‘Just Fired Our Designer, Hiring Someone Tonight’: Pakistani-American Founder’s Post Sparks Controversy

A San Francisco-based founder has sparked controversy with his recruitment post shared online shortly after dismissing his designer. “Just fired our designer. Need someone that wants to design products for millions,” wrote Arib Khan, 20, on the social media platform X. He added, “DM me your portfolio today. Hiring someone tonight.”

Khan, the Pakistani-American founder of Musicfy, a company that develops AI tools for musicians, previously served as founder and CEO of a men’s jewelry brand. However, his post did not go over well with many, especially given the current climate of exposing toxic workplaces and managers.

In response to the backlash, Khan stood firm. “My goal isn’t to be nice,” he stated. “If your designs are s*** I will say they are s***.” He added, “If you can’t handle what I will say then don’t work for us.” Khan’s X bio mentions his Pakistani-American heritage.

He later updated that the vacancy had been filled.

Netizens React:

Social media reactions to his post were overwhelmingly negative. A former Meta employee commented, “This kind of attitude might make you feel ‘I’m top of the world’ because you made some money as a 20 yr old. But it will bite your back soon enough.”

Another X user remarked, “Whilst this approach works to a certain point. It reduces the morale of the team which has a long time effect in output.”

Many X users labeled Khan a red flag, with one noting, “Multiple red flags here, sounds like a nightmare client.”