Ritesh Ghodrao

🚀 Key Takeaways from the Elevation Kickstarter on B2C Monetization🚀 I recently attended the "Elevation Kickstarter: New Era of Consumer Monetization" by Elevation Capital, and it was an incredibly insightful experience! The event highlighted how the monetization playbook for consumer apps in India is being completely rewritten. Founders and experts shared their first-hand experiences of building capital-efficient businesses by monetizing early, a strategy that is becoming a game-changer in India’s digital economy. Key Highlights: 🔑The New Playbook for Consumer Apps: 1️⃣Moving away from "chase users first, monetize later" to early monetization models. 2️⃣With direct monetization growing faster than digital ads and now a $3B market, Indian users are proving they are willing to pay for value. 🔥Lessons from ShareChat’s Journey: 1️⃣Ankush Sachdeva (Founder, ShareChat) shared insights into how ShareChat is leveraging microtransactions like virtual gifts to scale sustainably and effectively. 2️⃣The fireside chat emphasized the importance of tailoring monetization strategies to user preferences. 💡Panel Discussion: ‘Choose Your Model: Monetization Strategies That Work’: Prashant Sachan (AppsForBharat) discussed monetizing virtual religious services, bridging tradition with technology. Rohit Choudhary (Seekho) highlighted the power of subscriptions for education, skill-building, and regional content. Sanidhya Narain (Dashtoon) showcased how AI-driven storytelling and micropayments can open global markets. 📊Monetization Models in Action: 1️⃣Micropayment: Accessible, low-cost transactions that drive user engagement and revenue. 2️⃣Subscriptions: Predictable revenue streams that build long-term loyalty. 3️⃣Performance-Based Advertising: A trust-driven model gaining traction in the Indian ecosystem. 🚀Future Trends: 1️⃣AI Integration: Revolutionizing content creation, personalization, and cost-efficiency, making scaling more achievable. 2️⃣Digital Payments: Pivotal for fragmented markets like India, enabling smooth monetization at scale. This event was a deep dive into how early monetization and capital efficiency are transforming the Indian consumer app ecosystem. A huge shoutout to Elevation Capital and the stellar panelists for sharing their journeys and lessons. 💡 What’s your take on these trends? Which monetization model resonates most with you? Let’s discuss in the comments! 🚀 #Monetization #ConsumerApps #IndiaStartups #AI #DigitalEconomy #ElevationKickstarter #CapitalEfficiency

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Great insights in simple words. Please read it like 100 times!

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🚀 Session with Ananya Vats (Google PM | Former Microsoft, Swiggy) Career Trajectory: - Gain detailed insights into Ananya's journey to becoming a PM, with experiences from Microsoft, Swiggy, and Google. - Hear about the pivotal moments and challenges she overcame in her career. Company Shortlisting: - Discover Ananya's systematic approach to selecting companies. - Learn the importance of aligning with a company’s mission, culture, and values. Getting Interview Calls: - Proven strategies to increase your chances of getting interview calls. Interview Tactics: - Master the art of thorough interview preparation. - Understand the significance of knowing the company’s products. - Get tips on answering common PM interview questions. 📅 Register Now: https://lnkd.in/dSMJTWJ5 #shortlist #session #topmate #google #microsoft

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🌟 🎯 Guesstimate Mastery: What I Learned from a Meta PM 🌟 I recently participated in a mock interview session organized by HelloPM, led by Sugat Nayak, a seasoned Product Manager at Meta. Alongside him was Kshitij Anand, an MBA candidate at IIM-B, who shared valuable insights. Together, they walked through the process of solving guesstimate questions, an essential skill for PM interviews. 👉 How to Approach Guesstimate Questions: 1️⃣ Clarifying Questions First: Before jumping in, always ask clarifying questions to understand the scope, timeframes, or data points. This ensures you’re aligned with the interviewer’s expectations. 2️⃣ Start with a Structured Framework: Break the problem into key variables and start with a high-level estimate. A structured approach helps you organize your thoughts and gives clarity to the interviewer. 3️⃣ Make Assumptions & Communicate Them Clearly: Assumptions are inevitable. Make them, but ensure transparency. For example, if you assume certain traffic patterns or user behavior, be sure to explain your reasoning. 4️⃣ Estimate with Reasonable Numbers: Use real-world numbers that make sense. When estimating user numbers, market sizes, or other figures, ground them in logic. If something doesn’t feel right, pause and reassess your approach. 5️⃣ Test Your Answer: After arriving at an estimate, check it using a different method. For example, test your market size estimate with another metric to see if it aligns. This helps verify your calculations. 6️⃣ Consider Variations and Patterns: Think about how factors like time of day, seasonality, or events can shift your numbers. For instance, weekends, holidays, or product launches might affect sales. Acknowledge these nuances in your thought process. 7️⃣ What to Do If the Topic Is Unfamiliar: If the topic is new, apply your problem-solving skills. Use analogies from areas you're familiar with and walk through the logic step by step. Your approach matters more than prior knowledge. 👉 Things to Note While Preparing: 1️⃣ Practice Regularly: The more you practice, the more comfortable you'll get. Dedicate time to work through different guesstimate problems to improve your problem-solving skills. 2️⃣ Familiarize with Common Scenarios: Many guesstimates revolve around market sizes, user numbers, or revenue estimates. Know the typical ranges for these factors across industries. 3️⃣ Sharpen Your Mental Math: Quick mental math saves time during interviews. While exact calculations aren’t expected, being able to estimate quickly and accurately is essential. A huge thank you to Sugat Nayak for leading the session, Kshitij Anand for the valuable feedback, and Aakash Pandey for organizing this insightful experience. I’d love to hear your thoughts! How do you approach guesstimate questions? What methods have worked for you in interviews? Let’s discuss in the comments! #ProductManagement #PMInterviews #Guesstimate #Hellopm #MockInterview #CareerGrowth #PMCommunity

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💰Do you enjoy getting rewards with every purchase you make?   Upraised structure allows me to engage more deeply with the brands I'm passionate about.🔍   In this case study, diving deep into the process of PhonePe Rewards feature. As a big believer in the power of rewards (and seeing some areas for improvement!), I'd love to share my thoughts and see if they can be helpful 💫   Please take a moment to review the attached presentation and kindly share your insights in the comments💬 Your feedback is greatly appreciated! 😊 #productmanagement #phonepe #fintech

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🎙️ 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞? On the Venturis Stories Podcast, I (Palash Somani) dove deep with Gaurav Vaid and Arjun Ghatak to unlock the powerful lessons from India's historic T20 World Cup win and translate them into actionable strategies for YOU to level up your product management game! 🏏🌟 My non-traditional journey to Director of Product at Dream11 (civil engineer > finance > subscriptions > product!) is living proof that 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬. 💪🚀 Here's a 𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐤 of what we discussed: ↳  𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐯𝐬. 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞: Growth mindset trumps having a traditional background.🧠 ↳  𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 + 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 + “𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟” = 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡. Balance data with a touch of "irrational belief" to spark innovation. 📊✨ ↳  𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 & 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫: Instead of “what” to build, focus on “why” - the desired outcome. 🎯 ↳  𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠: Be the ultimate all-rounder, just like a cricketer! Learn to shift gears and conquer any challenge. 🏆 ↳  𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦: India's World Cup win reveals the secrets to a high-performing product team (shared purpose, trust, and celebrating wins are key!). 🌟🤝🎉 ↳  𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 & 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐈: How AI will transform the product landscape and the two paths for product managers. 🤖🚀 Huge thanks to Gaurav and Arjun for having me on the Venturis Stories Podcast! Ready to become a product management champion? Listen to the full conversation here: 🔗 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gd_FYFra 🔗 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gse-yVQq 🔗 Apple: https://lnkd.in/ga3vS4zA Let me know in the comments what resonated most with you! 🗨️ #productmanagement #growthmindset #dream11 #cricket #generativeAI #careerdevelopment ------------------------------------------------------------------- Enjoying my content? 👍 Like and ♻️ repost if your network will find it useful! 🔔 Every Mon-Fri at 10:30 AM I talk about Product, AI and Growth Mindset. Follow to 10x your growth. 📆🕥🚀

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Can technical founders become effective CEOs? Srinath Sridhar knew he needed to step out of his comfort zone when he founded Regie.ai four years ago. Now he and cofounder Matt Millen have raised more than $20 million and landed on G2’s list of fastest-growing software products of 2024. My full conversation with Sri is in the comments.

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Excited and looking forward to discussing the evolving challenges of raising capital for early-stage startups at SAASCON24. Join me as I dive into the current trends, what founders need to know, and how we can navigate this more challenging environment. #SAASCON24 #StartupFunding #EarlyStageStartups #SaaS #Entrepreneurship

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🌟 Startup Spotlight - 5: Chaayos Industry: Food & Beverage, #QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) Founded: 2012 Founders: Nitin Saluja, Raghav verma Valuation: Estimated $240 Million+ Milestones: Over 100+ outlets across India, serving millions of customers with customized chai options. 🚀 Brief: Chaayos has redefined the chai experience in India by bringing a modern twist to the country's most beloved beverage. As a pioneer in the organized chai café segment, Chaayos blends traditional flavors with contemporary tastes, operating like a billion-dollar startup that’s set to revolutionize the QSR landscape in India. 🌟 Positive Points: - ☕ Customizable Chai: Chaayos offers over 80,000 different ways to customize your chai, catering to individual preferences and creating a unique experience for every customer. - 📈 Rapid Expansion: With more than 100 outlets in key cities across India, Chaayos is rapidly expanding its footprint, tapping into the massive market for tea lovers. - 💡 Tech-Driven Operations: #Incorporates technology through its Chaayos app, which allows for seamless ordering, loyalty rewards, and personalized recommendations based on customer preferences. - 🏆 Brand Loyalty: Strong focus on customer experience has resulted in high repeat customer rates and robust brand loyalty, making Chaayos a go-to destination for chai enthusiasts. - 🌱 Health-Conscious Options: In response to growing health trends, Chaayos offers a range of healthy snacks and beverages, including sugar-free chai options and herbal infusions. ⚠️ Challenges: - 🏗️ Operational Complexity: Managing consistency in quality and service across multiple outlets presents significant operational challenges as the brand scales. - 🛍️ Competition: Faces intense competition from both traditional chai vendors and new-age café chains like ChaibPoint and Starbucks, which are also expanding aggressively. - 💰 Cost Management: Balancing the costs of premium locations, high-quality ingredients, and technology integration while maintaining affordability for customers. 📊 Current Status: - 🏆 Market Position: Chaayos is a leader in the organized chai café market, recognized for its innovative approach to traditional chai, with a growing presence in major Indian cities. - 📅 Recent Developments: Raised $53 million in Series C funding to accelerate its expansion, enhance technology integration, and introduce new products. - 🔮 Future Outlook: Positioned for significant growth with plans to expand to new markets within India and possibly internationally, while continuing to innovate with new chai and food offerings. #FoodAndBeverage #QSR #ChaiLovers #Chaayos #StartupIndia #Innovation #TechInFood #CustomerExperience #99DayChallenge #IndianTea #Entrepreneurship #CaféCulture #GrowthStartups #5

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The season finale of my podcast Salaried Talks is here. This journey has been incredibly fulfilling—meeting new people, understanding their career paths, and sharing their insights with you has been highly satisfying. This final episode encapsulates everything ThatSalariedGuy stands for: helping salaried professionals level up in their career journeys and grow. I hosted Karna Chokshi, COO of apna for a candid discussion on the job market in India and how Apna aims to help millions achieve their dream jobs. We explored different job opportunities in India, the market size, why apna was founded, Stanford days of Nirmit Parikh and Karna Chokshi, Key priorities for apna, Innovations that apna team is working on and finally some time tested strategies and tips for working professionals to stand out in this competitive market. Karna Chokshi with his strong academic background from IIT Delhi and Stanford GSB, has been a lifelong hustler. This 70-minute episode captures his valuable insights from the Job market in India and his career journey and pivots. One highlight for me was his unique take on engineering education: “Engineering teaches you to learn and unlearn quickly. Completing 48 subjects in 4 years, often relying on hustle to clear exams, equips you to adapt and solve problems better.” I resonate with this, as India is a land full of opportunities, and having problem-solving skills is essential if we plan to achieve the coveted $5 trillion economy tag. Tune in to this episode on YouTube and Spotify. Links are below. Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gB4NUm6y Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gmJ4GAGY Also huge thanks to Arpan Khosla Rishabh Jain Jeet Srivastava Anuraj Singh Anirudh Vikram Tomar Srishti Saxena Raj Parakh for helping out in each and every step of this podcast. Without them these 9 episodes would not have happened so smoothly. There are quite a few exciting avenues that I plan to explore in Season 2, keep an eye out, announcement coming soon 🙂 Onwards and Upwards 🚀🚀 #SalariedTalks #ApnaJobs #CareerGrowth ————————————————————————— Shashank Srivastava

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There are far more entrepreneurs in India needing funding than those who get it A few companies are over-capitalized, but most remain underfunded In today’s episode, we dive into the mechanics of setting up an early-stage VC fund Aviral’s goal is to build India’s largest pre-seed fund, aiming for 80 investments a year by its tenth year AJVC is built on speed and efficiency, providing founders with responses in mere hours—a rare approach in the industry This tech-driven process respects entrepreneurs' time, a principle often mentioned but seldom practiced consistently Building a venture fund takes more than entrepreneurial spirit; it requires meticulous planning and navigating regulations From setting up multiple entities to securing SEBI approval, the administrative process is complex and demanding Fundraising from Limited Partners presents an added challenge, especially when Aviral had no prior connections to most of them For startups, the value is clear: fast capital, deep engagement, and an expansive network, without layers of hierarchical decision-making. For investors, AJVC offers a compelling opportunity in a fast-moving sector with high upside potential. Aviral envisions scaling AJVC to unprecedented levels, drawing inspiration from global giants like Y Combinator, which processes a staggering number of deals annually But it's not all smooth sailing. Aviral openly shares his struggles with self-doubt and questions about his vision Backed by feedback from thounds of applicants, we break down what’s needed to innovate in venture capital: https://lnkd.in/g4nCRU7v

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Meta’s WhatsApp has recently slashed utility conversations charges Yes! You heard that right. Meta recently reduced WhatsApp’s business utility messaging prices in India to just Rs 0.11 per conversation, undercutting traditional SMS services priced at Rs 0.12-Rs 0.15, and also RCS, which is priced at Rs 0.20-Rs 0.25 I feel this strategic move is designed to reshape the messaging landscape, making it more accessible for businesses of all sizes By offering lower prices, WhatsApp is not only making communication more affordable but also setting a new standard in business messaging The future is moving towards conversational commerce, and WhatsApp is positioning itself as the leader How do you think this price change will impact your business? let me know in the comments Follow me for more WhatsApp marketing insights!

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Santosh Sharan famously said, “Gains from the best (GTM) practices decay over time” After experiencing this firsthand over the last year, I completely second this. We've seen various go-to-market motions adopted by different companies. In my first journey at Innovaccer, we used an outbound email go-to-market motion, which was successful back then. However, even after knowing this method worked in the past, trying it for six months at kim.cc proved it wasn’t the right fit, and we had to stop. This reinforced my belief in the importance of finding your mojo - a GTM motion that aligns perfectly with your current market conditions. For example, Adam Robinson successfully used LinkedIn as a go-to-market motion. Others have leveraged SEO for inbound, while some have used Shopify. The key is understanding where your customers are and ensuring your positioning or pitch resonates with them. What GTM strategy has worked for your startup, and how did you discover it? #gtm #businesslessons #startups #dtcbrands #entrepreneurship

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Do you want to get hired at top startups as a Product Manager? Thrive successfully in your current role as a Product Manager? Want to get promoted in your product career? Then this podcast is for you! I had a great time interacting with Mayank Agarwal, the Director of Product at Urban Company, who has also worked as a Project Leader at BCG and in Process Excellence at ITC. A graduate from IIM Bangalore, Mayank shared invaluable insights. In this video, we discussed about various topics : 🌟 Product Management vs. Management Consulting 🎓 Choosing the right career path for MBA grads ❌ Common career mistakes to avoid 📈 Tips for getting promoted in your organization 📱 Building products for millions of consumers 🔍 Learnings from working at startups, established companies, and consulting firms 📝 Key things a Director of Product looks for when hiring PMs and APMs 💬 Communication and Stakeholder management for product management Don't miss the podcast! Check out the link in the first comment. #productmanagement #productmanager #hiring #jobs

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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. 

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Who k*lled Koo? Is it X or YouTube? Koo is a publishing platform and gets its revenue from advertisement listed on the platform. Where all Indian online advertisement spend is going? Any guesses? Yes, it's YouTube (or Google) and Meta which has sucked in a major portion of India's social media advertising spend. Google's (including YouTube) 2023 ad revenue from India was whopping Rs. 28000 Crore!! And Meta earned Rs. 18300 Crore during same period in India through online ads! Now through WhatsApp advertising Meta will suck in a lot of other revenue from print media. Do you see the challenge here? These platforms are operating in India for more than 15 years now. They didn't make any money (or lost a lot of money) in the initial years and now making profit. They were able to survive because of their deep pocket. But for a startup like Koo it is an uphill task to compete with such giants unless it has a runway of minimum 10 years! Koo got just 4 unfortunately. Perhaps they should have been more conservative with their spent but sometimes investors themselves want founders to spend money quickly 🤔 Oh well - hopefully a good lesson for all the founders out there.... Thoughts? **** edurigo.com #koo #google #youtube #meta #whatsapp #socialmedia #advertising #ad #revenue #startup #competition #india #funding

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A product manager's life is like being at a Diwali party with your relatives. Everyone loves to judge your creation, even if they haven't even touched the jalebi! #productmanagement #productmanager #productdecisions #madeinindia #indianstartups #uxindia #productfun #pmlife #humor #productmemes

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The first mover advantage is a myth and BookMyShow might just prove it. We were all frustrated by BMS UI, but it scaled coz no real competition. But then, District By Zomato happened. The myth first though: The First mover advantage essentially meant that the initial company to market can capture the market for a long time to come And it made sense, right? 1. Established strong brand recognition 2. Customer loyalty vis-a-vis any new entrant 3. Trial and error meant this company knew what works. But this is only true if their product/service is crazy. BMS' was not. BMS actually made you go through all the hassle to select your location, then made you book a movie with 6-7 clicks. The search filters seldom make sense and most importantly A lack of personalization: For an app catering to entertainment, the experience often felt transactional. Even in the first mover theory, the real winners will always be the fast followers and the innovators. While, District By Zomato may not be a fast follower, it is innovating, and how? First, the app is slick, and the UI gives you a premium experience, considering most of the buying decisions on these apps are for luxuries rather than bare necessities. The entire UI resonates with Zomato UI so loyal customers of Zomato will switch for sure. The number of clicks to make any booking has significantly reduced. For dining events, people can book tables based on their group size. There is a Spotify integration for artists. Zomato will surely integrate Standup comic videos when it plans to sell tix via the app. Both of these help make better decisions for sure. And the best part? This is beta - a legit MVP and it is miles ahead of the incumbent. Can’t wait to see this rocket ship be India’s next multibagger. P.S. I have posted the landing page of both the apps below. Which one would you choose if you did not know any backstory of these apps?

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