The session was about '๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ'. If you do not know who Amartya Jha is, he is the founder of CodeAnt AI (YC W24)
CodeAnt AI (YC W24) helps companies detect and auto-fix bad code without breaking existing logic!
He shared with us his amazing journey and how he was able to raise the initial funding from Y Combinator!
There was extensive discussion around howย #AI is changing software development and its future implications.
I was also able to meet young entrepreneurs who were building startups leveraging AI to solve realistic problems.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend eChai Ventures Ahmedabad Marketing Summit 2024 at GUSEC, Gujarat University.
A premier event that brought together top marketing professionals and innovators. The sessions provided valuable insights into the latest industry trends and strategies, fostering meaningful discussions on how to navigate the evolving marketing landscape.
Grateful for the opportunity to learn from the best and to network with like-minded individuals passionate about driving marketing excellence.
Looking forward to applying these new insights to our ongoing projects!ย
Yesterday, it was my pleasure to attend the eChai Ventures event on Building Team & Company Culture. Here are some of my key learnings and takeaways:
Jatin Dudhat, I really appreciate your effort in initiating free lunch for all employees. Throughout my career, I thought I would always have to eat cold food, but it's inspiring to see someone like you living the core values of your company. Keep up the great work, and I encourage every IT company to consider thisโit's worth it!
Shruti Sheth, it was wonderful to hear about how you eliminated the sir/ma'am culture in your company and how you support employees emotionally. Your approach is commendable.
Mukul Goyal is a no-nonsense guy with a straightforward thinking and approach. I am truly impressed and inspired by his perspective:
- We can measure the effectiveness of company internal event initiatives by employee retention and internal referrals for new hires. - Do not start something for employees that you can't sustain long-term. For example, if you start giving every Saturday off but later need to change it due to business impact, it can create a negative impression among employees. - For startup companies, the founder's thoughts and vision initially shape the culture. To improve company culture, start with transforming the founder's mindset. - Do not over-please employees. Support them and be with them, but maintain a professional arm's distance. - Companies can organize events where employees share stories about how they have lived the company's core values in the past.
Thank you, Manoj Adwani and eChai Ventures Surat, for making this happen. It was a great learning experience from the experts, and I look forward to the next event.
Entrepreneurship is the driving force behind the growth of a nation, and last week, I was amazed to see how Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India contributes towards building that force!
Joining eChai Ventures' ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฝ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐๐ต ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ at EDII's ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ gave me a glimpse of the passion and talent of tomorrow's entrepreneurs, currently being trained at EDII. Their questions and active participation convinced me that our startups of tomorrow are going to be even more successful and transformational for our nation.
Hats off to the management, faculty, and staff of EDII for creating an atmosphere and academic experience that inspires and nurtures our business leaders of tomorrow.
If youโre struggling to sell your products or services,
then you havenโt heard this guy speak.
About 8 weeks ago, I attended an eChai Ventures event where Udit Goenka came in as a speaker and shared his story about how he started his journey when he was only 16 years old.
Yesterday, I was honoured to host him and ask him more detailed questions about sales and building a successful business.
Hereโs everything that we unpacked:
โฅ Understanding your value proposition. โฅ Different ways to generate more sales. โฅ The need to create valuable content. โฅ Communication is the key to sales. โฅ Defining your target audience. โฅ Using case studies to convert. โฅ Building a strong community. โฅ Moment marketing strategy. โฅ Testing product market fit. โฅ Change in user behaviour. โฅ Pivoting your business. โฅ Accountability in sales. โฅ Demos and Webinars. โฅ Focusing on results. โฅ OPR, RTO and CRO. โฅ The right channels. โฅ Of course failures.
Well that wasn't it.
But imagine walking away with not just strategies, but a mindset shift that transforms how you approach every conversation in sales.
Thatโs exactly what got delivered yesterday.
Thank you Jatin Chaudhary founder of eChai Ventures for making this happen and Udit Goenka for taking out the time to share your experience and provide valuable insights on sales.
P.S. I wrote this post at 1:00am last night and after processing the super insightful information gathered through this sales masterclass.
~ Hi, I am Haarshit Gala, and I help visionary entrepreneurs and business owners build thoughtful brands.
Not sure about what youโre doing? Book your Discovery Call https://lnkd.in/dimNmfv5 to share your story, goals and challenges.
We were thrilled to host the exclusive eChai Ventures Social. Engaging in small group candid conversations with innovative hardware founders about designing cutting-edge hardware products was truly inspiring.
Reflecting on the insightful panel discussion at E-Chai Ventures, where I had the privilege to speak alongside Pathik Patel from Fit & Flex, Sumit 'Curl' Karranji from Curlin Professional, and Kena Shah from Inara. The topic, "Insights from Scaling Up," sparked engaging conversations about the challenges and triumphs weโve encountered on our journeys as D2C founders.
A special thank you to Jatin Chaudhary, Co-founder of eChai Ventures, for orchestrating this opportunity. Your platform continues to inspire and empower entrepreneurs to share their stories and grow together.
Scaling a business is never a linear path, but with shared experiences and collective wisdom, we can navigate it more effectively. Hereโs to continuing the journey, learning from each other, and striving for greater heights.
If you are also a D2C founder, do share the challenges you face in your journey.
Yes, I'm discussing how important it is to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and not to limit your thoughts as an employee only.โ
Recently, I attended the 'Sales Masterclass for Startups' at IIMA Ventures which was organised by eChai Ventures and it gave me a new perspective.๐
What it feels like to be in the shoes of an entrepreneur can be understood when the respected speakers : Mr.Pankaj Bhimani, Mr. Bhavin Bhagat and Mr. Pratik Patel gave their insights.๐๐๐
Thanks to eChai Ventures for organising the masterclass and providing a great network opportunity to us.
My husband, Ripul Sharma, and I started BabyOrgano with just 2 lakhs, and today, securing seed funding from Sauce.vc feels like a dream come true.
As with any entrepreneurial journey, ours was not without its challenges.
When BabyOrgano launched, our mission was to use natural, safe ayurvedic products to redefine child wellbeing.
Bootstrapping our way through the initial years, we faced our fair share of challenges.
Despite the difficulties we encountered, we never wavered from our goal of giving parents reliable natural & ayurevdic wellness solutions for their kids.
In our third year, after countless meetings with potential investors, we found ourselves at a crossroads.
We knew we needed to expand but were unsure where we were going wrong.
All these couldnโt have been possible without the help and support of Ravi Uttamchandani from Faraz Wadhwania & Jeel Doshi. Their support was the first step toward a brighter future.
The unwavering support by my family, loyal customers, investors and my whole team laid the foundation for this latest milestoneโour successful seed funding round led by Sauce.VC.
Weโre more determined than ever to make a positive impact on childrenโs health. A big thank you to our loyal customers and dedicated team for helping us achieve this!ย
๐ฅ Presenting RENรE Cosmetics's First TVC Starring Mrunal Thakur! ๐ฅ
We are thrilled to unveil a new chapter in the RENEE journey with the launch of our very first television commercial. Featuring the ever-talented Mrunal Thakur, this film is more than just an introduction to our latest productโRENEE Midnight Kohl Kajal. Itโs a celebration of bold beauty and timeless elegance.
Our Midnight Kohl Kajal isnโt just a makeup essential; itโs a statement. Designed for those who believe in the power of their gaze, this kajal delivers intense, long-lasting color that lets your eyes do all the talking.
A special thanks to Mrunal Thakur for embodying the spirit of RENEE, and to our incredible team who brought this vision to life. This is just the beginning of what we have in store, and we can't wait to share it with you.
Stay tuned, because the magic is about to unfold on screens everywhere. โจ
Is #Community Building Just a New Buzzword That Has Recently Popped Up?
Last week, I attended the #Bangalore Community Builders Mixer at Urban Vault. It was a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with friends in this space.
One interesting discussion we had was about whether community building is just a new buzzword. While the term might be new, the practice has been around for centuries. Religious institutions are prime examples of communities coming together for the betterment of humanity and their beliefs, continuing their processes and rituals even without the physical presence of their leaders.
A personal favorite example of modern community-led growth is #Bitcoin. It has no CEO, CFO, or COO, yet it is widely adopted globally. At Draper Startup House, we firmly believe in the power of community, and we love building it every day. Communities like eChai Ventures and The Product Folks have been thriving for over half a decade.
Sohail Khan pointed out beautifully that communities with great SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) endure forever without needing their creators to constantly manage them. I completely agree.
Benefits of Building a Community:
1. Reduce Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) 2. Increase Brand Loyalty 3. Direct Interaction with Your Customers for Feedback 4. Foster Collaboration Leading to Partnerships 5. Enhanced Customer Retention 6. Create a Support System for Members 7. Drive Organic Growth Through Word-of-Mouth 8. Build a Strong Brand Identity and Reputation
#Communitybuilding is not just a trend; it's a timeless practice that drives real results.
During his recent visit to the US, Ankit Kedia was invited to join an insightful panel at "๐๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐-๐๐ฝ๐: ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป," held on Monday earlier this week at Draper University, San Mateo.
The event, which drew a diverse audience of over 45 ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐จ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข 20 ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐จ, featured a dynamic conversation between investors and founders, providing invaluable insights into the intricacies of fundraising.
Hosted by eChai Ventures and Draper Startup House, the event featured a dynamic panel conversation with investors and founders, offering valuable insights into the complexities of fundraising. Ankit and fellow speakers Abhishek Kaushik, WeCP and Abhinav Das shared their Entrepreneurial experiences and success stories to guide start-ups on their fundraising journeys.
Closing the event with a networking session, Ankit engaged in meaningful conversations with a diverse array of start-ups and founders.
Events such as this play a crucial role in fostering connections, knowledge exchange, and collaborative growth across international boundaries, empowering entrepreneurs in driving their ventures forward.
Last week at the eChai event, I had the pleasure of leading a Sales Masterclass, which sparked an engaging conversation during one-on-one networking. One attendee asked a thought-provoking question: โHow critical is personalization in sales now?โ This led us to explore a significant shift in customer expectations and how personalization is becoming essential.
I shared a striking statistic from a Salesforce report: 80% of customers now expect personalized experiences from companies. This reflects a move from generic interactions to those tailored to individual needs and preferences.
We then discussed how modern AI tools are revolutionising personalization. For example, a SaaS company might use AI to analyze user behavior on their platformโtracking usage patterns, feature interactions, and support requestsโto deliver highly personalized in-app recommendations and targeted training. This approach not only enhances user engagement but also addresses specific customer needs proactively.
An attendee shared their success story using AI-driven analytics to personalize email marketing campaigns, resulting in a 25% increase in open rates and a 15% rise in conversions. This example highlighted how AI transforms data into actionable insights, creating tailored interactions that drive measurable results.
Our post-session conversations underscored that personalization is no longer a luxuryโitโs a vital element of successful sales strategies. With AI, weโre not just meeting customer expectations; weโre setting new standards for exceptional, tailored experiences. Embracing AI and personalisation means leading the way in customer engagement, forging stronger connections, and driving sustained business growth.
Attending the AI Innovations Meetup by eChai Ventures at GVFL Limited was nothing short of inspiring! ๐ The energy in the room, the exchange of ideas, and the fascinating AI tools showcased made it a truly memorable experience.
Here are some key takeaways from the event:
1. AI in Hiring: Solutions like Veloxhire.AI are revolutionizing the screening process/pre-interviews, making bulk hiring more efficient and effective.
2. Market Analysis: Tools like Esri's ArcGIS AI are providing unparalleled insights through geographical data, helping businesses make informed decisions.
3. Creative AI: From Alphana AI's ability to generate social media marketing content from videos/podcasts to ImagineArt Midjourney's stunning image creation, the creative applications of AI are boundless.
4. Language and Learning: Chivox AI stands out as an incredible language tutor, while Riverside.fm AI and Tome AI offer unique community-building and storytelling capabilities.
5. Data Personalization: Clay AI and throxy AI are leading the way in personalized data analysis, offering deep insights into individual personas, and Smartly.AI helps businesses manage customer service as chatbot.
6. Developers' Heaven: With tools like GitHub and Character.AI AI, developers have powerful platforms to bring their AI ideas to life.
A huge shoutout to the speakers who shared their expertise Yash Shah, Tanmay Shanishchara, and Vinit B Yadav. This event was a great reminder of the transformative power of AI and its potential to reshape industries globally.
I was curious about the Open session of eChai Ventures at i-Hub Gujarat and to learn about communities, especially for how Christopher Fong runs one (Xoogler.co) with ex-Google employees. During the event, I was intrigued by some lesser-known insights about Google and its work culture ๐ ๐ and much more amazing talks!
And I'll always remember my first live Polaroid, which you took with the crowd and showed us thereโit was cute, haha! ๐ธ๐ and I really liked your concept and working behind it!
Hey and Congratulations to you and Kushagra Shrivastava on the launch of Key โwishing you much success!ย
A passionate musician turned Investor meet Pranav Sanghvi, Principal at Merak Ventures, an early-stage B2B Tech VC Fund and a TedX speaker.
Born & brought up in Bombay, Pranav was a passionate musician under the stage name One&One. Across his music career, Pranav played at numerous Indian and international music festivals.
Coming from a business family, Pranav highlighted that he got the opportunity to learn the how real businesses were built & scaled, a skill that eventually helped him break into the Indian venture capital ecosystem.
In 2020, Pranav switched to a career in investments with the MABS Family Office & spent the next few years building a portfolio that now has over 20 early-stage businesses across different sectors.
This experience, coupled with a keen interest in meeting with and learning from early-stage Founders, led him to pursuing a long-term career in venture capital.
Pranav joined Merak in late 2022 & has been with the firm for almost 2 years now.
Merak Ventures is a sector-agnostic venture capital fund that invests in early-stage B2B and emerging technology companies that are solving hard, real world problems and creating large-scale impact.
The firmโs investment focus spans across all B2B and Tech first or tech-enabled early-stage businesses across different sectors.
Investment Ticket Size: โข First cheque: USD 0.5-1.5 million (approx. INR 5 crores) โข Sweet spot: USD 1 million
During a recent conversation, Pranav emphasised the importance of storytelling when pitching to investors.
As an early-stage investor, his primary responsibility is to back meaningful businesses and generate promising financial returns for their investors.
If you have an innovative idea that addresses a significant real-world problem, consider reaching out to Pranav Sanghvi . Key Takeaways from My Interaction with Pranav Sanghvi: โ As an investor, Focus on financial returns while solving real-world problems โ Insights into investing in emerging technologies and sectors with high growth potential โ Strategies for identifying and nurturing early-stage startups
Hosted echai AI Day Bangalore. Here are the quick takeaways:-
1. Finding the Right Co-founders: Look for committed co-founders through platforms like Y Combinator CoโFounder Matching and Entrepreneur First.
2. Where to use AI: Identify problems that are repetitive, error-prone, and disliked by those performing them. Can you apply AI to achieve an acceptable level of accuracy and make the process either faster, cheaper or better?
3. Selling Your Product - Create champions in the companies where you are selling; they will advocate for your product behind you. Understand their motivations and align your product to meet those needs.
4. Value Proposition: Customers buy solutions to their problems, not AI itself. So have a clear alignment with the goals and the OKRs of the company.
5. AI Funding Strategy: Focus on winning customers, not chasing VCs. If people love your product, VCs will come to you. The goal of fundraising is to quickly secure funds and get back to building your business. Don't drag out the process for months for minor valuation gainsโit won't matter in the long run.
I recently had the pleasure of attending the eChai Ventures AI Day event in Surat, organised by Jatin Chaudhary and held at LOGICWIND. The event was an incredible opportunity to connect with some amazing founders and engage in insightful conversations. Traveling from Ahmedabad to Surat for this event was totally worth it!
Here are some of the fantastic startups and founders I had the chance to meet:
A big thank you to Maitri H. Modi for hosting such a fantastic event and to Nachiket P. for providing the venue. I look forward to staying connected with everyone I met and continuing these inspiring conversations.
Meraj Faheem started all with introducing himself & Journey of his Studentpreneur life where he Started India's First Hacking School BootCamp!
Like How he got his First Client through SEO-Search Engine Optimisation via google and from there it all Started and became India's First and initially he charged 80K then it goes around 150K he adds!
And after his clients experience over Hacking School they started suggesting it to their network as well as friends of friends of them this is how it started growing organically ๐
The main step of a Founder towards sales is to make that initial Connection and maintain relationship with their customers first to get to their 500th Customer.
Like one of the best Example is how the customer of Google got his Account Suspended due to some reason but wanted to recover it and until Larry page Former CEO of google made it happen by recognising the customer who was one of their 100th customer and redirected him to his manager to solve the problem๐ฎโ๐จ
This is what the real meaning of relationship with customers is๐๐ปโจ๏ธ
So maintaining that relationship with your customers should be your first priority where it helps you to grow more and more because you are selling your Services/products to them right?
Creating that Familiarity of you in public makes lot of differences as well as it is not possible in one or two meet but third time it can๐ฅ
Founders should me known for their Brand๐ฅ
Every Business Should have their Data bases like the best example is Mark Zuckerberg before launching Facebook he restricted it to Harward .edu by inviting his Friends, Friends of friends, classmates to make a profile and to conect with each other by Leveraging his first degree Network totally๐ฅ
The takeaways and Main points were-
1. "You Cannot Bribe/Manipulate/Influence Everyone-You Need to Win them"
2. Increase Familiarities between people and yourself.
3. You should be know for the Right Things.
4. Make your Data bases perfect.
5. Dont burn money in marketing learn sales first!
Our discussion on machine learning models was truly enlightening, and his deep knowledge and passion for technology were nothing short of inspiring.
Beyond the tech talk, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about SaiNageswarโs enthusiasm for travel and our shared love for exploring new places. Itโs always refreshing to connect with someone who brings such a well-rounded perspective and genuine curiosity to the table.
A big thank you, SaiNageswar Satchidanand, for your time and the engaging conversation. Iโm excited to stay connected and continue sharing insights and experiences!
The eChai Startup Open House was a fantastic event, offering a vibrant and informal setting to connect with innovative startups and like-minded entrepreneurs. It was a great opportunity to discover new possibilities, share ideas, and build meaningful relationships within the startup community.
Great Weekend been like meeting new tech expertsโย
I wish I met you earlier in life Jatin Chaudhary! Thank you for sharing how you help tens of thousands of people via eChai Ventures, itโs wonderful hearing how you started it in 2009 and run so many events around the world ๐๐๐. Thank you Nishant Bijani & Hitesh Umaletiya for introducing me to Jatin. I learned so much that Iโll be putting to use in Key and Xoogler.co to help more communities and people ๐.
The location we met at is to die for ๐ชฆ.
Please sign up at key.ai to access our community product, early access to it is about to begin! ๐ Kushagra Shrivastava and I are hiring a growth manager and business analyst incase anyone is looking for a job.
Meeting people is my passion, and listening to their stories is my fuel.
Thanks Jatin bhai( eChai Ventures ) for building a platform to connect people at great places (GVFL Limited) to exchange notes, ideas & most important to help each other in anyway possible.
Christopher Fong: He is super smart & helpful guy. He is the founder of Xoogler (Ex-Google Community) , More than 33000 People community. He is Hiring for senior engineer, Growth Marketer, & Business Analyst - do connect with him.
Jitendraa Lakhwani: A Dear friend & running a leading HR firm based in Ahmedabad serving the globe. The sky is the limit to what they can deliver in Hiring. Do reach out to him for hiring requirements, especially overseas hiring.
Anay Mashruwala: Promotor of M/s. Venus Engineering Works a company in field of Manufacturing and marketing of Industrial Valves. And A prof. In the field of Entrepreneurship.
Niraj Harlalka: Education is passion for all but few execute on his passion & Niraj bhai is one of them,ON a mission to help children to learn Decision Making as a skill.
Balkrishna Agarwal: Founder, Tezi App - Connecting Brands to Retailers. If you are building in Fashion Tech reach out to him.
Ketul Shah: Computer Vision and Machine Learning (MLOps Enthusiast), AI team lead at Groundup.ai .
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.
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.
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