Loti AI Reviews

In nearly a decade of work experience across companies of all sizes and in multiple countries, I have never felt compelled to leave a negative review — until now. This includes situations with ups and downs, but none that crossed a basic threshold of professional fairness. Unfortunately, my experience interviewing with Loti AI left me genuinely disgusted and disturbed enough to share this, so that others may avoid going through something similar. This was unexpected coming from a company backed by stellar investors such as Khosla Ventures and Ben Ling's Bling Capital. I recently interviewed for a senior product management role. I cleared all interview rounds and received a verbal offer. Everything was smooth up to that point — the issues started when the written contract was shared. Here’s what happened: Contractor, not Employment Setup: From the first call, I was informed it would be a contractor arrangement (as Loti hadn’t yet set up an Indian entity) — despite the job description and discussions clearly framing the position as a full-time, long-term role. Although not ideal, I was willing to accept it temporarily. Companies like Deel exist to solve this, but Loti chose not to explore that path (as of now). First Draft Issues: The first agreement was barebones and surprisingly one-sided. Major concerns included: - No payment schedule specified - No ESOP details — allocation, vesting, or start dates (unusual for an early-stage startup) - Asymmetrical termination — the company could terminate immediately; I would be required to give 20 days' notice and could even be restricted from resigning while staffed on an ongoing project (which would always be the case in a full-time role) - No paid time off (PTO) policy - No benefits of any kind Raising Concerns in Good Faith: I raised these issues respectfully. The VP of HR (based in the US) and CTO (based in India) agreed to many points over a call. However, comments like "Don't get too involved with technicalities, just trust us" from leadership were deeply worrying. Second Draft and Discrepancies: Despite verbal agreements, the second draft did not reflect all the agreed-upon changes. Specifically: - The payment schedule was finally clarified, but it was kept at the 15th of the following month — unusually delayed compared to industry norms - The asymmetrical termination clause remained unchanged - Although the explicit exclusion of PTO was removed, no positive PTO clause was added, leaving it ambiguous Final Outcome: I politely reiterated these concerns over email. Instead of dialogue, I received a sudden, impersonal rejection email. It became clear that while the company expected full-time commitment and responsibilities, it was unwilling to offer even basic professional protections or written clarity. I was expected to trust what was said verbally without it being reflected in writing — or worse, with contradictory clauses left intact. That was something I could not accept after nearly a decade in the workforce. This wasn't the typical early-stage startup chaos where processes are still being built. I have worked at startups even earlier in their infancy, and I know the difference — but never before have I doubted the intent of a company as I did here. What my experience in fact highlighted was an uncomfortable reality: a two-tier team structure within Loti AI. US-based employees appear to have standard protections and terms, while international contractors — largely junior Indian hires, often from outside major tech hubs like Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, or Mumbai — seem governed by a far more one-sided agreement, without objection. I was willing to compromise where it made sense. But I could not sign an agreement that fundamentally lacked basic transparency, fairness, and professionalism. Hopefully, my experience can help others approach future interactions with Loti AI with eyes open.