Ragini Das

Co-lead a workshop (with Sumathi my business partner and Komal lath of Tute Consult) on branding and communication and why/how its' strategic & important for the portfolio companies of an early stage growth focused PE fund in Mumbai this noon. very interactive session. lots of takeaways. one of the biggest benefits of doing such workshops with founders and CXOs of growth companies is that you get to first hand understand their pain points and priorities. which makes you realize there is a long road ahead laden with great opportunity for those in PR & comms if we take off our hats and look at it from their perspective.

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The Age of the Founder: When Personality Fuels the Brand There's a new marketing playbook in town, and it's not about flashy campaigns or celebrity endorsements. It's about putting the founder front and centre. A friend of mine, Vivek Bajaj, co-founder of StockEdge and an avid influencer fueling his product's growth, always tells me "Every founder will eventually become an influencer for their brand, and every influencer shall become an entrepreneur." Think of Ritesh Agarwal, the face of OYO, or Falguni Nayar who’s become synonymous with Nykaa. Their stories aren't just inspiring, they are the brand. This authenticity builds trust far more effectively than any marketing budget. When you share your personal journey, struggles, and triumphs, your brand becomes more than just a logo or a product—it becomes a story that people can connect with. This emotional resonance makes your message more impactful, transforming you from a CEO into a relatable and inspiring thought leader. Founder-first marketing isn't just for startups. Even established businesses are tapping into this trend. Look at how #AnandMahindra uses his platform to amplify the Mahindra Group's values and initiatives. In an age where consumers invest in brand stories, this is not optional, it's essential. So, are you ready to step into the spotlight? #founderfirst #personalbranding #leadership #marketing #authenticity #entrepreneurship

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After hosting 150+ founders in Mumbai, we are back in Namma ‘luru to host 400+ founders in a single day. Yes, you heard that right - 400+ founders under a single venue👇🏼 As we try to impact 1,000 founders outside the GrowthX® community this year, the revenue impact on their companies is insane - a single day of masterclass plus panel discussion setting has an extremely high ROI for founders solving pure DHANDA. So what should you expect? 1/ Intense learning session (120 mins) You will design a low CAC distribution channel for your product. Followed by a session where you will learn how to build, retain and run growth teams & attract top talent. 2/ Founder focused fireside chat (60 mins) Growing revenue is a lonely battle, hear from Saurabh, Sudarshan, Arvind & Rasik who’ve overcome the struggle and built a sustainable revenue pipeline for their respective companies. Listen to their wins, losses & exchange notes in this in-person episode of "Off the record" 3/ Founder exclusive networking mixer. Speak to a diverse selection of Seed to Series B+ founders. Learn how they are cracking revenue led growth and exchange notes on actionable frameworks that have worked for them. Get priceless advice from founders who have been in the trenches & tried things. If you are a founder struggling to plan the revenue roadmap for the next 1 year, don’t miss out on this one. This is going to be a game changer. Link to register is in the comments 👇🏼

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Sales 101 is partnering with HSR Founders Club to bring you an exclusive panel discussion. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Listen to Sonakshi Nathani, Co-founder Bik and Manuel Oothria Raj, CRO of Clootrack speaking from their experience of building sales engines that scales. The panel discussion will be followed by an AMA session. Thanks to Rejoe Sudarsan for taking a lead on this, and moderating the session. So if you are up for a cool gathering of Founders, GTM Leaders, SDRs and AEs, I’d suggest you come join us. For any queries, do reachout to Sameel Shariff or Kunal B or Rejoe. Link to register in comments 🔗 #sales #networking #ama

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"Arush, how do you know that you have built a brand? Is it the logo? Aesthetics? Celebrity endorsements?," A student asked me at a college seminar. I answered: while all of the above are the tools for building one, none of them ensures that you have built a brand. While building brands, you have to think of them like humans. Strong brands, like strong people, have a unique personality. They stand for something, act with purpose, and connect with their audience on a deeper level. This "humanness" is what investors call a brand's "moat"—a powerful differentiator that sets you apart from the competition. Just as your DNA makes you one-of-a-kind, a brand's moat isn't just about aesthetics (logos and colors). A brand's true strength lies in its core values. * The message it conveys * The way it behaves * The experiences it creates The "moat" isn't built overnight. It's the culmination of consistent actions over time. Just like your reputation grows with each interaction, brands become trusted companions by consistently delivering on their promises. At Just Herbs brand building has been about delivering great quality day after day, year after year and communicating with consumers with utmost authenticity.  And that’s how we've built Just Herbs the brand till today and will continue to build into the future. P.S. This is an image from speaking to customers at our first ever physical store launch in Chandigarh in 2017. #brandbuilding #D2Cstartups #founderstories

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Just watched an amazing podcast by Think School ® featuring Amit Jain. They built a company of that scale mostly using organic marketing. Truly inspirational. Highly recommended podcast - https://lnkd.in/e3CJCAEV #PodcastRecommendation #OrganicMarketing #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #InspirationalStories #MarketingStrategies #StartupSuccess #BusinessLeaders #ThinkSchool #AmitJain

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Something special is coming soon 👇👇 Ep-001 Out Now. 👉 https://lnkd.in/gbxcaS2Q . . . . Over the past decade, me and my business partner Cibi Siddarthan have had the pleasure of interacting with a diverse range of Entrepreneurs and Professionals across various domains. We have long had the thought of sharing the learnings we had over the years as many of the people we have interacted with don't have much of an online presence. Introducing THE MASTERS EDGE, an initiative by CNV ENGINEERING and Vesta Industrial Solutions. This Podcast is our way of sharing that knowledge with all of you here. A special mention to my brother, Prasanth Varman and his wonderful team at PODE Studios who are our Media Partners in this initiative. PS: We are doing something completely out of our comfort zone 🙂 We feel nervous as well as excited at the same time for what the future holds. We feel like beginners again after a long time. We thank each and every one of you that follows us here and we look forward to your continued support. More updates coming soon... Do consider following our pages for regular updates: THE MASTERS EDGE | CNV ENGINEERING | Vesta Industrial Solutions . . . . . . #cnvengineering #manufacturing #marketing #business #podcast #makeinindia #entrepreneurship #motivation #b2b #b2bsales

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An important learning from over a decade of playing poker professionally before Estrid is that most of the time when you ask for advice or someone asks you, the best response is 'it depends.' Similar to building a brand, or really, most decisions we make in life, poker is a game of decisions with incomplete information. The answer to 'How should I have played this hand?' often is 'it depends.' What were the game dynamics? What is your opponent's range of hands in a situation like this? Does that hand range change based on what happened in, say, the last hour of play? How is your own playing style perceived by the others at the table? And so on—there are a thousand tiny variables that together form a somewhat blurry picture on which you make a decision. The more experienced you become as a player, the more you understand just how complicated things are, and the less immediate advice you'll want to receive or offer. Counterintuitively, the most experienced people advising me today are the ones asking the most questions before they give their perspective. As a general rule, the more questions someone asks, the better the advice.

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"For brands, pain is the proof of purpose." - Shashank Mehta sums up in one pithy sentence an entire discourse around building brands with purpose. Matrix Partners India's very own Vikram Vaidyanathan spoke to Shashank about Building Company Culture, on Matrix Moments. The chat goes deep into how he's led The Whole Truth Foods with purpose and that has helped build a strong company culture. This has not been without dilemmas, or enduring the consequences of their "clean ingredient" decisions. Shashank elaborates on a particular dilemma: The Whole Truth protein bars have zero preservatives. This means a shorter shelf life in retail, and higher returns: the Whole Truth has 20% returns from retail, whereas their closest competition has 2%. Shashank and team can extend the shelf life of their product by simply adding a drop of preservative, but they choose not to. And this is the pain that they are willing to endure, to stick to the company & the founder's purpose. Brand purpose isn't a marketing buzzword, it's a reason for your business to exist. Purpose percolates to all business decision making, from which problems you decide to solve, how you train your team, to how you create your product, to how your brand campaign looks. For founders, it comes down to: how willing are you to stay true to purpose, in the face of pain from the market. Wisdom for founders about building company culture on the latest episode of Matrix Moments: https://lnkd.in/d6K_UUZA #FoundersFirst #CompanyCulture #Purpose #BrandBuilding #StartUps #Founders

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Raised $26,000,000 with just an idea Lyskraft India Pvt Ltd - the latest kid in the block! So, Mukesh Bansal is back with another startup this time with Mohit Gupta, the former CEO of Zomato's food delivery arm. In July of last year, there were reports about Bansal and Gupta raising funds for a new venture. As per TechCrunch, both of them pitched a range of ideas to potential backers like a female-focused counterpart to Manyavar and "Infosys 2.0" a presumed upgrade to a multinational IT services and consulting firm. Now finally... The news is out and we know what they are building, Lyskraft: initially a women's only marketplace for premium brands mostly focusing on Gen-Z shoppers. Recently we have seen giant e-commerce platforms launching dedicated portals to attract GenZ shoppers, like SPOYL launched by Flipkart within its app, FWD by Myntra, also we are seeing the growth of new-age startups working in this space like Virgio(Mukesh Bansal is an investor in it), Newme(recently raised $4,500,000), Absolute Brands, Snitch, Styched and many more As per Inc42's Report, India's fashion and apparel sector is projected to reach a mouth-watering $112 Billion by 2030, which will be over a quarter of the country's $400 Billion e-commerce market!! Let's be honest, anyone will want a piece of this market. As we are already aware of how crowded this space is, let's see how Lyskraft differentiates itself from others. Mohit Gupts and Mukesh Bansal, in this crowded space building a community around your product, building digital IPs, and creating experiences through videos are the ways to elevate your brand to the next level. I the founder of Elevate would love to connect and assist Lyskraft in building a community, digital IPs and help create experiences through videos, if that sounds like something that interests you would love to connect and discuss!! sources of information : TechCrunch article 2021 - https://bit.ly/49UwkLI Inc42 article - https://bit.ly/3w0SDlb #mukeshbansal #myntra #fashion #startups #venturecapital #fundingwinter #norevenue #cultfit #community #communitymarketing #socialmediamarketing #india

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📈 Elevation Capital's report unveils some staggering statistics: 💰 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞: The combined revenue of new-age brands tracked by Elevation Capital has already surpassed $5B/₹40,000 crore. 🚀 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡: It is anticipated that 100+ new-age brands will each generate ₹500 Cr+ in annual revenue in the coming years. 💻 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: The report projects that online consumer spending in India will reach $300 billion by 2030. 📈 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: Sectors such as 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬, 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 are expected to see significant growth 🔍 Yesterday had the fortune of listening to Gurudev Prasad's insights which validated the same and highlighted ways to cope up with these trends: 🛍️ Consumers' lives are increasingly dominated by Indian brands particularly startups right from waking up to sleeping back from ordering food to cabs, from booking flights to hotels, everything is being done via their smartphones. This calls for understanding the consumer motivations better.    📈 High demands and rising expectations are shaping consumer behavior as they don't want to settle for anything but the best    🤝 Sharing becoming the new currency in brand-consumer relationships as everything is being shared on social media ⏰ Convenience is going to be the key as customers see value only through rising convenience   👥 Brands need to humanize more with founders' stories on the front as a way to connect with the consumers 🛠️ Sahil Gupta's Amazon-inspired methodology weaved it together through the 5 key questions which paves the way to build a sustainable brand:   1. 🎯 Who is the customer? 2. 💡 What is the pain point/problem? 3. 🛠️ What is the solution? 4. 🌟 How will the end-to-end CX look like? 5. 📊 What is the metric to measure the same?  Interested in knowing more about the brands of India? Starting an upcoming Brand Series for the same #BrandInsights #ConsumerBehavior #InnovationGoals #BrandswithNeha #IndianStartups 🌟

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How Radiant Lehengas Boosted Sales with SocioNinja "SocioNinja helped us reach more brides and sell more lehengas. It's that simple." Priya Sharma (changed name) Owner, Radiant Lehengas Radiant Lehengas sells wedding outfits online from Jaipur. The Problem -Too many lehenga sellers online - Hard to find brides at the right time - Wanted to grow but keep things personal What We Did - Used SocioNinja's data to find when people plan weddings in different parts of India - Made social media ads showing off our lehengas - Started using WhatsApp for customer service What Happened - 40% more people asked about our lehengas during wedding planning season - Sold lehengas in 5 new cities without opening shops there - Brides bought faster - 30% less time from first look to purchase The Details Finding Brides Online Priya from Radiant Lehengas says: "We make great lehengas, but so do lots of other people. We needed to stand out online." Our Digital Plan Here's how SocioNinja helped: 1. Trend Tracking: - Used SocioNinja's API to pull search trend data - Looked at spikes in terms like "wedding lehenga" across regions Adjusted inventory based on predicted color trends 2. Smart Ads: - Created 15-second video ads for Instagram Reels and Facebook Stories - Used Meta's Advantage+ shopping campaigns for automated ad delivery Set up dynamic product ads to retarget interested shoppers Real Results "We got 40% more messages from interested brides," Priya says. "And they were serious buyers, not just looking." Almost 50 Lakhs in sales within 5 months of collaboration which is 400% increase from previous. The Instagram ads for Website setup was a big win. Brides could chat with designers, share photos, and even have video calls to see lehengas up close. "We're now selling in 5 new cities without actual stores there. Our Instagram ads and WhatsApp chats are doing the job for us," Priya adds. "SocioNinja's data helps us stay ahead. We're excited to keep growing," Priya concludes. Want to sell more online? Visit socioninja.com/contact and let's make a plan that works for your business. #FacebookAds #FashionMarketing #DigitalAdvertising #SocioNinja #DigitalMarketing #SocialMediaStrategy #FacebookAds #MarketingTips #GrowthHacking #BusinessGrowth #AdvertisingTips #SocialMediaMarketing #SMM #ContentStrategy

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Most companies often chase an elusive formula for success. While strategies, products, and finances play pivotal roles, the real driving force behind any successful and scalable organisation is - People. Businesses thrive when cohesive teams work in sync. The core of building these high-performing teams lies in the art of hiring for cultural fit. Hiring is not just about assembling talented individuals, it requires a deep understanding of your organisation's DNA. It also involves carefully evaluating candidates beyond their technical qualifications, delving into their personal attributes, and envisioning how they might contribute to your company's unique culture, propelling it towards greater heights. How can you identify those who can seamlessly integrate? Watch out for - ✨ Those whose personal values resonate with your company's core principles. ✨ The way they interact and communicate. ✨ Their approach to work. Do they have traits like - accountability, resilience and adaptability? While skills can be taught, attitude is inherent. Individuals who exhibit a growth mind-set, can willingly learn and constantly evolve. I strongly feel that, while a trait like industry knowledge can be nurtured through training and mentorship, misalignment in core values is strictly non-negotiable and a clear red flag. Employees, who embrace the company's culture can make magic happen and collective success an attainable reality. If you think you have it in you, Connect with us @hr@jewelbox.co.in, to build the Jewelbox community. #CultureFit #HiringStrategy #OrganizationalCulture #Employee

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Dilsher, Tanuj & I love products from brand XYZ, but for different reasons. While Dilsher is focused on technical specifications, Tanuj prioritises colour & design. On the other hand, I am conscious about the pricing. Despite our varied preferences, XYZ serves us all the same generic landing page. Can this be made more efficient? 💭 Enter Helium, a business that's revolutionising e-commerce personalisation. Helium's AI-powered platform creates tailored product pages for each visitor, ensuring an exceptional and highly-converting online shopping experience. We, at Merak Ventures, are thrilled to lead Helium's pre-seed round, backing this dynamic team of Founders - Shray, Sidharth & Deepak. Their mission is to empower consumer brands with personalised store fronts, leveraging deep product & visitor intelligence to boost conversions & hence, revenue. Helium's innovative approach is a game-changer, helping businesses of all sizes compete more effectively online against industry giants. We're excited to be a part of this journey and can't wait to see how Helium transforms the e-commerce landscape. Let's make online shopping better together! 🙌 More about our investment on the link in the comments below 🔗 Manu | Sheetal | Merak Ventures #Investment #VentureCapital #Helium #India #Innovation #AI #ECommerce

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From Here to There: Why Rental Furniture Makes Moving a Breeze | Top Trends in India's Rental Furniture Market Moving to a new city or relocating within the same city calls for hefty down payments and years of commitment in case one plans to purchase home furniture and appliances. But today's Indian consumer is unlocking a smarter way to furnish their homes – by renting furniture. This market surge isn't just about convenience; it's about making smart financial decisions. Let's explore some key trends shaping this exciting shift, all with your wallet in mind: • Mobility Made Affordable: The rise of the "Digital Nomad" workforce means frequent moves. Relocating involves shifting of existing setup via packers and movers which is an expensive option. Renting furniture eliminates the hassle (and expense) of buying and selling furniture for temporary living situations. • Subscription Smarts: Millennials and Gen Z are all about subscriptions, and furniture is no exception. Renting allows you to spread the cost over time, making it easier to budget and avoid large upfront purchases. Plus, you can often swap out pieces as your needs or style change, keeping your monthly spending flexible. • Style on a Budget: Craving a modern living room update but strapped for cash? Renting furniture allows you to experiment with different styles and high-quality pieces without shelling out too much. No more buyer's remorse – simply swap out a sofa or coffee table for a fresh look after the subscription term is complete. • Space & Sustainability Savings: Small apartments and eco-conscious living are major trends. Renting furniture promotes space-saving, multifunctional pieces, allowing you to live comfortably in smaller spaces. Plus, by avoiding furniture purchases, you contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle by reducing waste. Personal Finance Powerhouse: Here's how renting furniture empowers your financial well-being: • Frees Up Capital: Instead of a hefty furniture down payment, invest that money in building your emergency fund or future goals. • Predictable Costs: Rental fees are typically fixed monthly payments, making budgeting easier. No unexpected repair costs or resale hassles to worry about. • Flexibility for Life Changes: Life throws curveballs. Renting allows you to easily adjust your furniture needs if you move, change roommates, or simply need a new look. To conclude, the Indian rental furniture market offers a win-win for style and savings. So, ditch the traditional furniture purchase path and explore the flexibility and financial benefits of renting your dream home environment.

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A breakup led to a 200-crore outcome for the BellaVita founder Aakash Anand. The story goes his ex used to wear the Ralph Lauren Romance perfume and whenever he used to get a whiff of it, it used to remind him of her. So he set out creating a perfume brand which would provide Indians the same fragrance at a fraction of the cost. Let's look at his entrepreneurial journey and what he has to say to all the D2C founders: ⏩ Prioritize marketplace: Prioritize getting sales on the marketplace before focusing on direct online channels i.e. sales through your website. He equates it to opting for a small shop in a bustling shoe market (mandi) over a lavish showroom on a busy road. ⏩ Grow before fundraising: Don’t rely solely on funding to start; grow your business first, then pitch to venture capitalists. Demonstrate that you undertook significant risks before seeking funding. ⏩ Affordable Quality: Aakash understood that Indian customers want quality products at affordable prices. He created a perfume similar to Ralph Lauren Romance, which sells for 10,000 INR, and he offered it for just 500 INR. ⏩ Trust Building: They grew by selling trial packs with the slogan “Pehle istemal kro fir vishwas kro” (Use first, then trust). ⏩ Advice to Founders: Aakash suggests D2C founders should aim for 2-4 crores in monthly revenue before seeking funding. At a valuation of 150-200 crores, they can consider selling half the company. ⏩ Sale of Secondary Shares: Akash Anand sold approximately 60% of his secondary shares, earning 75 crores from the sale. Although he was hesitant about this decision at first but saw the opportunity to realize the monetary value of his hard work over the last years. Credits: Raj Shamani podcast Related but unrelated: Got my brother a pre-rakhi gift from BellaVita perfume

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What started 2 years ago as an idea with Varun and Shubham has started to take shape and how! The idea was to help the budding entrepreneurs in figuring out the right (and meaningful) problems to solve, to help them with the advice and suggestions so that they don't repeat the same mistakes we had done in our entrepreneurial roles. With one cohort finally taking shape and ready to go independent, and another bunch of super talented and enthusiastic entrepreneurs joining us- it was an evening to catch up, recollect on the journey travelled so far and gear up for the future which looks more exciting and hopeful than it has ever been. Watch out for some amazing announcements and initiatives coming from the Change Engine team as we gear up not just for the cohort but to make an impact at the wider ecosystem. (This picture was taken yesterday and has the majority of our two cohorts and the larger ecosystem of friends and well wishers who help us be honest and aligned to our vision) #catchup #team #startup #ai #impact #accelerator Jitesh Bhasin Akshat Grover

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🚀 Super stoked to have spent time a couple of days back with a young creative entrepreneur who is full of passion and enthusiasm and has a desire to create his own clothing brand. Let know what you think of the design! 💥 We spoke got together for a few hrs, created a couple of designs (Below) while I walked him through our Business Start-up model on how to start a business from scratch with ZERO finance needed and how we invest. 🧠 How do we do it? .. For more info please reach out! Our investment company Startlab is looking to invest in Tech, products and services.. Looking foward to hearing from you. #StartUps #Investing #Creativity #CreativeBusiness #BusinessIdeas #CreativeBusinessIdeas #BusinessSolutions

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How did Ashutosh Valani build 3 profitable brands (Beardo, Villian and Renne) in just 4 years? 👇 1. He decided to create businesses and legacies which means the aim was to create a profitable brand from day 1. 2. He wanted to create something that was never done before. 3. Try to understand your audience, this will help you make your product stand out. 4. Give people what they have not seen, this gives them curiosity -> And that should genuinely solve the consumer problem at the right time 5. Think about a product and how you can add something and market it differently

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