Bengaluru techie asks recruiter about salary but gets a need warriors, not employees, reply. Techie hits back with an Elon Musk twist

A Bengaluru techie’s simple question about salary turned into one of the strangest recruiter chats the internet has seen. What started as a straightforward query about the budget for a role quickly spiralled into talk of “10x impact” and “warriors, not employees.” The screenshots, shared online by software engineer Yashraj Shukla, show how the recruiter dodged pay transparency with over-the-top jargon — and how Shukla hit back with a cheeky Elon Musk twist that left netizens in splits.

When Shukla asked the recruiter what budget they had in mind for the role, the response was anything but clear. Instead of sharing a number, the recruiter claimed the budget would depend on someone who could deliver “10x impact” and added that asking about salary before proving skills meant the role might not be the right fit. He then doubled down, claiming, “We’re not hiring employees. We’re building a team of warriors. If you’re in, prove it.”

Elon Musk comment

Unfazed, Shukla continued the exchange and came up with a witty retort. In a follow-up, he asked the recruiter, “On a scale of E to the Lon, how Musk are you?” The recruiter simply replied with “E” — and that’s when the internet really had its laugh.




The post quickly went viral, sparking a wave of reactions. One user wrote that they were “looking for a company to join, not the army.” Another quipped that the constant “warrior” talk explains why no one wants to join such firms anymore. Many called out the unrealistic expectations, mocking the “10x impact” line and questioning if the salary would also be 10x. Others pointed out what they felt was the obvious truth: “It’s just another way of saying they don’t have money.”


The screenshots have since become the latest example of how corporate jargon and refusal to be upfront about pay can backfire spectacularly online.