Suruchi Wagh

👋 Thought to share more broadly here, as cautionary advice, on what we learned by piloting SocialCirkel in Mumbai for the last couple of months and why we decided to wind it down. 🛑 Gaurav and I started SocialCirkel motivated by the challenges we encountered personally when our jobs and personal circumstances led us to different cities. Every time we moved, we had to go through the painstaking and rather daunting prospect of having to rebuild our social circle, a close group of friends we love to hang out and spend time with. Our starting conviction was that finding friends as adults can be extremely frustrating, more so, if you are introverted (as we both are). With SocialCirkel we curated small groups of 5-6 people based on shared interests, profile, personality and life circumstances so the odds of you finding people you can bond with, is remarkably high. Our experiences were designed to be completely offline, so you get to meet people in-person, hang out, chat, get to know one another, do fun things together, and build a real connection. And then reality hit us, more on what we learned and why we decided to wind it down here: https://lnkd.in/dQt6-wdP

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Thank you Avinash Tripathi & YesUsers . Interesting questions which were out of syllabus 😁 made it very natural! My favourite question is finally addressed in open. It is already asked more than 100 times one-to-one. It was once asked in our Rashtra Bhasha I remember, "Ab aapko khane ke vandhe toh nahi honge, achi khasi naukri mil sakti hai, fir kyu vapas startup life mai ja rahe ho?" Listen it Out for the answer! & By the way talking about decade of #fintech just means we started our career early! Good years in hand for Forbes 40Under40 still 😬 ! Syncing in with Srikanth Gundavaram #podcast #entrepreneurs #startuplife

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We are pulling together names for the roles in our ecosystem and would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on these proposed titles and their descriptions: 1. Venture Contributor - Actively engages in various projects within the collective, contributing skills and knowledge to propel ventures forward. 2. Venture Coach - Provides holistic guidance and hands-on support, helping entrepreneurs develop their skills, refine their strategies, and navigate challenges within the ecosystem. 3. Venture Advisor - Offers strategic insights and expert advice, focusing on specific challenges and opportunities to optimize venture outcomes. 4. Venture Angel - Invests resources and capital in promising ventures, supporting growth and scalability through financial backing and strategic guidance. 5. Venture Visionary - Identifies future trends and opportunities, guiding the collective's strategic direction and ensuring long-term relevance and impact. 6. Venture Architect - Designs and structures business models and systems, ensuring that ventures are built on a solid, scalable foundation. 7. Venture Innovator - Drives innovation and creative problem-solving, pushing the boundaries of what is possible within the venture ecosystem. 8. Venture Operator - Manages day-to-day operations, ensuring that ventures operate smoothly and efficiently, maintaining stability and continuity. 9. Venture Growth Strategist - Focuses on scaling ventures and expanding their market reach, developing and implementing growth strategies to maximize impact. 10. Venture Scout - Scouts for new talent and investment opportunities, expanding the collective's resources and capabilities through strategic additions. 11. Ecosystem Integrator - Facilitates the integration of various initiatives and resources within the ecosystem, enhancing synergy and collaborative potential. 12. Ecosystem Evangelist - Advocates for the venture collective's vision and values, promoting its initiatives both within and outside the community to garner support and recognition. 13. Cross-Border Specialist - Specializes in extending the collective's reach into international markets, navigating diverse regulatory environments and cultural landscapes. 14. Venture Resident Entrepreneur - Serves as a seasoned entrepreneur within the collective, leveraging deep industry knowledge and entrepreneurial experience to incubate new ideas, mentor upcoming founders, and drive strategic initiatives. This role focuses on turning innovative concepts into scalable businesses, offering a blend of leadership, mentorship, and hands-on development support. Your insights are invaluable as we refine these roles to better support our collective goals. Looking forward to your thoughts!

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Systems Thinking for Product Orgs. In this episode of the Minimum Viable Podcast by PM School, Nikunj and I talk to Joe Kochitty, ex-VP, Product at Epic for Kids + ex-SVP, Product at Toppr. What started as a friendly catch-up over lunch in Mumbai transformed into a treasure of knowledge on Systems Thinking. Key takeaways - 💡In my previous stints as a PM, I've been at two ends of the spectrum. On one hand, writing concise 1-2 pager PRDs led to quick delivery by Tech, at the expense of quality. Conversely, composing extensive 60 pager PRDs often resulted in them being sidelined, with little impact on actual development. 💡Extensive PRDs, slow-dev cycles, frequent meetings, bugs, and missed release dates are all 𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐒 of deeper systemic issues. (Please note that in a few cases, extensive PRDs, slow-dev cycles might be necessary.) 💡The ability to perceive underlying Systems is crucial in understanding the root causes behind issues. It's essential to pinpoint the 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒 behind these 𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐒. 💡One such case - New Product Leader joins ➡️ Measures PM by length of PRDs ➡️ Says yes to stakeholder input (keep SHs happy) ➡️Scope Creep ➡️Inflated PRDs ➡️Dev Burden ➡️Slower Release ➡️Friction ➡️Dev Safeguarding Interests ➡️Dev Starts Rejecting PRDs 💡Recognizing these dynamics is an asset for any Product Leader. When Tech starts rejecting PRDs, it's akin to an emergent behavior, similar to how the immune system works in humans. 💡One of the remarkable aspects of Systems Thinking is identification of recurring patterns. By understanding these patterns, one can somewhat anticipate the behavior of a system. 💡A widely studied phenomenon in this context is the 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐩, which pertains to a system's capacity to perform work. Efforts can be directed towards enhancing this capacity or extracting work from it. 💡For instance, in manufacturing, when you use machines to produce goods, the machines break down. If you ignore maintenance and keep producing, the machines break down more often. Preventive maintenance stops production. So you have to decide when to do maintenance and when to do production. 💡Joe also writes about the Capability Trap in Software/PMing on his Substack -“𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘹. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘚𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘹 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺.” Here's the full chat - https://lnkd.in/daUWyTje #productmanagement #pmschool #product #thinkinginsystems

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Only TWO days left to apply for the RippleX Fellowship program! If you are a student/dropout/recent grad building a b2b software company in Canada/US, this is the program for you. In our last batch we had some amazing mentors like: - Braden Ream (CEO, Voiceflow): Mastering storytelling and navigating selling into enterprises - Rahul Parmar (Prev. Senior Director of Sales, Drata): Sales 101 – Converting pilots to real revenue, creating urgency among buyers, and best practices to manage a sales process - Nicholas Chepesiuk (CEO, OnCall Virtual Care, now part of Qualifacts): Striving towards product-market fit, utilizing creative outbound strategies, and the importance of building trust with customers in the early days - Justin Sky (CEO, Rose Rocket): Identifying venture-scale markets, learning when to pivot, and building strong organizational culture - Josh Gray (CEO, Artemis): Conducting customer validation, segmenting your ICP, and advice for young founders Apply here: https://lnkd.in/e2iAu6vi

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It is evident that mental health issues are on rise in India and it's clear that we need a comprehensive approach to address this complex problem. The article below sheds light on the psychological, social, and economic factors that contribute to this issue, and how we can work towards creating a safer, more compassionate society. But we at Adhigyanam differ on one point- We are in an age where all the information is just one click away. It all depends on our will to make a positive change in our lives. Working on this philosophy, we took action and started researching Yoga Courses available online. We found paid courses were either costly or were providing LIVE Sessions along with a large group, which many families avoid. Some Yoga Courses available online, which are affordable, provide only General Yoga. Our team and Senior Yogacharyas designed well structured courses planned to be rolled out soon, that will be as per your need. This is for the first time in India that User Specific Recorded Yoga Courses will be made available to the public which can be practised at your convenient time and place- and that too at affordable prices, making Customised Yoga Course, Affordable and Accessible for all. Along with access to recorded courses, Consultation Sessions with Senior Yogacharyas will also be included in the package. Adhigyanam is set to launch this series of User Specific Recorded Yoga Courses for families, starting on International Yoga Day (June 21st, 2024). And the best part? The courses will be launched at a starting price of just Rs. 1500/-, with a validity from 3 to 6 months. That's just Rs. 200 per month per individual for a household of three! With real time Yoga Practice in the videos and detailed explanation by Senior Yogacharyas, the good health & mind of your family will be just a click away. Don't miss out on this opportunity to transform your life and the lives of your loved ones. Join us on this journey towards a healthier, happier society. In case of further inquiry, call us now at +91 8175 96 7271 or write to us at adhigyanam@gmail.com #YogaForMentalHealth #RoadRage #MentalHealthMatters #CompassionateSociety

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We are delighted to launch our newest Bluprint, or report, on the Eldercare space. First, what is a Bluprint? Well, Bluprints are how we make sense of emerging sectors or spaces, at Blume Ventures. Each Bluprint dissects a sector, maps out the landscape in one or many 2x2s, understands rubrics for success, and attempts to identify and rank promising startups on their distinct right to win across these rubrics. Bluprints help us sensemake sectors and track interesting opportunities. It helps us initiate conversations and spur serendipity. That said, a Bluprint is not the final word or answer on any sector. Rather it is an endeavour to ask the right questions. It is the beginning of an exploration, and publishing Bluprints and making it public, allows us to get feedback on the Bluprint, learn from founders and practitioners, and thereby refine our thinking. Hopefully, it will also help aspiring founders and observers garner an outside perspective. Our latest Bluprint is on the eldercare space. My ex-colleague Radhika Agarwal and then-intern Simran M. cowrote the Eldercare Bluprint for us. Post their departure, my colleagues Marmik Mankodi and Nachammai Savithiri R put in the final touches. In the Eldercare Bluprint, We have identified five broad categories of opportunities linked around various seniors' pain points, including health, lifestyle, safety, and financial well-being. We believe that children, particularly those living overseas while their parents reside in India, often play a crucial role in deciding to pay for eldercare services. Our findings highlight several areas with high willingness to pay, such as nutrition supplements, concierge services, senior homes & assisted living, fitness, social & entertainment, mobility aids, senior tourism, and insurance. We believe that a full-stack approach may well emerge as an effective way to serve elders' needs, as they are more likely to adopt a single, trusted channel for all their requirements. We are excited to release this to the world. Link to Bluprint: https://lnkd.in/dhQnVYgn For those who want a quick glimpse into the report, here is a post on our website: https://lnkd.in/d2qrJKQD We would love to get your reactions!

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Building a "Changemaker Culture" in India: Why It Matters 🇮🇳 While mandatory programs like CSR are a good start, a true shift towards social impact requires a more fundamental change:cultivating a "everyone is a change-maker culture." Think about it: 🎯 Scalability: Statutory requirements can only achieve so much. Imagine the collective power if every citizen approached challenges with a problem-solving mindset can find innovative solutions and extend the reach of positive impact. As Indian entrepreneur Rohini Nilekani said, "The challenges we face in India are massive. We need a million changemakers, not just a handful of philanthropists." 🎯 Sustainability: Changemaker mindsets create a sense of ownership for social good. People are more invested in maintaining solutions they helped create. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus emphasises, "We need to build a society where everyone is a change agent. Because change will not come from the top. Change will come from everybody." 🎯 Diversity of Solutions: Everyone brings unique perspectives. Encouraging a changemaker culture fosters a wider range of ideas to tackle complex issues. The size and diversity of India is its biggest strength. We have the solutions to our problems, we just need to empower the people who have them. So, how do we make this happen? 🔌 Uplift Changemakers: Share stories of everyday heroes making a difference. Their journeys can inspire others! 🔌 Invest in Impact: Businesses can support programs equipping communities to solve local problems. 🔌 Educate for Change: Integrate social impact awareness and problem-solving skills into education at all levels. 🔌 Recognize & Reward: Acknowledge and celebrate contributions towards social good. This reinforces positive behavior. When i was thinking of Diversity of Solutions and Grassroots Innovation, i get reminded of Steve jobs where he said "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower" Here is a quick video on "Ignite Your Changemaker Spark: Building a Movement, One Action at a Time" at YouTube " https://lnkd.in/gk7fZj4x " What are your thoughts? How can we cultivate a "changemaker culture" in India? #SocialImpact #CSR #Changemaker #India

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Can technology be a force multiplier for societal transformation for hundreds of millions? I share some of the exciting work and experiences of Ekstep Foundation in this interview with senior journalist Venkatesh of The Indian Express

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"It was definitely a challenge, not just for anyone…but for myself. Because I had to first rewire my own frameworks. Although I was seeing that we have to think long term. But quite honestly, in action, I was not taking actions which were long term in nature." - ⁠Ankur Joshi India GameChanger welcomed back Ankur Joshi, the Founder and CEO of ⁠Nuclei⁠ to discuss the evolution of the company and the strategic shifts that have occurred since their last conversation. Ankur delves into the importance of building a trust-based relationship model in business, rather than focusing solely on immediate sales. He also shares insights on fostering a long-term team culture and the personal growth that has informed his leadership style and company ethos. Some of the big topics that we covered also included: - The sacrifices made by his parents to ensure he received a good education laid the foundation for his relentless pursuit of excellence - How the entrepreneurial itch led him to leave the traditional banking world to explore the uncharted waters of starting a business, much to the disbelief of his family and peers - Nuclei's mission of infusing traditional banking with a digital-first DNA, catering to the changing behaviors and expectations of a new generation of consumers - The importance of global thinking and diversity within teams to truly innovate and meet the needs of a global customer base - The transformative power of education, perseverance, and the relentless pursuit of innovation #innovation #technology #fintech #banking #companyculture #longtermthinking Prafull Kumar Pawan Kataria Tanpreet Singh Sehgal Divya Chakravarthy https://lnkd.in/ghET8sKv

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Interesting and relatable piece by Nutgraf / The Ken Praveen Gopal Krishnan in my inbox today. Few VCs balance this line well, even fewer can project an authentic narrative of what they actually do. In my observation of actions, a VC is a financier first and last, and anything else is marketing until proven otherwise. #vc #startups #india #founder

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I recently read an insightful essay by Andreas Klinger, the CTO of Product Hunt, about his trip to India 🇮🇳: https://lnkd.in/d8B2Cn4M. Here are some interesting takeaways: 1.❗️More than 40% of unicorn founders return to India due to the significant opportunities the market offers 🦄. 2. All internal meetings in English 3. Skill levels are high. Nearly all founders can code, and the current generation is increasingly proficient in deep tech and complex R&D projects. 4. Founders are top hustlers. Founders are ready to jump on calls at 2-3 AM local time without expecting VCs to know the local time in India. 5. Top talent. The competition for entry into top Indian universities is several times higher than at Harvard or MIT. 6. India's e-government platform is regarded as one of the best in the world, featuring a seamless KYC system and billions of transactions via QR codes.

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The last book I read was back in 2013, and for nearly a decade, not a single book graced my nightstand.  Then, in January 2024, a chance meeting with a senior and good friend reignited my lost passion for reading.  He spoke with such fervor about the books that had shaped his thinking and even gifted me one. Inspired by his dedication, I decided to dive back into the world of books. Over the last 4-5 months, I’ve finished five books. I’m not keeping count really; my focus is on consistency—ensuring that I dedicate at least 10 minutes each morning to reading. It's about the routine, the daily commitment to learning and growth. Here are a few of my favorite reads: 📚 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐃𝐰𝐞𝐜𝐤: Dweck's 'Mindset' unlocks the power of our beliefs in shaping our success. It's not just about what we're born with; it's about how we approach challenges—with a fixed vs. a growth mindset. There are times when I also become fixated in my thinking and approach. Embracing a growth mindset has proven to be a game-changer for me—fostering resilience, innovation, and continuous growth. 💡 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡: Parrish's 'Clear Thinking' acts as a compass in the fog of decision-making, helping navigate through biases and distractions. This book has been one of my most trusted sidekicks, guiding me through tough calls and paving the way for strategic thinking and impactful actions. Do give it a read. What are some of the books you would like to recommend? Comment down your favorite reads! #books #mindset #motivation #clearthinking #entrepreneurship #insights

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I recently interviewed Honey Mittal, Co-Founder Locofy.ai and ex-CPO at FinAccel, Homage, Wego.com and a investor on the side for founders solving big meaningful problems. We go over the biggest lessons he's learned in product building over his journey and how he incorporates them daily into his new venture, why mentors & advisors are important, advice to his 17 year old self and more... Links in comments 👇

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*Registrations close tonight. This is for women only* Can't wait to host some wonderful ladies at the AMA on Angel Investing in Delhi tomorrow evening (26 May, Sunday)! We're thrilled to see 3x the number of women sign-up this time, compared to our previous AMA. 😍 Rebalance is India's first angel community that's 51% women with 27 investments in the portfolio. Last 2 spots left for women who are angel investors looking to expand dealflow (and back female founders) or those interested in learning about startup investing. Please note, that this is a forum strictly for Q&A on angel investing. When: 26 May 2024 [Sunday] Where: Somewhere in Delhi ☕ Timings: 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm Eligibility: For women only RSVP here: https://shorturl.at/EoYLN If this isn't for you, share it with credible women who are looking to deploy their $$$ towards mission-oriented wealth creation. <This is part of Rebalance's In-the-loop series where we're building the world's most active community of women in startups, investing, science, and technology> CC: Vikas Kumar #diversity #womenininvesting #venturecapital #funding #investing #startups

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What made me fall in love with Sales? I have often come across people and have found them to be in two categories, Love sales: Abhor Sales This broad classification helps me in hiring the right people for our organization and generally, the hiring decisions work out well. While developing and fine-tuning this model, it got me reminiscing as to what experiences from my early childhood shaped my views on sales and the entire process of being a good salesman. My Maternal Grandfather was a Marwari baniya who had multiple businesses and he had a deep influence on shaping me as an entrepreneur, from a very early age about 10 days before Diwali used to go to his wholesale shop in Sadar bazar in Delhi and watch him dealing with retailers who used to procure firecrackers in bulk. The most fun part used to be the last 4 days before Diwali when the wholesale shop used to be converted to a retail counter and used to deal with customers selling them a bouquet of products ( Phool Jahari, Anar, 1000 Wali Ladi, 12 shots and Atom bombs. Cracker bursting generation can relate) When I look back, without any fancy words was taught the following skills  1.Listening to the customer and customizing a solution as per their needs 2.By asking questions and estimating the budgets of the clients 3.Value discounting for the customer to feel they have scored a good deal generating referrals. 4.Working under pressure managing multiple customers, managing team members, managing shifts managing logistics, managing merchandising, estimating what is selling fast and what inventory is stuck, and how to discount it to move. 5.The sheer joy of showing up and enjoying the process.  From being a nuisance to my grandparents to being a valued resource who used to pull my own sets of friends and their extended family as customers. Sales boil down to the basics of human behaviour keying into it, and being observant is all that is needed. One needs to fall in love with sales then only can you excel in it. Do let me know in the comments if you love sales or abhor sales #GhumneChalo #Stressfreeholidays #Sales #Entreprenuers #Founders #Operators Prachi Dwivedi

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Shashank Bijapur co-founder and CEO of SpotDraft, our portfolio company, ran a terrific panel at the Arkam Innovation Summit. He covered a lot of ground with Manish Jethani Co-founder and CEO of Hevo Data Data, and Gaurav Sharma Founder, and CEO of SaaSLabs .    Here are some key takeaways that stayed with me: Initial journey of identifying the problem statement and figuring out the solution during the early days at SaaS Labs and Hevo Data After selling his first company in the US, Gaurav returned to India. All he wanted to do was make $4-5 K living in India, so he started out by building tools for Shopify users. But when those tools rapidly grew to half a million in recurring revenue, Gaurav realized that he could build anything, be anywhere in the world, and sell it worldwide. Manish believes that your product has to solve a personal problem in addition to an industrial one. Once you start the journey as an entrepreneur, financial success will not satisfy you. “What one problem can you solve even if the financial outcome is not that great?” Deciding whether to validate the product in India and move to the US versus taking a US market-first approach Selling in India is hard, especially in the early days. As Gaurav said, "if you sell a $10 product, you must create an invoice, and then they’ll make the payment in 60 days. So, it became very hard to make a profit. From this, I realized that India is not ready to buy software yet, so the best model would be to build it in India and sell it across the world" Manish believes customer needs and expectations are completely different across India and the US. It's quite challenging to build a product for India and expect it to succeed in the US. So, from day one, he focused on the US market-first approach. Establishing product differentiation during the early days of growing in the US market? Initially, the number one challenge for Manish was to sell a product that their target audience could build themselves. Hevo Data needed needed financial and operational data from companies, which nobody shares easily. Most companies prefer to build a product in-house and work with that tool. So, Manish decided to find initial customers who meet three criteria: they should not want to build a product in-house, they should be fine with sharing the data, and they should be from the US. Aspects of the business that changed from 0-1 to 1-10 journey and beyond To get initial customers, Gaurav decided to integrate his product into larger companies to get more eyes on it. To sustain this growth, Gaurav bet on excellent customer service, which is “an unfair advantage for Indian SaaS,” as he says. His customer service and fast responses became the talk of the town amongst his customers. Here’s the full video video. Well worth your time to listen to three $10M+ ARR SaaS founders at the top of their game.   Arkam Ventures https://lnkd.in/gP_YT-gV

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🦋🦋🦋 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬 🦋🦋🦋 🎙️ Super excited to share insights from my latest podcast episode with Kiran Mehta from Mercia Ventures and fellow LI Top Voice :) We discussed the future of venture capital, challenges for founders, and the importance of transparency in the fundraising process. Here are a few things we touched upon: ♻️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹: We delved into the changing landscape of venture capital, focusing on the intersection of venture-style growth and capital efficiency. How to get to the twin goal of venture scale growth whilst driving towards profitability. 🥷🏽 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀: Founders often chase the validation of venture capital without considering if it aligns with their goals. We explored the importance of building a great business and the potential pitfalls of excessive funding. 🚀 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 & 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Kiran highlighted the need for a more open and transparent fundraising process. He really drove home the value of clear communication, looking at different tactics beyond the pitch deck, and how not to get too tied up in your financial models. 🔮 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Looking ahead, we discussed the potential for a more inclusive and strategic approach to venture capital. Kiran shared his vision for a venture ecosystem that supports impactful, society-changing businesses. Please do subscribe and rate, it really helps get the word out ⭐️ I'll drop some links to the episode in the comments - out on YouTube, Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your pods 🎧 #VentureCapital #Startup #VC #Founder #NothingVentured

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🚨 Early product-market fit (PMF) in the Indian market can be deceptive, according to Norwest Venture Partners’ Niren Shah, an early investor in Swiggy and Five-Star Business Finance Limited. "We have seen people achieve early PMF. However, they have to change the pricing when they try to build some margin. While doing so, they end up changing consumer segments...you move away from your initial PMF and need to rebuild," according to Shah. Shah has been investing in India for the last two decades. Over the last 5-6 years, Norwest has started focusing on late-stage investments. A large part of Norwest's portfolio is also traditional businesses in areas like healthcare and financial services. The firm has invested close to $500 million in India over the last two years, during the funding winter. Long interview with Shah on why he now prefers mid- to late-stage businesses, how Norwest has pursued non-tech deals and the state of Indian unicorns https://lnkd.in/gVfk5Dyz

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