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What an incredible evening at the D2C Mixer!

Honored to share insights alongside Akshay Gulati (Slikk) and Srinivas Sarkar (Coupl® (YC S22)).

Huge thanks to eChai Ventures, Jatin Chaudhary, and the amazing D2C community for making it happen!

Special shoutout to Nanda Kumar, Vishnu Chowdhary & Mitul Aggarwal, a for keeping it engaging. Here’s to more such impactful conversations! 
I was blessed to live another beautiful moment.

I was honoured to deliver a speech at an Event organized by Tally Solutions Pvt Ltd. The event theme was Founder's Day.
I tried to inspire the fellow entrepreneurs with 5Es of Entrepreneurship.

1. Educate : We educate our clients and our team about what we have been doing, what we can do and what is the best suitable path for them in terms of technology adoption. This approach has established a good relationship between our clients and our team with a clear communication about each other's expectations.

2. Empower : We have been empowering our team to achieve their best so that our clients can get the desired results against their investment in technology. The empowerment is a continuous process where we, our clients and our team all participate equally.

3. Empathy : We are all human beings, we understand the cost of mistakes and we also know that things can be better if appropriate time and resources are applied. Our empathetic approach towards the team and clients have helped us develop sustainable solutions.

4. Execute : Our excellence is the result of our execution. The execution comes with a great responsibility and ground level planning with all resources engaged in the projects.

5. Ethics : Our ethics are our culture, whatever we do in business, the first thing we talk and insist is that is this Ethical? Our relationship with our clients and our team has been stronger and positive because of our ethics in business

I did give credit to eChai Ventures and Jatin Chaudhary for their phenomenal work in the nurturing  #Startup community in Ahmedabad.
What are your thoughts on the Gujarat ecosystem for startups ?

Gujarat is Home to >12000 startups & having studied in Mumbai , worked in Delhi & natively coming from Rajasthan here is my thought on Ahmedabad as a city :

1. Quite economical in terms of rentals & manpower costs for sure
2. Super infra & govt support with places like Ihub by Guj Gov offering coworking starting at just 3k per person which is like 4x in Mumbai. Alongside a lot of fund support also with Schemes like Srujan
3. Very safe & better quality of life (specially Space :)) than both the cities. With the recent new Delhi AQI at dangerous level, I feel Ahmedabad might emerge as a good option (although AQI here is sometimes at dangerous levels too)
4. With the biggest stadium & project like Gift cities some of the best events like Cold play , probably Olympics & recent Diljit show happen here too. For Tea totallers what else would they need :)

Of course there are a lot of challenges in terms of finding the right people to work or also concerns about rapid urbanization but I think Ahmedabad will be able to retain its charm !

If I missed any point do add in comment below 😊

Ps : let's discuss more in depth today in the sessions by one the most active folks in this ecosystem Jatin Chaudhary
A to Z on PR (Press Release)

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Founders, Managers, Directors, and CXOs often get asked, "Can we publish you in the newspaper?" That's what we call a 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞.

Here are key insights and notes from yesterday's eChai Ventures session on "𝐏𝐑 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲":

1) What makes newsworthy Press Release content?
✴ Instant news like Product Updates
✴ Funding announcements
✴ New location launches
✴ Award recognition

2) What channels are available for Press Releases?
✴ Newspaper articles, Featured sections, Website blogs, Videos, Podcasts, and more

3) What types of Press Releases exist?
✴ Paid: Working with PR agencies for guaranteed features
✴ Earned (DIY): Securing coverage through relationship building and valuable content

4) How to start with Earned Press Releases?
✴ Connect with journalists to share industry opinions
✴ Consistently provide valuable industry insights
✴ Build and nurture media relationships - they matter immensely!

5) What to look for in PR Agencies (Paid)?
✴ Strong media connections
✴ Content SEO authority
✴ Proven track record

6) Should you choose an Agency or DIY approach?
✴ Agencies work best for occasional releases (saves relationship-building time)
✴ DIY approach builds long-term authority through regular PR stories
✴ Start by offering expert opinions to newspapers

🌟 Remember: Credibility is currency!

7) Limited budget dilemma: Regular small news vs. one big story?
✴ Consistency wins - regular small news shows better results

8) Does publishing across multiple media houses create issues?
✴ No problems! Different websites mean no duplicate content concerns
✴ Media houses generate hundreds of pages daily, ensuring quick Google indexing

9) How do service-based organizations benefit from Press Releases?
✴ Builds thought leadership for attracting talent and clients
✴ Enhances societal credibility
✴ Makes you a preferred business partner

🥇 Virality Hack
✴ Leverage community connections through groups and meetups
✴ Mention and tag participants to tap into their networks

Special thanks to Shrijay Sheth and Mukul Goyal for sharing these valuable insights, and to Manoj Adwani for organizing this eye-opening session on 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 - a topic that is unknown to many!
This Saturday at Draper Startup House India , we discussed about Building Startup teams and culture. Mohit Sharma spoke about an ai powered automated food making device that chops cuts sautes weighs boils steams and cooks all in one with step by step procedure with video guidance!! by upliance.ai. we debated about “jain briyani” No we wont tell you what is it, ask Ashfin Francis if want to know 😋

I am super impressed with the composed passionate and sincere founder in Mrinal Rai who was very kind and humble with every soul who meets him !! he felt like a dream founder to me and loved to know the culture they strive to build in his company Intugine - Logistics through Innovation , that makes supply chain movements predictable and has latest updates at all times and effectively improve gdp itself if implemented at country level!! massive respect to the startup. he talked about the importance of PMF ( product market fit )

His advice
- treat first customers as team members, they offer a lot
- Team and problem statement is important
- Market pulls product out of the starup rather than startups pushing them ( they do push a bit initially)
- No Super star engineers needed, bad for company in long run

and the mystery Satya Bar , i didnt know until today 😀

the session was well hosted by Wanderfly.in founder Penchala Tharun 🚀

this is the first session i was fully attentive without active effort as it was super entertaining, the host and the guests were super entertaining!!

thank you eChai Ventures
Dream big. Start small. But most of all, start." – Simon Sinek

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending an eChai Ventures event at IIMA Ventures , and it was an inspiring experience as always!

Every time I attend these events, I come back with a renewed sense of motivation and invaluable insights into the world of entrepreneurship. Being surrounded by passionate entrepreneurs constantly reminds me that if they can achieve their dreams, why can’t I?

A heartfelt thank you to Bhavesh Patel sir, the founder of Brands.live , for not only sharing his profound knowledge but also for personally advising me as I work on building my own SaaS company for financial advisory and algo trading services. His insights completely shifted my perspective and left me recharged to take on new challenges.

I had the pleasure of speaking at eChai Ventures AI Day

Weekend is always a preferred time for socializing, but when socializing happens along with learning with like-minded people, it is super awesome. Glad to share our journey from using tools to discovering use cases and finding the product-market fit for AiVANTA in our AI video space.

It was insightful to listen to Udit Goenka, who has done the journey of zero to one multiple times. Plus, his way of approaching building a product is something every aspiring co-founder should listen to.

Shubham Dumbre and Aanchal Verma🏆 made sure that the entire session was not just well managed but also very interactive. This structure gave participants the chance to ask their questions, and even we got to learn from them.

I request all of you reading this to follow eChai Ventures for such events in the near future and do attend them — definitely a great way to socialize and learn with like-minded people on a Saturday!

"Launching a business is tough. Getting traction is tougher. Growing a business is toughest."

When I met some of the entrepreneurship students last week at the privilege to meet curious students of entrepreneurship at the prestigious Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI India), I realized majority of family businesses are stuck at a fulcrum and finding it tough to achieve massive scale. 

The topic was 'Startup Growth Conversations', steered by flag bearers of 
#entrepreneurship in India - eChai Ventures and EDII Ahmedabad. Achieving hypergrowth is a challenge I'm glad we at MeDigit Advertising Private Limited excel in doing so. Loved interacting with students to understand their growth challenges.

Panel:
Hardik Manwani from Mind Alcove
Paresh Mayani from SolGuruz®
Vaibhav Shitole from IOTA DIAGNOSTIC
and moderated by Koumal Kalantry from Ankk Cares.

Thanks, Jatin Chaudhary for putting together an impeccable panel. Awesome hospitality, Dr. Kirtika Chhetia & CrAdLE - Centre for Advancing and Launching Enterprises.



That’s a wrap on the D2C Mixer!

What an incredible evening of insights, connections, and real conversations with Akshay Gulati (Slikk), Srinivas Sarkar (Coupl® (YC S22)), and Nischal Sharma (Minicult.in)! A big thank you to our speakers for their candid sharing.

Thank you eChai Ventures and Jatin Chaudhary for co-hosting the mixer.

Key takeaways from our power-packed evening:
🔸 You can’t hire rockstars every day, but you can build processes that help average people create extraordinary results
🔸 Build what customers want, not what you think they want
🔸 Master one niche before expanding to others
🔸 Don’t raise capital just because you can - look for strategic value
🔸 Own customer relationships, even on marketplaces
🔸 Partner strategically - understand both user and buyer
🔸 Women drive shared purchase decisions for Coupl - crucial for D2C targeting
🔸 Focus on processes that make success repeatable
🔸 Create frameworks where anyone can deliver quality

Thank you Vishnu Chowdhary 🔥 (D2C Simplified) for being a part of this and keeping it super engaging!

Special shoutout to our community partners: Razorpay Rize, Recur Club, Entrepreneur's Cafe, The Ecosystem Community

Stay tuned for more such events!




We got featured on CNBC 🚀

Our journey to revolutionize the 100-year-old market research industry is now going to reach millions of people 🌎

When Somsubhra and I started the Ai Palette journey six years ago, the vision was clear: a future where AI powers the market research in the CPG industry and makes research faster, smarter, and more accessible. Fast forward to today, being recognized for disrupting such a legacy space is both humbling and exhilarating.

This recognition isn’t just about our technology – it’s a testament to the incredible team of Paletteers behind it, the clients who believed in our vision, and the investors who invested in us.

📈 From a small café in Singapore to scaling across 6 continents, our mission has always been about driving innovation and delivering real value. This feature is a reminder that with the right focus and determination, bold ideas can reshape industries.

Thank you to CNBC and Enterprise Singapore for spotlighting our work in the EDGE Series. Thanks to Conor Delahunty for being an early adopter of AI technology and supporting us since the early days.

Here’s to challenging the status quo and building the future, one insight at a time 💯
🚀 Thrilled to Have Been a Speaker at the “Product Growth Playbook” by eChai Ventures!

I had the incredible opportunity to join the amazing event hosted by eChai Ventures, where I shared the stage with Kush P. and Darshan Suthar to discuss some of the most critical aspects of product management.

We dived into:
- Getting started with AI as a Product Manager
- Defining Product-Market Fit (PMF) and frameworks to achieve it
- Common mistakes and how to carefully avoid them
- Tips for PMs working at a startup competing with industry incumbents

A huge thank you to the organizers especially Jatin Chaudhary and the host for creating such a vibrant platform to exchange knowledge and experiences and to everyone who made the time to attend.

Looking forward to many more such thoughtful conversations!

eChai Founders Dinner at Agashiye, House of MG.

Ft.

Umesh Uttamchandani Umesh Uttamchandani

Pathik Patel Pathik Patel

Vishvajit Sonagara Vishvajit Sonagara

Amit Panchal Amit Panchal

Kuntal Shah Kuntal Shah

Shrijay Sheth Shrijay Sheth

Pankaj Bhimani Pankaj Bhimani

Hardika Patoliya - Founder, The Body Bucket Hardika Patoliya

Bhavesh Patel - Co-Founder, Brands.live Bhavesh Patel

Harsha Bhurani  - Founder, Humming Bird Consulting Harsha Bhurani

Jatin Chaudhary - Salesman, eChai Ventures Jatin Chaudhary



Sales is easy?

Thanks Jatin Chaudhary for organising an event on the Sales Playbook at GVFL.

It was a pleasure sharing the stage with incredible fellow entrepreneur friends Pramesh Jain , Hemal Patel , Mitesh Shethwala , Hardik Manwani.

Key Takeaways of the event:

1) Know your ICP (Ideal Client Persona): Knowing whom to sell is half the job done. 

2) Respect Time: Time is the ultimate currency in sales, use it wisely. Wasting customers' time and vice versa will end up losing credibility.  Do your due diligence before approaching anyone. 

3) Value >> Price: Easier said than done. 

Communicate Value
Deliver Value
Money will follow!

4) Movement of Truth: Sales is the moment of truth - Each sales interaction is an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise, build trust, and deliver an exceptional customer experience. 

How you handle these moments can make or break the relationship.

At last, Sales is Easy if you focus on understanding your customers, respecting their/your time, communicating and delivering exceptional value, and treating every 
eChai Partner Brands

eChai Ventures partners with select brands as their growth partner, helping them expand market reach, drive revenue growth, amplify brand visibility, and strengthen hiring efforts.

About eChai Ventures

eChai Ventures is a global startup network connecting entrepreneurs through local meetups in 20+ cities worldwide, enabling cross-border collaborations via startup panels, demo days, cricket, and pickleball leagues.

Make the most of eChai Ventures network:

  1. Complete Your eChai Profile It's key for others to discover you.
  2. Join eChai's Startup Meetups: Register for relevant eChai events happening across cities. Each event will have specific instructions on how to join.
  3. Discover Startup Folks: Explore and connect with other participants.
  4. Stay Updated: Follow the eChai feed for the latest updates from our community.
  5. Explore eChai Partner Brands: Check out our partner brands and how they can support you.
  6. Showcase Your Startup: Get opportunities to present your startup.
  7. Get Involved: Engage more and get a chance to volunteer or host meetups.
  8. Attend Global Events: Participate in events across different cities and countries.
  9. Find Collaborators: Discover co-founders, collaborators, talent, and business opportunities.
  10. Build Friendships: Make meaningful connections with fellow startup enthusiasts.

Join the meetups that interest you and start making the most of the community.

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out at [email protected].