Young IIM-educated CEO, after cardiac scare due to stress, warns: No ambition is worth your life, walk, sleep, your heart isn't a machine...

In a world where ambition is often worn like a badge of honour, one young CEO's chilling wake-up call is forcing the internet to pause. Harsh Macwan, an IIM Ahmedabad alumnus and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, recently took to LinkedIn with a raw, emotional post about a near-cardiac event that turned his high-achieving life on its head. The image of a hospitalised Macwan, resting on a hospital bed, is now doing the rounds online — but not just for the message he intended.

Macwan described the terrifying experience: chest pain, numbness in his arm, disorientation — all signs pointing to a potential heart attack. Harsh shared that he had always been someone who pushed through deadlines, fatigue, and stress, but this time, his body reached a breaking point and forced him to stop.

Macwan urged fellow founders and professionals to slow down, unplug, and listen to their bodies, reminding them that their heart isn’t a machine and no startup or ambition is worth their life. Now on the road to recovery, he shared that what he’s truly grateful for isn’t another funding round, but simply breath, family, and time.


Internet reacts
Users responded with warmth and concern, urging him to take care and get proper rest. Many sent good vibes and well wishes for his recovery. Meanwhile, the tone on Reddit was starkly different, with many users criticising the performative aspect of the post. Some questioned the need for a hospital selfie, while others mocked the dramatic phrasing, calling it typical of LinkedIn “influencer speak.” The sentiment ranged from skepticism to satire, with users implying it felt more like a personal branding exercise than a genuine health update.