Quick Take
- The Hobby Tribe founder Joshua Salins, 26, hired a 64-year-old intern in Mumbai who went viral.
- Salins called the senior hire the best decision the young company has made so far.
- The story sparked a wider debate on age bias in India’s youth-led startup hiring.
In This Article
A 64-year-old intern at a Mumbai startup has gone viral, after founder Joshua Salins shared a video of the senior professional mentoring his young team.
Salins, the 26-year-old founder of The Hobby Tribe, posted the clip on Instagram. He wrote that the hire was the best decision the company had made. The video showed younger staff listening closely as the intern shared lessons on building and scaling firms, drawing thousands of positive reactions.
StartupFeed Insight
The real signal here is not one viral video, it is the gap it exposed. Randstad India found 31% of workers have faced age bias, so a single senior hire felt rare enough to surprise lakhs of people. Founders building lean teams should watch this trend closely, because experienced operators often cost less churn than they cost in salary. StartupFeed expects more Indian startups to test “returnship” and senior advisory roles through 2026, as hiring markets tighten and proven judgement becomes harder to find. The companies that move first will own this narrative. By StartupFeed Desk.
What the 64-Year-Old Intern Story Is About
The 64-year-old intern story began when Joshua Salins, founder of The Hobby Tribe, posted a workplace video on Instagram. The clip framed the senior hire as a source of practical knowledge on building companies, not as a junior recruit.
| Detail | Fact | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Company | The Hobby Tribe | Mumbai-based startup, per founder posts |
| Founder | Joshua Salins, age 26 | Shared the video, The Logical Indian reported |
| Intern’s age | 64 years | Joined to mentor younger staff |
| Platform | Instagram video | Drew thousands of reactions |
| Reported | June 2026 | Storyboard18, NDTV coverage |
The most striking part is the age gap: a 26-year-old founder and a 64-year-old intern, a 38-year spread on the same small team.
About The Hobby Tribe
The Hobby Tribe is a Mumbai-based startup led by founder Joshua Salins, who is 26 years old. The company gained sudden national attention in June 2026 after Salins shared a video of its 64-year-old intern mentoring younger employees. Specific funding, revenue, and headcount figures for the firm were not publicly disclosed at the time of writing.
Why Did The Founder Hire A 64-Year-Old Intern?
The founder hired the 64-year-old intern because the senior professional wanted to stay active, not retire fully. Salins said the man enjoyed sharing decades of experience and helping younger colleagues grow through tough moments.
“We just got a 64 year old intern in the office and it’s the best decision we’ve made,” Salins wrote, according to Storyboard18.
Salins explained that the arrangement helped both sides. The intern stayed engaged after his career, while the team gained real-world advice on building and scaling a company. Many viewers compared the story to the film “The Intern”, where an older recruit becomes a trusted mentor.
What Does It Say About Age Bias In Startups?
Age bias in Indian hiring remains common, which is why this single hire felt exceptional. Randstad India’s 2024 study found that 31% of Indian employees have faced age-related discrimination at work, The Logical Indian reported.
| Workplace Bias Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employees facing age bias | 31% | Randstad India 2024 |
| Job ads seen as age-biased | 61% | Randstad India 2024 |
Startup culture has long celebrated young founders and fast, youthful teams. What makes this story different is that it valued experience as an asset, in a sector that often treats age as a cost.
What’s Next
The bigger test is whether other Indian startups follow this example beyond one viral moment. Watch for more senior internships, “returnship” programmes, and advisory roles emerging across 2026 as hiring stays competitive. The Hobby Tribe itself may share more about the intern’s projects in coming months. Could age-diverse teams become a real edge for young Indian companies?
Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated: June 15, 2026 at 11:30 IST
Written by Soumya Verma. Published: June 15, 2026. Updated: June 15, 2026. Have a tip? Write to us at editorial@startupfeed.in.
