Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of joining ABHISHEK from Naapbooks Limited, Swati from Mantras2Success.com, Ravi from Univia and Nirav from WOGOM on a panel to discuss 'Growth Stories' organised by eChai Ventures and moderated by Aditya from Cibos Techno Solutions Pvt Ltd
Here are some notes:
๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐จ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐: One of the interesting conversations was around how to align/retrain people who have taken the company from zero to one and have them effectively contribute in the company's journey from one to hundred. This is required because it takes very different people to bring something to life vs people who take something that is alive and take it to scale. One of the things we do at Momentum91 is to build a 'New Initiatives' team. This is our 'zero to one' team and it always works on the frontier. Things that have not yet been figured out completely yet. This team builds solutions on those lines. This way, once they have charted the path, the rest of the team comes in and makes the path more 'followable' through processes, frameworks and templates.
๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ-๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ-๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ: I am of the opinion that starting a company is like entering a haunted house that might have a treasure buried inside. I would not go in alone. I need someone to keep me honest, be sad when we have lost, share joy when we have won. I need someone to fight, debate and argue with. It's a personal and arguable choice. Some folks are comfortable going at it alone as well. If you are like me, consider finding a co-founder who has complimentary skill sets. A person whose thought process is different than yours and a person you fully trust.
๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฉ: Almost everyone on the panel had degrees in things that were drastically different from the nature of the company they were running, including myself. It's important to understand that half of running any company is the same - whatever one builds, they still have to build a team, figure out marketing, learn sales, read balance sheets and keep the company compliant - things that are not taught. A good way to look at education is to think of that as 'time allotted to build an approach' - an approach of problem solving. If one is able to build that approach, most things get easier.
It was fun listening to other people's stories around recruiting their first 5 team members, journey of meeting their co-founders and approach towards making difficult decisions under uncertain circumstances with less than accurate data.
Thank you Jatin for the opportunity. Until next time.
Here are some notes:
๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐จ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐: One of the interesting conversations was around how to align/retrain people who have taken the company from zero to one and have them effectively contribute in the company's journey from one to hundred. This is required because it takes very different people to bring something to life vs people who take something that is alive and take it to scale. One of the things we do at Momentum91 is to build a 'New Initiatives' team. This is our 'zero to one' team and it always works on the frontier. Things that have not yet been figured out completely yet. This team builds solutions on those lines. This way, once they have charted the path, the rest of the team comes in and makes the path more 'followable' through processes, frameworks and templates.
๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ-๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ-๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ: I am of the opinion that starting a company is like entering a haunted house that might have a treasure buried inside. I would not go in alone. I need someone to keep me honest, be sad when we have lost, share joy when we have won. I need someone to fight, debate and argue with. It's a personal and arguable choice. Some folks are comfortable going at it alone as well. If you are like me, consider finding a co-founder who has complimentary skill sets. A person whose thought process is different than yours and a person you fully trust.
๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฉ: Almost everyone on the panel had degrees in things that were drastically different from the nature of the company they were running, including myself. It's important to understand that half of running any company is the same - whatever one builds, they still have to build a team, figure out marketing, learn sales, read balance sheets and keep the company compliant - things that are not taught. A good way to look at education is to think of that as 'time allotted to build an approach' - an approach of problem solving. If one is able to build that approach, most things get easier.
It was fun listening to other people's stories around recruiting their first 5 team members, journey of meeting their co-founders and approach towards making difficult decisions under uncertain circumstances with less than accurate data.
Thank you Jatin for the opportunity. Until next time.
The eChai Effect - In Their Words
"eChai has played a truly pivotal role in HummingBirdโs journey โ even before Day Zero. From ideation to establishment and into growth, itโs been a constant source of support.ย It connected me with incredible people whoโve become more than just friends. One of the biggest reasons I chose to stay in Ahmedabad is because of the eChai community. It has shaped my growth โ both personally and professionally โ in ways that are hard to articulate.ย Honestly, words fall short when I try to express what eChai means to me. Iโm deeply thankful and forever grateful to eChai for being such an integral part of my journey."
Harsha Bhurani
Founder, HummingBird Consulting Group
"eChai isnโt just a startup community โฆ itโs a mindset .ย eChai has been one of the most impactful communities in my entrepreneurial journey. Itโs been a turning point . In a world where building something can often feel isolating, eChai gave me a sense of belonging. Iโve found mentors, collaborators, and friends here โ people who genuinely want to see you succeed.ย Itโs a space where ideas are challenged, actions are celebrated, and founders grow not just in scale, but in clarity and confidence. From late-night ideas to early-morning pitches, this community has quietly but powerfully shaped the way I build, think, and dream. Iโll always be grateful for the way eChai creates spaces where founders donโt just grow businesses โ they grow together."
Koumal Kalantry
Founder, Bignano Ventures
"At DevX.Work, weโve greatly benefited from our association with eChai. Their events and networking forums have connected us with high-potential startups, ecosystem leaders, and innovation-driven professionals โ many of whom have become valuable partners, collaborators, and even clients.ย What stands out most is the openness and accessibility of the community โ whether you're an early-stage founder or an experienced entrepreneur, eChai provides a welcoming space to learn, collaborate, and grow.ย It's more than just a network โ it's a catalyst for real, collaborative growth. Weโre proud to be part of the eChai community. Highly recommended for any organization aiming to grow within the startup space."
Umesh Uttamchandani
Co-Founder, DevX
eChai Partner Brands
eChai Ventures partners with select brands as their growth partner - working together to explore new ideas, open doors, and build momentum across the startup ecosystem.
