The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

For years, a single drug sat behind a patent wall – expensive, scarce and out of reach for most of the world.And then, almost overnight, that wall collapsed.A patent expired. Dozens of Indian pharma companies moved in. Factories spun up. Regulators cleared approvals. And within days, Ozempic, one of the most talked-about drugs in the world, was suddenly available in India at a fraction of its American price.At ₹1,290 a month, finally, a miracle drug for the masses.But beneath the celebration, something didn’t add up.Because in a country with over 250 million people living with obesity, only about 200,000 are actually using it.This is not just a story about Ozempic.It’s a story about pricing, perception, culture, and the strange gap between availability and reality.From patent laws and pharma economics to celebrity denial cycles and black-market injections, from American shortages to India’s emerging demand – this episode unpacks what really happens when a “wonder drug” goes generic.Because abundance isn’t the same as access. And cheap isn’t the same as affordable.Today, we break down the business, culture, and unintended consequences behind India’s Ozempic moment, and what it reveals about how we think about health, wealth, and the bodies we live in.The Desi VC Podcast presents BTS, a research-driven, documentary-style series that pulls back the curtain on the systems, incentives, and stories shaping the world around us.

For decades, a small group of people decided which companies would shape the future.A pitch deck. A 30-minute meeting. A partner nodding across the table. And somewhere behind closed doors, a decision that could turn a scrappy founder into a billionaire, or end the company before it ever began.That system is venture capital.An industry built on outliers, where 1 in 10 bets drives all the returns. Where firms raise billions, deploy capital into companies that may not exist in 10 years, and yet somehow outperform every other asset class in the world.From Sand Hill Road to Sequoia, Accel, and a16z – venture capital has funded everything from Google and Amazon to Stripe, SpaceX, and OpenAI. But behind the headlines, the mechanics are far less understood.So how does venture capital actually work? Where does the money come from? How do VCs decide what to invest in? Why do most startups fail, and why do VCs still make money anyway?Today, we break down the business model, incentives, power dynamics, and hidden math behind venture capital – the engine that funds innovation, shapes markets, and quietly decides the future of technology.The Desi VC Podcast presents BTS, a new research-driven, documentary-style audio series that pulls back the curtain on the businesses, personalities, newsmakers, trends, and ideas that shape the world we live in.

For 56 years, one car defined power in India.A white car. A red beacon. A uniformed driver. And somewhere in the back seat, a politician, a bureaucrat, a minister - someone who mattered. That car was the Hindustan Ambassador, the legendary "laal batti wali gaadi".Built on the bones of the British Morris Oxford Series III, the Ambassador barely changed for decades - yet it became the most recognizable car in India, carrying everyone from district collectors to prime ministers.So how did a 1950s design dominate the roads of the world’s largest democracy for half a century?And why did it disappear almost overnight after the arrival of the Maruti 800?Today, we dive into the business, politics, and culture behind the car that became the symbol of the Indian state - and the monopoly economy that both created and destroyed it.The Desi VC Podcast presents BTS, a new research-driven, documentary-style audio series that pulls back the curtain on the businesses, personalities, newsmakers, trends, and ideas that shape the world we live in.

In January 2008, eight envelopes were opened in a Mumbai hotel ballroom. Each contained a bid for a cricket team in a league that hadn't played a single match. The most expensive team was Mumbai Indians ($111.9M) and the second most expensive team was Royal Challengers Bengaluru ($111.6M).Today, Royal Challengers Bengaluru is expected to sell for $2B! That's an 18x return in 18 years on a cricket team that spent most of those years breaking hearts and never winning a title — until last year. But when you dig into how IPL franchises are actually valued, you quickly realize that buyers aren't paying for cricket.So how did IPL teams go from a $50M base price to a $2B asking price — and why are India's biggest billionaires fighting to own one? Today, we go behind the scenes on the money, the math, and the real reasons behind IPL's extraordinary valuations.The Desi VC Podcast presents BTS, a new research-driven, documentary-style audio series that pulls back the curtain on the businesses, personalities, newsmakers, trends, and ideas that shape the world we live in.

In 2016, Russian hackers broke into John Podesta’s Gmail during the US election. That single breach exposed how vulnerable email really is – and it directly inspired a billion-dollar cybersecurity startup.At the time, even the most powerful people in the world couldn’t fully secure their inboxes. Once hackers got access, there was nothing stopping them from reading everything: drafts, attachments and sensitive documents. Instead of trying to prevent email hacks, three ex-Dropbox engineers — Abhishek Agrawal, Ryan Noon, and Chris Park — asked a better question: What if you assumed the breach would happen, and protected the inbox anyway?Material Security built a powerful layer on top of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, locking down sensitive emails, verifying identity before access, and giving security teams real visibility — all without requiring a migration.In this episode, I sit down with Abhishek Agrawal, Co-founder & CEO of Material Security. We dive into their journey from pre-idea validation to scaling to a billion dollar valuation in about 5 years, lessons in management and leadership, and most importantly understand how Material Security is redefining email security for enterprises. If you're starting out or searching for your billion-dollar idea, this is a masterclass on going from zero to scale.⏳ Timestamps:Trailer (00:00) Intro (01:39)How Material Security began? (03:30)Why and how did the team visualize exit scenarios? (09:45)What did their pivot feel like? (11:58)How they used feedback to create their product (24:51)How did they deal with rejections? (26:15)How did the early version of their product look like? (33:44)Did they consider changing ICPs? (38:17)Was it easy to convince investors? (40:46)How did the internal mindset shift feel like? (50:51)What specific shifts did Abhishek have to bring in? (57:15)What are the things Abhishek would do differently, if starting now? (01:07:17)What’s Abhishek’s advice to his younger self? (01:24:01)🎥 Subscribe to see watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain!Support the podcast:🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📸 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🐦 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠💼 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎵 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠💌 BTS content on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Kevin Carter is the Founder & Chief Investment Officer of EMQQ Global, a San Francisco based investment management and research firm focused on providing investors access to the fast growing Emerging and Frontier Markets technology sector.EMQQ Global invests in publicly traded internet and ecommerce companies operating in 50+ countries, including India, China, Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria, Egypt, Mexico, Vietnam, and Turkey. Through ETFs listed across US, Europe, and Asia, the fund helps investors access the digital consumer revolution reshaping global markets.US investors can tap into this opportunity via three investment strategies:EMQQ: Emerging Markets Internet & EcommerceFMQQ: Ex-China Emerging Markets Internet & EcommerceINQQ: India Internet & EcommercePrior to EMQQ, Kevin was the Founder & CEO of AlphaShares, an investment firm offering five Emerging Markets ETFs in partnership with Guggenheim Investments. Previously, Kevin was the Founder & CEO of Active Index Advisors acquired by Natixis in 2005 and the Founder & CEO of eInvesting acquired by ETRADE in 2000.In this episode, Kevin outlines how India’s massive, young population, business-friendly reforms in recent years, and world-class education system are fueling rapid growth. He breaks down why India is uniquely positioned to lead the next wave of digital consumption—and why now is the time for investors to pay attention. From mobile payments to food delivery and online education, India’s tech ecosystem is scaling faster than ever, creating unprecedented investment opportunities.TimestampsOpening trailer (00:00)Meet Kevin: intro to the episode (01:46)How do you break into public market investing? (02:28)How do people actually invest in public markets? (04:58)Is investing in emerging markets too risky? (11:04)What drives investors toward emerging markets? (17:05)What exactly is an emerging market? (19:35)When did India become an attractive market? (24:00)What happens after you invest in an emerging market? (31:15)How India stands out from other emerging markets (38:36)The future of India’s public markets (51:30)How investors can help shape India’s industries (58:38)Advice Kevin would give his younger self (1:07:00)Kevin’s biggest learnings from investing in India (1:10:43)Final thoughts (1:13:51)🎥 Subscribe to see watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain!Support the podcast:🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📸 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🐦 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠💼 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎵 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠💌 BTS content on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Arun Penmetsa is a Partner at Storm Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on Enterprise software companies. He invests primarily in SaaS, Security, and Digital Health startups. Before joining Storm, Arun held product and engineering roles at Oracle and Google, where he built enterprise software solutions at scale.Arun is deeply passionate about the intersection of healthcare and technology. In addition to investing in US-based startups, he actively advises several healthcare groups in India on technology and population health. His portfolio includes successful exits such as Airgap (acquired by Zscaler), Dasera (acquired by Netskope), Limbix (acquired by Big Health), MyAlly (acquired by Phenom), Rallyteam (acquired by Workday), Trustar (acquired by Splunk), and 4me (acquired by PSG).In today’s episode, we talk about his journey from building software at tech giants to backing category-defining startups across security and healthcare. Arun shares what he looks for in founders, lessons from his most successful exits, and why he believes healthcare is one of the most impactful sectors to invest in.Timestamps:* Trailer (00:00)* Introduction (01:26)* Arun's motivation behind getting into VC (03:41)* What goes into picking the right fund for pursuing VC as a career (08:58)* What it takes to become an investor (15:21)* Arun's personal style of being an investor (18:03)* How to find if you are a good fit for a company (21:36)* How does operator advisor advise portfolio companies at Storm Ventures (27:17)* How the best investors who have been operators mould their persona (32:38)* How Arun's personality has evolved as an investor (37:52)* Why communication is important in VC (41:01)* What the best performing portfolio companies at Storm Ventures did well (43:48)* Why founders should not hire for CV (47:57)How the education system has impacted the working culture (50:45)* Why public companies switch CEOs before going public (53:36)* What founders need to do before entering the US market (55:07)* Arun's advice for the younger generation (1:04:16)* Conclusion (1:05:18)🎥 Subscribe to watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain!Support the podcast:🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📸 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🐦 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠💼 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎵 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠💌 BTS content on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rohan Nayak is the Co-founder & CEO of Pocket FM, a company redefining audio storytelling for the world.While we’ve recently been publishing video episodes, this one’s a throwback to pure audio. Rohan had to travel unexpectedly, but we didn’t want to miss the chance to capture his insights on building one of India's fastest-growing consumer tech companies.Pocket FM is making waves globally — having recently raised $103 million in Series D funding, bringing total funding to $196.5 million, with backing from Lightspeed, Tanglin Venture Partners, Goodwater Capital, and Naver. With $150 million+ in ARR and 57% QoQ growth, they’re showing that audio isn’t just alive — it’s thriving.In today's episode, Rohan shares how building from India creates efficient growth playbooks, the nuances of global GTM, and why the future of content might sound a lot more like audio than you think.⌛ Timestamps:Motivation behind starting a company (3:55)Why Rohan chose audio as a medium (5:20)Early reactions to Pocket FM’s vision (12:20)How audio is transforming short-form storytelling (22:10)Why audio has a higher creative bar than video (24:30)Localization and Pocket FM’s global expansion plan (25:40)The role of A/B testing in content development (32:25)How A/B testing works specifically for audio (37:20)Audio’s ability to transcend cultural boundaries (39:39)How Pocket FM finds breakout "blockbuster" shows (40:40)Why US-origin stories scale better globally (42:25)What content categories work—and which don’t (43:00)Top 3 learnings from going to market in the US (43:52)Mistakes Pocket FM made in their GTM journey (47:32)How culture shapes global go-to-market strategy (50:35)How Pocket FM is using AI to enhance storytelling (54:50)Rohan’s five-year vision for Pocket FM (1:01:35)Why AI will supercharge the next generation of creators (1:03:39)Personal lessons Rohan has learned as a founder (1:07:00)What keeps him grounded — the concept of "Basecamp" (1:11:15)🎥 Subscribe to watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain!Support the podcast:🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📸 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🐦 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠💼 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎵 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠💌 BTS content on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠

Brij Bhasin is a longtime investor turned founder and the co-founder & CEO of Snow Mountain AI, a company focused on automating business processes in finance, compliance, and legal through AI.Before founding Snow Mountain, Brij was a General Partner at Rebright Partners, and earlier helped launch GSF Accelerator, one of India’s first and largest startup accelerators. He was also part of the early team at Little Eye Labs, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014, and has over a decade of experience building tech products across startups in India and the US.In this episode, Brij shares why he left a successful venture career to become a founder, the challenges of building an AI startup from India for global markets and how he’s navigating entrepreneurship after a long break. This conversation is a must-listen for VCs considering a shift to operating roles, and for founders building deep-tech or AI startups out of India.⌛ Timestamps Trailer (00:00)Brij's journey from 10 years of VC to a startup founder (01:48)What has Brij learnt being an investor for 10 years (04:24)How to build a startup in 2025 (Investor's POV) (05:53)Investor's definition of "velocity" and its importance (08:54)Medibuddy's case study (10:48)Importance of long-term view for a founder (13:43)PhonePe's case study (17:40)Monetary success, purpose, drive and teamwork (21:05)Difference between velocity and momentum (23:15)How do companies manage culture (29:41)Is quitting or pivoting bad? (35:25)What does it really mean to go from an investor to a founder? (48:58)Akash's strategic plan towards trademarking his company's logo (52:06)Thinking outside of the box (55:55)How easy it is to move from being an investor to a founder? (1:03:09)How difficult it is to raise capital as a founder who is a former investor? (1:07:40)What has Brij learnt about himself that surprised him yet transformed him? (1:11:41)Outro (1:15:56)🎥 Subscribe to watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain!Support the podcast:🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📸 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🐦 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠💼 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎵 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠💌 BTS content on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠

Pramod is a Senior Principal at Blumberg Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm specializing in leading Seed and Series A rounds. The firm is based in Tel Aviv (Israel) and San Francisco.Before joining Blumberg Capital, Pramod was a Principal at 11.2 Capital, where he focused on investing in early-stage cybersecurity, data, dev-tools, and AI. He led seed rounds in Coalesce, Permiso, StrikeReady, Surf Security, MightyMeld, Leen, and Collinear AI.Previously, Pramod was Director of Corporate Strategy/Venture Capital at VMware, advising senior leadership on product, growth, and M&A while investing in startups such as JFrog (IPO), CloudEndure (acq. by AWS), Armis (acq. by Insight), GuardiCore (acq. by Akamai), Wavefront, VeloCloud (acq. by VMware), and Affirmed Networks (acq. by Microsoft).In today's episode, we discuss his journey from an operator to corporate venture capital and then to traditional venture capital, as well as investing in AI. This is a unique episode—you'll find very few VCs with a career trajectory like Pramod’s.⌛ Timestamps:Trailer + Intro (0:00)CVC vs. traditional VC: key similarities (3:45)How CVCs are structured & incentivized (6:39)The mandates & investment thesis of CVCs (12:45)Investing for today vs. the future (14:45)How CVCs make investment decisions (18:25)The role of a ‘sponsor’ in CVC investments (22:44)Why should early-stage startups take CVC money? (25:00)How CVCs add value to later-stage companies (30:25)Maximizing value from CVC investors (34:10)Transitioning from CVC to traditional VC (37:50)How Pramod has helped his portfolio startups (42:00)What investors look for in AI startups (49:00)Can founders be taught to sell better? (56:15)GTM strategies for selling to enterprises (59:45)Understanding enterprise customers as a founder (1:04:27)How investors can build a personal brand (like Pramod) (1:09:15)The “so what” philosophy for founders & investors (1:13:50)Advice to younger self (1:16:03)Why being 10x is attractive to investors (1:20:35)🎥 Subscribe to watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain!Support the podcast:🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠🎧 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠📸 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠🐦 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠⁠⁠💼 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠🎵 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠💌 BTS content on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠

Anshu Bansal is a serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He co-founded Hyrecar, a peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace that allows anyone to rent their cars to Uber and Lyft drivers safely and reliably.In today’s episode, learn how a late-night Uber ride in 2014 sparked a groundbreaking business idea that would reshape the ride-sharing industry in the US. Anshu takes us through his incredible entrepreneurial journey—from his programming days at H&R Block and Amazon Prime Music to building the “Airbnb for ride-share cars.” Along the way, he faced direct competition from Uber, financial struggles that nearly led to bankruptcy, and even sold his own car to keep the company afloat. Against all odds, he turned things around and ultimately took the company public in a remarkable comeback story.Learn how they validated their concept by going undercover at Uber Driver Hubs, built their first MVP using just a spreadsheet that generated $9,000 in month one, and navigated crucial pivots when faced with competition from Uber itself.⌛ Timestamps:Introduction – The late-night Uber ride that sparked a billion-dollar idea (05:03)Early Career – From coding at Amazon & H&R Block to building startups (05:31)The Birth of Hyrecar – How one conversation turned into a game-changing business (06:31)Cracking the Business Model – How Anshu structured Hyrecar for success (08:43)Proving the Idea – The key steps that validated Hyrecar’s potential (13:13)Ignored by Uber – Why the ride-share giant didn’t see Hyrecar coming (16:25)Reinventing Car Ownership – How Hyrecar disrupted the ride-sharing ecosystem (18:36)Thriving in the Unknown – Why Anshu builds businesses in industries he knows little about (24:27)Lessons from Amazon & Microsoft – What big tech taught Anshu about scaling companies (26:53)Hiring in Startups vs. Big Tech – The biggest differences founders must understand (30:43)The Real Meaning of Entrepreneurship – What it truly takes to build a successful startup (32:43)Personal Struggles & Entrepreneurship – How life’s challenges shape founders (35:43)Finding the Right Co-Founder – The make-or-break decision for every startup (41:08)From Near Collapse to IPO – The incredible journey of Hyrecar’s turnaround (47:41)Building a VC Fund – Why Anshu launched his own investment firm (54:43)Jumping into Cybersecurity – What made Anshu bet on an entirely new industry (56:14)The Biggest Lessons as an Operator – What years of entrepreneurship have taught him (01:01:13)Advice to His Younger Self – The hard-earned wisdom every founder should hear (01:02:03)Support the podcast:🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠🎧 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠📸 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠🐦 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠⁠💼 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠🎵 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠💌 BTS content on ⁠⁠⁠Substack

Aquibur Rahman is the Co-founder and CEO of Mailmodo, an interactive email marketing software that helps marketers create app-like experiences in email by adding forms, shopping cart, calendar, NPS and other widgets. It helps companies collect feedback from their users, book meetings with prospects, recover abandon carts, generate leads, all within the the body of the email. The company is backed by Peak XV Partners (prev. known as Sequoia India), Y Combinator, BoldCap, Titan Capital & All In Capital.Aquib has been a marketer his entire career. Prior to founding Mailmodo, he headed marketing at Cleartax, a leading tax & investing platform, where he built and grew the practice from the ground up. And before that he had short but impactful stints at P&G, iProf Learning Solutions (I) Pvt. Ltd., and CarDekho.From a small village in Bihar to Super30, IIT Dhanbad, IIM Ahmedabad, and now the Silicon Valley, Aquib has come a long way and defied the odds at every step. Humble, soft-spoken, and incredibly knowledgeable, he brings deep insights into marketing, growth, and startup success.In today's episode, we dive deep into marketing strategies for founders and startups. Aquib shares actionable insights on why founders should position themselves as the face of their companies and how they can do it effectively, proven strategies for scaling market as a strong source of lead generation and brand building in the early stages, and a step-by-step playbook for executing founder-led marketing effectively.This is a MUST-watch episode for every founder and marketing person at startups⌛ Timestamps:Trailer (00:00)Introduction (01:16)Episode kick-off (03:33)How did Mailmodo land its first customer? (03:47)Proven strategies to acquire your first paying customer (05:36)How Mailmodo landed Razorpay as a customer (10:33)Why design partnerships & POCs should be paid (11:55)What is "build-in-public"? What's a good playbook for it? (13:56)What is Founder-Led Marketing & why it works (18:38)The key components of a strong Founder-Led Marketing strategy (20:32)Marketing strategies that helped Mailmodo scale (22:33)How to build partnerships with lesser-known brands (25:12)Is all marketing good marketing? (25:50)The dangers of overpromising & underdelivering (27:18)Examples of founders who nailed Founder-Led Marketing (29:53)When should founders start focusing on Founder-Led-Marketing? (32:15)How customer discovery leads to marketing success (34:03)The biggest mistakes founders make in marketing (40:50)Live Marketing Workshop: Aquib breaks down a real-world example (45:01)How AI is changing SEO: What founders need to know (48:33)SEO best practices for 2025 and beyond (55:13)How AI is reshaping email marketing (59:43)How should a brand think about email marketing today? (1:01:59)Why marketing is all about building relationships (1:06:03)If Mailmodo started today, what would Aquib do differently? (1:09:19)With infinite resources, how would Aquib scale marketing? (1:10:13)🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠🎧 Follow us on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠📸 Follow us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠🐦 Follow us on ⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠💼 Follow us on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠🎵 Follow us on ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠💌 BTS content on ⁠⁠Substack

Yousuf Khan is a Partner at Ridge Ventures, a seed and Series A stage venture fund investing in enterprise and B2B startups. With a deep understanding of startup growth and scaling challenges, Yousuf not only drives Ridge’s investment portfolio forward but also provides hands-on support to founders, offering guidance rooted in his extensive experience across leadership roles. He currently serves as a board director for Ridge-backed companies, including Archera, Cerby, Chisel Labs, Lightyear, Rafay, and Rewind.Before joining Ridge, Yousuf held several pivotal positions in leading technology companies. He was the first CIO of Automation Anywhere ($6.84 billion company), played a dual role as CIO and Vice President of Customer Success at AI-driven cloud platform Moveworks ($2.1 billion company), and served as CIO at two public companies, Pure Storage (PSTG) and Qualys (QLYS). His deep industry expertise also includes advisory roles with companies like Zoom, Productiv, and Material Security. In this episode, Yousuf shares his journey into venture capital, discussing key insights on building a career in VC, the importance of founder empathy, and the role of self-awareness and diversity in investing.He offers practical advice on how VCs can create information arbitrage, draw value from feedback cycles, and support founders through challenges at scale. The conversation also delves into best practices and strategies for enterprise software founders, covering topics like customer obsession, board meetings, and leadership at scale.⌛ Timestamps:Trailer (0:00)Introduction (1:40)Episode kick-off (3:44)Yousuf shares his experience in venture capital (4:26)Is venture capital for everyone? What should one expect? (5:20)Knowing your 'WHY' before starting a career in VC (7:13)How to become a venture capitalist (9:00)How VCs draw inferences from feedback cycles (11:44)Creating information arbitrage as a VC (14:41)The importance of diversity in a venture team (16:46)The role of founder empathy in investing (18:25)Authenticity: An underrated trait in founders (19:39)Why VCs should have self-awareness (22:07)Common problems founders face as they scale (25:07)Why very few CIOs become VCs (27:00)API to DPI: The journey of an investor (32:34)How to build a strong track record in venture (36:40)Speaking the talk vs. walking the walk (39:00)The importance of obsession in venture capital (41:06)Serendipity and opportunity in VC (43:01)Immigrant spirit, shared experiences, and gratitude in venture (47:37)How Yousuf handles failures or bad investments (59:06)Best practices for running board meetings (1:06:07)The science of creating a perfect board deck (1:08:10)How long it takes founders to master board meetings (1:10:35)Tips for founders on running their companies better (1:12:32)Why the technology industry is inherently imperfect (1:14:15)The importance of operating in "customer mode" (not just founder mode) (1:20:16)Advice for enterprise software founders (1:24:54)What’s ahead for 2025 (1:26:58)Advice Yousuf would give his younger self (1:30:10)🎥 Subscribe to see watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain!🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠YouTube⁠🎧 Follow us on ⁠Spotify⁠📸 Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠🐦 Follow us on ⁠Twitter/X⁠💼 Follow us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠🎵 Follow us on ⁠TikTok⁠💌 BTS content on ⁠Substack

We had the privilege of hosting Sriram Viswanathan, Founding Managing Partner of Celesta Capital. Based in San Francisco, Celesta Capital is a global, multi-stage venture capital firm managing $1.1 billion in assets. The firm specializes in cross-border investments between India and the United States, with a focus on deep-tech. Since its inception in 2013, Celesta Capital has invested in over 100 companies including those in space-tech, bio-tech, artificial intelligence, drug discovery, semi-conductors, cloud infrastructure, imaging, construction, diagnostics among others. Sriram Viswanathan has more than 30 years of technology business operations and venture capital experience. Prior to Celesta, Sriram was the founder of IndusAge Partners, a cross-border venture firm investing in companies in India-US corridor. Sriram spent nearly 20 years at Intel Corporation in various senior management roles, including VP of the Intel Architecture Group (IAG) and later as the VP of Intel Capital and General Manager of Intel’s Incubation and Innovation Group.In this episode, we explore Sriram’s journey, from his time at Intel during its peak, where he first delved into deep tech, to his unique experiences intersecting with Hollywood. We explore building a winning organizational culture, Sriram’s core values, and how Celesta Capital reflects the shared principles of its four partners. Sriram shares insights into Celesta’s investment thesis, rooted in the operational expertise of its team, and offers lessons on what makes a successful venture capitalist, from the importance of relationships and authenticity to navigating leadership changes. We discuss the immense opportunities in deep tech, particularly in India, the impact of geo-politics and regulation on investing, and strategies for attracting LPs to deep tech funds. With advice on choosing the right VC partner, building with an exit mindset, and running efficient board meetings, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways for founders, investors, and anyone navigating the world of deep tech and venture capital.🎙️ Fun fact: Sriram also hosts @techsurge-deeptech podcast. Give it a listen!⌛ Timestamps: 1. Episode Trailer | 00:00 2. Guest Introduction | 01:23 3. Episode Kickoff | 04:12 4. The secret behind longevity at Intel | 05:24 5. Why Intel bet big on deep tech | 08:51 6. How Intel evaluated deep tech in the 90s | 11:13 7. Convincing Steven Spielberg to use Intel's InTru3D for Shrek | 13:13 8. Building a culture of longevity in organizations | 17:08 9. Laying the foundation for a career in venture investing | 19:57 10. Traits of a successful venture capitalist | 23:58 11. The tough decisions in VC: leadership changes | 30:04 12. Why VC is about people and relationships | 32:32 13. Choosing the right VC partner over a big-name fund | 36:15 14. “Elon doesn’t run SpaceX” | 37:40 15. How to run efficient board meetings | 39:08 16. Authenticity as a superpower | 40:14 17. Celesta Capital’s investment philosophy | 41:40 18. The three pillars of a VC fund and founding Celesta Capital | 45:00 19. Key investment criteria at Celesta | 50:10 20. “Venture capital sucks” | 53:28 21. Why deep tech is a major opportunity in India | 58:25 22. How geo-politics and regulation shape investing in India | 01:01:21 23. Why LPs are excited & going long on deep tech | 01:03:55 24. Balancing returns across markets with different maturities (India & the US) | 01:05:40 25. Attracting new LPs to deep tech | 01:07:46 26. Building deep tech with an exit mindset | 01:11:45 27. Lessons learned from venture investing | 01:13:28 28. Sriram’s decision-making framework | 01:16:22 29. Episode Outro | 01:20:16🎥 Subscribe to see watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain! 🔗 SUBSCRIBE on YouTube 🎧 Follow us on Spotify 📸 Follow us on Instagram 🐦 Follow us on Twitter/X 💼 Follow us on LinkedIn 🎵 Follow us on TikTok 💌 BTS content on Substack

In this episode, we sit down with ⁠Sheel Mohnot⁠, co-founder of ⁠Better Tomorrow Ventures⁠ (BTV), a San Francisco-based $350M AUM fund that leads pre-seed and seed rounds in fintech companies globally, typically writing first checks ranging from $500K to $4M. BTV also runs The Mint Accelerator, a program providing mentorship, resources, and community support for fintech founders. At its core, BTV invests for a better future, driven by the belief that fintech can genuinely improve people’s lives.Sheel is an operator-turned-investor. He built and sold FeeFighters, a Stripe-like payment gateway and processor product called Samurai, which was acquired by Groupon pre-launch in 2012, as well as Innovative Auctions. He also co-founded Thistle, a healthy meal delivery company that raised minimal VC funding and now employs over 500 people.In this episode, we dive deep with Sheel to uncover the lessons he’s learned from building and exiting two businesses, the profound influence of family on his journey as both a founder and now an investor, and why he believes seed-stage investing allows BTV to have the greatest impact. He shares candid insights about what it means to be the first call for his founders, the perks and challenges of being an operator-turned-investor, and the importance of portfolio diversification.Sheel also reflects on traits of an ideal investor, finding life’s purpose, and even tells a story about the time he smoked a cigarette just to close a deal as a founder.Whether you’re an aspiring investor, an entrepreneur, or just someone looking to grow as an individual, this episode is packed with stories, lessons, and actionable insights. It’s the perfect way to kick off the year—leaving you inspired and introspective!⌛ Timestamps: Episode trailer | 00:00 Family's influence on Sheel | 02:15 First encounter with Fintech | 04:44 Lessons from working in India | 05:43 Impression of India while growing up | 09:05 Correlation between family, values and investing | 11:57 Why VCs seek billion-dollar outcomes | 15:28 Importance of discipline in venture investing | 17:53 How does Sheel view himself? | 20:40 Value of approachability | 22:21 Importance of putting oneself ‘out there’ | 27:30 Hard problems, emerging markets & power of writing | 28:57 Dealing with imposter syndrome | 30:35 The hidden role of a VC | 34:10 Benefits of portfolio diversification | 38:09 Advantages Operator-turned-VCs hold over pure investors | 39:06 Traits of the ideal investor | 40:15 Finding life’s purpose | 45:17 Advice for indecisive founders | 47:12 Angel investing as a precursor to VC | 52:38 Key Learnings as a second time founder | 53:43 Story of smoking a cigarette to make a sale | 54:52 Insights from successful leaders & why startups fail | 57:09 Sheel’s fashion & style | 59:07🎥 Subscribe to see watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain!🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠YouTube⁠🎧 Follow us on ⁠Spotify⁠📸 Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠🐦 Follow us on ⁠Twitter/X⁠💼 Follow us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 🎵 Follow us on ⁠TikTok⁠💌 BTS content on ⁠Substack

After 150 audio-only episodes on Spotify & Apple Podcasts, The Desi VC is finally stepping into the world of video! The first video episode drops on January 1st. Join host Akash Bhat every fortnight as he interviews: Top investors managing billion-dollar funds Serial entrepreneurs with multiple successful exits Operators who’ve built some of the most recognizable tech companies Get ready for: Candid stories of personal highs, lows, and the decisions that shaped these leaders' journeys Exclusive insights into venture capital & the art of building successful startups Playbooks & strategies for cracking the US market (founders, take notes!) Funny & relatable moments that show the human side of the industry’s best 🎥 Subscribe now to see unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain! 🔗 SUBSCRIBE: https://youtube.com/thedesivc 🎧 Follow us on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/41OVDhM 📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bhatvakash 🐦 Follow us on X: https://x.com/bhatvakash 💼 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/bhatakash 🎵 Follow us on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/thedesivc 💌 Sponsor The Desi VC Podcast: [email protected]

Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl is the Founder & Managing Partner at Eternal Capital, a 120-crore fund investing in transformative startups across technology, healthcare, and consumer sectors in India. He is the former COO of BharatPe, and a leader with extensive experience in scaling businesses and driving operational excellence across Airtel, PayTM, and Fortis Hospitals, where he spearheaded growth and strategy initiatives. This is the first of a two-part series, with the second part coming out next week. Stay tuned! Episode Notes: Introduction (1:45) Dhruv’s transition from operator to investor (5:09) Insights from launching a new fund in India in 2024 (16:20) Developing investment skills and discipline as a venture fund manager (27:30) Strategies for fund managers to unlock capital for portfolio companies in later rounds (42:30) Perspectives of external vs domestic investors/LPs on India’s venture landscape (49:35) Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dhruv on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dhruv⁠⁠ on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠

Dhirendra Mahyavanshi is the Co-Founder of Turtlemint, an online insurance platform backed by Nexus Venture Partners, Peak XV, Jungle Ventures, GGV Capital, Blume Ventures among others. The company is on a mission to makes it easy to understand and buy insurance. Before founding this company he held leadership positions at Quikr and ICICI Lombard. He holds an MBA degree from The IIM Calcutta. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (1:20) Early exposure to entrepreneurship (2:16) Influence of ICICI and Quikr roles on founding Turtlemint (5:15) Startups in the 2010s: parallels and differences (8:50) The inspiration behind starting Turtlemint (12:34) The Indian insurance landscape in 2014 and VC sentiment (17:05) Enhancing the insurance buying experience in India (21:20) Insurance purchasing patterns across India’s diverse tiers (24:24) The leadership journey at Turtlemint (28:25) Mental models and decision-making frameworks (33:38) Challenges in running Turtlemint (37:40) Dhirendra's vision for Turtlemint’s future (40:01) Influencing policy and regulation in India’s insurance sector (43:15) Reflections on the entrepreneurial journey (47:47) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dhirendra on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dhirendra⁠⁠ on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠

Archana Jahagirdar is the founder and managing partner of Rukam Capital, to find out. Set up in 2019, the Delhi-based venture capital firm invests in early-stage consumer products and services companies with significant growth potential. The VC has funded as many as 20+ startups, including noted brands such as Go DESi, Sleepy Owl Coffee, Burger Singh, BECO, The Indus Valley, Curefoods and more. . . . Episode Notes: Intro (1:25) Why did Archana venture into investing in startups? (2:51) The evolution of the Indian startup ecosystem (7:14) Why are Rukum’s LPs excited about India and the fund? (14:04) How do Indian LPs add value to portfolio companies? (17:50) Key learnings from portfolio founders (22:08) Essential practices for every founder (31:19) Rukam Capital: Investment focus and thesis (41:15) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Archana on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Archana⁠⁠ on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Anshuman Singh is the Co-founder of ⁠Scaler⁠, an edtech company designed to upskill college graduates and young software engineers in advanced computer science topics. The company has raised $55M from Lightrock, Peak XV Partners and Tiger Global Management, at a valuation of $700M. Before Scaler, Anshuman had co-founded InterviewBit, a platform aimed at helping software engineers prepare for technical interviews. During this time, he noticed that many talented individuals were struggling with the practical skills required to excel in real-world tech jobs, despite holding degrees in computer science. This realization laid the groundwork for Scaler. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (1:20) Shifts in EdTech: A Founder’s Perspective (2:35) The Inspiration Behind Scaler (6:40) Crafting a World-Class Curriculum (14:48) Navigating Challenges as a VC-Backed Startup (21:10) Building Brand Advocacy and Community (25:19) Preparing Talent for an Evolving Workforce (31:20) Today’s Student and Their Approach to Learning (35:49) Surprising Insights About EdTech in India (44:55) Key Learnings as a Founder and Leader of Scaler (50:11) Advice for Aspiring EdTech Founders (53:25) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anshuman on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anshuman Singh on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠

Sagar Kochhar is the Co-founder of Rebel Foods, and CEO of Eatsure. After completing his engineering degree from NIT Kurukshetra and an MBA from SCMHRD Pune, he began as a design engineer with Larsen & Toubro, then moved to Perfetti Van Melle and Vodafone in marketing roles. At Rebel Foods, he initially joined as Sr. VP of Operations, playing a crucial role in building brands from scratch to multi-million-dollar valuations. Since becoming Group CMO in 2016, Sagar has led brand growth across geographies, focusing on innovative campaigns and community engagement to strengthen brand equity and deliver memorable consumer experiences. In 2020, he launched and became the CEO of Eatsure, a food delivery platform and brand created by Rebel Foods that focuses on providing safe, quality-assured food from a curated selection of restaurant brands. It’s known for its "100% Safe Food Guarantee," where every meal is prepared following strict hygiene and safety protocols. Eatsure's app aggregates multiple brands under one platform, offering a wide variety of cuisines through a virtual food court concept. It also uses technology to track and assure quality across Rebel Foods’ cloud kitchens, enabling customers to order from different brands in one single order. . . . Episode Notes: The journey of Rebel Foods: From inception to today (2:50) Cracking the cloud kitchen business model (24:11) Insights from Sagar on India's evolving food consumption habits (31:45) Leveraging technology and AI to drive Rebel Foods' operations (43:13) Leadership transformation throughout the company’s growth (52:55) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sagar on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sagar on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠

⁠Karthik Prabhakar⁠ is the Managing Partner at ⁠PeerCapital⁠, an early-stage investment fund in India focused on seed to Series A rounds. Karthik has been a part of the Indian tech ecosystem since 2005, with a wealth of experience in venture capital, product development, and marketing. Prior to PeerCapital, Karthik was the Managing Director at Chiratae Ventures (formerly known as IDG Ventures). . . . Episode Notes: What still excites Karthik about India today (2:35) Staying ahead of trends as an investor (5:11) India’s trajectory over the next 10-15 years (10:18) Karthik’s evolution as an investor from the beginning to now (17:40) How to build a strong network in venture capital (21:20) Building a world-class institution in venture capital (26:40) Measuring the factors that contribute to a VC fund’s brand (31:30) The importance of branding for a VC fund (33:45) PeerCapital’s success in building a brand (40:22) How to genuinely add value as an investor (46:46) Is competition beneficial for a VC fund? (54:30) Why gaming is a focus area for PeerCapital (57:05) Top 3 lessons from Karthik’s investing career (1:03:35) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Karthik on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Karthik on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠

⁠Aditya Nambiar⁠ is the co-founder of ⁠Fennel⁠, a modern feature engineering platform that enables you to author, compute, store, serve, monitor, and govern both real-time and batch ML features, backed by Foundational Capital. Before diving into entrepreneurship, Aditya built products at Google and Facebook, and is an IIT-B alumnus. . . . Episode notes: Introduction (1:40) Why choose entrepreneurship? (2:32) The mindset shift: Small teams solving big problems vs. hyper-focused challenges (9:05) When is a product truly ready to ship? (12:10) What does it take for someone transitioning from big tech to thrive in startups? (16:44) Beyond technical skills: What to look for in an early startup hire (21:08) The personal impact of startup life on founders (25:51) Key learnings from building a startup (32:58) Aditya’s life purpose (36:05) How to enjoy the process of pursuing your purpose (38:25) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aditya on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aditya on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠

Mayuresh Raut is the Co-founder & Managing Partner of Seafund, investing in pre-Series A startups in India with investments in companies such as Wigzo, Inc42, Zippee, ClooTrack among others. SEA Fund’s mission is to help the next set of technical founders, with small amounts of early capital in getting to market to build efficient and scalable businesses. He is an Engineer and an MBA and is an alumnus of Virginia Tech and INSEAD, has over 21 years of leadership experience with global clients in Manufacturing, Construction & Analytics in Financial Services & Healthcare and has been investing in startups for over 10 years. . . . Episode Notes: Why pursue a career in venture capital? (2:33) What excites investors about India today compared to when they first started? (4:24) Improving policy-making: How India has evolved (10:24) Areas where India can excel on the global stage (18:55) Adopting a long-term perspective on investing (32:15) Accelerating India's middle-class growth and GDP (36:17) Cultivating the next generation of top entrepreneurs (43:35) India's trajectory over the next decade (52:13) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mayuresh on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mayuresh on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠

Swati Bhargava is the Co-Founder of CashKaro.com, India’s largest Cashback & Coupons site, backed by Kalaari Capital, Korea investment partners and Affle. Swati first started Pouring Pounds with her husband Rohan Bhargava in the UK in 2011. Seeing the huge opportunity in India they launched CashKaro.com in April 2013. Swati is an alumnus of the London School of Economics and has worked at Goldman Sachs in London for 5 years before embarking on the path of entreprneurship. In this episode we’ll cover her decade long journey building a consumer business and all things she’s learned about being a founder and growing as leader. . . . Episode Notes: Swati's journey into entrepreneurship (2:54) Influence of parents on career decisions (7:30) Essential advice for aspiring and first-time entrepreneurs (10:40) Embracing uncertainty in entrepreneurship (15:25) Founder’s evolution as the company grows (18:35) Cultivating company culture (23:55) Pros and cons of having your life partner as a co-founder (31:40) Early days of CashKaro: Customer acquisition, attracting investors, and brand building (34:50) How capital empowers founders (39:04) Taking a step back to move forward (42:42) Investor sentiment in 2024 (45:28) Transformations in the Indian startup ecosystem over the past decade (47:45) CashKaro’s larger vision and future outlook (52:54) Spirituality and mental resilience as a founder (59:36) The importance of vulnerability in leadership (1:02:52) Advice to a younger Swati (1:09:02) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Swati on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Swati on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn

Anish is the Co-founder and CEO of Open, a neo-banking platform which provides business banking services to SMEs and startups. With over 17 years in the fintech industry, Anish has a rich entrepreneurial background. In 2001, he co-founded his first startup, iFuturz Wireless, focusing on mobile value-added services. In 2007, he founded CashNxt, a plug-and-play mobile payment and financial inclusion platform for semi-urban and rural markets, which was later acquired by a Latin American company. In 2009, he built Neartivity Wireless, an NFC-based payment processing platform. In 2013, he co-founded Zwitch, India’s first developer-focused payment platform, which was acquired by Citrus Payments in 2015. At CitrusPay and later at PayU, Anish interacted with numerous SMEs and realized that banking was broken for small businesses, with owners struggling to track their income and expenses, leading him to found Open. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (1:50) Why entrepreneurship? (2:37) Selling his first company (9:00) Building fintech in India from 2010 to 2024 (13:45) Why Open and what was the vision for the company when it was initially founded? (18:48) Building trust as an early Neo bank in India (23:20) Lessons from building multiple startups (28:20) Building and nurturing culture (33:20) Building during the years of the pandemic (40:55) Growing as a leader (47:55) Challenges of building a company at scale (52:20) Vision for Open in the coming years (56:38) Advice Anish would have given himself early in his career (58:55) . . . Social Links: Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anish on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anish on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn

Edul Patel is the Co-founder & CEO of Mudrex, a crypto exchange platform on a mission to democratize investing, with its primary goal being to make crypto investing easy and accessible to all. The company has raised over $22M from Y Combinator, Nexus Venture Partners, Tribe Captial, QED Investors and Arkam Ventures. Edul brings with him over 10 years of experience deep-rooted in finance, entrepreneurship, and building tech-driven applications. Previously Co-Founded Niffler, which was acquired by Tapzo where he led the product team to build the core infrastructure and the app. . . . Episode Notes: Intro (1:50) How Edul got into entrepreneurship (2:45) Why so many IITians become founders (6:45) Overcoming insecurities as a founder (13:13) Learnings as a second-time entrepreneur (17:40) The origin of Mudrex (22:02) How Indian VCs viewed crypto in 2017 (29:36) The crypto and web3 movement: why community matters (35:15) Building investor confidence in crypto after recent events (42:17) What Edul has learned about himself as an operator (45:45) . . . Social Links: Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠Edul on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edul on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn

Navin Honagudi is the Managing Partner at Elev8 Venture Partners, an India-focused $200M Growth-stage fund. Elev8 focuses on Series B and C rounds of financing in hyper growth companies. He bring 18+ years of experience investing in early and growth stage technology firms and also held the positions of Co-founder and Partner at Kae Capital. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (1:48) How Naveen entered venture capital (2:24) Comparing entrepreneurs: 2000s vs. today (4:45) Indian VC landscape & expected exits/returns in the 2000s (8:38) What Elev8 looks for in founders (11:45) Why India is exciting today (18:01) Opportunities in offline to online transition in India (25:30) Emerging sectors like faith-tech (28:15) Next billion dollar opportunities: alcohol, sex-tech, betting, gaming (32:25) Summarizing investment experiences: CVC, consumer VC, and growth-stage VC (37:25) Investing in early-stage vs. growth-stage (42:15) Advice Naveen would give his younger self (45:28) . . . Social Links: Follow ⁠⁠⁠Navin on Twitter⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠Navin on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn

Sanket Shah is the Founder of invideo, an AI-powered video creation platform for creators, boasting over 25 million users worldwide. As a trusted leader in the industry, InVideo serves customers in 190 countries and has raised over $52 million from investors including Tiger Global, Peak 15, RTP Global, Titan Capital, and Hummingbird Ventures. Prior to InVideo, Sanket founded MassBlurb, which was acquired by Mobikon in 2016. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (2:00) How to discover your superpowers? (2:50) Why did Sanket decide to be an entrepreneur? (3:40) How did growing up in an entrepreneurial family influence Sanket's decision to become a founder himself? (7:20) How did the idea for invideo come into being? (13:03) Early days of invideo (18:18) Serving the anti-power user (23:20) How does invideo ensure stickiness with its product (32:37) Fostering a culture of multifaceted thinking within the organization (37:25) Sanket’s view on hiring, culture and leadership within the company (42:55) Internalizing as a founder (58:20) Reflecting back on the journey and advising a younger self (1:02:25) . . . Social Links: Follow ⁠⁠Sanket on Twitter⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠Sanket on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn

Ashok is the Co-founder and CEO of IDfy, an online fraud detection and identity platform that provides background verification services to banks and financial institutions. He started his career in semi-conductors, building high-speed network processors. His MBA degree took him away from Engineering and into the world of Business Strategy. He worked with British Telecom in London for 5 years before deciding that his heart lay in creating value grounds-up.  The company has raised over $54M from IndiaMart, KB Investment, Blume Ventures, Elev8 Venture Partners among many others. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (2:00) Was entrepreneurship part of Ashok’s career plan (3:04) Early influence of entrepreneurship (4:40) Learnings from building (13:50) What does entrepreneurship teach you about failure and setbacks (25:00) Struggling with mental health as founders (30:00) Evolving as a founder: Doer to enabler (39:45) Building a ‘change culture’ (44:01) Impact of entrepreneurship on personal life (51:35) Advice to self and other founders (54:29) . . . Social Links: Follow ⁠⁠Ashok on Twitter⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠Ashok on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn

Rajiv Srivatsa is a Partner at Antler India, one of the most active early-stage venture capital firms. Prior to Antler, he co-founded Urban Ladder, an omni-channel furniture and decor retailer started in 2012. The company raised over $100M from SAIF Partners, Kalaari, Steadview, Peak XV Partners, Trifecta Capital and Ratan Tata. In November 2020, the company was acquired by Reliance Retail. Prior to Urban Ladder, he served as a Senior Product Manager with Yahoo, and before that at Infosys. He is an alumnus of IIT-Madras and IIM-Bangalore. . . . Episode Notes: How did it all start for Rajiv (2:02) When and why did Rajiv decide to start Urban Ladder (5:50) Where does Rajiv’s love for consumer products come from (12:10) How did idea of selling home decor / furniture originate (14:41) How did Urban Ladder look at culture internally and build a great one at scale (28:45) How has Rajiv’s leadership evolved over the years (34:12) How and why did Rajiv decide to enter venture capital (42:35) What does Rajiv enjoy the most - being an operator, founder or investor (55:10) Rajiv’s advice to anyone on a break looking for a framework on how to develop a career plan (57:35) . . . Social Links: Follow ⁠Rajiv on Twitter⁠ Follow ⁠⁠Rajiv on LinkedIn⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠ Follow ⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn

Shwetank Verma is the co-founder of Leo Capital, a venture capital fund investing in companies inIndiaand South East Asia. Recent investments include CoLearn (edtech), WayForward (mental health), CoverGenius (Insurtech) and IndiaGold (Digital Gold). Leo Capital is backed by institutional investorsfrom Singapore and Silicon Valley. Prior to Leo Capital, he led Open Innovation for MetLife Asia and was a part of the senior management team of LumenLab, MetLife's innovation consultancy. At LumenLab, he advised MetLife country CEOs andsenior leaders on growth, startup collaboration, culture change and new product development. Prior to joining MetLife, he was a serial entrepreneur in healthcare and education in India. He serves asInnovation Adviser to the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Singapore Management University. He is also a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales and holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Econometrics from the University of Nottingham (UK), where he was a Foreignand Commonwealth Office scholar. . . . Episode Notes: State of the industry in 2024  How does Shwetank define a good investor? Takeaways from working with portfolio founders Vision for India the next 5 years Examples of building from India for the world from a category-creation play Best investor persona: Operator vs Pure investor? How did Leo build its internal thesis? Why did Shwetank become an investor? What does Shwetank like and dislike about investing? How has Shwetank evolved as an investor? Insights from working with Leo’s porticos Advice Shwetank would give his younger self . . . Social Links: Follow Shwetank on Twitter Follow ⁠Shwetank on LinkedIn⁠ Follow ⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠ Follow ⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠ Follow Akash Bhat on LinkedIn

Prayank Swaroop is a Partner at Accel, and joined the firm in 2011. He focuses on cybersecurity, developer tools, marketplaces, and SaaS investments. Some of the investments led by him are - Aavenir, Bizongo, Maverix, OnsiteGo, Securden, Slintel, Skeps, and Zetwerk. Prior to Accel, he worked at Adobe and Standard Chartered Bank in India and Singapore. He held positions across engineering, product marketing, pre-sales, and product management. He has an integrated master's degree in Mathematics and Computing from IIT Delhi and an MBA from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. . . . Episode Notes: What made Prayank take a bet on venture as a career path (3:38) Naivety in venture capital (7:10) Where is venture as of October 2023, post the global slow down (9:50)  Sectors that have shown massive potential in spite of it being a dull year in terms of venture activity (18:18) Insights gained by Prayank over the course of his ten years of investment experience (22:15) How to evaluate people as an investor (27:38) How would Prayank rebuild his career as an investor if given a chance to restart (38:37) Advice to founders (48:15) . . . Social Links: Follow Prayank on Twitter Follow ⁠Prayank on LinkedIn⁠ Follow ⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠ Follow ⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠ Follow ⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn

Priya Saiprasad is a General Partner at Touring Capital, a fund investing in enterprise-focused AI powered global startups. She co-founded Touring after 13 years in venture capital, M&A and enterprise technology. She was most recently a Partner at SoftBank Vision Fund, where she led investments into category-defining software companies including Pixis, Vendr, Observe.ai, CommerceIQ, Sendoso and Skedulo. Previously, Priya was at Mayfield Fund focused on early-growth investments, and a founding member of M12 (Microsoft’s Venture Fund), where she led investments in Go1, Workboard, PandaDoc, Element AI (acquired by ServiceNow), and Bonsai (acquired by Microsoft). Prior to that, she was a Deal Lead in Square’s M&A team leading acquisitions at the intersection of software and machine learning. Priya was recognized by Forbes in 2018 as part of their 30 under 30 in Venture Capital list. She is actively involved with All Raise, Neythri, and several prominent Women in Tech associations. Priya holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. . . . Episode Notes: How did Priya end up in venture (2:36) What about venture surprised Priya the most (6:00) Insecurities as/of an investor (11:25) Learnings as an investor when investments haven’t really worked out (17:02) How can one acquire the skills to assist founders, even if they haven't personally experienced those challenges? (25:05) Investing is personal: Do investors derive guidance from aspects of their life when making investment decisions? (29:35) How does competition drive investors (34:52) Prestige and perception in venture (41:30) Advice Priya would give her younger self (47:20) . . . Social Links: Follow ⁠Priya on Twitter⁠ Follow ⁠Priya on LinkedIn⁠ Follow ⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠ Follow ⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠ Follow ⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn

Rohit Bansal is the Co-founder Snapdeal, one of the largest online marketplaces in India. The company has raised over $1.7B from eBay, Kalaari Capital, Nexus Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Intel Capital, BlackRock, Temasek Holdings and SoftBank. He is also the Co-Founder of Titan Capital, which has invested in companies such as Mamaearth, Dealshare, OLA, RazorPay and OfBusiness. He an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (2:00) What motivated Rohit to become an entrepreneur (2:57) Why is entrepreneurship on the rise in India (10:30) How did Rohit get into investing (14:30) How did and does Rohit deal with tough moments in life (19:26) How do founders continue to stay motivated over the years (27:58) What frameworks does Rohit deploy to navigate tough situations in life (31:39) Why it’s important for founders to look after themselves (36:20) Looking back at his career what is Rohit the most proud of? (41:15) What is Rohit dedicating the next 5-10 years of his life towards (45:45) What advice would Rohit give his younger self? (52:02) . . . Social Links: Follow Rohit on Twitter Follow Rohit on LinkedIn Follow The Desi VC on LinkedIn Follow Akash Bhat on Twitter Follow Akash Bhat on LinkedIn

Shubham Goel is the Co-foudner and Co-CEO of Affinity, a relationship intelligence platform for dealmakers. The company has raised over $120M in funding from Menlo Ventures, MassMutual Ventures, Pear VC and Advance Venture Partners. Prior to Affinity, Shubham completed his BS in Computer Science at Stanford University. . . . Episode notes: What made Shubham pick entrepreneurship (2:00) Propensity of risk increasing as the company grows (6:08) The journey until the ah-ha moment (10:06) The aha-moment (17:00) Unlocking the operator and leader persona as a founder (25:15) Getting the most out of your teams as a leader (31:10) Things that have surprised Shubham in the company building journey (37:15) What would Shubham do differently if he were to build Affinity from scratch today? (43:54) . . . Social links: Follow Shubham on Twitter Follow The Desi VC Podcast on Twitter Follow Akash Bhat on Twitter

Sumeet Mehta is the co-founder and CEO of LEAD, an edtech company helping digitize and transform affordable private schools to better serve students from middle and low-income groups of families. Before co-founding LEAD, Sumeet was Chief Executive Officer at Zee Learn (2007-2012). He transformed the institution from a pre-school franchise company to an education company with a presence in pre-schools and K-10 schools, and science activity and animation classes. Prior to that, Sumeet spent eight years at Procter & Gamble Singapore, where he was involved in in brand management, leading businesses in Australia, Southeast Asia, and India. Sumeet is an alumnus of IIM-Ahmedabad and PEC Chandigarh. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (1:40) How and why did Sumeet co-found LEAD? (3:08) How do you 'figure out' your mission as a founder? (8:18) Do founders take time to introspect about their personal growth? If they do, how frequently do they engage in this practice, and what methods do they employ? (14:23) How can a founder effectively address and manage their insecurities while continually learning and growing in their role? (19:20) What has Sumeet learned about himself over the course of his entrepreneurial journey (24:00) The toughest part of building a company (28:36) Working with your significant other as a co-founder (32:08) Non-negotiables as a founder (34:50) Fostering a culture of long-term thinking among employees (39:02) Advice Sumeet would offer his younger self (41:11) . . . Social links: Follow Sumeet on Twitter Follow LEAD on LinkedIn Follow The Desi VC Podcast on Twitter Follow Akash Bhat on Twitter Follow Akash Bhat on Instagram

Sankar Bora is the Co-founder & COO, Dealshare, a social ecommerce startup in India, that has raised close to $400M in venture money from marquee investors such as Alpha Wave Global, Tiger Global, Matrix India, Alteria Capital and WestBridge Capital. Prior to this, he co-founded Myntra in 2007, which was sold to Flipkart in 2010. . . . Episode Notes: Why entrepreneurship? (2:30) What gave Sankar the conviction to embark on the path of entrepreneurship (5:50) Early days of Mantra (10:32) A few mistakes made at Myntra (14:25) How to pick co-founders? (20:34) Learnings from building Myntra (22:50) Validating the thesis around Dealshare (27:50) What did Sankar get right about building Dealshare and early signs of success (33:45) Understanding the diversity of Indian customers Nurturing consistency at Dealshare (43:25) What has entrepreneurship taught Sankar (46:20) . . . Social Links: Dealshare on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dealshareindia Sankar on Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/SankarBora6 Podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedesi_vc Akash Bhat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhatvakash Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thedesivc Akash Bhat on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bhatvakash

Aloke Bajpai is the Co-founder and CEO of ixigo.com a platform that aggregates and compares real-time travel information, prices and availability for flights, trains, buses, and hotels, and allows ticket booking through its associate websites and apps. Since ixigo's launch in 2007, the company has gone from a bootstrapped startup to India’s leading travel search and planning business, with over 20 million active users every month across mobile and web. Aloke graduated from IIT Kanpur in 2001 and started his career at Amadeus in Europe where he held key product and technology roles, building and managing large scale web-based products and networks for the first four years of his career. He then went to INSEAD for his MBA, and returned to India to build ixigo. . . . Episode Notes: Intro (2:15) Why entrepreneurship (4:11) What frameworks did Aloke decide to take the plunge into entrepreneurship (11:20) Why did Aloke pick travel as an industry to disrupt (14:35) The Aha-moment for Ixigo (17:38) Conversations with VCs in the early-stages (24:15) How did Aloke and team convince their first investors (30:00) Leveraging VCs to grow the company (32:40) Evolution of Aloke’s leadership styles over the Yeats (37:40) How do you build a strong internal company culture (42:15) How did Ixigo navigate the pandemic and the challenges that came with it? (46:50) Overall learnings building Ixigo (55:20) Advice to younger self (59:18) . . . Social Links: ixigo on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ixigo Aloke on Twitter: https://twitter.com/alokebajpai Podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedesi_vc Akash Bhat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhatvakash Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thedesivc Akash Bhat on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bhatvakash

Rajat Tandon is the President of IVCA, India's apex body representing the interests of PE/VC industry, Real estate, Infrastructure and Credit funds, Limited Partners, Family offices & Corporate VC's. Rajat leads the planning, development, and implementing IVCA’s regulatory advocacy activities, while also effectively influencing regulatory outcomes in support of the alternate asset class. Previously, Rajat was part of the leadership team at NASSCOM, where he headed NASSCOM’s 10,000 Startups initiative, providing crucial support to technology startups in India. With his early stint as entrepreneur and extensive corporate experience in the IT & Telecom and GIS/Navigable maps, Rajat competently bridges the gap between boardroom expertise and on-the-ground experience. Over the past 25+ years, he has worked in various positions ranging from technical support, sales leadership, service delivery to strategic initiatives at Siemens, Nortel, and Nokia. Rajat also brings with him his extensive network in the startups space, having worked closely with most of the eminent industry leaders. His knowledge of the startup ecosystem, its constituents, successes, opportunities, and challenges run deep. He is also a member of CII National Start-up Council. A Post-Graduate in Business Management from the Indian Institute of Management Technology (IIMT), Ghaziabad, Rajat also has a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Pune University. When not busy with the VC-PE and startup communities, you will find him spending quality time with family or enjoying a game of Golf.​ . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (2:00) The evolution of the Indian VC ecosystem in the past decade (3:20) IVCA's pivotal role in the advancement of the Indian VC ecosystem (5:06) Rajat's career path (7:45) IVCA's remarkable milestones and contributions (17:55) Envisioning a thriving startup ecosystem (26:04) Inspiring success stories from India's vibrant startup landscape (42:20) Rajat's lasting legacy: Shaping the future of Venture Capital (51:29) . . . Social Links: IVCA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/indianvca Rajat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rajattandy Podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedesi_vc Akash Bhat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhatvakash Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thedesivc Akash Bhat on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bhatvakash 

Rohit Sood is the Partner at Bertelsmann India Investments (BII), an investment firm that invests in companies in the digital, education, media, and services sectors. The firm also focuses on early-stage, as well as growth-stage investments. Rohit was the founding team member and has been part of Bertelsmann from Day 0 having seen the growth of the fund over the last decade as well played an instrumental part in shaping India’s startup ecosystem. Prior to Bertelsmann, he spent some time at Deutche Bank and holds an MBA from IIM-Kohzikode with a Bachelors from IIT Delhi. . . . Episode Notes: Intro (1:50) Why did Rohit pick a career in venture (3:42) Trading vs venture capital (7:30) Indian growth story: 2010-present (10:37) Learnings from backing companies that haven’t scaled as per expectations (16:10) How does Berterslman conduct its post mortem on startups (20:40) How does one build a great working relationship with their portfolio founders and guide them (28:06) How and what do investors mean when they talk about market? (32:42) Can the market be manipulated (35:42) Thoughts on investing in the ‘Valley of death’ (41:15) Exits for VCs (50:10) Insights from investing in winners (54:50) What can we expect from India in the coming years (1:03:01) How has Rohit evolved as an investor over the years (1:07:30) . . . Social Links: BII on Twitter: https://twitter.com/biifund Rohit on Twitter: https://twitter.com/doostihor Podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedesi_vc Akash Bhat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhatvakash Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thedesivc Akash Bhat on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bhatvakash 

Saurabh Saxena is a serial edtech entrepreneur who has co-founded Lakshya, Vedantu and Power Club (previously known as Uable). He has been an educator and Edtech entrepreneur for 15 years now. After graduating from IIT Roorkee in 2005 he started Lakshya, a chain of offline learning centres. After a successful exit, Saurabh then co-founded Vedantu in 2012 which then went on to become one of the leading online test prep companies. Shortly after becoming a parent himself, Saurabh realised that our current education system does not prepare our children with real-world life skills required to lead a happy and successful life. That led him to found his third edtech venture, Power Club, aimed at preserving and nurturing our children’s creative intelligence and preparing them for an uncertain future. Links to topics discussed: Poistive Intelligence and Letter to younger self by Salman Khan (Khan Academy) . . . Episode Notes: Intro (1:43) Why entrepreneurship? (2:32) Why is Saurabh passionate about education (6:32) Takeways from building three companies in edtech (9:35) Aha-moments while building Vedantu and Lakshya (22:00) How should founders think about scale (27:50) How has Saurabh matured and evolved as a founder (31:50) How to build mission-driven businesses (39:50) Frameworks for decision-making and navigating tough days as a founder (43:35) How does Saurabh leverage his success to motivate him further (51:52) Advice to his younger self (55:55) . . . Social Links: Powerclub on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/join.power.club/ Saurabh on Twitter: https://twitter.com/saurabh_learn Podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedesi_vc Akash Bhat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhatvakash Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thedesivc Akash Bhat on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bhatvakash

Nandini Mansinghka is the CEO of Mumbai Angels, an investment firm that now operates under the 360 One umbrella. She came on board as the third Co-Founder, operating partner, and CEO in 2017. She has vast years of experience across the Investment Banking, Media, and Education industries and worked for 5+ years with J.P. Morgan in India in leadership positions in the Investment Banking research group. Before J.P. Morgan, she has worked for over 5 years with the Times of India Group. She also holds a professional degree as a Chartered Financial Analyst. Episode Notes: Intro (2:11) Career trajectory (3:40) The role of families in career progression (17:11) Nandini's stint as an entrepreneur (23:49) Growth of the average Indian angel investor in the last 5-10 years (34:15) Mumbai Angels' deal flow management in the context of macro trends explained (49:53) The role of Mumbai Angels in the next chapter of India's growth (57:00)

Dr. Pankaj Jethwani is the Executive Vice President at W Health Ventures, a Boston-based venture capital firm focused on helping entrepreneurs build the future of healthcare delivery in the US and India. Over the last ten years, Dr. Jethwani has been involved in improving care delivery in several care settings in the US and India as a physician leader, operator, management consultant, and investor.Dr. Jethwani started his career as a Primary Care Physician in Mumbai, India. Through this experience, he witnessed first-hand the gaps in health care delivery in both the public and private sectors. Motivated to bring about reform in this system, he joined The Boston Consulting Group in India where he helped shape BCG’s work with Government agencies to improve delivery of healthcare at scale. He later co-founded The Breakfast Revolution (TBR), a social enterprise fighting the malnutrition epidemic in India. TBR has served 220,000+ children over 20 million fortified meals.More recently, Pankaj worked at Iora Health, a Boston-based innovative primary care company that serves seniors on Medicare. This experience helped shape his perspective on building and scaling a technology-enabled value-based care organization, taking global risk, and creating a delightful model of care for patients and providers. At W Health Ventures, Dr. Jethwani leads investments in disruptive technology-enabled healthcare services companies in the US and India. Pankaj holds an MBBS (MD-equivalent) degree from MUHS (India) and received an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Episode Notes: Introduction (2:30) How did Pankaj venture into the world of VC following his career as a doctor? (3:05) Which is more challenging: transitioning into VC or practicing medicine? (6:12) Insights gained from Pankaj's experience as an operator (8:44) The healthcare industry in India: an in-depth analysis (17:48) The transformative impact of VC in healthcare: an exploration (31:11) Valuable lessons derived from high-performing portfolios (36:47) W Health Ventures' investment strategy and approach (44:53) The pivotal role of capital in shaping India's healthcare landscape (51:20) Unlocking growth and fortifying the Indian healthcare industry (55:40) Words of wisdom Pankaj would impart to his younger self (58:25)

Saurabh Pandey, co-founder and CEO of EloElo. EloElo is an app that enables live-social experiences through games and entertainment. It is currently among the top 10 Apps on the Google Play Store in India with over 10M downloads. It accommodates 34,000 creators and offers a staggering 400 million minutes of live content. The company has raised $15M from Kalaari Capital, KB Investment, Lumikai, WaterBridge Ventures and Better Capital. Before Eloelo, he accumulated a decade of experience in various domains such as marketing, product and growth at Flipkart and P&G. Episode notes: Introduction (2:05) Rationale behind entrepreneurship: Saurabh's motivation for founding EloElo (2:59) Resilience and conviction: Saurabh's renewed pursuit of entrepreneurship following a prior setback (10:25) Early Validation of EloElo (18:03) Standing out in a competitive landscape: EloElo's approach to capturing attention in the content and entertainment industry (26:16) Building alongside ICPs (34:14) The significance of timing in the company's growth trajectory (41:12) Insights gained as a CEO: Key lessons learned by Saurabh (49:18) Saurabh's framework for decision making (59:42) Non-negotiable principles: Saurabh's core values and beliefs (1:10:26) Saurabh's reflections – advice to the younger self (1:16:55) . . . Social Links: EloElo on Twitter: https://twitter.com/eloeloapp Saurabh on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Saurabh65616912 Podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedesi_vc Akash Bhat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhatvakash Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thedesivc Akash Bhat on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bhatvakash

Karan Desai is the Founder and Managing Partner at Interface Ventures, an early-stage venture fund based out of Mumbai, India. He’s an operator turned investor who brings a diverse skill set that encompasses extensive experience in operations, investment banking, and financial consulting. Prior to Interface, he was the Joint Managing Director at Trucap Finance Ltd., a rapidly expanding NBFC listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange which specializes in providing finance to MSME businesses in India. In addition to this, Karan founded exerFIT, a globally recognized lifestyle nutrition and supplementation brand endorsed by top athletes and Bollywood stars. Throughout his career, Karan has held key roles at distinguished brands such as Bank of America, PwC, Centrum Capital, and the HEAL Institute. His academic credentials include a Masters from the University of Westminster, London, and a Bachelors from Narsee Monjee College, Mumbai, where he graduated with distinction. Episode Notes: Intro (2:28) Journey into venture capital (3:53) How is Interface Ventures structured? (11:20) Looking back at Karan's founder stint: ExerFit (17:55) How to keep things lean and bootstrap (25:06) How does Karan invest, knowing what he knows today as a former founder? (29:25) How has venture impacted Karan as a person? (36:11) Learning from founders that Karan has invested in and worked with (40:56) Advice to a younger self (45:49) . . . Social links: Interface Ventures on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/interfaceven/ Podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedesi_vc Akash Bhat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhatvakash Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thedesivc Akash Bhat on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bhatvakash

Yohei Nakajima is the General Partner at Untapped Capital, a pre-seed and seed-stage focused fund investing in under-represented founders in the US. At Untapped Capital, the sweet spot is investing $100k-$250k checks into startups based raising at $3-7m in valuation. Yohei has been supporting early-stage startups for 15 years, originally starting on the community side organizing events and educational courses for founders out of coworking spaces. He has spent the last 7 on the investing side, initially at Techstars where he helped spin up the Disney Accelerator alongside The Walt Disney Company, followed by his role as Director of Pipeline, supporting all 30+ Techstars accelerator programs in recruiting the best startups worldwide. Prior to Untapped, he was at Scrum Ventures, where he led the development of Scrum Studio, designing, leading, and overseeing our partner programs with Nintendo, Dentsu, Panasonic. . . . Episode Notes: Intro (2:38) Why venture? (3:52) Thesis origin and resonance with founders (8:04) Yohei's builder persona and its influence on his investor persona (16:03) Sourcing through outbound (23:40) Non-negotiables as an investor (28:40) Knowledge sharing as a fund manager (33:34) Future of Untapped Capital (35:15) LP's learnings from Yohei (36:26) Advice for emerging fund managers (39:26) Fundraising surprises as a fund manager (42:05) Learnings from portfolio founders in early stages (44:52) Yohei's decision-making process and framework (48:48) Advice for his younger self (50:30) . . . Social Links: Untapped Capital on Twitter: https://twitter.com/UntappedVC Yohei on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yoheinakajima Podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedesi_vc Akash Bhat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhatvakash Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thedesivc Akash Bhat on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bhatvakash

Prateek Agarwal is the Investment lead at First Cheque, a micro VC fund based out of Bangalore that invests $100K in pre-seed startups in India. Prior to this role, Prateek worked with the India Business Head at Dr. Reddy's where he was responsible for tracking business metrics, identifying areas of improvement, and leading strategic projects. His background as both a consultant and operator at firms like Dr. Reddy's and EY has allowed him to develop skills in strategic planning, project management, and data analysis across multiple industries. Prateek's ability to shift between the big picture and details has also been strengthened through his diverse experiences. First Cheque was originally conceived by India Quotient but is now an independent firm with its own brand. During its first fund, First Cheque worked with more than 20 venture partners and added over 100 startups to its portfolio, which includes well-known ventures such as Fashinza, Giva, Rocketlane, Fleetx, Wint Wealth, Plaza/Rigi, Global Fair, Drink Prime, and Bellatrix Aerospace.

Nitin Jain is a well-known name in the Indian startup ecosystem as the co-founder and Chief Business Officer of OfBusiness, a tech-enabled platform that provides raw material procurement and credit solutions to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India. With a strong background in structured solutions trading, Nitin has played a key role in OfBusiness' success, helping the company raise over $875M from top investors like Tiger Global, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Matrix Partners, among others. Today, OfBusiness is valued at around $5B and has become a leading player in the Indian SME ecosystem. Nitin Jain is an alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and has had a successful career prior to his entrepreneurial journey. Episode Notes: Nitin Jain discusses his journey into entrepreneurship (2:10) Discovering Co-Founders and Creating the OfBusiness Idea (3:55) Nitin Jain shares his perspective on what's more critical: the team or the idea (6:30) The Early Days of OfBusiness: A Look Back at the "Aha Moment" (9:15) Coping with the Struggles and Insecurities of Being a Founder (12:30) Understanding the Composition of Winning Founding Teams (16:30) Nitin Jain's Unique Leadership Style and Approach (23:10) Fostering a People-First Culture at OfBusiness (27:10) Developing a Strong Company Culture as Companies Grow (29:18) How to Maximize the Benefits of Your Investors (32:22) Overcoming the Toughest Days as a Founder (39:20) Nitin Jain's Biggest Lesson as an Entrepreneur (41:57) Advice to His Younger Self: What Nitin Jain Would Have Done Differently (46:03) . . . Social Links: OfBusiness on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ofbusiness_com Abhishek Goyal on Twitter: https://twitter.com/njain351 Podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedesi_vc Akash Bhat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhatvakash Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thedesivc Akash Bhat on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bhatvakash

Beerud Sheth is the co-founder and CEO of Gupshup, the world's leading platform for cloud messaging and conversational experiences. It is used by over 30K+ developers and handles over 4.5 billion messages per month. The company has raised more than $480M from marquee investors such as Helion Venture Partners, Tiger Global, CRV, White Oak among many others. He was previously the co-founder of Elance (now Upwork), the world's largest online services marketplace, which went public in 2018. Prior to founding Elance, he worked in the financial services industry – modeling, structuring, and trading fixed income securities and derivatives at Merrill Lynch and before that at Citicorp Securities. His graduate research, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab, involved developing autonomous learning software agents for personalized news filtering. Beerud earned an M.S. in computer science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology & a B.Tech in Computer Science from IIT Bombay. Episode Notes: What made Beerud an entrepreneur? (3:48) A Retrospective on the entrepreneurial journey (13:13) Unpacking the drive of serial entrepreneurs (20:15) The evolution of Beerud's entrepreneurial career (23:23) Navigating the pressures of entrepreneurship (28:30) Insights and guidance for first-time founders (32:40) The distinctive traits of exceptional founders (40:52) The founder's role in business pivots (43:50) Words of wisdom for his younger self (51:11) . . . Social Links: Gupshup on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gupshup Beerud Sheth on Twitter: https://twitter.com/beerud Podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedesi_vc Akash Bhat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhatvakash Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thedesivc Akash Bhat on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bhatvakash