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.

Had an amazing time at eChai yesterday and came back with some gems that I just have to share. This place really shows that the more you share, the more you get back.

Here's what stuck with me:

1. *Go with Your Gut Feeling*:

   

Bhavesh Patel

from Brands.Live dropped this truth bomb - if you feel something's not gonna work, trust that feeling. Trying to push it when your gut says no? That's a no-go. It's all about trusting that inner voice.

2. *Asking Questions the Right Way*:

   

Sushil Agrawal

, the brain behind Saarthi Pedagogy, shared a killer approach:

   - Are you even asking the right question?
   - Are you asking the right question to the right person?
   - And are you asking the right question to the right person at the right time?

Getting this right can really change the game.

These bits of advice are gold, making you rethink how you tackle things in your own journey. 

eChai isn't just about giving; it's a place where you gain loads, especially in ways you didn't expect.

At IIMA Ventures, we're optimistic about the future of the sustainability sector in India. Harnessing the vibrancy of India's tech ecosystem, startups are poised not just for local impact but to build solutions with a global perspective. Excited to introduce Accenture Sustainability Value Accelerator 2.0's outstanding startups:

sentra.world building an AI platform for calculating, reporting, certifying, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

EcoRatings building an AI & ML powered platform for numeric ESG ratings based on the 17 SDGs framework.

TraceX Technologies building solutions focused on transparency, traceability, and sustainability in the food and agriculture supply chain.

CarbonMinus building a SaaS platform ensuring efficiency, compliance, and the realization of net-zero visions.

CarbonTrail building an AI-powered sustainability platform for fashion and retail, measuring environmental impact through automated LCAs and primary supply chain data.

Discover more about our impactful cohort: https://lnkd.in/gsjTnYeU 🚀 

Founders, Investors, Enablers- Who are you listening to?

Over the last few weeks I've been constantly trying to rediscover learning through podcasts and here are some of them that are on my radar-

🎙 Seed to Scale by Accel - A podcast series highlighting the journey of various founders while launching a 2 podcast series with the Accel team from across the globe - Jim Swartz, Anand Daniel, Sameer Gandhi, Harry Nelis, Mahendran Balachandran celebrating their 40 years in the VC industry in 2023

🎙Blume Ventures podcasts - Season 1 on XUnicorns followed by Season 2 focusing on Power of Compounding where Karthik B. Reddy hosts founders like Peyush Bansal, Raamdeo Agrawal who have excelled at compounding from the last decade to almost half a century

🎙Matrix Moments by Matrix Partners India - Highlighting human capital while also discussing trends of 2023 and 2024 hosted by Rupali Sharma ranging to over 180 episodes over different seasons and topics

🎙DesiVC by Akash Bhat - Candid conversations with leading investors from across India with insights from Akash's journey as a founder and investor having spoken to 127+ people. This one has been on my list for over 3 years now

🎙Indian Silicon Valley podcast by Jivraj Singh Sachar- Intricate conversations with founders, investors, and enablers in the Indian start-up ecosystem spanning 161 episodes and more. Jivraj has been closely associated with the start-up and investment ecosystem bringing out his unique perspective through the questions he asks his guests

VCs have extensive insights and access to diverse information. They have access to insights ranging from an industry understanding brought together by cumulative team experiences, in-depth sector focus, and access to real-time information through their portfolio companies. Often these insights stay unshared or when shared, undiscovered by some of us. This year I'm on a mission to uncover some of the most insightful podcasts and will keep sharing as I keep listening.

So what are you listening to, to stay up to date? Drop startup and investing podcast recommendations in the comments. I'm sharing links to the ones I've mentioned above in the comments too.

So aaj baat karte hai Sales ki , Sales kya hai and jo bhi hai that is according to me. We can agree to disagree. (This is not AI generated :D )

So I was fired from my job in 2007 for being the worst salesman, as my sales for 6 months was ZERO. That was my first sales job as well.

Fir koi job nahi de raha tha to I started on my own, apporached 200+ customers for my services and finally I got it. It's not the subject of classroom learning but the subject of Action. Do 100 cold calls and you will know and you can see the difference between your first cold and call and 100th.

Then to sharpen my skills, I started learning Sales Techniques and Psychological techniques but at the end Click wahi hua jo hona chahiye tha, today I consider myself a good salesman. My learnings in this journey are

- You don't need techniques but you need authenticity

- Sales is not about processes, openings and closures but It's about People , Understanding people is the key.

- Instead of selling, focus on value creation (waise ye sab pahele bhi 100 baar sun ya padh chuke honge )

- If you have empathy , connection , authenticity, Integrity then you understand your customer , team members , partners far better way and that's the key to sales.

- Last is face your fear. Cold calls are most difficult for many people but once you pick up the call and talk like a human , you will realize that person on other side is same and you can have a good talk at least.

Photo story : I am doing what I love doing most, Sales.