EPISODE · Mar 14, 2025 · 1H 7M
Why We Shut Down a $3.7M Startup - Prashant Mahajan
from Builders · host Mahmoud Khodor
In this brutally honest and unfiltered conversation, Prashant, the founder of Zeda, an AI-powered platform for product managers, shares his journey from securing $3.7M in funding to ultimately shutting down his startup after four years.🚀 In this episode, we cover:- The reality of building and scaling a startup- Why product management tools struggle to find product-market fit- How Prashant navigated fundraising, growth, and difficult decisions- The biggest mistakes he made as a founder- Why he decided to shut down Zeda despite having money left in the bank- What’s next for Prashant after this intense startup journeyIf you're an aspiring founder, product manager, or investor, this is an eye-opening discussion on the real challenges of building a venture-backed startup.👉 Connect with Prashant on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prashantmahajan31🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe for more in-depth founder stories and product management insights!📌 Timeline:00:00 – Introduction00:37 – Industry secrets about product management tools01:10 – What is Zeda? The original vision vs. reality03:32 – How Zeda tried to revolutionize product management05:44 – Prashant’s background: From Paytm & Tokopedia to Silicon Valley07:14 – Why Prashant left high-paying jobs to start his own company08:36 – The brutal truth about entrepreneurship10:48 – What inefficiencies in product management tools led to Zeda?12:58 – The biggest gaps in product management tools today17:59 – Competing against industry giants like Jira & Aha!19:47 – The dirty secrets of enterprise SaaS sales22:14 – The shocking reality of product management tool adoption26:01 – How product managers fall for the “next big framework”29:59 – Balancing speed vs. depth in product management34:07 – Raising $3.7M in funding—why they were cautious with money39:03 – Why money doesn’t solve startup problems44:54 – Hiring mistakes & why startup hiring advice is flawed50:06 – The importance of urgency and execution in startups54:49 – Prashant’s biggest mistakes as a founder1:03:36 – Why Prashant decided to shut down Zeda1:07:10 – What’s next for Prashant?
What this episode covers
In this brutally honest and unfiltered conversation, Prashant, the founder of Zeda, an AI-powered platform for product managers, shares his journey from securing $3.7M in funding to ultimately shutting down his startup after four years.🚀 In this episode, we cover:- The reality of building and scaling a startup- Why product management tools struggle to find product-market fit- How Prashant navigated fundraising, growth, and difficult decisions- The biggest mistakes he made as a founder- Why he decided to shut down Zeda despite having money left in the bank- What’s next for Prashant after this intense startup journeyIf you're an aspiring founder, product manager, or investor, this is an eye-opening discussion on the real challenges of building a venture-backed startup.👉 Connect with Prashant on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prashantmahajan31🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe for more in-depth founder stories and product management insights!📌 Timeline:00:00 – Introduction00:37 – Industry secrets about product management tools01:10 – What is Zeda? The original vision vs. reality03:32 – How Zeda tried to revolutionize product management05:44 – Prashant’s background: From Paytm & Tokopedia to Silicon Valley07:14 – Why Prashant left high-paying jobs to start his own company08:36 – The brutal truth about entrepreneurship10:48 – What inefficiencies in product management tools led to Zeda?12:58 – The biggest gaps in product management tools today17:59 – Competing against industry giants like Jira & Aha!19:47 – The dirty secrets of enterprise SaaS sales22:14 – The shocking reality of product management tool adoption26:01 – How product managers fall for the “next big framework”29:59 – Balancing speed vs. depth in product management34:07 – Raising $3.7M in funding—why they were cautious with money39:03 – Why money doesn’t solve startup problems44:54 – Hiring mistakes & why startup hiring advice is flawed50:06 – The importance of urgency and execution in startups54:49 – Prashant’s biggest mistakes as a founder1:03:36 – Why Prashant decided to shut down Zeda1:07:10 – What’s next for Prashant?
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Why We Shut Down a $3.7M Startup - Prashant Mahajan
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