Founders contemplate whom to approach for funding, while investors consider where to allocate their investments. When one should seek funding or refrain from it is an individual choice. There are no definitive answers to any questions; it's always subjective and often seasonal.

It was an enriching meetup eChai Ventures on very apt topic #funding - learning about this from the best Milapsinh Jadeja sir ,Umesh Uttamchandani sor @mihir joshi sir GVFL Limited , Dheeraj Bhojwani sir !!

Many congratulations to Jatin Chaudhary for completing 15 years to eChai Ventures journey and hosting the show!

Friends and family are typically the first investors in your vision, and early-stage startups often receive initial investments from them.

• Bootstrapping: Self-funding the startup with personal savings or revenue.

• Seed Funding: Initial capital from friends, family, or angel investors.

• Series A, B, C Funding: Increasing rounds of financing from venture capitalists as the company grows.

• Bridge Funding: Short-term financing to sustain operations between major funding rounds.

Pros of Funding:

• Accelerated growth potential.

• Access to expertise and networks of investors.

• Ability to scale operations rapidly.

Cons of Funding:

• Pressure to meet investor expectations.

• Dilution of equity.

Are you part of startup ecosystem?
And which stage you are into , bootstrapping, seed funding, more round of funds , Bridge funding or other??

I am just truly love the energy of all the founders !!

Pankaj Bhimani Ekta Shah Mitesh Shethwala Himani Kankaria Harshal Trivedi Yash Mehta Amit Panchal Nikita A Macquinn Harsha Bhurani Satya Mehta Novin Jaiswal Viraj Rajani Niraj Harlalka Bhavik Makwana Shreyans Panchal 

Thank you for joining us as I hosted the eChai Ventures Marketing Summit at Urban Vault, HSR!

My key takeaways:

Sharuti Mittal: Paying more attention to the labels on our foods is crucial.

Ajitesh Shankar Das: Working closely with the product folks enables in targeting the ideal customer profile.

Parasar Sarma: Talking to the customer is everyone's job. Stories that stay with us exist there.

Aquibur Rahman: There's immense value in talking to your customers on why are they coming to you and how can you serve them better.

Thank you for making this gathering happen, Jatin Chaudhary!

To HSR, With Love ❤️
Your Cheerleader from HSRisHome

Imagine a building sized machine - printing another building!

Spent a day at the new paint factory from Aditya Birla Group where they have brought India's 2nd 3D printed building to life!

Proud to be a part of this exciting project at Rezovate Constructions!

I am excited to launch my very first "ReSchool Podcast" episode with Abhishek Desai, founder of CricHeroes, and Jatin Chaudhary, co-founder of eChai Ventures. 

Together, we explore innovative pathways for transforming schooling in our digital era as we dive deep into education, entrepreneurship, innovation, and reschooling. Stay tuned for real insights and inspiring stories!

🇮🇳 #India: It's been a FUN week in the world of #entrepreneurtourism! March is my favourite month of the year. It's a celebration of life and being on many levels: from birthdays to my gender, driving movements for gender equity, etc.

Last week on a panel with Moina, Shruti, Maithreye, Charu, we discussed launching startups, challenges in the entrepreneurial world, and on a less conventional topic of support systems to tide through hurdles, we dived deep and personal over a closeknit roundtable.

The journey can be lonely (sometimes more so as a woman), but how do we navigate that?

It is heartening to hear that support systems for these empowered women range from families and supportive partners, communities, micro-communities, to having access to like-minded peers in the same business social circles, alongside professional networks such as Women in Investing Network and Women in VSEA.

Earlier that day, I caught up with Aashraya who's one of the few #web3 founders in #Hyderabad – we shared a panel on network states and virtual nations last year in #Bangalore. We discussed ambitions and future plans for Illuminated.

Just yesterday, Deeksha from Anthill Ventures was passing through #Bangalore. Coincidentally, me too! So we couldn't pass on the opportunity to catch up in person at Draper Startup House in #koramangala and explore collectively driving progress in the startup community. It's always cool to meet a fellow woman in VC – i always have something to learn from them.

💫 On a personal note over birthdays and wishes, I hope that people continue to be the progress they want to see in this world.

The future belongs to the dreamers and visionaries who believe in the beauty of their dreams, and I'm always grateful and humbled by the community that shows me, without fail, everyday:

The future is here 🚀

Extending heartfelt thanks to Malav Warke and eChai Ventures for the gracious invitation to join the panel alongside Deepa Bhowmick from Daisy Life at the recent D2C startups meetup in Pune.

It was an incredibly insightful experience, filled with enriching discussions and valuable networking opportunities. Your dedication to cultivating collaboration within the D2C ecosystem is truly inspiring!

Grow Billion Trees

Incredible insights on how to build your SEO engine by Rakesh Patel

Tons of takeaways and sharing one of his videos that he shared, you’ll find more on YouTube.

Kudos to the folks at Accel in India atoms for putting this together

Saturday evening spent at this networking hub of startups at eChai Ventures in Pune. Thanks Malav Warke for having me.

I had more to learn than to share, thanks to the wondeful co-panelists Nidhi Thakkar Shikha Pakhide Richa Singh. Breaking away from jargons of marketing strategy to dicussing web 3.0 and Gen AI... it covered whole spectrum of marketing.

Interesting was that the participants opened up about thier apprehensions towards marketing. Marketing is not always big bang budgets. Its understanding your product, your market and your customer deeply.
Choosing channels, means, metrics of mesurement, ROI and attribution are topics which will then follow.

Steps of growing a community on maybe some days is just showing up!

Showing up for talks
Showing up for missing it
Showing up sick
Showing up recovered
Showing up ready for the week
Showing up wanting more rest
Showing up as a starter bee
Showing up needing help

My tip, show up decide later. You can give yourself thousand no but one yes is enough, find that and show up ❤️ because if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together 👏🏼

Today’s breakfast social, bunch of OGs and few newbies introducing

Divya Yadav, Founder DivMade
Meenal Rai Shejwar, Founder Café Amado
Nidhi Khatri, Founder House of Enke
Isha Khosla, Co Founder Itthiha
Vinay Dhok, Co Founder Itthiha
Srijan Sharma, Founder ItsHemp, Co Founder SOQO

Always a pleasure hosting eChai Ventures Breakfast Social, small group candid conversations

🎉 What a lively evening at the Women's Day Startup Social! Surprisingly, the crowd was mostly men, proving that support for women in entrepreneurship knows no bounds!

🙌 And yes, I'm already prepping to shed light on men's struggles come Men's Day - it's only fair, right? 😄💼

Huge thanks to eChai Ventures and Draper Startup House for hosting such an inspiring event! Let's keep lifting each other up! 💪💃

#WomensDay #StartupSocial #EmpowerWomen #Entrepreneurship #Gratitude 🚀👩‍💼

Miracle Me, Ming Xia HO, Charu Dhyani, Pro Zero Carbon, Shruti Rawal , Ewoke Studio, Tejaswini Kidambi, T-Works, Moina Qazi, Venture Catalysts++ | India's 1st Multi-Stage VC,Deeksha Marur,Arpita Soma,Jyoshna Reddy, Anjum Mehta, Sidra Noor, Maitreyee Raje, Srishti Bagaria,Akanksha Rajuri, Sushma Venkatramani, Nell Neemuch, Aksheyaa Akilan, Tenaz Shanice Cardoz, Simrah Munaza Ikram, Olamide Williams, Prachi Rathore, Shaily Rathore, Sanjana Pai, ADITI LOHIA

Join me at 6 PM for a Women's Day Startup Social that promises to be as vibrant as our spirits! Let's gather with eChai Ventures and Draper Startup House Gachibowli to celebrate the brilliance and resilience of women in entrepreneurship.

Get ready for an evening of inspiration, connection, and a sprinkle of cheer! Can't wait to see you there! 💃🥂

Miracle Me, Ming Xia HO, Charu Dhyani, Pro Zero Carbon, Shruti Rawal , Ewoke Studio, Tejaswini Kidambi, T-Works, Moina Qazi, Venture Catalysts++ | India's 1st Multi-Stage VC

An enriching weekend at IIMA Ventures at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad 🌱

Organised by eChai Ventures Delighted to be part of an insightful meetup featuring candid panel discussions with visionary founders and leaders. Reelo Quicko Iroller Capital Pvt Ltd Vishvajit Sonagara Milapsinh Jadeja Parin Sanghvi ☕️

The meetup showcased the passion and innovation of early-stage founders through inspiring open pitches. The networking session was equally rewarding, connecting with like-minded individuals, sharing experiences, and building valuable connections. 🙋🏻‍♀️

Grateful for the opportunity to be immersed in this dynamic entrepreneurial community!

Exclusive Product Growth Meetup at Draper Startup House in Bengaluru hosted by eChai Ventures🌟.

Thrilled to share that I had the incredible opportunity to participate as a panelist at the meetup delving into the dynamic world of Product Management!

It was a pleasure to join fellow industry experts Sanjeet Kathuria, Harneet Kaur Chhabra and Sanket Bhatt in a riveting discussion on key practices and strategies shaping the field. The turnout was nothing short of amazing with 50+ product and growth folks and even founders showing up for an engaging evening!

Key Highlights from the discussion:

🎯 Being an advocate for customer empathy is fundamental for translating business needs into actionable insights to drive product growth.
🎯 GTM and product development should go hand in hand with a key focus on adopting early design partners and finding distribution channels that work for your startup.
🎯 Experimentation with product features, pricing and positioning can help unfold unforeseen avenues leading to higher customer engagement and business expansion

📖 Book recommendation: Hooked by Nir Eyal

🙌 Huge shoutout to the organizers and host Jatin Chaudhary and Darshan Suthar for extending the invitation and for orchestrating such a successful event for the community.

Spent a dynamic Saturday morning with a group of dedicated entrepreneurs with eChai Ventures, exchanging invaluable insights and strategies for startup success. 🙌

We delved into key takeaways crucial for entrepreneurial success: 📈

1. Importance of Product Marketing: Emphasized the pivotal role of product marketing in effectively communicating the value proposition and benefits of your offering to the target audience.

2. Understanding CAC and LTV: Discussed the significance of Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Lifetime Value (LTV) metrics in guiding sustainable growth and profitability strategies.

3. PLG and SLG Strategies: Explored the power of Product-Led Growth (PLG) and Sales-Led Growth (SLG) approaches, highlighting their respective advantages and suitability based on business models.

4. Finding Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): Stressed the necessity of identifying the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) to optimize marketing efforts and enhance customer acquisition and retention rates.

5. Achieving Product-Market Fit (PMF): Recognized the importance of attaining Product-Market Fit (PMF) to ensure that your product resonates with the needs and preferences of your target market.

6. Importance of User Research: Underlined the critical role of user research in gaining deep insights into customer behavior, preferences, and pain points to inform product development and marketing strategies.

7. Significance of Customer Interaction and Insights: Highlighted the value of ongoing customer interaction and feedback loops in refining products, enhancing user experience, and fostering long-term customer relationships.

Here's to the power of collaboration and hustle! 💼🚀

It was such great fun sharing the panel with Ankita De and Varun Trivedi today talking about my favorite things - marketing, community, and founders.

We talked about user research, validating ideas, product marketing, saas market and more. The crowd was brimming with new ideas and entrepreneurial energy.

Thank you Penchala Tharun 🚀 for asking such great engaging questions. I had fun!

Thanks Jatin and eChai Ventures for having me.

For everyone that asked to join HSR Founders Club please dm me. And for anyone that wants to use Bugasura - go right ahead and give it a try.

Dhandha ya Startup?

My recent family visit to Jaipur would have been incomplete without a quick check-in into the start-up ecosystem. A few conversations with Headstarters and a last-minute meet-up with eChai Ventures helped me understand-

1. Jaipur and Rajasthan as a whole believe in business = profit > massive growth
2. Fundraising doesn't take as much precedence as building a sustainable business
3. Some of the most renowned start-ups and businesses like CarDekho Group, Razorpay, DealShare, and even Dexter Ventures have started and been built in Jaipur
4. The community is nascent, close-knit and growing
5. A lot of talent, very good talent is available thanks to the number of colleges and coaching institutes in the region

A shoutout to everyone who made time on short notice to help me get a sneak peek into Jaipur and the Rajasthan ecosystem - Paresh Gupta, Tushar, Prateek Mathur, Vinay Kamal, Chetan Saini, Rahul Singh.
Jatin Chaudhary and Gautham Sivaramakrishnan Headstart Network Foundation always help me find the best people to connect with across the country and the world.

If you have been to or built-in #Rajasthan, I would love to hear your thoughts. Do tag anyone you would like me to meet the next time I'm in Rajasthan.

Back at eChai Ventures tomorrow chatting about marketing at early stage startups. 🚀

Bang in the middle of COVID - I remember Jatin reaching out for a session on content and I got to join a really rich panel of experts with Sujata and Taniya from Suta, Riddhi from Avenue Ecom and Smita from Delloite, ex Duroflex.

I learned so much from their diverse opinions and experiences.

I’m joining another panel tomorrow with Ankita De and Varun Trivedi to chat about marketing at early stage companies in HSR Layout, 11 AM onwards.

Join us if you’d like to catch up. Im looking forward to learning from this panel as well.

Details ⬇️

People ask about weekends,

Your weekends can be worthy too if you are surrounded by the right folks, and for me, they are eChai Ventures and this is what echai friends do.

The day started with chit-chat about the business and was followed by an amazing lunch at Karnawati Club.

Attended an amazing echai demo day, where one friend pitched his new venture on the stage and another shared his success story.

58 Miles Rocks and AllEvents.in has been always inspiring.

Crazy fun weekend with craziness and productivity. Hope to have these keep coming in.

Jatin Chaudhary Pankaj Bhimani Amit Panchal Umesh Uttamchandani Himani Kankaria Kumar Manish Koumal Kalantry Shrijay Sheth Leena Parikh Syed Nadeem Jafri Gaurav Barot

Gained invaluable Insights and Inspiration from the latest eChai Startup Demo Day at IIMA Ventures in Ahmedabad.

On this Saturday I had attend Echai meet up for Start up enthusiasts, and it was awesome experience with innovation ,collaboration and potentials, from dynamic pitches to engaging discussion ,the event was full of entrepreneurial spirit.

There are many founders who represent their product and ideas. one founder introduced FMCG product app for fastest delivery service and highlights the emergence needs of online delivery services. on the other side the founder focusing on the travel bag product.

In Addition the founders of Smytten also shared invaluable insights into strategic approach and their journey to success. Overall, the eChai meetup served as a phenomenal platform where investors, start-up founders, and industry professionals meet to discuss emerging business opportunities and exchange knowledge.

This event helped me in fuelling my passion for innovation and Entrepreneurship.