Ankit Vengurlekar, a Bengaluru-based content creator and ex-journalist, criticized Sharan Hegde’s startup 1% Club for allegedly asking him to conduct an unpaid online masterclass on “Building Your Personal Brand Online.” In a LinkedIn post, Vengurlekar revealed he quoted ₹25,000 per session, but the company’s representative offered branding instead of monetary compensation. He slammed this approach, questioning why a "well-funded" startup, which charges membership fees, expects experts to work for free. The 1% Club denied the claims, stating they pay masterclass contributors.