‘Building something requires ego’: Mamaearth's Ghazal Alagh challenges ‘leave your ego at the door’ advice and reveals how to tell confidence from ego

Entrepreneurs are often told to keep their egos in check, but is having some ego always a bad thing? Mamaearth co-founder Ghazal Alagh offers a more nuanced take on the idea. She argues that building something from scratch requires a certain level of confidence and belief in your own ability. The real problem, she suggests, begins when confidence stops serving the business and starts becoming a way to protect your identity.

Why Ghazal Alagh says entrepreneurs need some ego

Ghazal Alagh, co-founder of Mamaearth, took to social media to question one of the most common pieces of leadership advice: “Leave your ego at the door.” According to Alagh, she has never found the advice entirely practical. Building a business from scratch requires entrepreneurs to believe strongly in their ideas, particularly when others may not see the same potential.

An entrepreneur may need to believe they can solve a problem better than people who have been working in the field for years. They also have to persuade investors, employees and customers to believe in an idea or product that may not exist yet. That, Alagh points out, requires confidence.

When confidence starts turning into ego

The distinction, according to Alagh, comes down to what that confidence is serving. Ego becomes dangerous when it stops serving the business and starts serving the individual. One warning sign is when feedback begins to feel like a personal attack rather than useful information. Another is when changing your mind feels like losing.

For an entrepreneur or leader, being willing to reconsider an idea can be crucial. But if proving yourself right becomes more important than finding the right solution, personal identity can begin to take priority over the business itself. Alagh's point is not that leaders should eliminate ego completely. Instead, they need to recognise when it is influencing their decisions for the wrong reasons.

Ghazal Alagh's one-question test for ego

Alagh shared a simple question she uses before defending an idea: “Am I protecting the business, or am I protecting my identity?” The question can help separate genuine conviction from personal attachment. If defending an idea is about protecting the company's interests, customers or larger objective, it may come from conviction. But if the real motivation is avoiding embarrassment, admitting a mistake or maintaining the image of being right, ego could be driving the response.

Why leaders need confidence and self-awareness

Starting and running a business inevitably involves uncertainty. Entrepreneurs need enough confidence to pursue ideas that others may initially question. They need to persuade people, make decisions and continue despite setbacks. But confidence does not mean refusing to listen.

Alagh's perspective suggests that strong leadership involves knowing when to stand firmly behind an idea and when to step back and reconsider it. The ability to change direction does not necessarily mean weakness. Sometimes, it means the business matters more than the person making the decision. For Alagh, the useful distinction is therefore not simply ego versus no ego. It is understanding whether a decision is being driven by conviction or by the need to protect one's identity.