Aravind Ajith

2017: Joined Juspay before India's fintech boom 2020: Tried everything PM at Razorpay 2023: Now, Building for scale at Paytm Navigating the world of product management has been a journey filled with learning and growth. From honing my tech, system thinking & abstraction skills at Juspay. To laying the foundation for product thinking, execution & GTM at Razorpay. To leading a high-performance team at Paytm. Each step has been an integral part of my career progression. While my path has seen its share of challenges, I have received the necessary support at each stage of my career and have not shied away from asking for help whenever required. On similar lines, when I wanted to upskill myself, I joined GrowthX®, and the learning has been invaluable. Putting effort is in your hands, so focus only on that with discipline. Key lessons? As Dhoni said, "Focus on the controllable." Huge thanks to the GrowthX community for their relentless support and knowledge sharing. It truly embodies the spirit of community-driven learning without expectations of monetary return. PS: the deadline to apply for the 4 Week Growth Program is Nov 30th. Join me at GrowthX with my link in the comments. 🌱

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Zomato's District: A Risky Bet on the Super App Model Zomato's foray into the "going out" economy with District mirrors Paytm's super app strategy. While Paytm's 350M+ user base is substantial, its path to profitability remains elusive. Zomato, with 100M+ users, enters a highly competitive market dominated by players like BookMyShow. Replicating Paytm's model is challenging. Integrating diverse services, achieving effective cross-selling, and ensuring positive unit economics are critical hurdles. Zomato's strong brand in food delivery provides a foundation, but the execution risks in this new venture are significant. The company must balance growth with profitability to avoid diluting its core business. #Zomato #District #Paytm #SuperApp #Fintech #ConsumerTech #MarketAnalysis

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Zomato Expands Beyond Food and Groceries with Paytm Entertainment Acquisition Zomato's board has greenlit the acquisition of Paytm's entertainment ticketing business, including movie and events ticketing. This move signifies Zomato's strategic expansion into the "going out" market, diversifying its offerings beyond food delivery and potentially challenging BookMyShow's dominance. What this means: ▪︎ Seamlessly book movie and event tickets within the Zomato app ▪︎ Enhanced user experience and increased engagement for Zomato ▪︎ Opportunities for cross-promotions and innovative marketing strategies. What do you think of Zomato's move into entertainment? Share your thoughts and predictions for the future of the "going out" experience! #Zomato #PaytmEntertainment #Acquisition #Entertainment #Ticketing #FoodDelivery #GoingOut #Innovation #Business Zomato Paytm Blinkit □ BookMyShow

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Digital Pension Savings Just Got Easier with PhonePe & Bharat Connect! PhonePe, a leading digital payments platform in India, has teamed up with Bharat Connect to launch an innovative service simplifying contributions to the National Pension System (NPS). This partnership enables users to contribute directly through the PhonePe app, making retirement planning easier, more accessible, and fully digital for millions of users across the country. Why This Matters: With India’s large, digitally active population, this initiative enhances financial inclusion by encouraging retirement savings among individuals who may not otherwise engage with traditional pension systems. It’s a big step toward fostering financial security and retirement readiness for users from all walks of life. 3 Key Highlights: Ease of Access: Users can now make NPS contributions seamlessly on the PhonePe app. Financial Inclusion: This partnership aligns with efforts to boost financial literacy and long-term savings across India. Secure Transactions: Contributions are fully secure, backed by PhonePe’s trusted digital infrastructure. Through partnerships like these, India’s FinTech sector continues to lead in promoting accessible financial services that bridge the gap between traditional finance and digital solutions. Exciting times ahead for digital finance and inclusion! To know more clicks below: https://lnkd.in/gKkgvn4P #FinTech #NPS #PhonePe #FinancialInclusion #DigitalIndia #RetirementPlanning Perumal Jayakumar Sonu Suresh Anarkha P Nair Ajith Jose moonjely Sidharth M Athira Rajesh Raghuram V

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PhonePe is hiring a Product Manager! ✨ Here’s what you’ll get to do: → Own and drive the product roadmap for platform and user-centric products. → Collaborate with cross-functional teams, ideating and executing product objectives at scale. → Craft detailed product specs, identifying key problem statements and aligning them with business goals. → Prioritize and influence stakeholders with strong data-driven insights. → Manage communication and product cadences to ensure seamless execution across teams. → Constantly innovate and refine product features based on user feedback. If you’re passionate about solving complex problems, enjoy working with data, and want to make a real impact, this could be the perfect role for you! Apply here ⬇ https://lnkd.in/ejvFbmXd --------- Worried you don't have a portfolio website to showcase your PM skills? 🤔 What if I told you that you could launch your portfolio website in less than 5 minutes? 🕒💨 That's exactly why we built Designfolio! Launch your portfolio website right now 👉 www(.)designfolio(.)me (Link in the first comment) ✨ Tag your Product Management friends and share this opportunity! Let's spread the word! ♻️

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How can you expect anyone to believe in your vision if you can't clearly define your market? As a founder, it's natural to pour your heart into building your product But defining your Total Addressable Market (TAM) is key to unlocking growth. Why does TAM matter? - It shows the full potential of your market. - Helps you prioritize and focus on key segments. - Validates that there's demand for your solution. - Guides your growth strategy with clear direction. TAM isn’t just for investors—it’s for you. It’s the foundation for scaling, making decisions, and knowing where your next big move is. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gJWvSEzF

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{New pod 🎤} "𝐆𝐓𝐌 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐔𝐒-𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐁2𝐁 𝐒𝐚𝐚𝐒 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬" This episode explores GTM strategies and learnings for US-India B2B SaaS startups. We cover everything from finding design partners in the US, scoping MVPs, figuring out what ICP to focus on, navigating the unique challenges of early PMF, GTM hiring in the US, and finally, working towards creating M&A exit options. Joining me for this discussion is Satya Ganni, an experienced SaaS founder and operator who has successfully built and sold five companies and led two acquisitions as a buyer. He is currently serving as CEO of Beamer and Userflow. Beamer is developing a cutting-edge product-led growth toolkit tailored to product leaders at SaaS and digital-first companies. They recently acquired Userflow to augment the business. TIME STAMPS: (01:15) Satya’s journey as a repeat US-India SaaS founder and operator (04:38) [Case Study: 0-to-1] Finding US design partners (11:09) Scoping B2B SaaS MVPs (15:42) [Case Study: $10k-100k ARR] Identifying which ICP to focus on - SMB vs mid-market vs enterprise (22:23) [Case Study: $100k-$1Mn ARR] Navigating the unique challenges of early PMF (27:18) [Case Study: $1-5Mn ARR] Building a US leadership team post-PMF (34:33) [Case Study: $5-20Mn ARR] Working towards creating M&A exit options  (38:46) Learning to become a proactive relationship builder YouTube - https://lnkd.in/guGQeBwA Spotify - https://lnkd.in/gAg7XeF4 Apple Podcasts - https://lnkd.in/gkYEDpED An Operator's Blog - https://lnkd.in/ggGbzSKY

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Razorpay is hiring a Product Manager in Bangalore ✨ Here’s what you’ll get to do: → Define and execute long-term product strategies and quarterly roadmaps to bring the Core Banking vision to life. → Conceptualize solutions from a problem-first and data-driven mindset, with a focus on platform scalability and long-term impact. → Collaborate with Engineering, Design, and cross-functional teams to build products businesses will love. → Launch products with compelling go-to-market plans and ensure seamless execution. → Manage stakeholders, from internal teams to external banks and partners, turning strategic goals into reality. → Use your analytical and storytelling skills to solve problems, deliver value, and create lasting impact. If you’re curious about metrics, passionate about customer-first thinking, and love building 0-to-1 products, this could be your dream role! 🏆 For this and more such Product opportunities delivered directly to your inbox, subscribe to Zortd Newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/emsPt-yi _______________________________ 👩‍💻 Feeling like your portfolio doesn’t quite showcase your product thinking? 🎯 Launch a stunning PM portfolio in just 5 minutes with Designfolio! Your one-stop solution to build a sleek website that highlights your skills and accomplishments. 🌟 Check it out at www(.)designfolio(.)me (link in the first comment) and get started today! Tag or share this with your PM friends who are looking for their next big opportunity! ♻️ (P.S. I’m not connected with any companies or their hiring processes—just sharing amazing job opportunities I came across. Don’t miss out, go for it! Disclaimer: Image created using Krea)

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Shares of Travel Distribution giant TBO Tek ended with a premium of 53% against its issue price yesterday. Its IPO was subscribed 86 times on the closing day. It all started in 2006, as the founders noticed the white space in the B2B travel sector. While everyone aimed directly serve customers, TBO wanted to address the inventory management pains of over a million hotels and 700 airlines, and an easy selection process for anyone wanting to book them. They would pioneer the B2A or Business to Agent model, enabling travel agents to have the most extensive catalog of services across the world. By 2012, they would expand to Dubai. 2014 and 2015 would see them expand to Europe and become a global player. While the pandemic would make travel more or less irrelevant, TBO would bounce back strongly in the following years. A spree of acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and strongly fuelled growth would see them cross over INR 1050 Cr in Revenue by 2023, and profits growing 300% Y-o-Y. Read more about their incredible story here (https://bit.ly/42Zz094) #travel #makemytrip #cleartrip #yatra #travelboutiqueonline #tbo #leisure #luxury #india #asia #europe

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RBI Strikes Again: Impact on CRED and BillDesk 💥📉 Fintech startups like CRED, BillDesk, PhonePe, and Infibeam Avenues are gearing up for significant disruption as a new regulation requires credit card bill payments to be routed through a centralized billing network starting July 1st. 📆🔄 BBPS: Centralized Bill Processing System 🏦🔗 Think of BBPS as the UPI for bill payments. It allows any app, vendor, or bank to facilitate bill payments, making it a unified platform for all transactions. The Bharat Bill Payments System (BBPS) is an integrated online platform developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for various bill payments. Customer Benefits: 😊💡 Ease of Payments: One app for all payments. 📱💳 Security and Credibility: Transactions go through NPCI. 🔒✅ Instant Acknowledgment: Immediate confirmation of payments. ⚡🧾 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has mandated that all credit card bill payments must be made through BBPS. The Issue: ⚠️ Large banks like HDFC, Axis, and ICICI have not yet activated BBPS. These three banks alone account for over 60% of credit cards issued. Consequently, if you hold a credit card from these banks, you won't be able to use fintech apps to pay your bills. You'll need to revert to net banking or enable auto-debit to pay your credit card bills. 🏦🚫📱 This regulation could severely impact the fintech startup ecosystem. For example, CRED, which relies heavily on credit card payments for customer acquisition, could lose 60-70% of its customer base within a month. 😱📉 Why Are Banks Not Activating BBPS? 🤔 Many of these banks compete with fintech startups and want to retain their customers. Banks have their bill payment systems and apps, like HDFC's PayZapp, that they aim to popularize. This scenario presents an opportunity for banks to drive customers back to using in-house apps, potentially benefiting large banks and disrupting smaller fintech companies. 🏦👑📲 What Should You Do? 🤷‍♂️ It's possible that the RBI might consider extending the deadline to avoid disrupting the fintech ecosystem and to encourage banks to activate BBPS. In the meantime, enable auto-debit for your credit card payments to avoid missing due dates. ⏳💳✅ BBPS is a great initiative, but compliance needs to be enforced across the board. RBI needs to push large banks to participate to ensure smaller fintech companies, which pioneer innovation and technology, are not unfairly disrupted. Without equal participation, this regulation favors the larger, more established banks over the agile fintech startups. 🏦⚖️🚀 Source: Economic Times, RBI, Mint #fintech

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Fintech’s boldest bet yet! Slice merges with NESFB This merger brings together Slice’s digital prowess and NESFB’s traditional banking network. Slice now gets a banking license and a chance to tap into a low-cost deposit base. But there’s a catch, Legacy bad loans worth ₹192 crore from NESFB. The microfinance exposure in the northeast is a tough nut to crack. Slice has pumped in fresh capital, giving the bank a much-needed boost in capital adequacy. The plan is to use tech-driven solutions to improve collections and cut costs. Swipe through for all the key insights!👇 #Finance #Linkedin

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Impact of RBI's Revised Guidelines on P2P Lending: What It Means for the Ecosystem! The RBI’s revised guidelines on P2P lending are a welcome development in an industry that has seen rapid growth. By prioritizing security, transparency, and responsible lending, these changes are set to have a positive impact on the market. Lenders can now invest with greater confidence, borrowers are encouraged to borrow responsibly, and platforms are being pushed to operate more transparently. All in all, these guidelines are a step forward in ensuring that P2P lending in India evolves into a more mature and sustainable sector. Here’s a closer look at the impact these changes will have on lenders, borrowers, and the platforms themselves. More Security, Less Risk - The RBI's new cap on lending exposure is designed to protect lenders. By limiting the total amount a lender can invest across platforms to ₹50 lakh, the RBI aims to minimize the risk of overexposure. This is particularly important in a market where lenders might be tempted to spread their capital too thin. The new rules ensure that lenders can diversify their investments without taking on too much risk, leading to a more secure environment for those providing funds. Encouraging Responsible Borrowing - For borrowers, the revised guidelines impose stricter limits on how much can be borrowed. The ₹10 lakh cap across platforms (and ₹1 lakh per lender) is intended to prevent borrowers from falling into a debt trap. This move encourages responsible borrowing, ensuring that individuals do not overextend themselves and end up in financial distress. Additionally, the mandatory credit bureau reporting enhances the transparency of borrowers' financial histories, making it easier for them to build or maintain a good credit score. Emphasis on Robustness and Transparency - The guidelines place a strong emphasis on transparency and robustness for P2P platforms. With mandatory disclosures and the requirement for transactions to go through escrow accounts, the RBI is pushing platforms to operate with greater integrity and reliability. This could lead to a shake-up in the market, with only the most robust and transparent platforms thriving. The stricter eligibility criteria for platforms will likely result in a more streamlined and trustworthy P2P lending ecosystem, benefiting both lenders and borrowers. These revised guidelines are a clear indication that the RBI is committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the P2P lending market. By enforcing stricter controls and promoting transparency, the RBI is helping to mature the market, making it safer and more reliable for all participants. While the guidelines may seem restrictive at first glance, they are ultimately designed to protect the interests of everyone involved and foster a healthier lending ecosystem. #RBIGuidelines #P2PLending #Fintech #DigitalLending #FinancialRegulations https://lnkd.in/gifna7JJ

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I am back and here’s another Goldmine - The Ken‘s 11th Podcast discussing "Netflix and It's last growth Market"? It systematically breaks down covering everything from : 1. Global Market Saturation. 2. Intent vs Actions of Netflix 3. How current time is best to jump up in India's OTT Context w.r.t. Disney+ Hotstar ,Sony Pictures Networks India , etc. 4. What is meant by "Winning" in India by Netflix? 5. Creating Content Moat and unlocking that "WIN"? It's a 1.25 Hr long Podcast , I definitely recommend listening to it in full. ( Also , Kudos to Ken , they were able to shell out an yearly subscription from me using "Two by Two" ) I definitely recommend everyone who reads this to just follow the link in comments and watch entire podcast , not in one go. After every 15-20 Mins , take a pause and reflect. An amazing culmination of perspectives and knowledge of multi-country strategies by Nishad Kenkre with a classic example of applying old school perspectives in the modern situations. The future looking theories by Kunj Sanghvi (Content and Creative Head at Kuku FM) and again this time , and the knack of humour with intelligent questions by Praveen Gopal Krishnan and the smoothest conversational flow directed by Rohin Dharmakumar. Once again Nice work guys: ) Below are the notes : #ken #twobytwo #Netflix

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🌟 Unlocking the Secrets of Product Management with CRED 🌟 Dive into the fascinating journey of CRED, India’s premier members-only payments-for-rewards app, and learn how Kunal Shah and his team have revolutionized the fintech landscape. With a valuation of $6.4 billion, CRED has mastered the art of delivering unparalleled value to its elite user base. In my latest article, I explore: - The importance of understanding user pain points and desires - Leveraging user data to drive product improvements - Staying ahead of industry trends and tech advancements Through meticulous MVP iterations and direct user feedback, CRED continuously enhances its offerings, setting a gold standard for product management. 👉 Read more to discover how CRED's approach can inspire and inform your own product management strategies. Angad Puri #ProductManagement #Fintech #CRED #Innovation #UserExperience

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Why Should You Care? More & More Companies are shifting to the Mindset ! More & More Companies are embracing the 'X Factor' in it ! And it's changing the game for everyone.🙂 PLG- Product Led Growth The name is enough to make you care about it. A simple GTM strategy where your Product is the main growth engine, driving Acquisition, Retention, & Expansion, rather than relying heavily on sales or marketing. 💪 Slack, Dropbox, Zoom (just to name a few) have dissected their way through to successful PLGs. And, am impressed how FieldAssist is cracking it's way through! No wonder they'll ace the Bottom-Up Adoption as well. Adopting PLG isn’t just about enhancing product features—it’s about embedding growth into the product’s DNA. A Product where users find value on their own. Listing a few PLG Strategies for the fellows 😉: 1. Product Experience ↳ Ensure it's user-friendly & intuitive ↳ A great product sells itself 🤑 2. Simplify user onboarding ↳ Make it easy for users to get started ↳ A smooth start increases retention 3. Foster a community around your product ↳ Create a space for users to connect ↳ Communities drive engagement & loyalty 🤗 4. Implement a viral loop ↳ Design features that encourage sharing ↳ Word of mouth is powerful 🔥 5. Use data to drive decisions ↳ Track user behaviour and feedback ↳ Data reveals what works and what doesn't I'd love to hear your thoughts! #ProductManagement #Marketing #ProductLedGrowth #GTM

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We are hiring APM Growth 🚀 What does it take? 🎯 1-2 years of work ex in a growth role  🎯 Good with tools as Mixpanel, WebEngage  🎯 Have hands-on exp in driving GTMs & product adoption 🎯 Excited about the Kirana space Link in the comments below 

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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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Govt business is the best business , govt is 40-50% partner in each enterprise even if you make loss as start up and Private business ! NCPI, CSC, are most profitable organisations , while they are tasked to do financial inclusion, imagine VC funded and listed companies payment companesies are not allowed to make money out of UPI and UPI brings profits to govt ! Debatable .. which is public and which is private for profit business ?

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Solving a recently asked question on Product Improvement in Fintech APM Interview. Question --> How do you boost WhatsApp Payments Adoption in India! Sharing solutions alone - 💡 Top Ideas: 1️⃣ Partner with the government for Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) and MNREGA wages through WA Pay. Being a product known for word of mouth publicity this is tapping into an untouched payment space. 2️⃣ Implement in-app reminder-based auto-detect and pay with cashback incentives.  Implementing a feature that auto-detects payment reminders from businesses (like credit card dues, electricity bills, or Uber rides) and offers cashback incentives for paying through WA Pay can drive usage. Seeking explicit permission to read business-related messages only ensures user privacy while enhancing convenience. 3️⃣ Mandate in-app purchases on Facebook, Instagram, and Marketplace through WA Pay. For your stickers of WA, or Candy Crush extra lives or Instagram trending dress for all pay using WA Pay completing the payment ecosystem. 4️⃣ Introduce WA Pay Trip Companion for tracking and splitting expenses with friends. Similar to Splitswise just solving for all tracking within WA without any new effort to create a new group or adding/removing people. ✨ Other Ideas: 1> Incentivize payments with local coupons redeemable through WA Pay only. 2> Integrate two-click payments with D2C brands like Uber, Amazon, Zomato, and Zepto. 3> Gamify referrals and milestones with rewards linked to WA Pay. Also, offering brownie points for sharing on status. 4> Use nano-influencers for marketing outreach and awareness creation. How would you solve this interesting product improvement question? Use comments to add your thoughts.💬💸 #ProductManagement #WhatsAppPay #DigitalPayments #Interview #ProductImprovement #Preparation Image credit - Bing Co-pilot powered by Designer

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