At Ahmedabad University's eChai meetup, hosted by the university's incubation center, I had the privilege of engaging with a panel of entrepreneurs who had appeared on Shark Tank India.

They candidly shared insights into their experiences on the show, revealing the realities behind the scenes, the impact of the exposure, and the invaluable feedback they received from the sharks. Additionally, they delved into their ongoing challenges and future plans for their ventures.

Their narratives of resilience and determination in overcoming obstacles were truly captivating.

The distinguished panelists included Raj Shah Co-Founder of WeHear; Payal Pathak and Soham Payal Pathak Co-Founders of The Simply Salad; Nayan Shah Co-Founder of Maisha Lifestyle; and @illesh sharma Founder of Same Notification.

Here are few notable takeaways from the discussion:

I extend my gratitude for the opportunity to participate in these enriching events and to connect with these inspiring entrepreneurs.

Special acknowledgment goes to Jatin Chaudhary from eChai Ventures for orchestrating such impactful conferences that unite our startup community.

The founder will always be a founder no matter what he/she is doing currently, rightly said Dhruv Chopra .

Dhruv Chopra and Mohit Dubey along with other co founders found the problem of accuracy on road transport and started working on the solution and Chalo happened and the rest is history.

He is so humble and committed to the founder fraternity.
My question was answered with simple lines "every startup has its own pace,just be in the business and remember why have you started."

Thank you eChai Ventures for organising such events for betterment of the startup ecosystem, DevX gave an amazing hospitality.

Lovely start to Friday morning with eChai Ventures Breakfast Social in #pune. Meeting fellow founders and investors is always a good break from the hustle of tireless execution! 😊

Thanks Prabhjyot Singh Mann & Jimish Kapadia for getting us all together.

#Shark𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐊 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚

> 1 million Applications Received across India 🇮🇳
> Only 1 Lakh Shortlisted
> Only 800 Startups selected for Personal Interview
> Only 200 pitches are selected to 'Present in front of Sharks' for Shoot at Film City.

Recently I got an opportunity to meet Pitchers at Shark Tank India at eChai meetup.

It was truly enlightening and inspiring, offering valuable insights and perspectives that will undoubtedly benefit me both personally and professionally.

> Chetan Kanani - A Visionary Businessman
> Adil Qadri - Great gunda of his Niche
> Mohit Gadhiya - Calm and Visionary Entrepreneur
> Anand Nahar & Amrit Nahar - Concrete combo of Fun and Finance and Food
> @𝐑𝐚𝐣 bhai 𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 - Senior most one and Authentic person

𝐓𝐨𝐩 5 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐩

1️⃣ Focus on expertise, not just interface
2️⃣ Mind set is everything so be a part of Community and attend the Training Sessions of your niche
3️⃣ Entrepreneurs have vision not only Growth Plans
4️⃣ Don't be good, Be great at Business Finance Numbers
5️⃣ Be authentic all the time

Kudos to eChai Ventures for arranging this meeting and Manoj Adwani for hosting this event.

Had an awesome time putting together the eChai Ventures breakfast social in Pune along with Prabhjyot Singh Mann.

Here are some key takeaways that resonated with me:

Considering Co-founders:
 
Jimish Kapadia sir shed light on the importance of considering co-founders from a VC perspective. While going solo isn't necessarily a problem, having a co-founder can significantly enhance credibility, especially if the product or idea is promising.

Fundraising Essentials:
 
Pankhil Baunthiyal emphasized the need to address three fundamental questions before diving into fundraising: When to raise funds,
how to raise them, & how much to raise. These questions are crucial for strategic planning and negotiation, particularly in early-stage startups.

In addition to the invaluable insights gained, networking with fellow founders like Aryan Hinge from @Denner was truly enlightening. These interactions underscored the importance of building meaningful connections within the startup ecosystem.

Looking forward to sharing more insights from these enriching experiences and continuing to learn and grow alongside this incredible community!

Had an awesome time putting together the eChai Ventures breakfast meet up in pune along with Prabhjyot Singh Mann!🌟

Connecting with the brilliant minds of fellow founders and investors in Pune was an absolute pleasure and discussing with them on startup fund raising. The impact and reach of eChai Ventures left me truly impressed, and I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the visionary team—Jatin Chaudhary

Your collaborative efforts made this networking event not just possible but exceptional! 🚀

Thank you for an amazing experience!

eChai Ventures Jatin Chaudhary Growth Sense Growth91 Sanjay Sarda Prabhjyot Singh Mann Disha Shah Sameer Karandikar Jitesh Devnani Sarthak Sudhir Shubham Sahamate Omkar Jadhav Aryan Hinge Smitesh Gadge Pankhil Baunthiyal Chaitanya Badave Abhishek Bang Rushikesh Khasgiwale Richa Mishra Parth Jadhav

Answered some interesting questions at eChai Ventures SaaS meetup in Bangalore! 

Glad to be part of the panel. :)

Though I'm not much of a television serial enthusiast, I do consider myself a #series kind of person. I've been captivated by "Shark Tank India" and am keen on exploring the US and UK versions soon. My interest in business and wanting to know more about new startup , ideas and founders led me to attend eChai Ventures meetings. 🌍 Yesterday, I attended eChai Ventures at Ahmedabad University.

There's a saying, "Seeing on TV is one thing, but experiencing it live is something entirely different." The difference between a reel and real life is truly fascinating! 🎥✨ #reelvsreal

I wanted to grow as much as possible and empower as many people as I could. The mantra was, "I don't just want a job for myself; I want to create jobs for many." - #onmyway #startofmyjourney 🚀

Founders who have made it to Shark Tank India, like Payal Pathak and Soham Payal Pathak of The Simply Salad, shared their journey at an e-chai panel discussion. 🥗 "Simply Salad" saw growth from 3k to 9k followers post-Shark Tank and currently boasts 53,000 followers. Inspired by diet and healthy food, the founders believe in the power of authenticity and storytelling. They thought expanding to more cities before appearing on Shark Tank would have been advantageous. 🌱 #healthylife #healthyfood #inspringjourney

In discussions about family support, the consensus is that, while we hope for it, it's often not forthcoming. It's usually a few close people who support you at the start. Social media presence and marketing are key.

Raj Shah from WeHear pointed out that a Shark Tank episode, which lasts 20 minutes on TV, may actually go on for 1.5–2 hours. The foundation of a company lies in its people. #pepole #team #investinpeople

"Why take a flight when you can travel in third economy?" This question underscores the importance of value creation and staying grounded.#staygrounded

This resonates with my personal belief that I don't need expensive gadgets for the sake of it. My journey from coveting an iPhone in school to now prioritizing investment in dreams, vision, and people reflects this ideology. 📱➡️🌟

Nayan Shah co-founder of Maisha Lifestyle, also shared their insights. Failures are seen as learning opportunities. The vision of a firm, like Maisha's aim of providing one bag to every woman, is critical for success. 🎒#vision #goal #learninganddevelopment Esha Shah

Ileshkumar Sharma, founder of Same Notification, shared insights on public perception, there's wisdom in focusing on constructive criticism and ignoring trolls with simple answers. Engaging too much with negative comments offers little benefit. 🛡️💬 #focus #crticism

If you've attended events, what inspired you, or what is your vision for business and startups? Let's discuss for mutual growth. 💡🤝

Thanks to Jatin Chaudhary eChai Ventures VentureStudio for arranging such a great event!!

Attended an event after a looooong looong while.

And it was the Bangalore SaaS meetup by eChai Ventures and Draper Startup House

Learned some good deal of things from

Sai Krishna

around thinking about MVPs and what it took him to build Superblog ai. and also from

Amit Chavan

. 

The highlights from my notes say:

- B2C is hard. Sigh.
- Build stuff for yourself, solve your own problem.
- Do primary research by looking over trends.
- Consumer behavior change revolves around three axes: Energy, time, and money.
- Your first set of customers will come from your Alpha and beta users.
- Your organic channels could be from either of these:
  - SEO
  - Build in public
  - Word of mouth
- Good PMs follow revenue/business.
- Sales is getting the cheque in hand.

- SEO in the future might take a different form, could evolve into chat engine optimization.

And got connected to a few interesting folks as well.

Looking forward to more such.

Fueling innovation at the @eChaiVentures Breakfast Social in Pune today!

Grateful to host 15 incredible startup founders on this exclusive fundraising journey.

Big shoutout to

Jatin Chaudhary

and

Malav Warke

for making it happen!  

dhandha chota ho ya bada dhandha hota hai, the use of #smallbusiness around women entrepreneurs is something I have never related to!

No dis but have you ever seen a man calling whatver they’re doing small? From thinking to start, to actually believe in your product, showing up everyday despite financial, operational impediments it takes confidence to step up. And none of the anxiety and tremors one goes through ain’t small.

Confidence sometimes come from within but as human we are vicarious learners. It’s not a sob story that I put forward but rather a perspective - no effort put in business is small.

Unlike businesses set by experienced consultants, bagging funding on nothing businesses run by women from home are frugal and community based.

Giving labels and comparing is not the goal.

Let’s just not call women run businesses small? #notsosmallbusiness

Today was a beautiful day in Bhopal’s Upvanam,as it’s been 6 months of regularly doing eChai Ventures Breakfast Social and seeing my goal become reality is just IT.

Meet my entrepreneur comrades, 3 of 7392 present today!

Isha , Founder Ithiha Gifting
Shuchika, Co-Founder Koozagari
Soumya, NES Studio

Loved how everyone came to support and shop!

It is true, it takes a community for a woman to succeed ✨ cheers to all

#notsosmallbusinesses

Had an incredible time at the eChai Startup Social Event! Connecting with professionals from diverse industry like #Technology, #Healthcare, #Food, #entertainment, #CA, #Sales & #Marketing was truly enlightening.
.
Throughout the event, we engaged in insightful discussions covering a spectrum of industries. From sharing experiences of success to reflecting on lessons learned from failures, our collaborative efforts aimed at fostering growth and development were truly enriching.

The enthusiasm and shared experiences highlighted the vibrant spirit of our startup ecosystem. It was pleasure moderate the event and share knowledge.

I believe Valentine's Day holds special significance for every individual, as it's a day dedicated to love and spreading affection. Everyone assigns different values to Valentine's Day. Here's why it's meaningful to me: I found my calling on February 14th, 2022.

It was the day when I took the first step toward Hummingbird. I had been associated with Cadila, and on that day, I resigned from the company. After resigning, as I made my way home, I passed numerous flower shops and realized that after making that decision, it was fitting to treat myself to a bouquet on Valentine's Day. I love roses like crazy, so I asked the cab driver to wait for five minutes while I gifted myself a bouquet :D

Journey from the office to my flat was very difficult and I was feeling “ Aaj ghar kyun nahi aa raha hai” . I questioned myself, wondering if I had made the right decision or not but Abhi to decision le liya tha. I was feeling quite emotional that day as I went to meet everyone. Some of my colleagues seriously started crying and were saying, 'What is this nonsense? Why are you making such a stupid decision but boss samjh to aaya us din ki insaan to apan ache hai Harsha Bhurani :D

I decided to spend quality time with myself when I reached home. The first person I called was Sumita Sharma and I shared the entire scenario with her. It was challenging for her to accept, as she, along with my colleagues, knew I was expecting a significant appraisal after months of hard work. However, she supported me nonetheless.

That day was simply amazing, still, I can recall spending a peaceful evening, enjoying the sunset with a cup of tea, and dinner at my favorite Pav Bhaji place near IIM, Vastrapur.
Eventually, till that time, I gathered the courage to inform my parents about this news. My father was initially shocked but he asked if I was okay, which meant the world to me. I reassured him, saying I was celebrating my day with Pav Bhaji. And then, I concluded my day with a brownie, and you can see the sheer joy reflected in this picture:D

After a brainstorming session with myself, writing three different Harsha on sticky notes and pasted them on my wall. I decided to go with 'Harsha Pro', who wanted to start her own business.

Feeling unsure of my next steps, I called Jatin Chaudhary for guidance and asked if I could meet him, and he suggested meeting half an hour before eChai event at IIM later that evening. I was extremely excited to meet him because I never thought that day would come that soon. So when I met Jatin I said , “Abhi resign to daal diya hai immediate basis par, entrepreneur hi banna hai but pata nahi iske baad kya karna hota hai?

He explained various aspects of HR, training, and development, providing valuable insights and references.

And so began my rollercoaster journey with Hummingbird, which continues to this day. It's been a journey filled with challenges, triumphs, and failures, and I'm ready to build HummingBird whatever it takes.

Had an amazing time hosting Sunday's eChai Ventures Startup Social at Draper Startup House Hyderabad!

It was my first time leading a session like this, and it was a lot more fun than I had expected. 

Quite a few brilliant ideas were shared during the session, and I got to meet a lot of interesting people in the Hyderabad startup ecosystem.

eChai Ventures New York will be hosting the small gathering of founders and startups folks on 16th February, Friday from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm EST.

eChai Startup Socials are volunteer driven small gatherings with founders and startup folks happening all over the world.

These meetups are free to attend and open for all.

It will be on pay-for-what-you-order basis.

Details about eChai Startup Meetup in New York:

Format: Small Group. Candid Conversations. Startup Folks.

Date & Time: 16th February, January. 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm EST.

Venue: Mr. Purple, 180 Orchard St 15th floor, New York, NY 10002, United States

Map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ikjdUKCApzbZFbAq8

At our latest eChai Dinner Social hosted by Shalin Parikh and Leena Parikh from Entigrity at their farmhouse, we gathered a select group of startup founders and operators for an evening of candid conversations and community spirit.

ft.

Shalin Parikh

&

Leena Parikh

(Entigrity)

Syed Nadeem Jafri

(Hearty Mart)

Manasvi Thapar

(Candour Legal)

Rishit Shah

(Kinetiq)

Vishakha Shah

(Venus Logistics)

Kumar Manish

(Communicate Karo)

Nikita Lalwani

(Croooze App)

Kush Prajapati

(Redicine)

Prafull Billore

(MBA Chaiwala)

Harsha Bhurani

(Hummingbird Consulting)

Aalap Sanghvi

(Immersfy)
Priyanka Sharma (Republic)
Shreya Billore (Askus way)

Jatin Chaudhary

(eChai Ventures)

Over this weekend had the priviledge of being on a panel at eChai Ventures Meetup at Draper Startup House's !! Joined by a diverse set of fellow panelists Rudra Nikam, Vikas Bardia, CFA, Manjunath M moderated by Puneeth Suraana. We delved into the entrepreneurial journey, sharing experiences, challenges, and strategies for success.

Connecting with multiple young entrepreneurs at the meetup underscored the importance of collaboration, shared learning, and building a supportive ecosystem. Each interaction sparked new ideas, collaborations, and opportunities for growth.

As the audience was filled with young entrepreneurs, they thrive on the energy and creativity that comes from connecting with like-minded individuals. These connections not only inspire us but also open doors to new partnerships, mentorship, and possibilities for innovation.

Grateful for the opportunity to engage with such a vibrant community of startup enthusiasts at Draper Startup House by Karan Bahadur & curated community by Nivin Joseph enabled by Jatin Chaudhary of eChai Ventures . Let's continue to foster connections, support one another, and collectively drive positive change in the startup ecosystem!

🚀Key Takeaways from eChai Ventures Sales Strategy Meet Up (I Moderated) at Ideas to Impacts Hub! But That's Just the Tip of the Iceberg!

What an energy-charged 2.5 hours we had yesterday (Saturday, Feb 10th’24)! As your moderator, I was blown away by the depth of knowledge and practical tips shared by our Panelist.

1: Suvikas Bhandari - VP of Straget and GTM at Pazcare
2: Shyam HN - Co-founder and CEO at Boomerang
3: Supriya Rao - MD India ClearRoute

Here's just a taste to whet your appetite:

Winning Game:

⭐️ Mastering Lost Deals: Suvikas Bhandari ji urged us to analyze even with high conversation rates, as the "why" behind lost cases holds the key to future wins.

📚Salesperson's Bookshelf: Get inspired and boost your negotiation skills with "Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It. Book by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz”, and "The Art of War - Book by Sun Tzu”, recommended by Suvikas ji.

⭐️Scaling Your Sales Dream Team: Shyam HN shared a framework for building a high-performing sales development team, including adapting outreach channels to target personas and optimizing for results.

⭐️Building Trust, Closing Deals: Supriya’s insights on handling objections with intelligence and honesty resonated deeply, emphasizing the importance of trust in the sales journey. She also stressed prompt communication, responding within 24-48 hours and keeping prospects informed.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg! This post only scratches the surface of the valuable knowledge shared during the session.

Bangalore Really Works.

I just joined my team in person in Namma Bengaluru on 1 February. The energy of the city is awesome. I attended some stellar startup events such as eChai Ventures and connected with amazing people, and now more excited about the business.

Building a Software Development Agency here feels like unlocking a treasure of opportunities. The work culture, diverse talent pool, and openness to trying new things are amazing.

Compared to remote/smaller cities, the mere dynamism of Bangalore accelerates the development process and opens doors to a myriad of possibilities

If you want to build websites and apps, let's Chai and Chat!  Contact me at [email protected] or check out our work at Curl Crafters. Let's craft digital experiences together!

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending an exhilarating session at the eChai's Startup Growth Networking Meetup, hosted by the dynamic Jatin Chaudhary at the prestigious IIMA Ventures, Ahmedabad.

Our panelists, each a trailblazer in their domain, shared their unique journeys and invaluable insights:

Zaiba Sarang from iThink Logistics is revolutionizing the logistics sector by significantly reducing product return ratios - a game-changer for brands.

Aditya Shah from Because demonstrated how they're helping brands carve their unique voice in a crowded market.

Vishakha Shah from Venus Logistics shared her experiences in the distinct US logistics market, creating substantial waves in the industry.

Sushil Agrawal's initiative, Saarthi Pedagogy, is impacting over 10 lakh students across India, revolutionizing the educational landscape.

The energy was palpable as young entrepreneurs eagerly engaged with the panelists, seeking wisdom on multitasking and effective management as founders.

Ziaba's anecdotes about customer feedback enhancing their product, Sushil's insights on fundraising, Aditya's take on cultivating a growth-oriented work culture, and Vishakha's candid sharing of the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs, added layers of depth to the discussion.

Kudos to Jatin Chaudhary for his relentless efforts and consistency in creating this one-of-a-kind platform that not only connects but inspires and empowers the startup community.