This Saturday at Draper Startup House India , we discussed about Building Startup teams and culture. Mohit Sharma spoke about an ai powered automated food making device that chops cuts sautes weighs boils steams and cooks all in one with step by step procedure with video guidance!! by upliance.ai. we debated about “jain briyani” No we wont tell you what is it, ask Ashfin Francis if want to know 😋
I am super impressed with the composed passionate and sincere founder in Mrinal Rai who was very kind and humble with every soul who meets him !! he felt like a dream founder to me and loved to know the culture they strive to build in his company Intugine - Logistics through Innovation , that makes supply chain movements predictable and has latest updates at all times and effectively improve gdp itself if implemented at country level!! massive respect to the startup. he talked about the importance of PMF ( product market fit )
His advice
- treat first customers as team members, they offer a lot
- Team and problem statement is important
- Market pulls product out of the starup rather than startups pushing them ( they do push a bit initially)
- No Super star engineers needed, bad for company in long run
and the mystery Satya Bar , i didnt know until today 😀
the session was well hosted by Wanderfly.in founder Penchala Tharun 🚀
this is the first session i was fully attentive without active effort as it was super entertaining, the host and the guests were super entertaining!!
thank you eChai Ventures
I am super impressed with the composed passionate and sincere founder in Mrinal Rai who was very kind and humble with every soul who meets him !! he felt like a dream founder to me and loved to know the culture they strive to build in his company Intugine - Logistics through Innovation , that makes supply chain movements predictable and has latest updates at all times and effectively improve gdp itself if implemented at country level!! massive respect to the startup. he talked about the importance of PMF ( product market fit )
His advice
- treat first customers as team members, they offer a lot
- Team and problem statement is important
- Market pulls product out of the starup rather than startups pushing them ( they do push a bit initially)
- No Super star engineers needed, bad for company in long run
and the mystery Satya Bar , i didnt know until today 😀
the session was well hosted by Wanderfly.in founder Penchala Tharun 🚀
this is the first session i was fully attentive without active effort as it was super entertaining, the host and the guests were super entertaining!!
thank you eChai Ventures
The eChai Effect - In Their Words
“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
"From late-night brainstorming over chai to early morning founder calls, eChai has been more than just a network for me; it’s been home base for ideas, impact, and inspiration. What started as a simple meetup years ago turned into a powerful movement, connecting founders, creators, and dreamers. I’ve had the privilege of seeing startups find product-market fit, marketers (like me) find unexpected collaborations, and most importantly, people finding their tribe. संगच्छध्वं संवदध्वं – Let us move together, speak together. It’s not just a verse from the Rigveda — it’s how Jatin and the entire eChai community truly operate. We don’t just network, we grow together. Forever grateful to be a part of the eChai Effect.
Jaydip Parikh
Chief Everything Officer at Tej SolPro
"eChai has been a game changer in my journey. It connected me with real people, real support and real opportunities. From building HMMBiz to launching Mindalcove, eChai has played a key role at every step. Grateful to be part of a community that truly believes in growing together."
Hardik Manwani
CTO, Mind Alcove
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.
