Gaurav Gupta

In case you are looking for my thoughts on fundraising- read this artilce.

26

6 Comments

Yesterday I asked Balaji how to get to $10-20k/month solo (without too many clients). These are the 4 most important lessons from our call. And what I'm doing wrong right now. 1# Get paid, don't chase I'm charging 50% deposit and 50% final payment as everyone else. The problem is that projects can take long with rounds of client feedback, that makes cash flow unpredictable. I'm not charging in full because I thought it's a stretch for most people. Solution → Ditch the limiting beliefs and get paid in full. → Offer payment plan only if its necessary. → Have set date for second payments. 2# Seek bigger impact I know the value of my service, but there will be a limit to how much as I can charge with my audience. Even at a higher rate, I need way too many clients to hit my goals, which I don't want because it compromises work quality. Solution → Find a segment of my audience who can benefit most ($$$) from my help. → Provide the same service but now have a bigger impact for those clients. → The more I can make for clients the more my service is worth. 3# Clear expectations, strict deadlines Client feedback can take forever, going back and forth makes project length unpredictable. If I'm booked but have to wait for a project to start, I'm burning my time. Solution → Set a clear start date, no longer than 1-2 weeks into the future. → Set clear expectations on how I work and what's needed from clients. → Set and be strict with deadlines as its needed to deliver my best work. 4# Keep client-result delivering tasks Some parts of my work I thought about outsourcing, so I can focus on the things I enjoy and want to get better at. But these bits are important for client results and bringing a person in would mean more complexity. Solution → Keep tasks that affects client results to myself. → Outsource menial duties that doesn't need me. → Admin work, project management, comments. All this is super helpful to me to have a clear plan. Now all I need is time to implement all this. Hope this helps you too, and if it does... Show some love to Balaji in the comments :)

48

58 Comments

Not many people know the amount of focus we have on Tech at GGI. I am part of a generation in which Edtech has a bad name. I genuinely think the honest objective with which Edtech started has been lost somewhere in the rounds of #funding, exits, youtubers bashing each other game. Edtech was started to ensure the child without books, infrastructure or desk studies realizes her full potential - because of the power of internet. In a world where majority of Edtech are now investing in offline centres -(too much on the name of Edtech). We at GGI are continously building larger and purposeful technology to teach #Reimagined Management and Public Policy to those who are in the remotest corner of not just India but the globe. It's been 4 years since we are building and rebuilding #TheTrinity by GGI (link in comment). It hosts few of the top masterclasses by legendary CEOs and Chairman on our internal platform (BlackRock Asia Chairman, McKinsey & Company Global CEO, BCG Chairman etc). And I always tell our scholars to not do Netflix and chill. Replace it with Trinity and chill while at GGI. Why ? Because getting entertained is easy but getting educated is tough. I am very proud of the tech interns who have contributed to our mission to only later join Google, Bain and Amazon. Hence to bring Edtech on the main map again- We need players who are focussed on mission and not driven by IRRs or short term investor game. (nothing wrong with investors if you can stay true to your long term mission). And we at GGI are proud to be contributing to India's 🇮🇳 Management and Policy #Education story with one Good Tech at a time!

77

7 Comments

The Importance of User-Centric Design: A Cautionary Tale In 2019, my team collaborated with a startup launching a coupon app in Mumbai. After finalizing the project scope, we were poised to embark on the app design phase. However, an unexpected turn of events redirected our course. The client abruptly informed us of their decision to finalize the design with a relative's son, a newcomer in the field of UI/UX design for an app development firm. Despite inquiries regarding his experience and portfolio, we were instructed to adhere to his design specifications. A few days later, we received a link showcasing the proposed design – a glaring disconnect from core mobile app design principles. The aesthetics were unappealing, and the color scheme lacked cohesion. Furthermore, the design entirely disregarded user experience (UX) best practices, jeopardizing user navigation and overall satisfaction. We approached the client again, expressing our concerns. Unfortunately, they remained steadfast in their decision, citing the full payment already rendered to the designer. This experience serves as a potent reminder of the paramount importance of user-centric design in the success of any mobile application. While a visually appealing app might seem sufficient, a well-crafted UX is the cornerstone of user retention and engagement, directly impacting a business's bottom line. Key Considerations for Effective Mobile App Design: Intuitive Interface: The design should be clear, user-friendly, and facilitate effortless navigation Aesthetics: A balance between visual appeal and functionality is crucial. Color Scheme: Colors should complement each other and be chosen strategically to enhance the user experience. Responsiveness: The app should adapt seamlessly to various screen sizes and orientations. Accessibility: Catering to users with disabilities through adherence to accessibility guidelines is essential. By prioritizing these elements, businesses can create mobile applications that not only look good but also provide a positive and intuitive user experience, fostering user loyalty and propelling business growth. #androiddevelopment #mobileappdevelopment #android #androiddeveloper #appdevelopment #appdesign #webdevelopment

7

2 Comments

As I sit with son on factorisation of polynomials... Example: a-square -5a -6 The trick is to multiply the coefficients of a-square and the constant term. You get -6. And then find the numbers that on multiplication gives -6 but on summation gives -5 Now he ponders on 3 and 2 the more obvious ones. Soon he realises that since the signs need to be opposite, they cannot on addition get you to -5. That 1 is a factor of all numbers and the number itself is then recollected. So you get 1 and 6, one of which needs to be negative. Now you come to an interesting part. Which one is to be kept negative? Things are a bit involved by now and so the attention doesnt come on the obvious point. After some pondering, it took some pointing attention to the fact that to get to -5 on addition, it is the bigger number that needs to be made negative. It was a wow moment, even if it was obvious... As i observed him solving subsequent problems, he started remembering this new rule, which he knew from earlier, but just got reinforced. Point 1 - Mathematics Education Now one thing is what it tells us about Mathematics education. The 100 small things to which attention need to be paid to, to get Maths right. It is cognitively taxing. You need supervisory/facilitating human attention, which is the simplest way to motivate a child to go through with it. It can become fun, but only if you get it right often. And like in all learning if you dont get it right often enough, it can make one lose interest. Point 2 - Neural net learning But to come to my soapbox, the neural networks also seem to be learning a 100 small things. The combination of getting trained where a pattern repeats and reinforces is what makes learning happen. The rule is not what we memorise. The rule is the compression of patterned enumeration. But human beings seem to internalise it, not based on memorising rules. We seem to internalise it based on the repetition of the enumeration and the fact that, now you can jump the step and not have to enumerate at all. The Rule is not what is either Taught or Learnt. The Rule is what you arrive at through a process. The process is the observation of the repetition of the enumeration and then suddenly being able to "see" the pattern. And for the LLM to learn any new Rule, we need to give it the Data which has this Patterned Enumeration. We thought in 2023 that we had some generalised Intelligence. We thought wrong. Anyone spending 1000s of hours with LLMs now knows that the LLM is not able to get into too much of generalisation. Neither are most Human Beings able to do that when they Learn! I will be very curious to know how AGI can be achieved. Because like the Ring in the Lord of the Rings, it will have to be the Ring that rules them all! How will we manage to pull that off? Does the patterned enumeration of Rules, have a Rule? Do we Humans somehow get it? Can we produce Data that makes this happen for Neural nets? #humanlearning #agi

4

1 Comment

🎯 Robinhood's "boring" rebrand? Is it inspired from Zerodha? Here's why: The fintech game isn't about looking pretty. It's about getting the right customers who'll actually trade. Zerodha cracked this code in India years ago. Clean design, no flashy stuff – just pure business focus. Result? They're crushing it! Revenues, profits, brand equity all big ups to the personal branding of the founders and the; TARGETING OF THE RIGHT CONSUMERS. Now Robinhood's following the same playbook: + Ditch the fun illustrations + Adopt minimal design + Target serious investors + Focus on consistent transactions Why? Because fun brings downloads, but "boring" brings profits. The math is simple: 1 serious investor = 100s of casual users (in terms of revenue) In our latest Design + Unscripted episode, Gurjinder and I decode this fascinating strategy pivot. Sometimes, less really is more... especially when it comes to making money! Drop your thoughts below! VIDEO LINK IN COMMENTS #branding #rebrand #designcommunity #branddesign #brandstrategy #finances

11

3 Comments

🚀 Hiring Alert Hi Everyone, we are looking for someone who can Lead Growth at Reo.Dev. You would be a part of the Founder's office, work with the Founders + Founding Team, drive all things Growth Reo.Dev provides Revenue Intelligence for Developer tool companies. We are category creators and currently no other company has similar capabilities as Reo. Our customers include CROs, VP Sales, VP Marketing and Sales & Marketing teams of DevTool companies. We have grown 8.5X YoY in 2024. 🤽 What you would do in this role? - Drive Growth for Reo.Dev. No Limits, No Boundaries. Anything that can help drive Growth is within your purview. How would you drive growth for a B2B SaaS Company? All of that is within your purview - Work directly with the Founders and Founding Team ✨ What are we looking for? - Start up experience, ideally in a 0 - 10 journey. Ex-Founders, Founding Team members more than welcome - Young, Ambitious, Driven - Strong first principles thought process - Prior Experience in a Strategy, Revenue, Growth or Marketing role at a fast paced start-up 🎖️ If you are interested please apply here: https://lnkd.in/gXaAAyHU If you know someone who might be interested, please help spread the word 🙂 🎃 PS: You might like working at Reo.Dev if you: 1. Work hard and want to grow really fast 2. Care about your work a great deal… find it highly unsettling if the quality of work is even slightly sub-par 3. Execute fast 4. Are hands on 5. Are someone people like to work with… low on ego, high on humility 6. Have the ability to fail, learn and keep trying till you win… start-ups are tough and we will not get everything right the first time 7. Have a longish view of your career growth and are not optimizing for the next 1-2 years

80

7 Comments

Hello, good people of Dilli! Are you interested in a workshop session on Avni? I'm traveling for a short trip to Delhi between July 30 and August 9, and we're planning to bring an exclusive workshop featuring our SaaS product, Avni! The workshop will be useful if you - Are an NGO who has a field workforce that provides services to your beneficiaries - Are looking to reduce the paperwork of your field staff, improve their service levels or want to make visualising your field operations easier What will we cover? - A brief introduction to data-driven interventions - An overview of Avni - A hands-on demonstration of a workflow that shows how you can digitise your workflow Please RSVP on the Google Form below, and we will reach out to you. https://lnkd.in/gwxqknVZ PS: I am also available for a 1-1 discussion in exchange for a coffee. Mention this in the form, and I will get back to you. Please repost/comment for reach

18

Startup founders in India, I need your input. We're facing significant hurdles with the Google Play Store review process for our app, Queo Health. Current situation: App stuck in review for almost a month Zero feedback from Google Multiple unanswered support tickets 3-month delay in our app launch This lack of communication is severely impacting our business timeline and plans. Despite Google's promise of 48-72 hour response times, we've been waiting for weeks. Questions for the community: Has anyone else experienced such lengthy review times recently? What strategies have you used to get a response from Google Play support? How are you managing the uncertainty in your release schedules? Let's share experiences and solutions. Perhaps together I can find a way to navigate these challenges. #GooglePlayStore #AppReview #StartupChallenges #TechSupport #MobileDevelopment

3

1 Comment

Unique challenges of reaching Product-Market Fit with EdTech products 👇 While reaching PMF is challenging irrespective of your industry, EdTech products face some unique difficulties that other products don’t always share. Here are some of the most common ones: 👉 Complex Stakeholder Needs If an EdTech product’s success depends on entrenching itself in existing structures, such as a school or university, balancing the varying requirements of students, teachers, parents, and administrators can make it difficult to design a product that satisfies all user groups. 👉Learner Engagement is Hard:  Learners often engage with EdTech during specific periods of need or transition, making long-term retention a challenge. Retention is a massive headache in EdTech. It's a sector-wide challenge for every founder. And no, gamification isn’t the universal remedy. You must clearly understand your target audience and their contexts to design a product with high retention. Moreover, you need to have your own definition of retention as EdTech users tend to have a natural cycle of active and inactive periods of time (i.e. expecting daily use across all 365 days is unrealistic for most apps). 👉Gatekeepers:  Schools, parents, and employers often act as gatekeepers, complicating access and slowing down adoption. This is especially true for AI-enabled products. Teachers might feel your product is a threat and sabotage adoption. 👉Distorted Value Perceptions:  Misconceptions about the cost and value of EdTech products—particularly when comparing free and paid models—can make convincing users to pay difficult. Moreover, many people have incorrect perceptions of what makes learning effective. They often mistake “effortlessness” with “efficacy”. 👉Lag in Outcome Measurement:  We sometimes forget that the goal of EdTech products is neither retention nor converting users - it’s ensuring learning outcomes. Measuring the impact on learning outcomes takes (A LONG) time, making it harder to iterate quickly and prove the value of the product. 🔑 Final Thought:  Navigating these unique challenges requires a deep understanding of education, ecosystem, and technology. The road to Product-Market Fit may be tougher, but the potential to make a lasting impact on learners worldwide makes it worth the effort. 🚀 ------------------------------- 👉 P.S. I regularly share insights, news, and thoughts on EdTech, learning science, the future of work, and entrepreneurship. Follow along for more! #edtech #education #pmf #productmarketfit

15

It’s wild what some dev shops will do to land clients… 1️⃣ Having their company LinkedIn based in London or New York but 100% of the team is based in India or Eastern Europe. 🚩Misleading at best... and totally disingenuous at worst 2️⃣ Embellishing numbers—whether it’s how many projects they’ve delivered or how “big” their team is. Inflating the truth won’t make your results any better. 🚩We've seen MVP building businesses pop up that claim to have built 100s of products but mysteriously have only been around a few weeks. One founder I spoke to had used a company like this and when she tried to sue them (for not delivering and ghosting her) she found out they weren't even a registered business! 3️⃣ Overpromising, underdelivering—I’ve seen founders burned by dev shops that make big claims about timelines and prices, only to miss deadlines and charge thousands in overage. 🚩By continually caveating their deliverables as "estimates" these dev shops will underquote to win business and then hike the overall cost at the first opportunity Over the last two years since starting Verticode, I’ve seen more and more founders getting burned by these unethical practices. It’s been frustrating watching great startups suffer because of companies that lie just to win business. Lying to get clients isn’t just bad business—it’s plain unethical. If you’re in the market for a dev partner, do your homework on them!!

7

2 Comments

Most companies like yours are spending lakhs on their website every quarter with little to no results ❌ Founders just like you stuck… And here’s why it’s happening: 🚨 Introducing the concept of "Revenue Momentum Loop" In simple terms, it’s the cyclic interdependency of traffic, leads, sales, and money that traps your website in a never-ending loop of generating little to no ROI, preventing you from getting few or almost none inbound leads. 📉 👉 Take a look at the image below to see what I’m talking about. I’m sharing this with my network and to see if any of you SaaS founders find themselves in this same frustrating cycle.

7

Practical insights with examples on how to go about USA expansion for global founders

2

This shorts handle various intricacies of #expanding to #usa and how you can go about it

3

📢 Big thanks to Pranab Choudhury and Rishabh Verma for providing the opportunity to speak about our work and Landeed | YC at the 8th India Land and Development Conference #ildc. In all likelihood, the greatest talent density in a single place when it comes to people that depth of knowledge in titling. ⏩ Indian government has made rapid progress and strides in digitizing property records across the board. We also have a long way to go with much larger potential. Both can be true. Simultaneously, private sector participation will accelerate the process and avoid the need for the citizens to go to government for every single issue - the state has many important priorities. Digital infrastructure is similar to physical infrastructure. We can use existing examples such as Aiports or road buildouts as blue print for how the government and private sector working together in a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) can be a great outcome for the citizenry of the country 🚀

47

Good post. Apart from what has been mentioned in the post, A/B tests don't work because companies don't invest in building quality experimentation infrastructure. 

4

The CEO decides. If there is one thing a startup needs it is a clear direction. Clarity is speed and speed is a necessity. The direction might change and will very well be influenced by all founders. But in the end there has to be clarity amongst the team as to who makes a call. If a team understands and embraces this, it collaborates so much better. Why do I say embrace? Because agreeing to a commitment and actually believing it, can be a huge difference. If you don’t believe in your works direction you will not perform well even though you are doing what was agreed on. Everyone in the team has presented their thoughts and opinions. The CEOs job is to take it all in and make a call. Trust that decision. I myself feel reassured when Henry Diep disagreeingly makes a decision rather than us having to argue for a long time. To all early stage CEOs: Take the leap. Your team wants to be lead. Even though it might seem “bossy” initially.

14

1 Comment

I've been contemplating a product idea for a while but felt hesitant because it's not manufactured in India. Thinking about dealing with Chinese suppliers made me feel demotivated and stuck. Then, one day, I decided to reach out for help in a few founder groups I’m part of, asking if anyone was getting a parcel from China and would be willing to collaborate on shipment. Unexpectedly, a founder DM’d me saying, “Hey, I’m in China right now. Let me know if you need any help.” I asked if he could bring a few samples back with him. He agreed but mentioned he was only there for another 1.5 days, so I needed to act fast. I quickly researched these products, found a few suppliers, contacted a few, and had them send samples to his hotel in a different city—all within 1.5 days. He flew back to India. In just 2-2.5 days, I had the samples in my hand. The samples are good, exactly what I had in mind. Normally, getting samples from China takes upwards to 14 days, sometimes months if shipped by sea. But we were fortunate to get them in 3 days and then we immediately placed a large order with one of the manufacturers! The key takeaway from this experience is that sometimes all it takes is one step. If I hadn't reached out to the group for help, I’d still be stuck in contemplation. 𝐒𝐨, 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩—𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧. If you have been thinking about starting something new, could be any hobby, a new venture, or switching job. Please take that first step right away! And let me know, I would be glad to see if my post has inspired someone on even iota level!

196

11 Comments