The most common mistake in quick commerce? Thinking getting listed is the win. The real game starts after that.

What This Read Is
A ground-up operator’s guide from Blume’s Rohit Kaul, featuring firsthand insights from three D2C founders navigating the trenches of quick commerce: Rinee from Plush (₹100Cr+ hygiene brand), Tushar from Perfora (oral care), and Sri from Gobblecube (data-driven ops for D2C).

Why It Matters Now
Every founder wants to get on Blinkit or Zepto. But what happens next? This piece explains what it takes to actually succeed post-listing—across platform economics, assortment strategy, and supply chain readiness. In a landscape where margins are thin and competition is brutal, these founders show what sustainable growth really looks like.

Key Takeaways or Insights

Why I’m Recommending It
Too many startup decks glamorize “being on Blinkit.” This piece grounded me. It’s not about being fast—it’s about being operationally tight, smartly merchandised, and relentlessly proactive. If you're chasing quick commerce, this is your post-launch survival guide.

Closing Line
If you’ve ever thought, “Let’s get listed and figure it out”—read this first. These founders already did, and they’re still iterating every week.

📖 Read the full piece on Blume

“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” - Michelle Obama
The Women in AI – SF Edition was one of those rare evenings that left us all a little more inspired, a little more hopeful, and a lot more connected.

Curated with deep intention and powered by Zoom Developers and eChai Ventures, we brought together powerhouse of women leaders from Meta , NVIDIA, Zoom, and Walmart to share their journeys—not just in building with AI, but in navigating leadership, responsibility, and community.

Each of these women brought their own light:
Sathiya Panneer (Engineering Lead, Zoom) grounded the conversation with her warm, no-fluff answers. Her realism and quiet strength reminded us that you can lead with empathy and impact.

Syamla Bandla (Senior Director, Production Engineering, Meta) shared details at a scale that made us pause and say: “Whoa.” Her clarity and calm as she spoke about infrastructure and engineering depth was simply masterful.

Rupali Deshpande (AI Learning Specialist, NVIDIA) brought laughter and learning together—sharing how she educates partners on GenAI while keeping the human context alive. (P.S. Don't forget your promise about NVIDIA stocks 😉)

Mamta Suri (Sr. Engineering Leader & AI Evangelist, Walmart) made us reflect deeply. Her concern about the long-term impact of AI on future generations was raw and real. She also dropped wisdom from her recent podcast on ethics and AI that still lingers in my mind.

💜 But beyond the panel, what made the evening unforgettable was the room — filled with women (and allies!) who showed up, supported, and sparked real conversations.

It wasn’t just an event. It was a mirror of what we’re capable of when we choose community over competition.

Huge thanks to eChai Ventures and Jatin Chaudhary for powering this powerhouse.

And to every person who showed up, asked a question, or just listened with intent — thank you. You made this evening truly magical.

Let’s keep showing up for each other. Let’s keep building. Together.

P.S. The last photo says it all — we’re still debating who actually won the “Chai with Khyati” rapid fire round. But honestly, we all walked away with the best prize: each other’s energy. ☕ 💞

The 2008 crisis wasn’t just about bad loans. It was about how unchecked ambition, blurred ethics, and complex systems can quietly build up to a global collapse.

What This Watch Is

Inside Job is a documentary by Charles Ferguson that dissects the causes of the 2008 financial crisis. It goes beyond headlines, exposing how leaders across banking, regulation, academia, and politics played a part — and walked away with no accountability.

Why It Matters Now

Founders today are operating in a post-2008 world — but many still don’t fully understand what broke the old one. If you’re building in finance, tech, or policy, this film gives context that’s often missing in pitch decks and policy rooms. It’s about systems thinking, incentives, and consequences — all critical for builders.

Key Takeaways or Insights

– Complexity can be a tool to hide risk — or avoid responsibility.

– Market failures are rarely accidental.

– Ethical leadership isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’ — it’s what prevents collapse.

– Even the smartest institutions can get it wrong — when they stop asking hard questions.

Why I’m Recommending It

This film helped me zoom out. As someone working closely with early-stage innovation, it made me reflect on how we guide founders — not just toward growth, but toward grounded decision-making. Understanding past breakdowns is key to building resilient futures.

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Inside Job is essential viewing for anyone shaping systems — whether in startups, government, or academia. Especially if you believe innovation should come with integrity.

🎥 Watch on Prime Video | Also on Apple TV and other platforms.

We all know the science behind conversions — urgency, scarcity, dopamine hits. But Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy on Netflix shows what happens when those tools stop serving people and start steering them.

What This Watch Is

A sharp, investigative documentary that unpacks how e-commerce platforms, influencers, and algorithms engineer buying behavior. It explores the rise of real-time persuasion — from data-driven discounts to neuroscience-led UX decisions.

Why It Matters Now

As founders, we often celebrate the power of behavioral science in driving growth. But this film asks: where’s the line between persuasion and manipulation? And more importantly — who draws it?

Key Takeaways for Founders:

Why I’m Recommending It

At 58miles, we use product quality and storytelling to sell. But watching this made me reflect on the systems we plug into — and the subtle pressures they exert. It’s the other side of the coin: neuroscience is powerful, but easy to misuse when ethics take a backseat.

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Founders who use behavioral science should see this not as a critique — but a caution. Power, if unchecked, becomes manipulation.

🎥 Watch it here: Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy – Netflix (may require subscription)

We often talk about product-market fit, but what about founder-product love? The kind that lasts — even when there’s no visible payoff. That’s what this film is about.

What This Watch Is

The Elephant Whisperers is a 39-minute documentary short on Netflix, directed by Kartiki Gonsalves. It tells the story of Bomman and Bellie, a tribal couple from Tamil Nadu, who raise an orphaned elephant calf named Raghu. It’s simple, raw, and deeply human — and in 2023, it made history by becoming the first Indian film to win an Oscar for Best Documentary Short.

Why It Matters to Founders

I create games. But the most immersive story I’ve experienced in years wasn’t in VR — it was this. No CGI, no background score trying to manipulate emotion. Just a quiet, visual rhythm of trust built over time. Gonsalves, a first-time filmmaker, spent five years filming in the forests. As a founder, it struck me how close that felt to product building: no guarantees, no overnight wins, just the slow work of earning trust — from your users, your team, your ecosystem.

Key Takeaways

– Love, like trust, can’t be speedrun. Whether it’s an elephant or an early user, you earn loyalty through presence.

– Five years for 39 minutes. That’s the hidden ratio behind craft — and it made me rethink how I measure output.

– Your debut can define the culture. Gonsalves didn’t wait to be seasoned — she showed up with intent, and the world followed.

– Founders are caretakers too. Watching Bomman and Bellie made me think of early-stage teams — doing the unseen labor with full hearts.

What Happened After

– Kartiki Gonsalves became a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador and has gone on to work on globally relevant nature and culture projects.

– Bomman and Bellie were celebrated in India — awarded by the Tamil Nadu government — but their journey also sparked a conversation about fair compensation and post-fame responsibility for grassroots heroes.

Why I’m Recommending It

This isn’t just a nature film. It’s a story of cross-species love, of responsibility without reward, of showing up because something fragile depends on you. I saw so many parallels with building games, teams, and companies. The best builders I know care deeply — and stay longer than the applause.

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If you’re building something that requires care and belief — especially when no one’s watching — this one’s for you. The Elephant Whisperers is about what love looks like when it transcends species, and maybe even purpose.

🖇️ Watch on Netflix (subscription required)

📘 Read more on Wikipedia