New Delhi: In an unusual and refreshingly candid post on X on February 3, Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal opened the door wide for former employees, those who left of their own volition, and even those who were once asked to move on to come back and build the next chapter. His message wasn’t just about jobs; it was a rare acknowledgement of the value of human capital that knows the organisation’s soul.

As Goyal put it in his own words: “If you haven’t reached out because you think the door is closed, or because you think I’m holding onto the past, I’m not. I want you back.” 

This invitation isn’t a nostalgic nod; it reflects hard-earned experience. Many of those who have returned to Zomato’s broader ecosystem, now rebranded as Eternal, are performing at their best, and Goyal noted: 

“We have over four hundred people at Eternal today in their second or third stints. Many of them are doing their best work now.”  

That mix of humility and strategy is telling. It suggests that organisations, especially in fast-moving sectors like technology and consumer platforms, benefit not only from fresh talent but also from institutional memory: people who understand the culture, the product cycles, the customer base, and the brand DNA.

On his professional profile, Goyal describes himself as a “curious child”— a phrase that captures his approach to entrepreneurship and innovation, from building Zomato from its earliest days as a menu discovery platform to its evolution into a global food-tech ecosystem with multiple verticals.  

That curiosity has recently found expression beyond food tech. In January 2025, Goyal co-founded LAT Aerospace, a new venture aimed at transforming regional air travel in India. The company plans to develop short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft to connect under-served cities and towns — essentially creating “buses in the sky” that fly from compact air-stops rather than traditional airports.  

Here too, Goyal’s message is about building with people who have been part of the journey, tapping into a pool that knows what worked, what didn’t, and what could be better. It’s a subtle reminder that in today’s corporate ecosystem, often focused on hiring fresh talent, campuses, and job fairs - there is immense value in reconnecting with experience.

For the broader audience, Goyal’s post becomes a practical commentary on talent mobility: companies evolve, individuals grow, circumstances change; but sometimes the best fit for future success is someone who once helped build yesterday’s success.

Sometimes, the door stays open not because it’s easy to come back, but because you were never truly meant to leave it behind in the first place.