, a startup launched in 2021, recently stirred controversy on X with a post saying “It’s OVER for Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart. Because we’re not just delivering groceries in 10 minutes—we’re delivering humans. Humans who can: answer every question you throw at them, help you land your dream job, and be your ultimate growth partners”. The promise of “delivering humans in 10 minutes” is met by gathering expert assistance on one website which is just one phone call away.  

The startup offers services like resume reviews, mock interviews and referrals through industry professionals. It has offices in Bengaluru, San Francisco and Singapore.

While some people seem to praise the business idea, others have expressed that the idea of paying money to get referrals into companies does not sit well with them  “Companies have strict rules against people who take money to refer but a lot of people do it under the table, they’re probably pushing in that direction without specifically mentioning it. Unethical tbh.” said one X user.

Others enquired how the service of the startup company is different from that of a consultancy while a few opined that people generally prefer getting advice for free either through X posts or through the new emerging language learning models (LLMs). 

To this, the startup Topmate replied saying they do not charge money for the referral phone calls. Going on their website, it is found that they offer other services like resume reviews, interview tips and other content free of charge but charge a fee for mentorship packages offered by professionals from varied fields. 

The startup appears to be a new breakthrough in the era of convenience, making rabbit holes of Google searches and uncertain shots fired in the dark a thing of the past.