Episode 20 - Building a $30 Mn ARR Audio-Social Network App for Tier 2 & 3 India - ft. Bhanu Tanwar and Harshvardhan Chhangani (Founders of Frnd)

Most people in Tier 2 & 3 India have yet to have a meaningful & respectful conversation with the opposite gender because of the stigma surrounding such interactions. Dating isn’t a problem to be solved for them yet, & traditional interaction & social network apps, often visual & Western first, fail to cater to the needs of this audience. So, how do you solve for 'people discovery' in small towns in India? That’s where Frnd comes in—an audio-social network app that creates safe virtual spaces for genuine interactions in conservative settings. In this episode, Bhanu Pratap Singh Tanwar & Harshvardhan Chhangani⁠ (co-founders of Frnd) share their 5-year-long journey of building a social network product for Tier 2 & 3 audiences & scaling it to $30 Mn ARR. Tune in to hear them discuss: - Why dating isn’t a mass market problem to be solved in India right now. - What are the nuances of building for the next billion users? - How do you build a strong product team that iterates quickly & truly understands user needs? - What opportunities are yet to be tapped in India's social space? & much more... Topics covered in the episode: 0:00 - 1:50 - Episode preview 1:51 - 3:57 - What is Frnd? 3:58 - 7:15 - What’s the impact it’s creating? 7:16 - 8:57 - End-user & product relatability  8:58 - 9:55 - What's a Pre-dating ecosystem? 9:56 - 12:40 - Why should a platform like Frnd exist? 12:41 - 14:16 - The challenge around growing loneliness 14:17 - 15:37 - Inspirations from Yahoo Chatrooms & Orkut 15:38 - 18:53 - Why audio first? 18:54 - 19:27 - Is Frnd a marketplace or matchmaking place?  19:28 - 21:02 - Various kinds of user interactions on Frnd 21:03 - 22:28 - What is the aim of the Frnd app? 22:29 - 23:45 - Pseudo-anonymous environment  23:46 - 23:59 - How much revenue does Frnd make?  24:00 - 26:07 - What was the focus of Frnd when it started? 26:08 - 28:00 - First-mover experience for Frnd  28:01 - 30:10 - What’s the user feedback experience?  30:11 - 32:43 - Motivations in the early years of Frnd  32:44 - 39:45 - What are the growth plans for Frnd? 39:46 - 43:20 - 30 Under 30 team  43:21 - 45:01 - Is a team of 30 people better than that of 200?  45:02 - 48:23 - Future product pipelines  Rapid Fire Round 48:35 - 48:54 - What’s your favourite dating app? 48:55 - 48:55 - If your start-up had a mascot, what would it be? 48:56 - 49:18 - What’s the weirdest thing you have done in the name of market research? 49:19 - 49:24 - If your to-do list was a movie, which would it be? 49:25 - 49:29 - If someone said Frnd is a sleazy app, what would be your reaction? 49:30 - 49:30 - What is more terrifying - bug in your code or typo in your investor email? 49:36 - 49:45 - What’s the most bizarre place you have ever taken a business call? 49:46 - 49:56 - What’s your favourite productivity hack at work and in personal life? 49:57 - 50:56 - Any US or Indian company that you really admire? 50:48 - 51:30 - Which is your most favourite Bangalore thing to do?