Bootstrapping Success & Retention Strategies

Last Saturday, I had the privilege of moderating a stellar panel on Bootstrapping at Draper Startup House in collaboration with eChai Ventures – and it was truly a session to remember.

I was thrilled to host some of the most inspiring and talented founders:

Amal Mishra, Co-founder of Urban Vault, who shared his remarkable journey of bootstrapping to 57 managed workspaces in Bangalore. His story of overcoming asset-heavy challenges by leveraging his furnishing business showed us the power of strategic thinking.

Vikas Bardia, CFA, Co-founder of Shoffr, captivated the audience with how he led one of India’s first customer-led funding rounds, raising $1.1M from 110 customers! He bootstrapped to 57 cars, and post-funding, has now scaled to 110 cars. His insights on maintaining a bootstrapped mentality while growing were incredibly valuable. As he put it, “The service inside the car is broken, not the app.”

Jeevan Gnanam, from Sri Lanka’s Hatch Works – one of Asia’s top coworking spaces – and co-founder of SpectrifyAI, shared key insights on scaling businesses while managing multiple ventures. His focus on hiring champions who help you grow was a game changer.

Rishav Agarwal, founder of Picxele™ and angel investor in 60 startups (including Zypp electric & Crib), gave a masterclass on what angel investors look for in founders and the red flags to avoid.

Despite the rain, we had a full house with 82+ attendees – a testament to the energy and passion of the startup community.

Don't miss out! This Saturday, we’re back with an amazing VC panel to dive into fundraising strategies and expert insights from the best in the game.