This week’s episode is about why India as a country loves seeking status, as we welcome Ankush Sachdeva, co-founder of ShareChat, to the Neon Show!How Have Indian Consumers Evolved In The Last 10 Years?India vs Bharat ArgumentAre Majority Of Indian Products Aimed At Tier-1 Cities?All these CAPTIVATING topics and more in this FREE-FLOWING conversation about how social media has played a part in the consumer behaviour of Indians. A deep dive into why Indians are so status-driven rather than wealth-driven… Tune in NOW!_____________________________________________________________________________________________________🎇CHAPTERS[00:00] - Precap[01:02] - Introducing Ankush Sachdeva, co-founder of ShareChat![01:45] - Siddhartha & Ankush’s Friendship Journey![03:44] - Setbacks Ankush Faced Before ShareChat[04:39 ]- Previous Companies Ankush Tried Building![09:48] - Lessons Learnt From His 14 Previous Failures[13:30] - ShareChat’s Untold Story[17:45] - India vs Bharat Argument[20:26] - Why India LOVES Seeking STATUS![24:20] - Are Bharat’s Audience Poor Spenders? [28:57] - How Have Indian Consumers Evolved In The Last 10 Years?[34:50] - How Far Is ShareChat From Profitability?[39:23] - How TikTok’s Ban Affected ShareChat![45:14] - Does China Have Better AI Algorithms Than India?[53:04] - Why Is Generative AI Taking Over The World?[57:03] - Will AI Read Human Minds In The Future?[58:47] - Can AI Capture Human Desire?[1:02:19] - What Categories Does India As A Country Love To Consume?[1:09:33] - Are Majority Of Indian Products Aimed At Tier-1 Cities?[1:13:09] - Will Mainstream Professions Like Doctors & Engineers Change In India?[1:16:55] - Concluding Remarks_____________________________________________________________________________________________________*Sponsor Shout Out*Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/Send us a text

This week’s episode is about the most important tips required to get a good night’s sleep as we welcome Ankit Garg, co-founder of Wakefit, to the Neon Show!Why Do Indians Sleep So Poorly?Misconceptions Indians Have About Sleep!Will Quality Of Sleep Get Better Or Worsen In 10 Years?All these JUICY topics and more in this EYE-OPENING conversation about sleep cycles in a country like India. A deep dive into why India’s ambitious goals come at a loggerhead with the amount of sleep it gets… Tune in NOW!🎇CHAPTERS[00:00] - Precap[01:09] - Happy New Year Neon Tribe![01:38] - Introducing Ankit Garg, co-founder of Wakefit![02:22] - Why Do Indians Sleep So Poorly?[04:56] - Gen Z’s Relationship With Sleep[06:40] - Why Is Quality Of Sleep Going Down But Focus On Health Going Up?[08:45] - How Has The Indian Consumer Changed Over The Years?[11:50] - Ankit’s Backstory & Its Influence On Creating Wakefit[15:53] - Sleep Patterns That The Highest Performers Across Business & Sports Have![18:39] - Which Cities In India Sleep The Best?[20:57] - Steps Required To Get Good Sleep![29:14] - Will Quality Of Sleep Get Better Or Worsen In 10 Years?[30:28] - What Is REM? Various Phases Of Sleep?[34:39] - Misconceptions Indians Have About Sleep![38:36] - Is The Neck Pillow Industry Operating On A Placebo Effect?[41:19] - Will People Go Back To Buying Cheaper Mattresses In The Future?[43:16] - Wakefit’s Agenda[46:19] - Concluding Remarks*Sponsor Shout Out*Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/Send us a text

This week’s episode is about Building Snapdeal, IIT Delhi - 2006 Batch & India’s Positive Future as we welcome Rohit Bansal, co-founder of Snapdeal & Titan Capital, to the Neon Show!What Sells & Doesn’t Sell In India?Have Aspirations Of Young India Changed In The Last 20 years?The Most Common Misconceptions About Investors!All these JUICY topics and more in this MASTERCLASS conversation about India’s e-commerce industry. A deep dive into how India has grown incrementally in the e-commerce industry over the last 15 years & what it takes to create a great product-market fit in the e-commerce space… Tune in NOW!🎇CHAPTERS[00:00] - Precap[01:18] - Introducing Rohit Bansal, co-founder of Snapdeal![01:50] - Small-Town Upbringing in Rural Punjab![04:33] - Further Education in DPS, R.K. Puram & IIT Delhi[06:49] - Meeting Kunal Bahl & Sacrificing Their U.S.-Based Jobs[10:13] - Have Aspirations Of Young India Changed In The Last 20 years?[12:32] - Rohit & Kunal Bahl’s Top 3 Ever Investments![16:48] - Qualities Titan Capital Looks For In Indian Entrepreneurs![22:30] - The Iconic 2006 and 2007 Batches of IIT Delhi![27:24] - Changes In Indian E-Commerce Over Last 15 Years[33:20] - E-Commerce: India vs China![35:42] - What Sells & Doesn’t Sell In India?[46:23] - Why Are Copycat Companies So Common In India?[49:15] - How Would Rohit Describe India’s Growth In The Last Decade?[54:10] - What Has Changed About Startups In India Since The Early 2000s?[57:19] - Can People Go Into Angel Investing Full-Time?[1:01:19] - Why Titan Capital Is So Successful![1:04:08] - Common Misconceptions About Investors[1:06:33] - Concluding Remarks*Sponsor Shout Out*Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/!Send us a text

This week’s episode is in discussion with PM Narendra Modi’s Economic Advisor who talks about Kolkata’s Decline, Amrit Kaal & India’s $10 Trillion Economy as we welcome Sanjeev Sanyal to the Neon Show!What Changed in India After Liberalisation in 1991?Does Being World’s Largest Population Help or Hinder India’s Growth?Sanjeev Sanyal’s Role In Reforming The Banking SystemsAll these JUICY topics and more in this ROUSING conversation about India’s economics. A deep dive into how India became a powerhouse economy in the world since 1991 & where it aims to be as a country by 2050… Tune in NOW!🎇CHAPTERS[00:00] - Precap[01:01] - Introducing Sanjeev Sanyal, PM Modi’s Economic Advisor[01:31] - “Kolkata DIDN’T DIE. It Was MURDERED!” Sanjeev’s Childhood Days[05:08] - Life In India After Independence & Before 1991![08:37] - What Changed in India After Liberalisation in 1991?[10:42] - Why India’s Banking System Was Reformed Post Modi![15:32] - Sanjeev Sanyal’s Role In Reforming The Banking Systems[21:01] - How India Maintained Its Stability Even After Covid![23:08] - 5 Influential Economic Reforms Sanjeev Has Been Part Of![30:35] - Can India Become Top 5 Nation In The Ease Of Doing Business Index?[36:21] - Does Being World’s Largest Population Help or Hinder India’s Growth?[41:24] - India’s Amrit Kaal: The Global Factors That Could Play A Role[46:01] - India’s Growth Rate vs China’s Growth Rate[50:55] - Can India Become a $20 Trillion Economy In The Near Future?[52:22] - Will India’s Population Continue to Grow In the Next 50 Years?[53:22] - What Economic Reforms Can Indians Expect In The Next Few Years?[56:43] - What % Of The Indian Economic Advisory’s Time Goes Into Propelling Startups?[59:59] - Concluding RemarksSponsor Shout OutLooking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/Send us a text

This week’s episode is about Chandrababu Naidu's influence, the inception of ISB Hyderabad & Rajat Gupta's Case Study as we welcome Pramath Raj Sinha, founding member of ISB & Ashoka University, to the Neon Show!Chandrababu Naidu’s Role In Building ISB Hyderabad! Why Is ISB Unable To Break IIT’s Monopoly In The Educational Sector?What Makes US Education STAND OUT From the Rest Of The World?Would ISB Have Happened WITHOUT Rajat Gupta’s Involvement?All these CAPTIVATING topics and more in this MASTERFULLY INFORMATIVE conversation. A deep dive into where India is headed as a country & how important education will be in propelling it to new heights… Tune in NOW!Sponsor Shout OutLooking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/Send us a text

This week’s episode is about India's BRIGHT FUTURE by 2030… as we welcome Bhaskar Ghosh of American Venture Capital firm 8VC to the Neon Show!How Much Has Bangalore Changed In The Last 30 Years?Is SaaS The Future of India?What Role Is India Playing In AI?All these CAPTIVATING topics and more in this HONEST conversation. A deep dive into whether is equipped to grow to the next level & how Bhaskar thinks about where India's future will be by 2030… Tune in NOW!Sponsor Shout OutLooking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/Send us a text

This week’s episode is about India's spending habits, ONDC & building 10club… as we welcome Bhavna Suresh, founder of 10club, to the Neon Show!How Is ONDC Impacting the E-Commerce Market?Is There A Bias Towards Women CEOs In India?How Much Has Entrepreneurship CHANGED In India?All these TRENDING topics and more in this CAPTIVATING conversation. A deep dive into what makes ONDC such a force to be reckoned with in the e-commerce industry & how Bhavna Suresh is leading the charge for home decor in India… Tune in NOW!Sponsor Shout OutLooking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/Send us a text

This week’s episode is about the brutal truths that working mothers in India have to experience… as we welcome Neha Bagaria, founder of HerKey formerly known as JobsForHer, to the Neon Show!Biological Clock vs Career Ambitions Why Working Women Are ESSENTIAL For India’s Economy!Which Fields Are Indian Women Excelling in?Where Will India Be As A Country For Women IN 10 YEARS?All these CAPTIVATING topics and more in this VIBRANT & HONEST conversation. A deep dive into what makes Indian women so vital to India’s economy & how Neha Bagaria is seeking to become a catalyst and a STRONG voice for them… Tune in NOW!Sponsor Shout OutLooking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high-conviction, high-support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/Send us a text

This week’s episode is about meeting India’s breakfast king who created a Rs. 3,000 crore business from idli, dosa batter & much more as we welcome PC Musthafa, founder of iD Fresh Foods, to the Neon Show!Were iD Fresh PIONEERS In Selling Batter In Stores? Why Don’t Indians TRUST Packaged Foods?Why Did Idli/Dosa Become So Popular Around The World?All these EXCITING topics and more in this WONDERFULLY GENTLE conversation. A deep dive into what makes iD Fresh a powerhouse in the Indian batter market & how PC Musthafa became the man he is today… Tune in NOW!Sponsor Shout OutLooking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/Send us a text

This week’s episode is about The REAL REASON Indian Farmers Struggle as we welcome Shashi Kumar, founder of Akshayakalpa, to the Neon Show!What Does An Indian Farmer Want?Why Did INDIA Become A Farming Nation?Why Are Indians Antibiotics Resistant To Milk?All these UNIQUE topics and more in this INCREDIBLE conversation. A deep dive into why farming is so prevalent in India & why it will continue to be a big part of India’s economic ecosystem… Tune in NOW!Sponsor Shout OutLooking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/Send us a text

This week’s episode is about the UPI Struggle Story, India vs The World and brain drain challenge for India as we welcome Sharad Sharma, founder of iSPIRT, to the Neon Show!How Has India Grown As A Country In Last 30-40 Years?Will INDIA Be Next THAILAND vs Next KOREA?Why Are Startups So Successful In China?All these gripping questions and more in this MASTERFUL conversation. A deep dive into why India as a country is on the cusp of world dominance & iSPIRT's role to play in accelerating this process… Tune in NOW!Sponsor Shout OutLooking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/!Send us a text

This week’s episode is about the mastermind behind India’s hottest startups such as Sharechat, Sugar Cosmetics & Kuku FM as we welcome Anand Lunia, founder of India Quotient, to the Neon Show!Is The Youth Of India Bad At Saving?Can India Become The Largest Economy In The World?Why Has India Not Created a Successful Role Model In Startups?All these exhilarating topics and more in this GRIPPING conversation. A deep dive into why India Quotient understands the consumers of India so well and how India is at the cusp of glory… Tune in NOW!*Sponsor Shout Out*Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/!Send us a text

This week’s episode is all about discovering OUR SECRETS as we let you in on how we gained 25,000 subscribers in JUST 90 days as our founders welcome Vidit Agarwal, our branding manager and founder of Witchcraft, to the Neon Show!Where Did Neon’s Journey Begin?How Did We Build BRAND LOYALTY For The Neon Show?Why Did The Name Neon Have To Be “Sexy” To Attract Viewers?!All these juicy topics and more in this HONEST conversation. A real look into why branding is so important for building loyalty amongst consumers & how it can transform a company’s fate, like it did Neon’s… Tune in NOW!*Sponsor Shout Out*Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/!Send us a text

This week’s episode is a SURPRISE feature with an UNEXPECTED host! Our co-founder Nansi Mishra takes on hosting duties as she looks at why Indians worship Bhagwan using puja flowers in Hinduism as we welcome Rhea Karuturi, co-founder of Hoovu Fresh, to the Neon Show!What Was It Like Growing Up In Ethiopia & Learning From The World’s Best Rose Exporter?What Are Some Practices Indians Use While Praying?What Is Rhea’s Family’s Relationship With God?How Difficult Is It To Be A Woman Entrepreneur In India?All these fascinating topics and more in this CAPTIVATING & INFORMATIVE conversation. A real look into the inner workings of faith in India & how impactful flowers can be in Hinduism with a woman that’s only began the start of her highly successful journey… Tune in NOW!*Sponsor Shout Out*Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/!Send us a text

This week’s episode is an CAPTIVATING look at how Reliance changed India forever, the flaws that Bharat as a country has & how BigBasket has empowered farmers as we welcome V S Sudhakar, co-founder of BigBasket, to the Neon Show!How Did Mukesh Ambani Change India Forever?What Weaknesses Does India Have As A Country?Does BigBasket Have Any Benchmarks For Profitability?“We See Education Not As A Barrier, But As An Enabler At BigBasket.”All these riveting topics and more in this PLEASANT & INFORMATIVE conversation. A real look into the hidden brains behind BigBasket’s success & a man with a golden smile… Tune in NOW!*Sponsor Shout Out*Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/!Send us a text

This week’s episode is an HONEST look at why Indians love government jobs, how Kuku FM is aspirational for Indians & whether Indians are now changing their views on private jobs as we welcome Lal Chand Bisu, founder of Kuku FM, to the Neon Show!Are Indian Masses Willing To Pay For Subscriptions?Why Do Tier-3 City Indians Aspire For Government Jobs?GOVERNMENT Jobs vs PRIVATE jobsMost Popular Kuku FM Series?All these captivating topics and more in this DOWN TO EARTH conversation. A real look into the spirit of the man who runs a company that handles over 2 million active subscriptions… Tune in NOW!*Sponsor Shout Out*Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/!Send us a text

Put your thinking caps on because this week’s episode is an assortment of INSIGHTFUL INFORMATION about stock markets, trading & entrepreneurship as we welcome Deepak Shenoy, founder of CapitalMind, to the Neon Show!Which Company Transformed India’s Trading Market?Indian Stock Market vs Global Stock MarketsAre Financial Influencers Fooling Their Followers?Would Global Companies Ever List In India?All these juicy topics and more in this EXTENSIVE conversation. A dive into the psyche of the man who manages over Rs. 500 crore in the Indian markets… One of the rare times where the conversation never stops being informative & gripping. Tune in NOW!*Sponsor Shout Out*Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit Prime Venture Partners!Send us a text

Welcome back Neon Tribe!This week’s episode is a DETAILED DIVE into the stock market through the eyes and mind of one of India’s most successful stock traders as we welcome Ravi Kumar, co-founder & CEO of Upstox, to the Neon Show!How Many Brokerage Accounts Are There In India & What % Of Them Use Upstox?What will The Stock Market Look Like In America, China & India In 10 Years?Why Was India A Better Choice Than America To Start Upstox?What Does The Future Of Indian Startups Look Like?All these exclusive topics and more in this DENSE & EDUCATIVE conversation. An exploration of the man behind a 30,000 crore company … This is a MASTERCLASS about everything stocks. Tune in NOW!*Sponsor Shout Out*Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/ !Send us a text

Welcome Back Neon Tribe! This week’s episode is a MUST WATCH for India’s youth because we delve deeply into the insights and learnings gathered by one of India’s youngest crorepatis as we welcome Ishan Sharma, co-founder of MarkitUp, to the Neon Show!Ever wondered what the life of a content creator actually looks like? Well… This episode reveals everything! What Is The Biggest Difference Between India’s Youth & The Youth Abroad?How Much Has Timing Played A Role In Ishan’s Success?Will We See More Indians Dropout Of College In The Near Future?Who Are The Top 5 Indian Leaders Ishan Is Inspired By? All these captivating topics and more in this VIBRANT conversation. From being a BITS Pilani dropout to crossing 1 million subscribers on YouTube at the age of 22… Ishan Sharma’s story is an inspiration to all Indians that an unconventional path in life does not mean a wrong one. Tune in NOW!*Sponsor Shout Out*Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit Primevp.in !Send us a text

Welcome Back Neon Tribe! This week’s episode is a vast case study into the psyche of one of India’s brightest and most inspiring men as we welcome Vijay Rayapati, founder of Atomicwork, to the Neon Show!Clocking in at a whopping 2 hours, this detailed episode has everything… Experiences shared about the pitfalls of a difficult childhood journey, the aspirations of youthful adolescence and the wisdom that came with maturing age.  Do Indian founders command respect in the Valley ecosystem?What was it like growing up in a village and why was he bullied at school?How was it dealing with his mother’s battles with cancer?What is the story behind his successful exit from Minjar? All these spellbinding topics and more in this DEEPLY STIRRING conversation. From being just a farmer’s son to one of the most influential founders in India’s SaaS ecosystem… Vijay Rayapati’s story is not just one you listen to, but one you take notes from as well. Tune in NOW!Sponsor ShoutoutLooking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit Primevp.in !Send us a text

Welcome Back Neon Tribe! This week’s episode is the definition of captivating as we welcome Pallav Nadhani and Paras Chopra, founders of FusionCharts & Wingify respectively, to the Neon Show!In today’s episode, we learn about the journey of their 13-year old friendship and how young both of them were when they attained financial independence.Is it better to be your own boss or work for large corporations? What’s the major difference?What does happiness & death mean to them? What topics in life give them anxiety?How important is legacy for an entrepreneur?Did they startup companies for money or to change the world?All these engrossing topics and more in this RAW & SAVAGE conversation with two of India’s brightest millionaires. The most distinct conversation we’ve ever had on the Neon Show… Tune in NOW!*Sponsor Shoutout*Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit Primevp.in !Send us a text

Welcome Back Neon Tribe! This week’s insightful episode is about India’s favourite drink “Chai”! We welcome the founder of India’s original Chai startup, Raghav Verma of Chaayos, to the Neon Show! In this week’s episode, we learn about the ingenious man behind the Chai Revolution that’s taken place in India over the last 10 years!In a country where Chai is consumed at 30x the rate of coffee, can you imagine having 80,000 varieties available to you all at one store?!How has Indians’ opinion on the country’s culture changed over the course of the last 20 years?Truly unbelievable! This outrageous flavour is Raghav’s favourite at Chaayos 😱 You will have to hear it to believe it… Trust us on that!Wait… Chaayos had a huge impact on our host’s love story? Find out how!All these Kadak topics and more in this highly ENGROSSING conversation with one of India’s Brightest Founders. Pour yourself a Chai while watching, as this episode will give you Sereni-Tea 😉 … Tune in NOW!Send us a text

Welcome Back Neon Tribe! This week’s episode is an extraordinarily explosive one as we welcome Mohandas Pai, ex-CFO of Infosys, to the Neon Show!In this week’s episode, we learn about the “rebellious” man behind India’s largest midday meal programme, Akshaya Patra, and his highly inspiring journey from childhood days to Infosys and way beyond! How did Jawaharlal Nehru set India back 30 years as a country and why is PM Modi, India’s best prime minister till date?India vs America! Who do you think is better at Marketing?Why are Indians incomparable to any other population in the world?!All these fiery topics and more in this UNFILTERED conversation with one of India’s most proud citizens! Unlike any conversation we’ve ever had on the Neon Show… Tune in NOW!*Sponsor Shoutout!*Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies. To know more, visit Primevp.in! Send us a text

Welcome back Neon Tribe!   This week’s episode features one of the most resilient founders we’ve ever met. We welcome Vinay Singhal, co-founder of STAGE, to the Neon Show!  In this week’s episode, we learn about the tough tenacity of small-town entrepreneurs and the extreme strength they have to pick themselves up after failures. Many may know our guest from his emotional segment on Shark Tank but how many of you know his heartbreaking story about WittyFeed, his first company, which got shutdown by Facebook overnight? Why is depression such a silent killer in the Indian startup ecosystem? How did Vinay tackle his own battle with it?  Want to know more about how Vinay and his co-founders created India’s very own NETFLIX?  Well to find out all this and much more, join us on this rollercoaster ride of a conversation! Trust us when we say this is the most emotional conversation we’ve had yet!Send us a text

Welcome back Neon Tribe! This is an episode we have been waiting years to make happen and the dream has finally come true! We welcome Vineeta Singh and Kaushik Mukherjee, co-founders of SUGAR on the Neon Show as we delve into the depths of the beauty industry in India.In this week’s episode, we learn about the electric duo’s combined entrepreneurship journey which began in 2012 with Fab-Bag, a subscription platform that provided deliveries of beauty products.Ever wondered what it is like to be husband & wife as well as being co-founders of a company? The answer to that question will be found here as Vineeta and Kaushik discuss finding the right balance between their personal and professional lives!Curious to find out how big of an impact Shark Tank has had on SUGAR’s overall growth? Join us to find out about all this and more as we discuss in detail with perhaps the most dynamic duo in India’s entrepreneurship landscape currently!Send us a text

Neon Tribe!Get ready for another gripping episode as we welcome Tarun Mehta, the founder of Ather Energy on the Neon Show! Tune in as we thoroughly delve into the inner workings of the two-wheeler and EV industry in India.In this week’s episode, we learn about a truly one-of-a-kind backstory which began from deep within IIT Madras’s engineering department! Get ready as you will find out exactly how Tesla inspired Ather and whether Ather would have still reached the same heights it has today, if Tesla never existed. Equipped with an abundance of knowledge on the EV industry, Tarun also shares his understanding of the market dynamics for EVs in India as well as the current state of the Indian scooter market.Curious as to why a career in software engineering is more rewarding than one in hardware engineering? Well, look no further as Tarun explains in detail why college students would prefer the former over the latter! Join us for all this and more as we candidly engage with the genius mind responsible for turning a 20 crore ARR business from five years ago into a colossal 1800 crores as of today!  Send us a text

Today I have with me the entrepreneur who I’ve always looked up to. I consider him the Dronacharya of the Indian startup ecosystem.This man has never shied away from expressing himself freely. His company was the first tech company in India to go public and inspired a generation of companies to go public like MakeMyTrip, Zomato, and PolicyBazaar. All entrepreneurs dream of taking their companies public and the very few who reach that milestone remain busy managing that company or end up taking retirement.But this man never rested. He is responsible for many startups in India that have gone public.Today I have with me Padma Shri awardee Sanjeev Bikhchandani Sir. This episode is about the unconventional choices of Sanjeev Sir and his philosophy of making India great.I would also like to thank our sponsors Prime Venture Partners for sponsoring the Neon Show.Hope you enjoy it.Send us a text

Today we have with us Jigar Shah, co-founder 82 Degree East, a skin care brand that he started along with Deepika Padukone. Jigar's journey, from an investment manager at a VC firm to managing investments for Deepika Padukone and finally co-founding a self-care brand with her, is nothing short of captivating.Jigar shares how the idea of starting 82°E came to life. Despite having Deepika Padukone as a co-founder, Jigar and Deepika veered away from banking solely on star power.They concentrated on creating a unique skincare brand committed to satisfying real consumer needs. From establishing an R&D center in Bangalore, catering to a global audience, Jigar also talks about how he and Deepika tackled the design and marketing aspects of their brand to differentiate it in a saturated marketplace.Subscribe to the 100x Entrepreneur podcast today for more inspiring and informative episodes on the entrepreneurial journey!🚀✨CHAPTERS: -00:00:00 - Intro0:02:21 - 0:04:59 - Jigar's Skincare Routine 0:05:00 - 0:07:58 - Life as a Founder 0:07:59 - 0:13:59 - Indian Entrepreneurs Jigar Admires 0:14:00 - 0:15:11 - How Jigar Met Deepika Padukone 0:15:12 - 0:16:33 - Jigar's First Investment Endeavors0:16:34 - 0:22:09 - The Birth of 82E 0:22:10 - 0:23:49 - Managing Consumer Expectations with a Celebrity Co-founder 0:23:50 - 0:27:37 - Jigar's Business Relationship with Deepika 0:27:38 - 0:30:43 - Mistakes to Avoid as a Founder 0:30:44 - 0:33:50 - Rapid Fire Questions 0:33:51 - 0:37:41 - Unique D2C Processes at 82E 0:37:42 - End - Unexpected Challenges in the Business Journey Send us a text

In today’s episode of the 100x Entrepreneur podcast, we're joined by our very own co-founders, Nansi Mishra, and Siddhartha Ahluwalia. Did you know that behind the scenes, these founders have been cooking up some incredible strategies? While many listeners might not be aware, Nansi will reveal how Siddhartha's passion for investing led him on an extraordinary journey. Siddhartha shares his quest of understanding the VC world from close quarters, his struggle to get into the world of VC, and his final landing at Prime Ventures Capital as the community head.  Nansi and Siddhartha also throw light on the dynamic landscape of second-time founders , Siddhartha’s preference for companies and why SaaS companies are securing funding with relative ease nowadays. Whether you're an entrepreneur, an aspiring founder, or just curious about the startup space, this episode is your one-stop resource for all things venture capital. Learn what it takes to attract VC attention and raise that crucial funding.Subscribe to the 100x Entrepreneur podcast today for more inspiring and informative episodes on the entrepreneurial journey!🚀✨Send us a text

In this episode of the 100x Entrepreneur podcast, we have Mr. Shripati Acharya, Managing Partner of Prime Venture Partners, one of India’s top early-stage venture capital funds.Throughout his career, be it as a business lead at Cisco or as a co‐founder of Snapfish, the world's largest photo site acquired by HP, or at Transarc, which was acquired by IBM, Shripati has combined his passion to build great teams, an extraordinary desire to excel and a keen eye for spotting the tales. He is known for being astute with a razor-sharp intellect and a Zen‐like devotion to data-driven decision‐making.Shripati has also worked alongside Mr. Nandan Nilekani on the UIDAI project. Having spent substantial parts of working career in the United States and India addressing worldwide markets, Shripati brings a global management perspective.During the podcast, Shripat shares valuable insights on raising funds,early stage investing, avoiding mistakes as a founder, maintaining a healthy work-life balance and missed investment opportunities too.If you are an early-stage entrepreneur, we recommend that you tune in to the podcast for a wealth of insights from the startup ecosystem. Be sure to hear the podcast to the end and leave a comment with your favorite parts! Send us a text

Welcome to this exciting podcast ep, where we will delve into the world of Prafull Billore, the most famous Chaiwala. In our conversation, we highlight various aspects of his life that have contributed to his success. From understanding how he gets his passion and self-confidence to discussing short-term versus long-term goals, we cover it all!We also talk about Prafull's journey post-COVID and how he has been able to recover after facing several challenges that helped him mature with experience despite being only 26 years old. As you listen further, you'll discover why Prafull believes that bigger struggles lead to bigger successes and how he constantly strives towards improvement every day.So come join us on this thrilling ride where we learn more about what else Prafull is planning in store for the future!Notes - 00:00 - Highlights of the conversation01:12 - Prafull Billore, the most famous Chaiwala03:05 - What makes him so confident06:58 - Having short-term goals v/s long-term goals09:25 - Opening his 2nd outlet12:33 - Recovering post COVID15:21 - Current scale of opening new outlets17:58 - Challenges while scaling21:17 - How do his thoughts become inspiring?25:42 - Emulating successful people like Jeff Bezos28:33 - Maturing with experiences at the age of 2630:09 - “Bigger the struggle, bigger the success.”32:23 - How is Prafull of today better than the Prafull of yesterday? 34:13 - Best quality - “Learning How to ask for help!”40:14 - Bias for action - Content creator vs Entrepreneur42:12 - What more is he planning for?Send us a text

Whatfix has a user base of over 10 million people and has been used to create over 1.5 million digital walkthroughs and tutorials. It has 500+ enterprise customers worldwide, including companies like HP, Schneider Electric, and Autodesk. Since its launch in 2014, Whatfix has become a go-to solution for businesses across multiple industries.The platform has also received the "Best SaaS Product for Web/App Development" at the 2021 SaaS Awards.In this episode, we have Whatfix founders Khadim Batti and Vara Kumar Namburu share the journey of Whatfix from their first offline Dreamforce event to reaching 10 Million people, their vision, clients, scale, culture and more. Notes - 00:00 - Highlights of the conversation02:06 - What’s Whatfix and how it’s unique04:07 - Strategy of CTO moving to the US and CEO being in India06:31 - Bringing Vispi Daver as an Angel Investor10:18 - Avoid falling into the trap of following someone else’s playbook as a first-time founder14:13 - Getting the first few Enterprise customers15:57 - Taking Counter-intuitive bets19:40 - Their first big event Dreamforce 25:02 - Going one step back, would they do a 10-15 member round table for their most interested CIOs post Dreamforce event?26:49 - Focusing on farming with Account Managers31:36 - Advice to SaaS founder: When to focus on Brand? 34:10 - Brand-building after their first Dreamforce36:45 - Their initial Ideal customer profile37:58 - Challenges & Hurdles in their 1 to 10 journey39:23 - Examples where the deal got stuck at IT Security or CFO-level43:55 - Enabling multiple stakeholders in a sales decision46:30 - Traditional profile of a sales person47:24 - Hiring profile of their initial senior sales team49:28 - How to deal with people’s Title expectation?54:23 - Building their culture early-on56:28 - Mistakes in their early journey58:06 - Guiding the early team in current journey1:00:05 - Time & efforts in recent rounds of fundings1:04:27 - Raising from Stellaris Venture Partners1:05:32 - Changing path amongst the founders1:06:59 - Account plan review with customers1:08:50 - Having set accounts with every leader to help the customers succeedSend us a text

Imagine a social micro-blogging platform like Twitter that allows users to express themselves in their local languages on a large scale. Well, that's precisely what Koo offers. In today's episode, we are joined by Aprameya Radhakrishna, the Co-Founder, and CEO of Koo. Aprameya's first startup was TaxiForSure, which was acquired by Ola Cabs in 2015. Since then, he has invested in over 30 early-stage startups, including Unacademy, TapChief, and Daily Ninja. During our conversation, Aprameya discusses his thoughts on Indian startups and tech talent building for global markets, his experience with VCs as a second-time entrepreneur, and much more.Notes - 00:00 - Highlights 01:47 - Aprameya Radhakrishna and Koo's story03:23 - Koo's scale in India and Brazil08:30 - Current market headwinds10:59 - Koo's positioning in the audience's mind13:17 - VC and investor perspective being a second-time founder15:13 - Going deeper in India v/s Going Global16:30 - Exiting TaxiForSure17:56 - Focus on product and traction while building a product20:29 - Learnings from TaxiForSure 22:36 - Confidence to go global as a consumer internet company from India26:50 - Self-doubt while starting Koo31:14 - Change in Aprameya's ability to read the market33:22 - Gut feeling about the recession's duration37:04 - Balancing confidence and arrogance as a founder40:17 - Relationship with VCs over time45:00 - Future bets in the next 10 years46:32 - Riskiest bets that paid off48:02 - Financial independence's impact on Aprameya as a person49:57 - Aprameya's other aspirations besides building Koo51:53 - Is the core India shining?Send us a text

A report by Deloitte and Wipro estimated that the value of B2B digital payments in India will reach $700 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 30% from 2020.The B2B digital payment ecosystem in India has been growing rapidly, driven by factors such as: # Government initiatives to promote digital payments# Increasing adoption of mobile devices and internet connectivity# Growing awareness of the benefits of digital payments among businesses and moreIn this episode we have with us Akash Sinha, Co-founder & CEO, Cashfree payments, talking about B2B Digital payments ecosystem in India. Cashfree Payments has processed over 200 million transactions as of 2021, with a total transaction value of over $12 billion. It serves over 3,00,000 businesses, ranging from small startups to large enterprises, across various industries such as e-commerce, travel, hospitality, and fintech such as Dream11, Zomato, Dunzo, CRED, Acko, and Nykaa amongst others.Cashfree Payments offers various payment solutions, such as payment gateway, payouts, auto-collect, recurring payments, and marketplace settlements. They have also launched new products like Cashgram and Cashfree AI to improve the user experience and prevent fraud.Let’s deep dive into the episode where Akash has their initial journey with heavy competition in the market, complying with RBI regulations as a payment solution provider, and much more.Notes - 00:00 - Highlights of the conversation02:07 - Intro to Akash Sinha, Cashfree Payments and Payment ecosystem in India03:09 - Journey so far & Indian payment’s landscape06:37 - Mapping the payment landscape’s online segment10:05 - Cashfree’s share in B2B payments in India11:06 - Strengths of Razorpay & Cashfree Payments13:59 - Larger customers such as - Meesho, Swiggy, Zepto, and CRED among others14:50 - SME signups and payments insights across India16:59 - Scaling with a Platform approach18:14 - Being part of YC early-on20:22 - Strengths as a CEO & Founder24:57 - Y-o-Y growth at Cashfree Payments26:01 - Plans for IPO26:31 - Emotional Journey of a founder in the last 8 years27:53 - Steering clear in a competitive market back in 201532:05 - Building multiple products to solve multiple problems34:44 - India’s growing Digital infrastructure38:03 - Advice for entrepreneurs to choose tough markets with large tailwinds39:56 - Coming from a Non-fintech background42:32 - How fast is the Digital payments market growing? 43:35 - How tough is it to be compliant with RBI regulatory changes? Send us a text

By end-2019, just before the pandemic, the market for Coworking spaces was spread over some 30 million sq. ft, with 471,782 seats across the top seven markets in India, per JLL Research data.In December 2022, the numbers grew to 50 million sq. ft and 750,000+ seats. In the next three years, the co-working space market in India is set to cross the 1-million-seats mark spread over 75 million sq. ft.WeWork India is the leading provider of flexible workspace solutions with almost 70,000+ seats across 44+ locations in India.In this episode, we have Karan Virwani, CEO, WeWork India, talking about his experience of bringing and scaling WeWork in India, over the past 7 years.Karan brought WeWork to India in a partnership tie-up with his family's Embassy Group. Starting business operations in the country with 100k sq ft, WeWork India has progressed to 6.5mn sq ft as of today. Within 6 years, WeWork India has grown from 2,200 members in WeWork Galaxy, Bangalore, to 44 locations across 6 cities in India today - Bengaluru, Mumbai, Gurugram, Noida, Hyderabad, and Pune.During the episode, Karan shares the ups and downs in their journey, especially during Covid, and how they tackled the situation which helped them build goodwill and scale back faster post things normalized. This podcast is for anyone who wants to have an insider view of India’s growing Flex workspace market.Notes - 00:00 - Highlights of the conversation01:34 - Intro to Karan Virwani, WeWork and Global Co-working phenomenon02:27 - Bringing WeWork to India09:36 - Why not start under the Embassy brand name and why start with WeWork? 12:16 - Borrowing the DNA of WeWork Global to India 13:37 - Scaling to 40+ WeWorks and 70,000+ Desks in India15:57 - Back into Growth mode post Covid17:14 - Having multiple landlords for Pan-India growth18:39 - Initial investment & roadblocks in their journey24:43 - Plans for WeWork IPO in India25:33 - Coworking customer segment in India v/s Global33:16 - Coworking as a culture amongst Traditional & Legacy companies34:05 - Operating in a certain price segment36:44 - Partner-led approach during Covid40:01 - Sector-wise demand of commercial real-estate43:07 - Hitting $1 Bn revenue in 3 years43:38 - Coworking as a % of Commerical Real Estate in IndiaSend us a text

As per Tracxn, there are 1100+ SaaS startups in Chennai as of Feb 2023. Chennai has rightfully gained the title of the SAAS capital of India, thanks to the expansion of companies such as Zoho and Freshworks. Although these two firms have recently surpassed the $500 million revenue milestone, making them the most prominent success stories in the realm of Indian-based SAAS companies, there are other companies contributing to Chennai's reputation in the market. Chargebee, CloudCherry, HappyFox, and FourKites are among the businesses that are creating a unique space in the industry.In this episode, we have with us Srikrishnan Ganesan Founder, Rocketlane. Srikrishnan's SaaS journey began with Konotor, which got acquired by FreshWorks and later became Freshchat. He has experienced scaling from 0 to 100 and is now building Rocketlane, a customer onboarding platform that reduces time to value and eliminates hit-or-miss experiences.During the episode, he talks about his inspiration behind building Rocketlane, Planning and doing GTM early on being a SaaS founder, setting up a base in Chennai, and much more.Notes - 00:00 - Highlights of the conversation01:32 - Intro to Srikrishnan Ganesan, Rocketlane and Chennai’s SaaS ecosystem02:36 - Why do SaaS founders prefer Chennai?06:09 - Advantages of building prior-product building experience09:50 - Choosing the domain for Rocketlane13:12 - Rocketlane’s Pre-Launch setup18:53 - What works in customer conversation’s Pre-Launch?22:44 - Why do SaaS founders ignore GTM?24:35 - Raising their 1st round26:32 - Choosing to become a Category creator29:08 - Investing in Brand-building upfront30:39 - Funding announcement with a Rap video34:15 - Learnings from his journey37:54 - Their strategy for Demand-Gen40:29 - His thoughts on Generative-AI45:47 - Slowness demand for Rocketlane or similar companies serving SMBsSend us a text

Imagine you’re part of an NBFC, how would you lend to a person running a Kirana business? Without any proper credit score, current account or other standard checks. Finding it difficult to evaluate the credit worthiness of the shop owner. Right? In the age of the internet, UPI, net banking, Jan Dhan Bank account and almost all transaction-related data available with transparency, it seems possible.  Now imagine dealing with the same issue, back in 1984. Seems impossible right? Well, that’s when Five Star Business Finance, ventured into small business financing.In this episode, we have with us, Rangarajan Krishnan, CEO, Five Star Business Finance.Dive into this episode as Rangarajan shares the journey of Five Star, their experience of going IPO recently, how RBI regulates NBFCs, what differentiates them from other NBFCs, Banks Fintech, and more. This episode is a must-listen for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and anyone looking to learn more about the working, valuation, and scaling of NBFCs in India.Notes - 00:00 - Highlights of the conversation01:28 - Intro to Rangarajan & Five Star Business Finance02:38 - Valuation for NBFCs while going IPO03:14 - Their IPO journey over three phases10:29 - Private round valuation Pre-IPO13:33 - History and background of Five Star22:03 - RBI’s regulations around deposit-taking NBFCs23:26 - How does the lending market in India looks like? 26:29 - The simplest way to define a customer of Five Star31:51 - Branch presence across major geographies in India37:10 - RBI scale-based regulations for 10,000+ NBFCs 39:45 - What differentiates them from other NBFCs? 42:41 - Do they aspire to be amongst the Top 10-15 NBFCs in the next 2-3 years?44:11 - Prerequisites from RBI for starting an NBFC46:16 - Do they want to become a Fintech eventually? 49:20 - Being a CEO and a Non-founder51:39 - His interaction while joining Five Star56:53 - Managing his & promotor's responsibilities 57:46 - Things he has changed & retained in the company in the last 7+ yearsSend us a text

In this episode, we talk with Mithun Sacheti, the founder of CaratLane, who has disrupted the traditional jewellery industry in India by leveraging technology and innovation. He started CaratLane in 2008 with the vision to provide access to beautiful jewellery designs at an affordable price. Mithun Sacheti comes from a Marwari family and joined the family jewellery business, Jaipur Gems, after graduation. He started its stores in Chennai. Later, he founded CaratLane in 2008 after being inspired by the online jewellery retailer, Blue Nile. CaratLane aims to solve the problem of limited access to beautiful and affordable jewellery designs for the middle class in India.The conversation dives into his entrepreneurial journey, his insights on the Indian D2C startup ecosystem, and the challenges he faced along the way. Mithun recalls the struggles he had in convincing Bluedart to be their shipping partner and how it took them almost a year and a crore to build their website. Tune in now to know Mithun’s journey of building CaratLane from scratch, his belief that in life, the harder thing is not to find answers but to find the right questions and what are the next questions for him in life.  Notes - 00:00 - Highlights of the conversation01:45 - The idea & Need of CaratLane01:55 - Disrupting the underserved jewellery market in India03:19 - The first one to bring jewellery at low prices03:33 - The designs should be democratised 03:55 - Becoming the Market Maker 04:04 - The reality of the Jewellery Market in India06:08 - Why 25% of your wealth should be in form of gold?06:47 - The effect of the Ukraine War on the purchase of gold07:05 - Quitting family business to start Caratlane08:30 - Life of kids born in families running big businesses08:58 - Inspiration behind starting Caratlane10:36 - First few pivots in their product journey13:38 - Initial phase of building and growing Caratlane17:57 - Raising funding & building for Titan21:57 - Journey after Tiger Global’s funding24:12 - Getting advice from Raamdeo Agrawal at Rakesh Jhunjhunwala’s dinner31:48 - Why do people really buy jewellery?39:13 - Tata group being able to marry the Entrepreneur to the business post-acquisition43:03 - Learnings while working with Tata46:15 - What are the next questions in life for him?Send us a text

Manish Mundra is an Investor, a film producer, and a man whose story is an inspiration for all the small-town people with big dreams.Manish was born in a Marwadi family based in Deoghar, Jharkhand. He along with his family experienced a difficult time when his father’s business suffered a setback. From selling sarees to cold drinks, he had done it all to support his family. Manish later on focused on his education and did his MBA from a college in Jodhpur. He, later on, moved to Nigeria to join a multinational Petrochemicals firm and rose up to become its CEO.In 2013, Manish responded to a tweet by actor-director Rajat Kapoor, offering to produce a movie based on his script—Ankhon Dekhi (2014).After that, Manish founded Drishyam Films to back socially relevant films like Masaan, Newton, Ankhon Dekhi and more becoming one of the most promising filmmakers of Indian cinema. Recently, he also released his first movie Siya as a director.In our conversation with Manish, he shares his journey from his early days in Deoghar to moving to Nigeria and then finding a way to produce and direct movies.  He also opens up about his passion for promoting diversity and inclusivity in cinema and why it's so important to give a voice to underrepresented communities.Manish's infectious energy and inspiring story that he has will definitely make you think that when it comes to dreams, the sky's the limit for him.Notes - 02:08 - Intro to Manish Mundra05:48 - Moving out of India10:33 - Initial life in Middle-class families 20:34 - Working hard early in career to scale faster23:50 - His experience with his first film - “Ankhon Dekhi” with Rajat Kapoor35:33 - Slow compounding throughout his journey39:18 - Being a filmmaker who has no background of movies42:47 - More screens for independent film-makers52:02 - Dealing with your inferiority complex? 56:35 - More evolved and More Spiritual 57:14 - What’s the purpose that’s driving Manish at the age of 49? Send us a text

In the recent episode of Shark Tank India which went viral, we saw Ganesh Balakrishnan, the Co-Founder of Flatheads Shoes, pitch his sustainable and ethically-made footwear brand to the Sharks. Although Ganesh faced some initial skepticism from the Sharks, he didn't give up and continued to present his vision with confidence and determination.And through his pitch, he made everyone realize that entrepreneurship is not only Unicorns, fundraisers, and large secondaries for the founders. It's mainly about the fight that goes on within an individual and with the outside world.Ganesh's tenacity and perseverance in the face of rejection are an inspiration to all entrepreneurs, and his story is a reminder that success doesn't come easy and entrepreneurship is a long journey. In this episode, we talk to Ganesh about his journey as an entrepreneur, the inspiration behind Flatheads Shoes, and the challenges he's faced along the way. Listen to the full episode to learn more about Ganesh’s new Mantra for Entrepreneurship "Down but not out" Notes - 01:22 - Intro to Ganesh02:42 - Getting into Shark Tank05:02 - What happened once the episode aired? 07:32 - The Joy of Creation14:12 - Emotional Journey with family as an Entrepreneur20:51 - Impact of Covid on Flatheads28:44 - What’s next for Flatheads?33:15 - Pandemic-driven thought process: Offline vs Online35:28 - What else was discussed in the Shark Tank pitch that wasn’t aired?38:12 - Why didn't he take the Shark Tank offer? 39:45 - What brings humility to an entrepreneur? 43:50 - Knowing what he got to know after Shark Tank, what would he have done differently in Flatheads' journey? 47:11 - His focus in 2023Send us a text

The Indian Grocery market was at 396 Billion Indian Rupees in 2022. Over 95% of Indian grocery stores are made up of Kiranas or small grocery stores. While supermarkets account for about 4% of total grocery shares, online groceries are not even near one percent. Which stands as a huge potential market for companies like BigBasket, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, Zepto, JioMart, and Dunzo to scale.Zepto pioneered 10 min grocery delivery In India. It’s a phenomenon that took India by storm. And this is a unique Indian offering. Nowhere in the world has 10 min delivery been pioneered and scaled like in India.And there are very few businesses born once in a decade that change consumer behavior permanently. Flipkart pioneered e-commerce in India, BigBasket pioneered grocery in India delivered in 3-4 days and Zepto has pioneered grocery delivered in 10 mins. In this episode, we have Aadit Palicha, Founder & CEO, Zepto sharing his journey so far with us.During the conversation, Aadit also mentioned about his first startup, moving back to India during Covid, dropping out of Stanford, and starting Zepto.Notes - 00:00 - Intro01:36 - The life story of Aadit before starting Zepto02:36 - First startup at age 1608:18 - Dropping out of Stanford10:21 - First round of funding from Y-combinator and Nexus12:30 - Growth & Challenges in Zepto’s journey so far17:35 - Is grocery a big enough category to build a large enough business? 20:54 - Is it possible to become profitable in this space? 25:50 - Headwinds in their business28:46 - Going public in India at $10 Bn34:00 - Where does 99%+ of his learnings come from?37:45 - Avoid taking a hit on culture as you scale Send us a text

SaaS startups in India have seen significant growth in recent years. The country's SaaS market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 22.5% from 2020 to 2025, reaching a value of $6.3 billion. A few of the factors driving this growth are:Increasing adoption of cloud computingAvailability of advanced tech infrastructure in IndiaSupport from the Government of India for funding, mentorship, and other resources to entrepreneurs. In India, there are Investors and founders who have witnessed the evolution of SaaS in India. With his notable investments like Whatfix, LimeChat, GTM Buddy, Alok has built his own thesis for SaaS over the years.Tune in to hear Alok sharing about the top SaaS companies in India, what all has changed in his investing thesis, the categories he’s most bullish on, and why SaaS sector is only going to rise in the coming years.  Notes - 01:53 - How Alok got into investing02:44 - Evolution of SaaS in India08:16 - Definition of global category leaders in SaaS10:02 - Is there a known pattern in the US for his portfolio companies in India? 13:23 - SaaS investments in 202214:02 - Next 3-4 years for SaaS in India19:03 - Building a GTM engine in the US with a seed round in India23:00 - Focus on reducing burn24:51 - Growth in more & more $100Mn ARR companies in India29:14 - The Edge India has in creating successful SaaS startups 31:28 - Major shift in his thesis in the past years38:21 - His focus on AI automation startups43:55 - Thesis on Developer-Centric Softwares48:50 - Backing founders at Idea Stage58:34 - What he looks for in founders?Send us a text

Why the DARLING Edtech in 2021 became a taboo in 2022 for VCs?What do students really expect? Why do Edtech entrepreneurs fail? And what's the most important factor in EdTech Success?Today we talk with Manan Khurma, Founder at Cuemath who answers all these questions for us. During our conversation he shares how building an Education venture is not like building on a rocket ship, but building with trust. He has been building Cuemath for almost the last decade and he highlights that unlike the common notion or FOMO behind going online being an Edtech venture, right before Covid, only 5% of their entire revenue came via Online classes.His first question to any new entrepreneur looking to enter the Edtech space is if they are ready to give atleast two decades to build their educational venture. Further during the episode Manan shares their views on performance marketing in edtech, building trust for students and parents, and much more. Notes - 02:21 - Manan’s journey to becoming a teacher and entrepreneur04:31 - What’s his view of Edtech landscape both in India and globally?08:08 - Which are the institutions that inspire him? 11:55 - Going down the attention span of kids in the last decade17:45 - Certain kids already being great at grasping new things21:19 - Zoho Shoutout23:30 - Getting answers has become really easy27:39 - Real learning happens when a student puts their brain in isolation to a problem29:07 - Increase in the number of screens in our home33:11 - Thesis on how not to build an Education venture39:31 - Mercenary category of Entrepreneur45:15 - Current scale of Cuemath47:55 - Their approach to starting coding courses49:30 - Essence of Analytical thinking50:54 - Goal to build a strong base and system51:52 - Best way to build a 1,00,000 paid students base in Educational venture54:22 - How have the customer acquisition channels evolved? Send us a text

Recently the trend in startups has been around growing fast, scaling faster, and becoming humongous with viral products, ideas & marketing. But in most cases, such ideas come crashing down in a short span of time, because of the lack of depth either in the product or the customer base.In this episode, almost after a year and half since we published NoBroker Founder Amit Agarwal’s episode, we have with us his Co-founder Akhil Gupta to talk more about their journey of building NoBroker with depth in every market and focus on customers over the last 10 years. During the episode, Akhil shares the ups and downs in their journey, along with the initial response they got while they were trying to raise their first round, what are his thoughts about the current & future of the housing market in India, and more.Notes - 01:26 - Early Product Market Fit moment for NoBroker07:19 - Clarity to make NoBroker the largest Real Estate solution in India 08:53 - The most challenging obstacles13:35 - Defining moments in their journey15:19 - Mistakes they made being founders16:46 - Key factors why they succeeded 20:35 - Zoho Sponsored – Prashant Ganti on What does Zoho Payroll do and what’s the story behind it? 21:36 - Future Plans23:41 - How they become the Amazon of Real Estate25:16 - Passion behind starting NoBroker30:40 - Why they got rejected by so many VCs32:29 - Realistic way of building a sustainable growing startup38:07 - Reason behind the sky-rocketing of rentals in Bangalore42:04 - Impact of global factors on the Indian Housing market Also, try out a 30-day free trial of Zoho Payroll, and simplify your Payroll journey as an entrepreneur! https://zoho.to/zoho-payrollSend us a text

Where was the Indian Startup Ecosystem back in 2010-12, where is it now in 2022 and where is it headed 5 years down the line, in terms of - # Digital Infrastructure# Tech Talent# Innovative mindset amongst founders# Investments from VCs and Angel Investors and more. In this episode, we will talk about all of it, with our guest, Santosh Panda, Co-founder, Foundership where he is Incubating & Accelerating Top Founders & Builders Launch Defining Web3 Startup of tomorrow.Tune in to hear Santosh share his insights on the importance of finding a Co-founder, the opportunities of the Indian Startup Ecosystem in the years to come, the past, present & future of Web3, and much more.Notes - 00:00 - Bhai tu Co-founder banega?01:55 - Meeting with Santosh for the first time06:40 - Being compassionate09:05 - Convincing someone to become your Co-founder16:22 - Being within the Startup Ecosystem since 200819:57 - Zoho Sponsored – Prashant Ganti on how is Zoho Payroll solving problems beyond payroll. 23:35 - Thoughts about the current Indian Startup Ecosystem31:00 - How would 2025-2030 be like for Indian Startups?34:47 - Tech Innovation in India for last mile connectivity37:09 - The essence of having a Digital Infrastructure in India41:18 - What is there for India in Web3?Send us a text

As of today, only 15% of India’s population lives in the top 50 cities, and the remaining 85% which accounts to around 119 crores, live in towns or villages. According to an ASER survey, the availability of smartphones in rural India was 67.6 % in 2021, primarily bought for kids’ studies amid the pandemic.With this, we can make out that even in towns and villages, the penetration of smartphones and the internet is huge and people in villages are driven to spend higher to provide better learning resources to their children. This exact learning is what drove our guest, Lal Chand Bisu, Founder, Kuku FM, to build a product for Bharat.In today’s episode, we talk with Lal Chand Bisu to understand, how he was able to build a subscription model product for the mass Indians and what have been his learnings over the years while scaling Kuku FM.Notes - 01:50 - Intro 02:20 - Do the mass Indians pay for subscriptions?03:46 - How do Indians define value? 05:37 - How is Kukufm an aspirational product for the masses? 08:05 - Indians consuming aspirational content11:33 - Split of content on Kuku FM12:36 - Starting Non-series content in form of Mini-episodes16:25 - Popularity of Personal Finance on Kuku FM18:24 - Family Background and the entrepreneurial path he chose20:26 - Zoho Sponsored – Prashant Ganti on what makes Zolo Payroll different from its competitors? 28:46 - How was he motivated to do something out of his league?32:36 - Why do people in towns or villagers aspire for Government jobs?36:44 - Convincing Indian consumers to pay for Non-fictional content subscriptionsAlso, try out a 30-day free trial of Zoho Payroll, and simplify your Payroll journey as an entrepreneur! https://zoho.to/zoho-payrollSend us a text

The direct-to-consumer market, known as the D2C market had a size of about $33 billion in India in 2020. By 2025, the total addressable D2C market is forecast to grow almost threefold and reach $100 billion.In today’s episode, we have with us, Abhishek Goenka, Head of Investments, RPSG Capital Ventures.RPSG Capital Ventures is an early-stage consumer VC fund focused on investing in the D2C ecosystem including food & beverage, personal care, and lifestyle goods.Some of their portfolio companies are mCaffeine, Plixlife, and The Souled Store among others.In today’s episode, Abhishek shares the differentiating factor of what led them to invest in Plixlife, one of their portfolio’s profitable exits, and more. Notes - 01:07 - Intro to RPSG and its investments in D2C space02:42 - Largest portfolio companies and what helped them reach there03:45 - What’s D2C from his perspective?05:04 - What has helped D2C in India to have explosive growth?13:51 - How does a D2C brand differentiate itself in today’s time?20:39 - Zoho Sponsored – Prashant Ganti on what is their long-term vision with Zoho Payroll.22:23 - Thesis which didn’t work out29:41 - Why don’t we see many D2C unicorns in India?32:14 - What are the moats for a D2C brand? 34:54 - Doubling down on the Hero productAlso, try out a 30-day free trial of Zoho Payroll, and simplify your Payroll journey as an entrepreneur! https://zoho.to/zoho-payrollSend us a text

Karthik Jagannathan, after working for more than two decades across cross-functional experience in Telecom and Internet businesses, with a specific focus on SMBs, decided to build a solution to help SMBs scale faster with Gallabox.In today’s episode, Karthik shares the backstory of what led him to starting up at the age of 50, building something for SMBs, and more. Notes - 01:36 - Serving a business like it's your own04:10 - Where do the roots of ownership come from in his life? 06:27 - What other significant events in his life lead him to here today? 08:58 - Building and growing sustainably in crisis12:06 - India wasn’t a place of - “Grow fast, Break fast.”18:34 - Landscape out there in Small & Medium Businesses in India24:33 - Zoho Sponsored – Prashant Ganti on Where do founders struggle with Payroll and how can they fix it?26:44 - Zeroing down on an idea to solve for SMBs36:22 - Leveraging Whatsapp with Gallabox39:06 - Themes that he wanted to solve for40:49 - Scaling to over 500+ business49:39 - Learnings from their journey so far51:50 - What helped them grow faster?57:49 - Advice for entrepreneur building for SMBsAlso, try out a 30-day free trial of Zoho Payroll, and simplify your Payroll journey as an entrepreneur! https://zoho.to/zoho-payrollSend us a text

With so much happening in our work and personal lives on a daily basis, how do you keep track of things?  Which one of the following do you generally practice? 1. Just try to remember all of it with your brain2. Save reminders or alerts with a calendar or events management app3. Maintain a daily diary4. Some other way! As argued and mentioned by most founders and VCs on our podcast so far, like Gaurav Munjal, Founder Unacademy, its futile to put so much pressure on your brain to try and remember everything all the time.  Instead, its best to take notes of all the things that matter to you or you think would matter to you down the line, store it somewhere and refer it when needed, and just use your brain as a processor, rather than a hard drive. In today’s episode, we have with us, Tiago Forte, Founder, Forte Labs and we’re going to talk in-depth about his book - “Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organise Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential”. In simple words, taking and processing notes in an effective and efficient way. During the episode, Tiago talks about our mental blockers which hold us back from taking effective notes, how to get back at reviewing them later, how to get started with step 1, and more. Notes - 00:36 - Intro01:24 - Key takeaways from his book for a layman03:30 - What’s his why behind writing his book and creating this system?06:01 - Why or how do health issues triggers to write such an unconventional book? 07:04 - Initial system of note-taking and how it has evolved. 08:34 - What’s the App-stack that he relies on? 10:00 - How has this journey transformed him as a person?11:36 - First set of things anyone can do to get started? 16:13 - How to review or revisit your notes effectively?18:14 - His daily schedule: Between first brain & second brain20:20 - Why is it difficult for people to take this 1-extra step?22:26 - What can help our listeners help overcome procrastination and start note-taking?25:39 - Zoho Sponsored – Prashant Ganti on Where do founders struggle with Payroll and how can they fix it?26:55 - How to manage accountability in note-taking? 31:23 - How to make note-taking frictionless?34:18 - Three personas from his book where note-taking made a significant change to their lifeAlso, try out a 30-day free trial of Zoho Payroll, and simplify your Payroll journey as an entrepreneur! https://zoho.to/zoho-payroll  Send us a text