Akshay Akash

"Post thoda lengthy hai, but simple to understand and worth reading" Kunal Shah, founder of freecharge and CRED, has one really interesting framework called the Delta 4 theory for startups. This is how it goes.. Let’s compare Swiggy(new method of ordering food) and the old model of ordering food. Earlier, we followed these steps to get something delivered to eat: 1. Find the restaurant’s contact number, from different places if it’s not immediately accessible/available. 2. Calling the number and finding out the price, delivery charges, and waiting time. 3. Place the order orally, with all the confusion that may entail. 4. Wait for an hour or more minutes, receive the order, and pay in cash. When Swiggy took over, a click or two on the mobile app would add the items to the cart. Another round of clicks would place the order. Delivery fee is largely non-existent, and payment is made online. As the consumer gets used to using these apps, the probability of him or her going back to orally placing an order through a phone number is, well, non-existent. Now, assuming that the consumer would "rate a 9 for the Swiggy experience and a 3 for the old way of ordering, Swiggy wins by a difference of 6 between both the behaviours". If one were to do this exercise across any spectrum of products in any industry, the new product that gets ahead by at least 4 points or more is going to be the trump card of that particular market. According to Kunal Shah, the new products that fall under this Delta 4 category, are the ones that are going to create wealth for a startup Mathematical representation: ΔE ≥ 4 Credits - https://lnkd.in/gN5FSwqc #productmanagement #curiousity #marketing #CRED #startups #mba #recruitment #learning #analytics #business #entrepreneurship LinkedIn LinkedIn Guide to Creating

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Swiggy’s $1.4 Billion IPO vs. Zomato’s $1 Billion Fundraise! While Swiggy is preparing for one of the largest IPOs this year, Zomato is also getting ready to stay competitive. The Gurgaon-based food delivery giant recently announced a $1 billion raise through a qualified institutional placement (QIP), to strengthen its balance sheet in rising competition. This is what is happening in the quick commerce space: —> Despite a market correction that led Swiggy to adjust its valuation, investor interest remains intense. Major global players like Norges Bank and Fidelity have placed bids worth over $15 billion, 25 times more than the $605 million allocated for institutional investors alone. —> While Zomato and Swiggy are the dominant players, this space also has new entrants like Zepto and BigBasket. To compete, Zomato’s CEO Deepinder Goyal emphasized that their latest fundraiser will help "level the playing field" with competitors who continue to attract fresh capital. —> This IPO and Zomato’s capital raise highlight the opportunity in India's $100+ billion e-commerce sector. Swiggy’s IPO shows its intent to expand tech capabilities and optimize logistics. Zomato’s move shows a strategy to maintain financial flexibility to explore avenues of growth. Both companies recognize that staying competitive in this space will require capital reserves. While they are competing, it will be interesting to see how they innovate and expand the future of instant delivery. So, are you team Zomato or Swiggy? #quickcommerce #IPO

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"Zepto's valuation skyrocketed from $1.4 billion to $3.6 billion after a $665 million fundraise. This is no small feat in a market emerging from a funding winter. ✏ Valuation jumped from $1.4 billion to $3.6 billion! 📈 ✏ Plans to double dark stores to 700 by March 2025 🏬 ✏ Zepto Cafe for quick delivery snacks and meals 🍔 ✏ Blinkit plans to double its dark stores to 1,000 by the fiscal year-end 📦 ✏ India’s quick commerce space grew 77% in 2023 to $2.8 billion GMV 🚀 Let's gear up for an exciting ride as Zepto reshapes the e-commerce landscape! 🌐🚴‍♂️ Source: Mint #QuickCommerce #StartupGrowth #Ecommerce #InvestmentStrategies #Zepto Flipkart Zomato Swiggy Amazon

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5+ Cr in investment. Team in 3 countries. 18 months in the making - Layers is going bigger in August 2024. It all started when we first launched Layers in 2022, we had 0 experience of - D2C, Branding, SKUS and everything in between. We hustled, failed, but ultimately figured things out building India’s largest skins brand—100% bootstrapped, selling over 2.5 lakh skins. (The Neel who scored -2 Marks in JEE would have never imagined this.) But, the entire experience taught us 3 core things: > The confidence to succeed in markets that never existed > The freedom to think long-term and take bets in short term > The understanding of a creator-led D2C brand’s potential It wasn’t easy, but that’s the fun part. And now, we’re taking on the next big challenge. LAYERS IS LAUNCHING ITS FIRST TECH PRODUCT! In all honesty, building a tech product is ten times tougher than building the skins business. We had to revisit our entire strategy—pricing, distribution, customer service— and most importantly, the right innovation to stand out in the market. In the skins market, we had little competition. But here, we face giants with 1000X resources and decades of experience. Competing with them and building a superior tech product - bootstrapped with a lean team, is a huge challenge. I am quite nervous and afraid. Don’t know what’s gonna happen.. Until then, feel free to guess what the product is! :)

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Bluelearn Hasn't Still Got It Investors Pump $3.5M into Bluelearn Despite Limited Reach Despite raising $3.5 million (~30 CR INR) from investors swayed by the founders' backgrounds, Bluelearn's real value remains uncertain. Although marketed as India's largest, its recognition outside Bangalore is minimal. The platform could benefit from more aggressive marketing strategies and user acquisition efforts. However, its Discord server stands out as a positive aspect amidst these challenges. I said this one month before Now they shut down the blue Learn. #Startup #Shutdown

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"Competition is for losers". Today's session was mind blowing 🤯 Day 6 of My Startup Journey with Y Combinator⚡ ➥ Monopoly is the Key !!🔑 * Peter Thiel advises founders to aim for creating a monopoly. * This means building a business that avoids competition. * Your product or service should be unique.   * There should be nothing similar to what you offer ➥ Capturing Value💰 * Creating value is crucial for any business. * The total value of a business is worth a certain amount (X dollars). * The percentage of that value a business captures is Y%. * X (total value) and Y (percentage captured) are independent; one does not affect the other. * Ensure your company captures a significant portion of the value it creates. * Don't just create value, but also effectively capture it to maximize profits. ➥ Lies People Tell * People often claim "Competition is healthy," but Peter Thiel believes this is a lie. * He argues that it's better to create a unique product or service to avoid competition. ➛ How to Build a Monopoly * Start with a small market: It's easier to dominate a small market, which helps you move toward a monopoly. * Grow step by step: After gaining control over a small market, gradually expand to larger markets. ➥ Last Mover Advantage * If you are doing something unique and never done before, you have the potential for a monopoly. * There can be an advantage in being the last mover because you can bring new ideas and approaches. ➥ History of Innovation * Understanding the history of innovation is crucial for starting any business. * Peter Thiel emphasizes that this knowledge provides essential ideas and direction. ➥ Psychology of Competition * The belief that non-competitors are losers should be reconsidered. * Staying away from competition might be the key to success for your business. ➛ PRO TIPS FROM THE SESSION- Target the monopoly, not the competition 🔥 Start from a small market and slowly build your monopoly 📈 Be unique and focus on innovation✨ Repost ♻️ if you find it valuable 🌻 P.S.- What valuable learning did you get from this session? P.S.S.- Would you also like to build your monopoly by staying away from competition? If you want to know something else interesting about startup learnings then follow me ⚡💥 #StartupJourney  #YC #Monopoly  #BuildingBusiness #Innovation #LinkedInDaily #2024Reset Stay Awesome 🌟💫

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Who would invest in founders who have wasted $50M? Koo, an Indian microblogging platform, recently shut shop after raising $50M in capital. Everyone has their views on why Koo failed. IMO, the biggest reason behind its failure was a lack of PMF (Product Market Fit). Koo spent much money on marketing and didn’t build a product people wanted. It kept harping on nationalism, a Twitter for Indians, made in #India. This approach failed. However, this doesn’t mean Koo’s founders aren’t smart or intelligent. I wrote in an earlier post that we shouldn’t be surprised if Koo’s founders raise fresh capital for a new startup. To many of us, this might seem grossly unfair. Millions of smart, hardworking founders are struggling to raise capital while investors are backing failed founders who have wasted millions of dollars. How is that fair? It confirms the widely held belief that the #venturecapital industry is broken and corrupt where a few people with the right connections get all the capital while others don’t see a dime. It shows that the VC industry is a closed group, a cabal where who you know matters more than anything. While these are just complaints, most people who criticise VCs don’t understand how startup investing works. VCs welcome failures. They embrace them because they know failures are inevitable. When VCs invest in 20 #startups, they know 15 will fail. The goal is to invest in startups that can give them a 100x return. Failures are part of the game. They are unavoidable. The aim is to back founders who can build such 100x return companies. Hence, failures are not looked down upon in the VC industry. It’s similar to the American culture where society appreciates the people who take risks, and it easily accepts personal bankruptcies that result from this risk-taking approach. There’s no taboo in failing in the USA and the VC industry. I’m sure Koo’s founders have learnt from their mistakes. It’s an expensive mistake and not everyone is so lucky to have this luxury to spend $50M on their education. ;) However, most VCs will back Koo’s #founders because these founders know how to raise capital and they know how to not build and scale tech companies. Their past failures have improved their chances of future success. In the VC industry, Failure is Good.

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Most dating app subscriptions are too expensive for the Indian market. Tinder, for example, ranges from ₹900 to ₹3,200 per month. Indians prioritize value for money. They’ll pay for subscriptions when they know exactly what they’re getting—like Netflix, which offers a vast content library. But with dating apps, there’s no guarantee of finding love, making it feel riskier. That’s why at flutrr we’ve used a pay-per-use microtransaction model from day one. For instance, you can buy 2 Super Likes for ₹30 —here you know exactly what you're paying for. We’ve since taken it a step further by bundling microtransactions. 7 features worth ₹300 are bundled at ₹200, offering more value and flexibility. As a result, 18% of our user base are paying customers— compared to the 3-4% on other dating apps. In a market where value drives decisions, you have to be crystal clear about what you're offering. #startups #pricing #subscriptions #datingapp

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Is it really worth working in a Startup > MNC? Here's what I think: Something interesting that I read the other day on The Ken about the bullwhip effect highlights how minor changes in demand can lead to significant distortions throughout the supply chain, and this phenomenon I vividly reflected while switching jobs. As an employee working at a large multinational corporation (MNCs), I flocked to startups, the excitement of working in 0-1, growth opportunities & rapid funding created a ripple effect but amplified uncertainty and variability in the market. The Bullwhip strikes in as startups are characterized by their dynamic hiring practices, rapidly scaling teams during funding booms and shedding employees during downturns. This volatility can lead to chaos, causing some individuals to return to the stability of established corporations. Ultimately, just like all trends, this too will even out. One of the truths about careers is that everything is cyclical. Each cycle will exacerbate the bullwhip effect, driven by factors - as you move right, the variability and uncertainty becomes much more amplified. Sometimes it’s driven by the market. Or by VCs. Or by co-founders. Or by users and customers. But with each challenge, we become more adaptable and ready to seize the next big opportunity.

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49% Market --- Sab bech do policy makers. Kya fark padta hai! The power of capital is clearly winning. Truly speaking I know many entrepreneurs who can create phonepe-like products but damn no one gives capital to them. Foreign funded entity has 49% market share. There are reasons for it. Why don't we have domestic companies building such businesses. What are our regulators doing? @competiton commission of India National Payments Corporation Of India (NPCI) #Payments #fintech

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🎥 Netflix's Strategic Play: Pushpa 2 for Rs. 250 Crores 🚀  Netflix has made a bold move by acquiring the rights to Pushpa 2 for ~Rs. 250 crores ($30m), dwarfing Prime Video & Amazon Studios ~Rs. 30 crores ($3.5m) investment in the prequel (Pushpa 1). Interestingly, Amazon Prime is reported to have had a ROFR (Right of First Refusal) on the sequel (Pushpa 2). This significant investment highlights Netflix's confidence in Pushpa 2's potential, following the Pushpa 1’s almost magical dream run of ~ Rs. 350 crore at the Box Office.  😎 Fun Fact 😎 : Pushpa 1 was the 1st Pan-India film to have received love from views across the country in multiple languages. Superstar Allu Arjun admits that he just wanted to make a great Telugu Film but took care to release it in multiple languages and it became an ‘accidental Pan-India Film’. I like to believe that it was with that film that the Pan-India / Multi-Language Film concept really took off! Coming back, Despite the high purchase price, this deal is just a splash in the ocean for Netflix. With Q1 revenues hitting $9.37 billion (on a ~270 million paying user base, which represents ~ $11 / month as Revenue per user) and a net income of $2.33 billion, the streaming giant demonstrates it can afford to play big.  Only 0.2% of their $15 billion annual content budget went to Pushpa 2, illustrating strategic spending in pursuit of substantial market influence.  *Key Points*:  Profitable Strategy: With $3 per user / monthly profit, investing in blockbuster content pays off. Market Expansion: Aiming to expand its 14 million Indian subscriber base to ~ 100 million in the coming years (first stated by Co-Founder Reed Hastings and later confirmed by Co-CEO Ted Sarandos) to capture a significant market share. No wonder they outbid Amazon Prime, despite their ROFR on Pushpa 2. Netflix is not just buying content; it's investing in market dominance (8x for Pushpa 2 compared to Pushpa 1). Pushpa 2 is more than a film; it's a piece of a larger puzzle in Netflix's strategy to conquer the streaming world, with big stuff expected from #india.  #Netflix #StreamingWars #Pushpa2

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You'll always question if the market is overvalued. And that's okay. Let me explain. I felt this deeply when analyzing the Indian markets recently. The numbers were clear, but doubts lingered. I started to think: - Are investors paying too much? - What does this mean for future growth? - Should I be cautious or optimistic? I wish I could tell every investor; It's a complex picture. I took a deep dive into the data and found some insights. Often, markets are a mix of signals. Not always clear, but often. These are the steps I took to understand the valuation: → I looked at the P/E ratio. The SENSEX's P/E ratio of 23.88 is high. Investors are paying a premium compared to historical levels. → I checked the Buffett Indicator. India's market cap to GDP ratio is 102.75%. This is above the 10-year average, suggesting overvaluation. → I analyzed foreign investor activity. In October 2024, foreign investors sold $8 billion in Indian stocks. This was the largest outflow since March 2020. → I reviewed expert opinions. Some experts, like Mark Matthews, express caution. Others point to strong GDP growth as a justification for high valuations. So, while some indicators suggest overvaluation, the economic fundamentals offer a different story. On one hand: - NIFTY trades at ~20x forward earnings vs historical average of ~17x - Small/mid-cap valuations are significantly stretched - FII ownership remains high, risking potential outflows - GDP numbers warrant scrutiny given base effects However: - Corporate earnings growth remains robust (15%+ YoY) - Banking sector NPAs at decadal lows - Domestic retail participation provides valuation support - India's consumption story and demographic dividend remain intact According to me, the key is bottom-up stock selection rather than index-level calls.

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A product is a theory of how to solve a problem. Marketing is a unique explanation of a solution. A founder is uniquely qualified to build a company. Good products are hard to vary. Good marketing is hard to vary. Good founders are hard to vary. Founder-Product-Market-Fit -Naval Ravikant

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What is the stupidest thing founders do when talking to Investors? Create an unnecessary imbalance of power against themself… “Sir, it's an absolute pleasure to meet you…” “I have been waiting for this opportunity to…” “It will be an honor to be considered by your prestigious….” No no no no no no… Nobody is doing you a favour by listening about your business… Its a conversation among equals.. A deal among equals - the investor is offering capital, and you are offering them an opportunity to invest in an awesome business. If you don’t think your business offers an awesome opportunity, then that's what you need to work on. And once you do, come back with a swagger!!! And convince everyone that you are gonna succeed - with them or without them! Now see the tables turn… #Founders #TopoftheFoodchain #AnshulG PS: You don't have to be arrogant, but remember all investors seek alpha founders who hold a high opinion of themself & their business. Its the ‘Steve Jobs Effect’.

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This seems to be a fair representation of the market being around 500-600 million USD in India Interesting facts - market is 50:50 between brand and performance ad dollars - performance dollars doesn’t mean Lower funnel as brands born in social first world are buying more full funnel effectively - 30:70 split in favour of micro and nano influencers in terms of atttacting dollars - adtech platforms owning sub 150 million USD market due to challenges in differentiation against independent/specialist agency ecosystem #humanmedia #adtech #influencers #socialcommerce

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Feel like you're running on a GMAT treadmill? Putting in countless hours but your score barely budges? You're not alone. Score plateaus are the silent dream killers of GMAT prep. But what if there was a way to break through? Meet Shubham, who shattered his plateau and soared from 625 to an impressive 695 (Q90, V84, DI83). His 70-point improvement isn't just a score—it's a blueprint for busting through barriers. Let's decode Shubham's plateau-breaking strategy: 🧠 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐦 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐩: Perfect Q90 Shubham didn't just study more—he studied smarter. Using the PACE engine, he identified and targeted his weak spots, saving over 50 hours of aimless practice. Result? A perfect Quant score that many dream of but few achieve. 📚 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: Climbing to V84: Shubham's approach was revolutionary. Instead of chasing the 'right' answer, he mastered the art of elimination. This mindset shift turned Verbal from a guessing game into a strategic conquest.   📊 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲: Nailing DI83, Subham tackled Data Insights by blending Quant precision with Verbal comprehension. His time management mantra? "Don't get stuck. Move on after 2-3 minutes." 🧭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐝𝐠𝐞: Personalized Guidance Even self-starters need direction. Dhruv Subham's mentor provided Shubham with tailored strategies, proving that sometimes, a fresh perspective is all you need to see the path forward. 🚀 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚- Shubham's journey isn't just inspiring—it's instructive. It shows that breaking through score plateaus isn't about gruelling hours; it's about strategic preparation, the right tools, and a willingness to change your approach. Are you stuck in a GMAT rut? What's your biggest hurdle? Share in the comments, and let's break through together! For a detailed roadmap of how Shubham demolished his GMAT plateau, check out his full interview here: https://lnkd.in/g9pw5iH5 Follow Payal Tandon and e-GMAT for more such breakthrough stories.   #GMATBreakthrough #ScorePlateauSolved #MBADreams #TestPrepRevolution #eGMAT 

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Which is Better Approach for EduTech Startup - Mass vs Class? To build EduTech startup, there will be two path for it to choose from after startup built some traction in business. Scaling option / positioning options. 1. Mass player - Keep affordable price and have big batch size like 200-250 per batch and aim for 2000-10000 students and even if 10% of it placed, as 10% of students will be intelligent and some how such placement will happen, irrespective of teaching quality or transformation in students ability. 2. Class Players- Small batch is premium prices, with refund fee policy if not able to provide value to customers. Aim for Extensive training, in depth training and transform students ability. Before Class and after class - see drastic transformation in ability and Jobablity. This approach needs personal attention/grooming of students, long term program and extensive effort. What is need of hour? What would be your approach, if you are CEO of the company and keen to create impact in society and help people to build their life in IT space. Thanks for your inputs & suggestions

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🚀 🚀 🚀 Zepto Bags $665 Million in Funding, Doubling Valuation to $3.6 Billion: Quick Commerce Battle Intensifies 🚀 🚀 🚀 Zepto has recently secured a whopping $665 million in a new funding round, more than doubling its valuation to $3.6 billion post-money. This significant influx of capital sets the stage for an intensifying battle in the quick commerce sector, with Zepto poised to go head-to-head with formidable rivals such as Zomato -owned Blinkit , the public-markets-bound Swiggy Instamart, and Tata Digital – owned bigbasket.com , all of which are aggressively scaling their operations. In a recent CNBC-TV18 Interview Aadit Palicha, Co-Founder & CEO of Zepto, delved into their growth blueprint and future plans. ✒️ Key Takeaways from the interview: 1️⃣ Strategic Investments: The new funding will be strategically deployed to enhance Zepto’s technological capabilities, expand its geographic footprint, and streamline its delivery infrastructure to offer even faster and more reliable services to customers. 2️⃣ Competitive Edge: Palicha emphasized Zepto’s focus on innovation and customer satisfaction as the core pillars driving their rapid growth. By leveraging advanced analytics and a robust supply chain network, Zepto aims to stay ahead of the competition in the highly competitive quick commerce market. 3️⃣ Future Outlook: Looking ahead, Zepto is committed to continually improving its service offerings, expanding into new markets, and maintaining its growth trajectory. The company’s strategic roadmap includes further investment in cutting-edge technology and partnerships to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience. #QuickCommerceWars #FundingFrenzy #BillionDollarValuation #BattleOfTheGiants #IntenseCompetition #ScalingUpFast #MarketDisruption #TechInvestments #EvolvingEcosystem

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flutrr has a microtransaction pricing model, allowing users to pay as little as ₹25 to access a premium feature on the app. Initially, 90% of these transactions happened through Google Play Store and only 10% through Razorpay. The issue was that Google charges 30% commission on every in-app purchase and has a 45-day settlement cycle. This not only slowed down our cash flow but also took away a big chunk of our revenue in commission. So, we made a simple tweak to the payments UI. We put Razorpay UPI at the very top and Google Play Store at the very bottom of the page. From day one of making this change, 90% of payments went through Razorpay UPI and only 7% went through Google. With Razorpay settling payments the next day and not charging a hefty commission, we solved our problem with just a minor design adjustment. The smallest of changes can drive the biggest results. Keep iterating! #tech #product #startup #datingapp

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