Founders, Managers, Directors, and CXOs often get asked, "Can we publish you in the newspaper?" That's what we call a ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐.
Here are key insights and notes from yesterday's eChai Ventures session on "๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฒ":
1) What makes newsworthy Press Release content? โด Instant news like Product Updates โด Funding announcements โด New location launches โด Award recognition
2) What channels are available for Press Releases? โด Newspaper articles, Featured sections, Website blogs, Videos, Podcasts, and more
3) What types of Press Releases exist? โด Paid: Working with PR agencies for guaranteed features โด Earned (DIY): Securing coverage through relationship building and valuable content
4) How to start with Earned Press Releases? โด Connect with journalists to share industry opinions โด Consistently provide valuable industry insights โด Build and nurture media relationships - they matter immensely!
5) What to look for in PR Agencies (Paid)? โด Strong media connections โด Content SEO authority โด Proven track record
6) Should you choose an Agency or DIY approach? โด Agencies work best for occasional releases (saves relationship-building time) โด DIY approach builds long-term authority through regular PR stories โด Start by offering expert opinions to newspapers
๐ Remember: Credibility is currency!
7) Limited budget dilemma: Regular small news vs. one big story? โด Consistency wins - regular small news shows better results
8) Does publishing across multiple media houses create issues? โด No problems! Different websites mean no duplicate content concerns โด Media houses generate hundreds of pages daily, ensuring quick Google indexing
9) How do service-based organizations benefit from Press Releases? โด Builds thought leadership for attracting talent and clients โด Enhances societal credibility โด Makes you a preferred business partner
๐ฅ Virality Hack โด Leverage community connections through groups and meetups โด 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 ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ฒ๐ - 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 โjain briyaniโ No we wont tell you what is it, ask Ashfin Francis if want to know ๐
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 ๐
Dream big. Start small. But most of all, start." โ 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 canโt 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.
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 Verma๐ 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 โ 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.ย
The topic was 'Startup Growth Conversations', steered by flag bearers ofย
Key takeaways from our power-packed evening: ๐ธ You canโt hire rockstars every day, but you can build processes that help average people create extraordinary results ๐ธ Build what customers want, not what you think they want ๐ธ Master one niche before expanding to others ๐ธ Donโt raise capital just because you can - look for strategic value ๐ธ Own customer relationships, even on marketplaces ๐ธ Partner strategically - understand both user and buyer ๐ธ Women drive shared purchase decisions for Coupl - crucial for D2C targeting ๐ธ Focus on processes that make success repeatable ๐ธ Create frameworks where anyone can deliver quality
๐ Thrilled to Have Been a Speaker at the โProduct Growth Playbookโ 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!
1) Know your ICP (Ideal Client Persona): Knowing whom to sell is half the job done.ย
2) Respect Time: Time is the ultimate currency in sales, use it wisely. Wasting customers' time and vice versa will end up losing credibility.ย Do your due diligence before approaching anyone.ย
3) Value >> Price: Easier said than done.ย
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.ย
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 everyย
Accel has launched the fourth edition of its pre-seed scaling program ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐.๐ offering up to USD 1 million in funding.
To know more about this program, eChai Ventures and Accel is hosting this session with - *Vishal Virani*, founder of DhiWise (backed by Accel) - *Sarthak Singh* from Accel Partners
Last Saturday, I had the privilege of moderating a stellar panel on Bootstrapping at Draper Startup House in collaboration with eChai Ventures โ and it was truly a session to remember.
I was thrilled to host some of the most inspiring and talented founders:
Amal Mishra, Co-founder of Urban Vault, who shared his remarkable journey of bootstrapping to 57 managed workspaces in Bangalore. His story of overcoming asset-heavy challenges by leveraging his furnishing business showed us the power of strategic thinking.
Vikas Bardia, CFA, Co-founder of Shoffr, captivated the audience with how he led one of Indiaโs first customer-led funding rounds, raising $1.1M from 110 customers! He bootstrapped to 57 cars, and post-funding, has now scaled to 110 cars. His insights on maintaining a bootstrapped mentality while growing were incredibly valuable. As he put it, โThe service inside the car is broken, not the app.โ
Jeevan Gnanam, from Sri Lankaโs Hatch Works โ one of Asiaโs top coworking spaces โ and co-founder of SpectrifyAI, shared key insights on scaling businesses while managing multiple ventures. His focus on hiring champions who help you grow was a game changer.
Rishav Agarwal, founder of Picxeleโข and angel investor in 60 startups (including Zypp electric & Crib), gave a masterclass on what angel investors look for in founders and the red flags to avoid.
Despite the rain, we had a full house with 82+ attendees โ a testament to the energy and passion of the startup community.
Don't miss out! This Saturday, weโre back with an amazing VC panel to dive into fundraising strategies and expert insights from the best in the game.
The Climate Tech Startups Meetup that we organised through Pro Zero Carbon in association with eChai Ventures and Draper Startup House India was an amazing gathering where founders shared insights, challenges, and solutions, sparking conversations on how innovation can combat climate change. Conversations flowed freely, from groundbreaking tech innovations to collaborative opportunities aimed at creating a sustainable future.
Many thanks to Dr. Disha Ahuja (Ph.D.), Kiran Kumar Alla, Vyshali Sagar and Nazim Sharif for joining in and giving their valuable insights on biogas, hydrogen, solar power and corporate climate responsibility and making this memorable.
Leading the Charge in ClimateTech ย Whatโs Shaping the Future of Sustainability?
Real-world solutions driving impactful change through technology and collaboration.
On September 27th, I had the opportunity to speak at the ClimateTech Startups Meetup, hosted by eChai Ventures at AIC GUSEC - Atal Incubation Center, Gujarat University. This event brought together some of the most innovative minds in sustainability, including @Ashit Chandaria (Belgrey Waters) and Dr. ANSHU KUMAR (AirX Purifier), to tackle pressing environmental challenges with cutting-edge solutions.
It was an exciting moment to showcase how Oizom is transforming air quality monitoring across 70+ countries. The discussions were not just insightful but action-oriented, highlighting the power of partnerships in driving meaningful, lasting change.
A big thank you to eChai Ventures and GUSEC for creating this platform. Together, weโre not just talking about the futureโweโre building it.
Success Story: Celebrating Partnerships with eChai
Over the years, we have had the privilege of meeting some truly remarkable people, thanks to the various programs and events organized by Jatin and the team at eChai. The eChai community has been instrumental in helping us (IndiaBizForSale) build valuable relationships with founders and entrepreneurs, and this ecosystem has played a significant role in our growth. Our journey with eChai began in early 2014 when we first met Jatin at CIIE (now IIM A Ventures).
I still remember how, without hesitation, he recommended that we meet six individuals who could help us. That kind of easy access, with no expectations, really highlighted the essence of eChai: the power of paying it forward. Fast-forward to 2024, and Iโm glad to share that we (IndiaBizForSale and now also IBGrid) have closed several successful transactions through connections made in the eChai community.
One standout example is the recent funding secured for DevX, facilitated by investors from the IndiaBiz network. Our initial introduction to the founders of DevX came through Jatin, and over the years, we strengthened this relationship through multiple interactions at eChai events. That trust and camaraderie eventually led to their successful fundraising roundโand yes, we happily earned our fees from it ๐.
In recognition of the immense value that eChai has brought to us and the wider ecosystem, Iโm happpppy to announce that weโve partnered with eChai as they transition to their new business model, becoming growth partners for brands.
As far as I know, weโre the first to pay affiliate fees for the outcomes weโve achieved through eChai, and it feels great to be part of this next chapter.
A huge thank you to Jatin, Kunal, and the entire eChai team for their unwavering support throughout our journey. Weโre incredibly grateful and look forward to many more successful collaborations in the future.
"Natillu evedya?" โ Where are you from? In Kerala, this is more than just a question; itโs a way of greeting, an instant bridge between people.
This week was particularly special for us, as we had the pleasure of hosting a wonderful mother-son duo from Kannur, who recently moved to Bangalore. The mother, Hafsa MTP founder of Hafz Products, is deeply passionate about community health and wellness, while her son, Sijhah Sadique, co-founder of Atom & Echo, is driving their vision forward in the startup space. They joined us at Draper Startup House for a startup event, and by the end of it, they werenโt just participantsโthey won the best pitch among five incredible startups! ๐
This is why we do what we do. A big thank you to eChai Ventures and Draper Startup House for allowing me to moderate this event and giving entrepreneurs the platform to showcase their ideas and build meaningful, valuable connections.
I โค๏ธ connecting people, especially if they are folks that want to help others. Thanks for meeting Kushagra Shrivastava while heโs in ๐ฎ๐ณ Jatin Chaudhary! ๐๐
โ Support our 5,000+ early-stage startup community, acing their journey from Zero to One โ A three-month action-packed "Open Accelerator" to learn all about Starting Up โ Learn from the ones who have worked their way up! From the Community, by the Community โ Engage in a series of online webinars and live interactions covering broad topics to ease the initial hustle โ Suggest topics you would want to learn in detail and connect with mentors who could guide you better โ Stand a chance to present your product to a larger audience at the "Demo Day" and interact with early-stage investors!
Tag your startup friend & colleague to remind them to join.
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.
Umesh Uttamchandani
Pathik Patel
Vishvajit Sonagara
Amit Panchal
Kuntal Shah
Shrijay Sheth
Pankaj Bhimani
Hardika Patoliya
Bhavesh Patel
.jpg "Harsha Bhurani - Founder, Humming Bird Consulting")
Harsha Bhurani
Jatin Chaudhary
