India, Dec. 19 -- A tech founder's attempt to build a relaxed and supportive work culture has sparked an online discussion after he shared how excessive freedom with interns eventually backfired.

The founder described the episode in detail in a Reddit post, saying it started a few months ago with a LinkedIn hiring post.

After several interviews, one candidate was selected based on strong credentials and a trusted reference.

Two other applicants, close friends who had applied and interviewed together, were rejected despite showing enthusiasm and some good past projects.

According to the founder, the two rejected candidates continued to follow up, requesting to join even as unpaid interns. After initial hesitation due to past experience...