P23 - Hourly: Democratising Access to Design Expertise with Gunjan Sharma

Is the traditional design consultancy model broken?What if you could consult a top architect, interior designer, waterproofing expert, or landscape consultant — by the hour — without committing to a massive retainer?In this episode of Design and Dialogues, I sit down with Gunjan Sharma, Founder of Hourly, a platform rethinking how design consultancy works in India.From cross-border internships to recruitment in the AEC industry, to building a design consultation marketplace — Gunjan’s journey is rooted in one thing: impact at scale.We talk about:⏳Why the lump-sum design model quietly bleeds money⏳How the hourly system increases transparency & efficiency⏳Why India has a dampness epidemic (and how bad design affects your health)⏳Why most people see design as “cosmetic” instead of essential⏳The gap in the Indian design market that nobody was addressing⏳How Hourly works (B2B & B2C)⏳Who it’s for — and who it’s not for⏳Whether Hourly is the “Urban Company for Designers”⏳And what success looks like in the next 3–5 yearsIf you’re:- Building a home- Renovating your space- Running a retail showroom or restaurant- A consultant tired of chasing payments- Or a young designer curious about new business modelsThis episode will shift how you think about design forever. Because design is not just aesthetics.It impacts your health, business, longevity, and quality of life.🎙️ About the Guest:Gunjan Sharma is an architect-turned-entrepreneur and founder of Hourly — a curated platform connecting clients with vetted design consultants across disciplines through a transparent, structured hourly model.🌐 Explore Hourly: https://www.hourly.design/If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to:👍 Like💬 Comment your thoughts🔔 Subscribe to Design and DialoguesNew episodes every week featuring architects, designers, industry leaders, and changemakers shaping the built environment.#DesignAndDialogues #ArchitecturePodcast #InteriorDesignIndia #DesignConsultancy #Entrepreneurship #BuiltEnvironment #StartupIndia #Hourly #DesignThinking