It’s a busy, buzzing circus happening on LinkedIn India – and it reminds me of the Gemini Circus from my childhood in a small town near Kolkata.

The template is uncannily similar: First the acrobats, leaping high in the air in mighty arcs, then the jokers, then one by one, the exotic animals and their minders, then the mighty tigers in a giant cage with the whip-wielding ringmaster, then the daredevil acts, and finally the finale. The jokers were a constant, kept drifting in and out, during changeovers.   

This new LinkedIn circus is not always about jobs or networking, but performance art disguised as ‘authentic sharing’. Here, corporate titans, start-up co-founders, managers, and earnest young hustlers alike – self-certified ‘storytellers’ – cultivate their ‘personal brands’ with the precision of venture-funded gardeners.

With a little help from AI, they plant ‘narratives’, water them with hashtags, and wait for the algorithm to shower Likes. It’s no longer enough to have built something or learned something; one must also turn it into a three-act mythological dance drama, complete with humble beginnings, tricolour emojis, and an artfully blurred Bharat Mandapam lanyard in the background.

But here’s the catch: behind the Gemini circus of uplift and hustle lies a real lesson about how humans build influence and signal credibility in the age of professional oversharing.

I’ve tried to flesh out some archetypes. Understanding these archetypes is not just sport. It’s survival.

Here are the top archetypes I found – along with what it really means – that is, why you should avoid it. 

Before we go any further, a disclaimer: This group is a minority - a majority of LinkedIn does not engage in this tomfoolery as it does not have the time. But this minority is very vocal and sticks out.  

1. Chhotey Sheher Ka Ladka

Every other day LinkedIn offers up a stirring rags-to-riches tale: “I grew up in a one-room house in Gaya with nothing but grit - now I head Strategy at Flipzon.” The 2025 upgrade? International hardship add-ons: “Washed dishes in Berlin,” “Slept on an Oslo railway platform during my MBA.” Suffering, but make it global.

For Your Kind Attention: True struggle moves people; borrowed or inflated tragedy backfires.

2. Patriotism-as-PR: Flags, emojis and zero substance

Arjun Mehta, mid-level SaaS manager, posts: “India will conquer AI!” alongside stock photos of the cricket team and a selfie at Terminal 3. National pride has become the cheapest clickbait.

For Your Kind Attention: National pride, always a wonderful thing, is to be used in the right context please. Empty chest-thumping is transparent.

3. The sir ji behind my success

A grateful mentee bows online: “Forever indebted to amazingly inspirational Shalini Ma’am who taught me the power of dreaming.”  There’s usually a flattering selfie and some #mentorship hashtags. Half gratitude, half career insurance.

For Your Kind Attention: Appreciation works best when concrete; overblown hero-worship reads as opportunistic.

4. Mic drop moments

Siddharth from Gurgaon posts a moody shot – Davos-style co-working lounge, laptop open, cappuccino steaming. Caption: “Ideas brewing for a better Bharat.”  No clue what he’s building, but the cappuccino looks exquisite.

For Your Kind Attention: Visual social proof is powerful; but hollow aspiration is easy to spot.

5. Digital Karmayogi

Meera proclaims: “Working 20 hours a day, serving my mission, not myself.”  Three posts later, on an Insta Reel, she’s on a yacht in Mykonos.

For Your Kind Attention: The tapasya vibe is strong — until it isn’t.

6. Tech + Vedas = Instant Guru

New favourite hack: Quote the Gita while pitching a pivot. “As Krishna said - adapt and evolve.” Cue photos of meditation in Coorg and hashtags #AncientWisdom #ProductMarketFit.

For Your Kind Attention: Borrowed depth without lived understanding invites ridicule, not reverence.

7. AI-pocalypse merchant

Ankita, “future-of-work strategist,” proclaims: “AI will wipe out 90 per cent of jobs. Upskill NOW — join my ₹15,000 masterclass.”  Fear drives clicks, but little else.

For Your Kind Attention: Alarm sells short-term; credibility is built by calm, clear direction.

8. Badges and global labels

Prateek declares: “Honoured to represent India at the World Young Leaders Conclave.” Google it – it’s a paid weekend workshop in Baku. But hey, the LinkedIn badge gleams.

For Your Kind Attention: Titles impress briefly; real authority is earned through quiet impact, not stickers.

9. Selfie saviours

Nothing beats a CEO hugging a dusty village child: “This little one taught me resilience.” Then back to quarterly profit charts.

For Your Kind Attention: Impact posts work when they’re about systemic change, not poverty tourism.

10. The enthu cutlet uncle – life lessons galore 

Ex-CEO or ex-banker or ex-whatever now on a spiritual sabbatical. Finds profound life lessons in a cat’s yawn, an Uber ride, or the way the Barista spelled their name wrong. Posts long reflections tagged #LifelongLearning #Gratitude.

For Your Kind Attention: Wisdom-signalling for engagement alone turns the profound into a parody.

Maybe, just maybe, we can make LinkedIn a little saner – a place where we share real value and real experience instead of chasing trends in the mad pursuit of Likes. Authenticity might not go viral as fast, but it lasts a lot longer.

(The writer is a digital marketer with an analogue past) 

Published on October 6, 2025