And the most promising D2C start-up of the year award goes to…

BabyOrgano | India's First Dedicated Ayurvedic Baby Care Health and Wellness Brand.

I'm still excited about the amazing event put together by eChai Ventures and DevX.

It was filled with energy, and I was surrounded by a group of amazing entrepreneurs determined to create an impact.

The best part of the evening? Definitely get to talk with experienced entrepreneurs, especially Udit Goenka.

Our casual chat turned into a valuable lesson on effective marketing and the important details of running a successful business.

The event wasn't just about listening and learning – it was hands-on.

We played interesting games that were not only fun but also gave practical insights into solving problems creatively.
The pitch sessions taught us a lot about how to communicate effectively, and each entrepreneur had something special to share.

What really stood out was the lively and collaborative atmosphere.

It wasn't just about individual success stories; it was about creating a supportive community where ideas flowed freely.

It felt like a big brainstorming session, and I left with new perspectives on building a brand and being an entrepreneur.

Once again, big thanks to Jatin and the eChai Ventures team for making this happen!
Also, a shout-out to Umesh Uttamchandani and the DevX team for providing such a fantastic venue. 

They did a great job recognizing the efforts of startups and showed a real passion for creating a supportive environment for new businesses.

The event was a boost for growth, a mix of ideas, and a celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit. 

I'm grateful for the experience and can't wait to use what I've learned in my own entrepreneurial journey!

Some moments are captured through our eyes and stay forever in our hearts! A month ago, on the 13th November, I got the opportunity to meet and interact with a legendary football player and UNICEF Global Goodwill Ambassador, David Beckham, during the very first day of his visit to India.

I had never met a humble person like him before! A few minutes of interaction with him about ECOrrect Product and our journey, I felt very inspired. It was a precious opportunity for us.

Whenever I think about that meeting, I still get goosebumps. Thank you GUSEC and UNICEF India, for the opportunity! 💚✨

From last week’s National Startup Day event at Draper Startup House Hyderabad - amazing conversation with Shireen, Manish Ranjan and Sai Chaitanya Kokku around building startups, challenges faced & best practices to navigate.

Continue to organise such wonderful events Jatin Chaudhary and eChai Ventures!

Consistent participation in #eChai socials with Jatin & Manasvi has helped all of us mutually to crack newer and pathbreaking ideas. 

This one was from yesterday’s one at Karnavati Club. 

When you network in an #eChai social two things are sure to happen. 

You strengthen your social capital.

You crack the idea that can enhance your personal capital!

It takes a village to raise a child.

Synup completed it's acquisition of Clientjoy | Operating System for Agencies yesterday.

Anupama and I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the folks who've been our village while we raised Clientjoy.

So, here it goes.

Thank you.

Thanks Ashit Doshi for giving us our first office and thank you Tanvi Shah Rangwala for being the first believer in us and writing us our first cheque.

Thanks Jatin Chaudhary and eChai Ventures for a lot of things - but most of all, for giving us the first platform where we spoke about Clientjoy and thank you tapan kacheria for being our first paid customer. We still have the INR 1800 invoice.

Thanks Gaurav Zutshi for enabling us to get our first enterprise customer and thank you Rohit K. for being the pillar of support you've been through out our journey.

Thanks Anunay Gupta for pushing us - we know we were not the most ideal founders and thank you Sunder Nookala for asking the right questions with the intent to help, always.

Thanks Anil Roy and Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology for giving us access to talent and thank you Pankaj Bhimani for teaching that sales is not a skill, but an approach - polished language can only take us so far and that ultimately, selling happens between people.

Thanks Shrijay Sheth [keeper of all secrets] for always having the right legal advice and thank you Umesh Uttamchandani for being selflessly available to answer any funding related questions.

Thanks Vikas Mundhra for asking me questions that I wouldn't have asked myself and thank you Bhavin S Bhagat for being kind - always.

Thanks Udit Goenka for launching us on your marketplace and thank you Mihir Joshi and GVFL Limited for your trust.

Thanks Ritam Bhatnagar for giving us shelter while we were 30 and office-less and thank you Mitesh Shethwala for helping us acquire our first solutioning client.

Thanks Abhi Ballabh & Vengat Krishnaraj for bringing clarity into everything we were doing and thank you Mrigank Tripathi and Sachin Bhatia for agreeing to support us when chips were down.

Thank you Dveep, Hirvi, Keyur, Nirav and Faizan for believing in us while we navigated through some of the most difficult stages of our company.

Thank you Stripe, PayPal, Payoneer and Razorpay for partnering with a small firm like us. And thank you IIMA Ventures, SaaSBoomi and NSRCEL for your role in building the ecosystem that supported founders like us.

There are so many more people including our team members, family members, friends, stakeholders and customers who have played a pivotal role in our journey.

Founding and running a company is lonely. As first time founders, we did not always know the right way to do things. You people made the ride easier. You people made the journey better. You people made us.

We hope to enjoy your company in the future 😇

Final thank you to Ashwin Ramesh for seeing the value in what we had built.

 

I am forever grateful to Jatin Chaudhary #eChai for introducing me to Sohil Patel, who has been a true friend and mentor for the past decade.

Sohil's guidance and support have been invaluable to my personal and professional growth. Here's a throwback picture from our last dinner together at the beautiful lakeside in Udaipur.

#iimahmedabad #grateful #friendship

eChai Startup Demo Days are held every last Saturday of the month across cities.

It is a platform for promising startups from the community to present their ventures, get early feedback and engage with investors, enablers & the community.

More info at eChai.Ventures/DemoDay

 

Asian Case Research Journal managed by National University of Singapore has accepted the case about Hearty Mart written by Dr Amarpreet Singh of FLAME University and Prof Abhishek of IMT Ghaziabad, on Corporate Entrepreneurship. 

The case discusses Idea Box strategy of Hearty Mart in detail.

eChai Startup social celebrating the vibrancy of entrepreneurship and Co rising together with cool much of folks & founders with a picturesque backdrop. 

1st eChai social of #HappyNewYear2024 🥳

Thanks Shalin Parikh and Leena Parikh of Entigrity for being an amazing host. 

eChai Startup Social in New York. 

Small Group. Candid Conversations. Startup Folks. 

Fab locations. 

The eChai Startup Demo Days are held on last Saturdays of the month across cities in India. 

The eChai Startup Demo Days with CoKarma in Hyderabad have become a great monthly ritual to celebrate entrepreneurship in the city. 

Glad to have attended the eChai Ventures Startup Growth Meetup at CIIE, IIM Ahmedabad. Thanks, Jatin, for the invitation.

We had esteemed panelists from various industries including B2B, D2C, and SaaS.

We discussed various aspects of running and growing a startup. Here are a few highlights of the event:

1. Solve the problems of customers. Sometimes, as an early-stage startup, we are too involved in our idea, but solving real-world problems is key to sustaining and scaling.

2. Nowadays, D2C startups' Go-to-Market strategies are 100% dependent on Paid Advertising, and that is not sustainable. D2C startups need to find organic growth channels to sustain growth while reducing costs. (CC: Sumit 'Curl' Karranji)

3. Running a business is a marathon, not a sprint. Patience is what makes or breaks a business. Some years you might not generate enough positive cash flow, but suddenly one year, you get all the ROI. So, staying in the race is important. (CC: Udit Goenka)

4. Dealing with the government requires an H2H approach, meaning Human to Human Relationship. One needs to build rapport to do business with the government. (CC: Shani Pandya)

Thanks again to everyone who joined the event, to Jatin for hosting this wonderful event, and to the fellow speakers for sharing their wisdom about their journey.

🚀 Excited to share insights from my talk at eChai Startup Saturday where we delved into the heart of GTM strategy for early-stage bootstrapped startups! 💼

🎙️ The most burning question of the day for the panel being moderated by Gopi Krishna Gantala was: "How to plan a killer GTM strategy?"

Here's a quick breakdown of the key takeaways:

1️⃣ Define Your Target Market/Audience: 🔍 Start by identifying who your product is for and where to find them. This crucial step shapes your messaging and content strategy.

2️⃣ Clarify Your Primary Objective - Branding or Selling: 💰 Determine if your focus is on building brand awareness or driving immediate sales. This decision will guide your ROI calculations and budget alignment.

3️⃣ Craft a Long-Term Vision: 🔮 What's your grand plan for the future? Do you want to build a #lifestylebusiness or work up towards a high value #investment table. Knowing this helps build a Unique Selling Proposition (#USP) and validates your business strategy.

Remember, the magic happens when these three factors align seamlessly! ✨

Big thanks to eChai Ventures & Jatin Chaudhary orchestrating such an incredible event, and The Headquarters for being a hospitable venue partner🙌

Gratitude to the engaged audience and fellow panelists Shreyes Manyam & Pradeep Reddy many for making this Saturday a power-packed session of learning and collaboration. 🚀 Let's keep the momentum going! 💼

We have eChai's Startup Meetups happening in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad this week.

I am thankful to eChai Ventures for giving me this wonderful opportunity to present narad.io | The Intranet 😊  

Great cheers to whole community for support and sharing honest feedback 🙌 

And yes, this is just a start, many more to go ❤️ 

It’s time for Ayurveda to take centre stage on Shark Tank India! 🌱💯

Tune into Sony LIV tonight to catch us pitch #NabhiSutra’s idea of healing India organically to the Sharks! 😍🔥

Stream new episodes of Shark Tank India Season 3, from Mon-Fri 10 PM, on Sony LIV.

The Road Less Traveled

As I turn 30 today, I couldn't help myself from reflecting on the journey I've taken—one that's been marked by choices often considered unconventional in a world that often favors the well-trodden path. Throughout my life, I've embraced the road less traveled, finding my way through uncharted territories, and learning invaluable lessons along the way. Some may call it the hindsight bias too and maybe it is. But this post is not about calculated risks - this is about the risks which were pure gambles but have paid out well in the end.

1. Army in the stirps, Engineer in the mark sheets.

My journey commenced with a decision that defied familial traditions. Born into an army background where the norm was to follow in the footsteps of generations before, I veered away from convention by choosing engineering. Interestingly, I did take the NDA exam and also passed the written round with flying colors but destiny had something else written for me. I ended up not going for the interview and also, cleared the JEE exams parallely. While my family was two-sided about my decision, they ultimately agreed for me to pursue engineering. This decision not only shaped my academic trajectory but also laid the foundation for my propensity to challenge norms and seek innovation.

2. Old is gold but new technology is diamond

Upon clearing JEE, I once again had a difficult choice to make - which IIT and which branch should I choose? Contrary to the expectations set by many to go for the older IITs, I chose the path less trodden by opting for a relatively newer IIT Guwahati—and an even newer branch of Mathematics and Computing—over the more traditional choices like Mechanical and Civil at older IITs. The branch combining mathematics with the intricacies of computer science & finance, provided me with a unique perspective on AI that later became invaluable in my entrepreneurial pursuits.

3. Jumping into the deep end of the startup ocean

The next divergence from the conventional path emerged as I embarked on my professional journey. Instead of embracing the allure of a stable, high-paying job at a multinational corporation like Visa to dive headfirst into entrepreneurship with Ai Palette. Founding my own company was not just a career move; it was a testament to my belief in taking risks, pursuing passions, and forging my path despite the uncertainties that accompany such ventures.

These choices, though divergent from the norm, have been pivotal in shaping who I am today.

As I step into this new decade of my life, I carry with me the lessons gleaned from the road less traveled—a roadmap etched with unconventional choices, invaluable experiences & an unwavering belief in the limitless possibilities that lie ahead. For, in the end, it's not just about reaching the destination, but about relishing the adventure of the journey itself.

eChai AI Social X Because.
Small Group. Candid Conversation.

 Thanks, Jatin Bhai organizing this meetup and also, big thanks to Aditya Bhai & Deenky Shah for Hosting us at Because office to Discuss about How to use AI in Marketing.

Here are a few Takeaways:


Aditya: “Individuals need to either learn how to create something original (100% authentic) or they need to learn how to master AI and generate the optimum output. In between, people need to either upskill themselves with AI tools or they need to master the art from scratch.".

AI in Marketing:

-> Content Generation: Current LLMs are very good at providing detailed structure of any prompt given. Before AI, we need to start from nothing, and after AI, we can start with Something. So I think 50% of the problem is solved by thinking about where to start.

-> Visual Creation: DallE, Mid Journey, and Adobe Firefly are very good at creating images from text and give designers the Imagination to wildly experiment with their concepts. But remember, concept and context are very important for Visual Creation.

-> Brainstorming: Post-AI, any Marketing Idea you can brainstorm with LLMs, you don’t need 2 humans for that.

-> AI Assistant: AI will help in not only above things but its application will help in every possible intellectual exploration from Ideation, Market research, Storyboarding, Brandstorming, problem solving, A/B Testing etc.

My 2 Cents on AI:

AI has started affecting the Service Sector, but eventually, we will live in a world where efficiency is/will increase exponentially (10 to 15X) and POST AGI, every industry adopts an AI not only in software but Hardware (Cars, Machine, Robots etc.) too. imo all the jobs that people do just for the money it will replace by AI & AI Enabled Robots.

It seems pessimistic but I am optimistic that AI enables us to reach to singularity (Ultimate Truth) faster.

Work that gives meaning will always thrive...

Again thanks to all the participants for sharing their experience: eChai Ventures, Jatin Chaudhary, Aditya Shah, Deenky Shah, Syed Nadeem Jafri, Ekta Shah, Harsha Bhurani, Pankaj Bhimani, Vikas Mundhra, Kumar Manish

How you are using AI? Curious to know

P.S. This post is not #ChatGPT Written :) 

As the co-founder of Brands.live, I recently had the incredible opportunity to present our app at the Echai Demo Day held at the prestigious MICA Institute as part of MICAVERSE.

It was an exhilarating experience to showcase how Brands.live empowers Indian small and medium businesses with innovative AI social media solutions.

A heartfelt thank you to Jatin Chaudhary of eChai Ventures for this amazing opportunity. Your platform continues to be a beacon for startups and innovators.

Special thanks to the dynamic duo, Udit Goenka and Pratik Patel from Yudiz Solutions for their insights and support. Your guidance is a cornerstone in our journey towards empowering businesses through technology.

To all the aspiring entrepreneurs out there, remember: every presentation, every meeting is a step closer to your dream. Let's keep innovating and growing together!

Exciting day was not completed without the another great session on Growth by eChai Ventures at IIMA Ventures with great panel with intense and deep conversation on business growth, startup hurdales, mindset for growth and lead generation. Jatin Chaudhary curated a great panel with Shani Pandya , @sumit from Curlin.Official (Backed by 100x.vc) Udit Goenka from FirstSales.io and @vikas mundhra from Magenta Insights.

🇸🇬 Singapore: Attention all  #productmanagers in #Singapore! Join the 'Product Connect' event hosted by The Product Folks and Draper Startup House.

RSVP at https://lu.ma/TPFSingapore.

Happy to have spoken at GeoSmart India event held in Hyderabad and share the stage with Prateek Sharma, Shikha Anand and Shantanu Sharma in the Environment and Climate Change forum.

It was a wonderful conversation around the topics of Sustainability, Net Zero Policies and Climate Action. It is heartening and encouraging to see such conversations happening all around; and so happy to join in and be a part of the solution to climate change.