Some founders are born lucky - and some founders are born to fight against tremendous odds and adversities. This is the story of Vinod Singh who was born in a village in UP which did not even have electricity, and yet through sheer grit and willpower - ended up becoming the CTO of a startup in the UK. And you might think that this is the happy ending of the story, but like they say - picture abhi baaki hai. Vinod then started a business that was initially built around leveraging the potential of IOT technology, and which eventually pivoted to selling software to speciality insurance companies. And that was the birth of Concirrus which went on to raise more than $40mn over the next couple of years. But that is when things fell apart and the founders realised that they had diluted so much of their equity that they no longer had any control over the future of Concirrus and they were on the verge of declaring bankruptcy. Stay tuned to learn what happened next as your host Akshay Datt speaks to Vinod Singh about his amazing journey as a founder and don't forget to subscribe to the Founder Thesis podcast.
If there is one takeaway from this conversation, then it's simply this - Boring is beautiful. ProcMart is in the boring business of managing non-core indirect procurements for manufacturers. And by taking care of this simple but time intensive task for companies, ProcMart will cross 1000 crores in turnover this year. The credit for this massive achievement goes to Anish Popli - the founder of ProcMart who loves all things boring. In fact - he shares that their profit margins are actually much higher on simple boring products than on complex products. This episode is proof that as a founder, you must have the maturity to not get distracted by shiny new things and sexy ideas but just keep your head down and execute well. Stay tuned for this insightful conversation and subscribe to the Founder Thesis podcast for more such counterintuitive insights from successful entrepreneurs.
It is rare for D2C startups to be bootstrapped because they need to burn cash to acquire customers initially. But the Just Herbs story is proof that there are clever growth hacks that can help you grow your D2C brand while remaining bootstrapped. Arush Chopra was an aspiring actor who stumbled into a role in private equity which led to the start of his journey in the world of startups. He started Just Herbs with his wife and mother in 2014 out of his family home in Chandigarh. Today, Just Herbs outsells brands like Maybelline and Lakme in the lipsticks category and counts Marico as its primary backer. This conversation is a gem for D2C founders and Arush shares some amazing insights around product channel fit, co-building with customers and running a profitable D2C startup. Stay tuned for tons of insights and subscribe to the founder thesis podcast on any audio streaming app
Some of the best interviews on the Founder Thesis podcast have been ones in which we feature founders of VC funds, and this one is no different. Arjun Malhotra is the founder and general partner of Good Capital - a high conviction early stage VC fund. Arjun has gone through his own journey of pivots in building Good Capital, with some unexpected turns along the way. In this candid chat with Akshay Datt, Arjun not only shares how they built up Good Capital, but also explains the strategic choices in front of VC funds which ultimately determines the kind of companies they invest in. He talks about his process of building conviction in a startup and some of the hits and misses in his journey as an investor. Stay tuned and subscribe to the Founder Thesis podcast if you want to learn some of the best kept insider secrets of the startup ecosystem. #For more such interesting founder journeys, subscribe to our newsletter https://www.founderthesis.com/
Regular listeners of the Founder Thesis podcast would have heard so many stories of young founders who build their venture straight out of college and keep at it for a decade until they find success. This episode is the exact opposite of that kind of Story. Rajesh Shet had more than two decades of experience in the corporate world when he started SahiBandhu, and that is the reason why in just 4 years SahiBandhu has overtaken much older and better funded rivals to become the gold loan aggregator with the largest monthly disbursements. In fact, their closest competitor has raised almost 200 million dollars over the last nine years. This phenomenal achievement is on the back a hyper focussed strategy that was executed to perfection by Rajesh and his team. This phenomenal conversation is a deep dive into the market of gold loans in India, the gaps in the market, and how SahiBandhu hyper scaled by smartly filling those gaps Stay tuned and subscribe to the Founder Thesis podcast for more such deep dive conversations
There are two types of entrepreneurs that we celebrate. The first one is the founder who raised a lot of money and built a highly valued startup on the back of investor money. The second type of entrepreneur - which we think is really the more special type of entrepreneur, is one who started from scratch and built up a business brick by brick on the back of his hustle and grit. HP Singh is a great example of the second type of entrepreneur. He was a CA who accidentally got a chance to start a lending business in the nineteen nineties and has since then built up Satin Creditcare into one of the few listed micro finance companies in India - which today employs about 12 thousand people and has a market capitalization of 2,000 crores. This is truly a story of the old-fashioned approach of building a business using grit, resilience and a bit of luck and HP Singh shares tons of lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs. Stay tuned and subscribe to the Founder Thesis podcast on any audio streaming app.
What's the first thing that comes to your mind when I tell you that in this episode, we are featuring a Patel who built a business in the US? The stereotype says that he would be running a motel or a convenience store - but this Patel has built a b2b SaaS company that is almost a unicorn. Nishant Patel moved to the US when he was just 14, and then went on to become a techie in the San Francisco Bay area at the peak of the dot com bubble in the year 2000. He was there when the term cloud was coined, and he was so fascinated by the promise of the cloud that he quit his job and started Raw Engineering - which was helping companies adopt cloud technologies. He then achieved the rare feat of building not one but three product businesses within that services business, and the biggest of them is Contentstack. Contentstack is a fascinating business - it's a pioneer in the space of the headless CMS, and this episode is a deep dive that will help you understand the content space and how it has evolved over the last decade, and what is the secret sauce behind Contentstack because of which it has raised almost 180 million dollars and is near a unicorn valuation. Subscribe to the Founder Thesis podcast for more such deep dives with tech leaders.
Amit Koshal's entrepreneurial journey began while working on a groundbreaking product at Intuit. Now, at TWID, he's disrupting payment networks by turning reward points into a currency for transactions—an idea refined over five years of experimentation and failures, eventually leading to the product-market fit. This conversation delves into his path as a founder and his vision for a "happily ever after." Get notified about the latest releases and bonus content by subscribing to our newsletter at www.founderthesis.com Read more about Twid:- 1.Twid Unveils Industry-First 'Reward Mandates' to Revolutionise Subscription Payment Setups, Anticipates 15 per cent-20 per cent Reduction in Payment Failures [https://www.aninews.in/news/business/twid-unveils-industry-first-reward-mandates-to-revolutionise-subscription-payment-setups-anticipates-15-per-cent-20-per-cent-reduction-in-payment-failures20240903111026/] 2.From Points To Payments: Transforming Loyalty Programs For The Digital Age [https://www.outlookmoney.com/outlook-money-spotlight/from-points-to-payments-transforming-loyalty-programs-for-the-digital-age-9009] 3.How rewards-based payment app Twid lets you use loyalty points to shop, eat out, and travel [https://yourstory.com/2019/12/rewards-payment-app-loyalty-points-twid]
After a career in U.S. investment banking, Nikhil returned to India to build Imarticus, offering offline-focused boot camps to upskill fresh graduates. Unlike many in the space, Nikhil views Imarticus as an education business rather than an edtech company, with a fundamental focus on delivering real learning outcomes. This approach has helped the company grow and reach an annual revenue of 300 crores with very little outside funding. In this episode, Nikhil talks about how he built a successful education business and discusses the future of offline learning in today's digital world. Get notified about the latest releases and bonus content by subscribing to our newsletter at www.founderthesis.com Read more about Imarticus Learning:- 1.Success Stories: How Data Science and Data Analytics Courses Have Transformed Careers? [https://www.republicworld.com/initiatives/success-stories-how-data-science-and-data-analytics-courses-have-transformed-careers] 2.Winning Stroke: Interview With Nikhil Barshikar, MD, Imarticus Learning [https://businessworld.in/article/winning-stroke-interview-with-nikhil-barshikar-md-imarticus-learning-142716] 3.MY STARTUP IDEA: Imarticus Learning founder on his Eureka moment [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/startups/people/my-startup-idea-imarticus-learning-founder-on-his-eureka-moment/articleshow/65368223.cms] 4.Bridging the industry-academia gap: Minimizing wrong career choices [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/bridging-the-industry-academia-gap-minimizing-wrong-career-choices/] 5.Celebrating a decade of excellence in professional education: Imarticus Learning completes 10 years [https://www.business-standard.com/content/press-releases-ani/celebrating-a-decade-of-excellence-in-professional-education-imarticus-learning-completes-10-years-122092300525_1.html] 6.Imarticus Learning the first and only approved provider for world's top 4 accounting certifications [https://www.business-standard.com/content/press-releases-ani/imarticus-learning-the-first-and-only-approved-provider-for-world-s-top-4-accounting-certifications-124052000713_1.html]
Every year millions of young people migrate for jobs or education, creating a big market for hostels and paying guest accommodations. However, succeeding in this business depends on managing the operational complexities and getting the small details right. Zolo, one of India's largest co-living companies, has mastered this challenge, currently managing living spaces for 60,000 people. In this episode, Nikhil shares the management mantra that helps him lead Zolo's 2,500 employees and explains how he made operational excellence the company's core strength. Get notified about the latest releases and bonus content by subscribing to our newsletter at www.founderthesis.com Read more about Zolo Stays:- 1.Zolo Stays redefines living experience for students and singles [https://yourstory.com/2018/08/zolo-stays-redefines-living-experience-students-singles] 2.How Zolostays is using customer experience to create its niche in the crowded co- living market [https://yourstory.com/2018/12/zolostays-customer-experience-co-living] 3.We provide 60-70% more value to the stay compared to local PGs: Dr. Nikhil Sikri, Co-founder and CEO of Zolo Stays [https://www.mediainfoline.com/interview/dr-nikhil-sikri-co-founder-and-ceo-of-zolo-stays] 4.Handling large teams across multiple verticals, we need to ensure that they are involved and know they are part of the team: Nikhil Sikri, Zolo Stays [https://www.medianews4u.com/handling-large-teams-across-multiple-verticals-we-need-to-ensure-that-they-are-involved-and-know-they-are-part-of-the-team-nikhil-sikri-zolo-stays/] 5.A fresh take on urban living [https://www.constructionweekonline.in/people/a-fresh-take-on-urban-living]
Neeraj Khandelwal is a passionate Indian who aspired to serve his country as a civil servant. When his initial plan fell through, he channelled his determination into exploring new ways to fulfil this objective. He saw the transformative potential of cryptocurrency and invested in building India's crypto infrastructure, leading to the creation of CoinDCX. In this episode, he decodes how crypto will change the world and how CoinDCX is paving the way for this future. Read more about CoinDCX:- 1.Blockchain critical for India: 40u40 2024 Neeraj Khandelwal, CoinDCX [https://www.fortuneindia.com/multimedia/blockchain-critical-for-india-40u40-2024-neeraj-khandelwal-coindcx/118142#google_vignette] 2.Revolutionising Web3 integration: CoinDCX's Neeraj Khandelwal reveals Okto Web3 SDK's game-changing role in India's Web3 mass adoption [https://yourstory.com/2024/01/revolutionising-web3-integration-coindcxs-neeraj-khandelwal-reveals-okto-web3] 3.CoinDCX's money minters [https://www.fortuneindia.com/40under40/sumit-gupta-neeraj-khandelwal?year=2024] 4.Revolutionising Finance- AMA with Neeraj Khadelwal [https://coindcx.com/blog/crypto-news-global/revolutionalizing-finance-ama-with-neeraj-khandelwal/] 5.Regulation, conducive environment among top factors to fuel crypto trading among Indian investors: Sumit Gupta of CoinDCX [https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/expert-view/regulation-conducive-environment-top-factors-to-fuel-crypto-trading-among-indian-investors-sumit-gupta-of-coindcx/articleshow/108242693.cms?from=mdr] 6.Celebrating 6 years of building the future of Internet in India. [https://coindcx.com/blog/announcements/celebrating-6-years-of-building-the-future-of-internet-in-india/] 7.4 observations on India's booming crypto sector from CoinDCX co-founder Neeraj Khandelwal [https://kr-asia.com/4-observations-on-indias-booming-crypto-sector-from-coindcx-co-founder-neeraj-khandelwal]
Anand is an IT veteran who started his career three decades back and in his last role was heading an IT services company. Noticing the pain his customers were facing in searching and interpreting data, he recognized the need for a fundamentally new approach to insight generation, which led to the creation of Findability Sciences. In this episode, he talks about how AI is impacting large enterprises and the value it can bring to businesses. Get notified about the latest releases and bonus content by subscribing to our newsletter at www.founderthesis.com Read more about Findability Sciences:- 1.AI is key for business growth as it enables data-driven decisions: Findability Sciences CEO Anand Mahurkar [https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/artificial-intelligence/ai-is-key-for-business-growthfindability-sciences-ceo-anand-mahurkar-9231500/] 2.Exclusive Interview with Anand Mahurkar, Founder and CEO, Findability Sciences [https://www.analyticsinsight.net/interview/exclusive-interview-with-anand-mahurkar-founder-and-ceo-findability-sciences] 3.Fortune Magazine recognizes Findability Sciences as one of America's Most Innovative Companies [https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230329005768/en/Fortune-Magazine-recognizes-Findability-Sciences-as-one-of-Americas-Most-Innovative-Companies] 4.India's AI roadmap in 2023: From CAGR 20% growth to creating endless job opportunities [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/indias-ai-roadmap-in-2023-from-cagr-20-growth-to-creating-endless-job-opportunities/]
Deepak Sahni shares his remarkable journey of building one of the largest diagnostics companies in the preventive space. Starting his entrepreneurial journey as a teenager, Deepak has consistently dared to dream bigger with each venture over the last two decades. In this episode, he reveals the secrets behind scaling Healthians to a revenue run rate of over 500 crores and raising 80 million dollars. This conversation is nothing short of a masterclass in entrepreneurship—perfect for anyone looking to take their big leap. Get notified about the latest releases and bonus content by subscribing to our newsletter at www.founderthesis.com Read more about Healthians:- 1.How a College Dropout Fought Back, Completed His Degree, and Built a Rs 240 Crore Turnover Health Lab Chain [https://www.theweekendleader.com/Success/3269/health-to-wealth.html] 2.How One Man's Dream is Making India Healthier [https://www.republicworld.com/initiatives/how-one-mans-dream-is-making-india-healthier] 3.Once A College Dropout, Now The CEO Of India's Leading Diagnostics Firm, Healthians, Meet Health-Tech Veteran, Deepak Sahni [https://businessworld.in/article/once-a-college-dropout-now-the-ceo-of-indias-leading-diagnostics-firm-healthians-meet-health-tech-veteran-deepak-sahni-459058] 4.COVID 19 – How a Crisis is Nudging us to Reinvent [https://www.cxooutlook.com/covid-19-how-a-crisis-is-nudging-us-to-reinvent/]
Small businesses in India often face delays in payments from large corporations due to complex bureaucratic processes and stringent payment terms. The TReDS system, developed by the RBI, aims to resolve this. With TReDS, businesses can receive immediate payment by selling their invoices to a financier, who then collects the payment from large corporations. In this episode, Sundeep shares his experiences as a serial entrepreneur and provides insights into how TReDS is transforming B2B payments. Listen to learn more about this exciting development and its potential to reshape the business landscape. Get notified about the latest releases and bonus content by subscribing to our newsletter at www.founderthesis.com Read more about M1xchange :- 1.TReDS is financial lifeline for MSMEs, remedy for problem of late payments: Sundeep Mohindru, M1xchange [https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/sme-sector/treds-is-financial-lifeline-for-msmes-remedy-for-problem-of-late-payments-sundeep-mohindru-m1xchange/articleshow/105345628.cms?from=mdr] 2.M1xchange Surpasses INR 1,00,000 Crore in Invoice Discounting Throughput [https://cxotoday.com/press-release/m1xchange-surpasses-inr-100000-crore-in-invoice-discounting-throughput/] 3.In conversation with Mr. Sundeep Mohindru- CEO , M1xchange [https://www.itvoice.in/in-conversation-with-mr-sundeep-mohindru-ceo-m1xchange] 4.With 28 banks and NBFCs on board, how TReDS platform M1xchange financed Rs 3,000 Cr worth MSME invoices in 2 years [https://yourstory.com/smbstory/msme-treds-platform-m1xchange-rbi] 5.M1xchange offers cross-border bill discounting from GIFT city, says TReDS will boom [https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/m1xchange-offers-cross-border-bill-discounting-from-gift-city-says-treds-will-boom/article68473107.ece]
Priyanka Salot's entrepreneurial journey began with her search for a good night's sleep. As a senior marketing leader at P&G, she made the bold decision to leave her corporate role and start The Sleep Company to help India sleep better. Drawing on her experience in building legacy brands at P&G, she guided The Sleep Company to the top of the market, securing over $50 million in funding. In an insightful conversation, she breaks down what it takes to build a strong brand and discusses the strategic decisions that enabled The Sleep Company's rapid growth. Get notified about the latest releases and bonus content by subscribing to our newsletter at www.founderthesis.com Read more about The Sleep Company:- 1.Work, sleep, repeat: The Sleep Company & the right doze [https://www.forbesindia.com/article/take-one-big-story-of-the-day/work-sleep-repeat-the-sleep-company-amp-the-right-doze/92947/1] 2.The Sleep Company Reaches 500 Cr Annual Recurring Revenue Milestone [https://smestreet.in/sectors/the-sleep-company-reaches-500-cr-annual-recurring-revenue-milestone-5997598#google_vignette] 3.How The Sleep Company is disrupting the way people sleep and sit in India [https://www.adgully.com/how-the-sleep-company-is-disrupting-the-way-people-sleep-and-sit-in-india-148087.html] 4.The Sleep Company's comfort quotient [https://www.fortuneindia.com/40under40/priyanka-salot?year=2022#google_vignette]
As solar panels become more affordable and government subsidies make them attractive, homeowners can now switch to solar energy for the same cost as their current electricity bills. In this episode, Shreya Mishra provides practical advice and insights from her entrepreneurial journey- she talks about her first venture, Flyrobe, and how she joined SolarSquare to build its retail side. She also sheds light on its go-to-market strategy, the challenges of scaling up quality and talks about India's target to equip 1 crore households with solar panels in the next 3 years. Get notified about the latest releases and bonus content by subscribing to our newsletter at www.founderthesis.com Read more about SolarSquare:- 1.Startup by IIT Grads Helps Indian Homes Run on Zero Electricity, Earns Rs 200 Crore in Revenues [https://thebetterindia.com/344429/solar-square-rooftop-panel-installation-iit-bombay-grads-neeraj-jain-shreya-mishra-nikhil-nahar/] 2.How SolarSquare Is Helping Indians Harvest Solar Power With Its Full-Stack Solutions [https://inc42.com/startups/solarsquare-is-helping-indians-harvest-solar-power-with-its-full-stack-solutions/] 3.'Simplification, policy push has turbocharged residential rooftop solar': SolarSquare co-founder [https://indianexpress.com/article/business/companies/simplification-policy-push-has-turbocharged-residential-rooftop-solar-solarsquare-co-founder-9270254/] 4.This Startup Earns Rs 200 Crore By Enabling Zero Electricity Cost For Households [https://trak.in/stories/this-startup-earns-rs-200-crore-by-enabling-zero-electricity-cost-for-households/#google_vignette]
Edul Patel founded Mudrex with a strong belief in cryptocurrency as the future of money. For the past 7 years, he has been building the infrastructure for its mass adoption. He estimates it might take another 10 years to see widespread use. This episode dives into the concept of money and the potential future of currency, offering thought-provoking insights for those curious about how the world works. Read more about Mudrex:- 1.Bitcoin Pizza Day today: Mudrex CEO Edul Patel explains the significance [https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/expert-view/bitcoin-pizza-day-today-mudrex-ceo-edul-patel-explains-the-significance/articleshow/110325509.cms?from=mdr] 2.Rapid fire with YS Life: Edul Patel, CEO and Co-founder, Mudrex [https://yourstory.com/ys-life/edul-patel-ceo-cryptocurrency-bitcoin-mudrex] 3.The Crypto 'Kuber': Edul Patel, CEO and Co-founder, Mudrex [https://www.entrepreneur.com/en-in/leadership/the-crypto-kuber-edul-patel-ceo-and-co-founder-mudrex/470096] 4.Explore Mr.Edul Patel's Views on Recent Crypto Market Developments and their Effect [https://www.analyticsinsight.net/latest-news/explore-mr-edul-patels-views-on-recent-crypto-market-developments-and-their-effect]
Every few years, a new trend in the startup world catches the attention of VCs and this episode features a founder who has successfully navigated multiple such trends in the Indian startup scene. Gaurav Agarwal began his entrepreneurial journey with ZipGo, a ride-hailing startup that competed with industry giants like Ola and Uber. After an exciting journey with ZipGo, which eventually led to its acquisition, Gaurav hopped on his next big adventure in the D2C space. With Nat Habit, he and Swagatika are building a brand dedicated to providing fresh and natural skincare products to Indians. Get notified about the latest releases and bonus content by subscribing to our newsletter at www.founderthesis.com Read more about Nat Habit:- 1.Nat Habit's Personal Care Range Is Made From Fresh Ingredients To Nurture Natural Wellness [https://inc42.com/startups/nat-habits-personal-care-range-is-made-from-fresh-ingredients-to-nurture-natural-wellness/] 2.Nat Habit's Swagatika Das on being an online brand and the road ahead…. [https://www.financialexpress.com/business/brandwagon-nat-habits-swagatika-das-on-being-an-online-brand-and-the-road-ahead-3386252/]
Sriram started his journey solving security problems for Texas Instruments, but his passion for tackling hard issues led him to the world of entrepreneurship. Now, 17 years later, he's taken on the challenge of building a platform enabling companies to provide convenient, safe transportation for their employees while minimising the number of vehicles needed. In this conversation, he talks about building Routematic and the innovative solutions he's developing to revolutionize employee transport. Get notified about the latest releases and bonus content by subscribing to our newsletter at www.founderthesis.com Read more about Routematic:- 1.Routematic bets on artificial intelligence to tap corporate commuters [https://www.business-standard.com/companies/news/explained-how-routematic-is-shaking-up-commuter-transport-124031900833_1.html] 2.Meet Routematic, a startup solving your daily office commute problems [https://yourstory.com/2018/09/meet-routematic-startup-solving-daily-office-commute] 3. App-based, exclusive office commute cabs enter city [https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/app-based-exclusive-office-692844.html] 4.Routematic makes corporate commutation stress-free [https://www.thestatesman.com/business/routematic-makes-corporate-commutation-stress-free-1502702951.html] 5.Meet Sriram Kannan, an architect of no-GPS tech, who's Uber-ising employee transportation [https://yourstory.com/2019/11/techie-tuesday-sriram-kannan-routematic-gps-uber]
Kunal is reimagining banking with Freo, a digital platform that covers all three key financial services: payments, savings, and lending. In this conversation, he spills the tea on the rollercoaster journey of his first business in talent assessments, which eventually got acquired, teaching him valuable lessons along the way. He talks how these experiences helped him hit the bullseye with Freo and also shares his take on the future of banking in India! Get notified about the latest releases and bonus content by subscribing to our newsletter at www.founderthesis.com Read more about Freo:- 1.Freo's UPI credit: The new- age fintech redefining financial access [https://www.tice.news/tice-tv/freos-upi-credit-the-new-age-fintech-redefining-financial-access-4351940] 2.Freo: Aiming For The Digital Banking Hot Seat [https://www.entrepreneur.com/en-in/finance/freo-aiming-for-the-digital-banking-hot-seat/449629] 3.From MoneyTap To Freo: How This Fintech Startup Is Tapping Into The Global $722 Bn Neobanking Opportunity [https://inc42.com/startups/how-freo-is-tapping-into-the-global-722-bn-neobanking-opportunity/]