Hosted echai AI Day Bangalore. Here are the quick takeaways:-
1. Finding the Right Co-founders: Look for committed co-founders through platforms like Y Combinator Co‑Founder Matching and Entrepreneur First.
2. Where to use AI: Identify problems that are repetitive, error-prone, and disliked by those performing them. Can you apply AI to achieve an acceptable level of accuracy and make the process either faster, cheaper or better?
3. Selling Your Product - Create champions in the companies where you are selling; they will advocate for your product behind you. Understand their motivations and align your product to meet those needs.
4. Value Proposition: Customers buy solutions to their problems, not AI itself. So have a clear alignment with the goals and the OKRs of the company.
5. AI Funding Strategy: Focus on winning customers, not chasing VCs. If people love your product, VCs will come to you. The goal of fundraising is to quickly secure funds and get back to building your business. Don't drag out the process for months for minor valuation gains—it won't matter in the long run.
"eChai is playing biggest role in my personal and professional life together. Its a community where i meet like minded people to share idea and learn from their idea. Even while playing cricket i learn something and i implement something new from that learning. Its my entry point for building network in different countries where my base is not established yet. Personally my only fun activity day in a week is eChai cricket and social."
yash shah
Chairman, ES Group of Companies
“You don’t plan to build a company via eChai. You just keep showing up … and one day, you realize you did.” I’ve known Jatin since 2012, when I was still deciding what kind of second innings I wanted to play as an entrepreneur. Over the years, through events, chai breaks, intros, and seemingly small conversations, eChai helped shape not just Upsquare but also refined the lens through which we see collaboration. At Upsquare, we’ve hired talent, met partners, discovered co-investors, and built lifelong friendships. One of our joint ventures exists today only because a casual eChai memory sparked a deeper trust. Now, as we build House of Starts — our venture builder — eChai continues to fuel our mission: co-creating a shared future. eChai isn’t just a startup network. It’s a trust network. And for business builders like me, that makes all the difference."
Utpal Vaishnav
Founder @ Upsquare & House of Starts • Angel Investor + LP
"I have evolved from role of Community Builder to Startup Consultant to Startup Ecosystem Enabler to Angel Investor and now launching a Venture Studio and eChai has been a catalyst in my overall journey as Startup Evangelist since 13 years."
Mehul Shah
Co-Founder at Counselvise & Ivy Growth
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.
