Aditya Sharma

Like any first time founder, I used to think my edge is: → A ₹10,000 Cr market with 25% YoY growth → "Next-gen" app with world-class UI → Distribution strategy & systems → No dominant competetion But here's what actually matters: -> Ex-employer becomes your first enterprise client -> That side-project generating ₹2L MRR silently -> Family support & stable income at home -> Genuine industry connections Figure out the basics first and keep building. PS: If you're working on something meaningful, let's connect!

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I've built financial reports for D2C brands doing both $1mil and $20mil. They were the same. This is all you need to know: 1) How much does each new customer cost to acquire -> nCAC 2) When do you recoup this cost -> CAC Payback Period 3) When and how many customers return -> Repeat Purchase Rate and Days Between Orders 1 and 2 4) How much profit contribution do you earn from each order / customer / product / category -> LTCM (includes AOV and GM as levers) 5) What's the return on your marketing spend -> ROMI or MER 6) How quickly does your inventory turn -> Inventory Sell-Through Rate 7) How many days of cash runway do you have -> Cash Runway 8) What revenue and cash flow do you project for the next 90-120 days -> Cash Burn Rate 9) When and how much capital could you need if projections didn’t happen -> Scenario Analysis 10) How many days of product overstock do you carry -> Inventory Overstock 11) What’s the dynamic compared to last year or previous period These 11 questions can be answered by a simple report. Don't forget about OpEx - analyze it in detail too. No heavy tech stack. No serious time effort. No crazy financial models. Most other metrics are noise. Simple is always the way. P.S. if you need help with building a financial report, or understanding and actioning your numbers, DM me. #founders #ecommerce

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Why PMF (Product Market Fit) is Important? 🧠 1. PMF helps establish real credibility when fund raising by showing “early adopter” 🙋and “revenue numbers.” This in turn sets stage for “rapid scaling” 📈 where funds raised against equity are supposed to be put in. 2. A less known metric I have personally discovered across travels to 17 countries (different geographies - Asia, Europe, Middle East, Americas) is that of “Founder Market Fit.” This term is becoming increasingly popular. ✅ Key factors under FMF include language, cultural nuances, market entry barriers such as key partnerships & relationships to name a few. 3. It is incredibly important to spend enough time “being physically present” in a specific market / hire the right local people (which reduces the need for you to go on ground and talk to 1000s of people). 🛫 A job / educational pathway in a new country (what people term experience) is usually a good way to fulfill this criteria. However, cons of this methodology include developing a “servile mindset” which itself derives from a concept in psychology: brain develops a coping mechanism for every environment one is put into (an evolutionary mechanism meant for self preservation). 🧠 The solution? Fostering a Growth Mindset, avoiding Analysis Paralysis + Decision Fatigue alongside having an eagle perspective (most important). Many people go with a “YOLO” approach never to return to a new country however with the pace at which global macroeconomics and geopolitics is evolving, we never know! PS: On a GCC countries tour this month, was able to internalize Pt. 2 strongly being Asian. Attached picture is from the “startup metrics guide” by Speedinvest Pirates. Comment below and I will put in the link to the full guide! What do you think of pt. 1, 2 and 3? Any takeaways? :) #productmarketfit #foundermarketfit #scaling #zerotoone #venturecapital #bootstrapping

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🚀23 startups 💰~$600 Mn total funding 🌱17 early stage deals 🧑‍💻 11 key hiring 🤝 5 M&A 💵 2 ESOP buybacks Top funding ◾ Zepto: $350 Mn ◾Healthkart: $153 Mn Startup weekly round up by Shashank Pathak and Md Salman Ashrafi https://lnkd.in/gS4QrvNP

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8 years in ecommerce taught me success is a mirage. A 50% month-on-month growth can vanish in 15 days. Here's how our August campaign became the most expensive MBA I never paid for: The numbers hit like a meteor: 🔴Sales dropped 20% in 15 days 🔴ACOS jumped 20% 🔴TACOS climbing when it should've been falling But in this chaos, I found clarity. Here's what the market taught me: 🟢Constant Experimentation We got comfortable. Stopped testing. Stuck to one working strategy. Classic mistake. The market rewards experimentation, not comfort. Change isn't just constant—it's accelerating. Test relentlessly or become irrelevant. 🟢Everyday Learning May-July: 50% growth 📈 August: Reality check 📉 Knowledge has an expiry date. Especially in ecommerce. Stay hungry for insights. Keep absorbing industry trends. Your past success means nothing tomorrow. 🟢Metrics Mastery We tracked everything: Performance indicators Growth metrics Campaign data But tracking isn't enough. You need to read between the numbers. Spot patterns before they become problems. 🟢Performance Analysis Surface metrics lie. Deep analysis reveals truth. We discovered hidden factors affecting our half-month August performance. Then engineered the J-curve recovery. 🟢Beyond Convention Standard strategies create standard results. Innovation isn't optional. Each brand needs unique treatment. What works for one might kill another. Your Turn: Whether you're: 🟢An employee 🟢A business owner 🟢A niche specialist Share your life-changing lessons below. One insight might transform someone's journey. #EcommerceInsights #MarketingStrategy #BusinessGrowth

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Surprising WhatsApp Logo Impact (This test increased CR by 1.44% - completely by accident!) Quick context: We added the Whatsapp logo at checkout just to show people they'd get order updates there. Our only goal? Make sure conversions didn't drop. Instead, we discovered this: 1.) ARPU increased by 1.20%   2.) Conversion rate jumped 1.44%   3.) Potential monthly revenue boost: up to €77,630 Why did this work? Simple: When people saw the WhatsApp logo at checkout, they felt more trust. They knew exactly where their updates would arrive. Not through email. Not lost in spam. Right in WhatsApp. The key lesson? Sometimes testing things for strategic reasons (like better customer communication) can surprise you with unexpected revenue gains. You don't always know which tests will boost conversion! Follow (@) Samuel Hess for more insights on ecom, CRO and landing pages! Ps! want to see 90 Original A/B-Tests for $70,000,000+/year brands? I spent 182 hours doing tests ideas for these Top 1% Brands. 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻, 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀: 1. Like this post. 2. Comment "Sharing is Caring" 3. Repost this and i'll sent it to you ✨

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You got a great product or service and have found some early customers. Want to start pressing the growth pedal? Please DO NOT start trying out all growth channels at once. I have seen folks even at very early stages trying to do all at once on their own: > Outbound > Brands > SEO > Ad Marketing > Product Hunt Launch > Reddit Social > LinkedIn Ads > Influencer Marketing & others The result? None of them is working properly. If you really want to stay lean and grow - 1) Pick any one of these channels that you are comfortable with. 2) Then spend a focussed 3-6 months on only that channel to try and make it work. If it works, set up a process, make yourself redundant, move to the next. And if it does not, move to the next. All at once almost never works.

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No. 1 reason why most startups fail. They: 1. Run out of capital 2. Lack market research 3. Struggle with weak teams 4. Waste money on ineffective marketing 5. Build products customers don't truly want But the most important reason is – They forget the power of data! This is how you can leverage data 👇🏽 Focus on: 1. Customer data analysis. > To understand their true needs 2. Market trend identification  > To stay ahead of the curve 3. Data-driven marketing  > For laser-focused campaigns 4. Operational efficiency improvement  > To maximize resources 5. Data-based decision making  > For smarter strategies Conclusion: Don't fly blind. Leverage data. Master the market, customers, and business. What else?

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How can industry cabal create a preception of healthy demand for jobs to attract foreign investment and talent ? Creating a perception of healthy demand for jobs to attract foreign investment and talent involves a multifaceted approach. Here are some key strategies an industry cabal might use: 1. **Promoting Success Stories:** - Highlighting case studies and success stories of companies thriving in the industry. - Publicizing growth metrics, such as increased revenues, expanded market share, and successful new product launches. 2. **Media and Public Relations:** - Utilizing media outlets to publish positive news articles and features about the industry's growth and job opportunities. - Engaging in public relations campaigns that emphasize the stability and prospects within the industry. 3. **Industry Reports and Data:** - Publishing industry reports that showcase positive trends, such as job growth, increased investment, and technological advancements. - Using reputable third-party analysts to validate and promote these reports. 4. **Partnerships with Educational Institutions:** - Collaborating with universities and vocational schools to create programs that align with industry needs. - Sponsoring research and development projects that are likely to yield innovative outcomes and showcase industry vitality. 5. **Government and Policy Support:** - Lobbying for favorable government policies that support industry growth, such as tax incentives, grants, and subsidies. - Working with governmental agencies to promote the industry at international trade shows and investment forums. 6. **Career Fairs and Job Portals:** - Organizing industry-specific career fairs to highlight job openings and career opportunities. - Developing or partnering with job portals dedicated to the industry to make job postings easily accessible. 7. **Employee Testimonials and Employer Branding:** - Sharing testimonials from employees about their positive experiences and career growth within the industry. - Investing in employer branding initiatives that showcase the industry as an attractive place to work. 8. **Tech Innovation and Infrastructure:** - Investing in cutting-edge technologies and infrastructure to create a modern, forward-looking image of the industry. - Highlighting investments in innovation hubs, tech parks, and smart facilities. 9. **Global Outreach and Networking:** - Participating in international forums, conferences, and expos to network with potential investors and talent. - Establishing global partnerships and collaborations that demonstrate the industry’s international appeal and potential. 10. **Social Media and Digital Marketing:** - Leveraging social media platforms to share industry achievements, job openings, and the latest news. - Running targeted digital marketing campaigns to reach potential investors and talent in key markets. cont'd in comments

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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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VCs should disclose their LPs' names on their website. This will help startup founders know their end game much better and play accordingly. eg: If Reliance is the LP, you can easily assume your VCs will take you to their doorsteps soon. Milkbasket and Dunzo went through a similar fate knowingly or unknowingly. #startups

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A SaaS company with >$5 Billion TAM is hiring 𝐁𝟐𝐁 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 for the US region (based in India) Someone who has the experience of scaling the US from 1 to 10 million and beyond using  SEO, Paid Search, content and branding The SaaS company has crossed $10 Million in non-US region 🚀 The leader should be a generalist but has deep experience in managing SEO, Paid Search, and Content teams This is a remote role Minimum work experience: 8 Years If you are the one ping me 👋 If you know someone tag them / refer them over a message #B2Bmarketing #hiring #marketing

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Steal the pre-call flow that I use across 25+ clients and has led to millions in closed deals: 1. Use Calendly Premium ($15/month) 2. Set up a post-booking automation to fire immediately after booking 3. Send these assets: 1. Video Sales Letter (VSL) 2. Your YouTube channel link 3. LinkedIn profile 4. Any relevant case studies Why it works: • Builds trust before the call • Addresses objections preemptively • Shows you're prepared and professional You will have higher show-up rates and better-qualified leads.

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Some hard truths very few D2C founders would want to hear. Problem statement 1 Founder: How can I afford to hire a an elite agency when my business is bootstrapped and just starting out? Answer to PS 1 If you want to jump around 4 agencies in 1 year and find yourself at the exact same position one year later, then please don't hire an elite agency. The cost of losing the time is so high, especially for bootstrapped businesses... Because everything is 10x slower for us. Also, You use the best phone. You'd take a loan and send your children to the best schools abroad. You drive the best car. (mostly bought on an EMI so technically that's outside your budget too right?) But when it comes to the matter of investing in your own business, many "bootstrapped" founders pretend as if they will have to sell a kidney. Problem statement 2 Founder: Why do the best agencies not give any guarantees? If they're so good, they should be giving a guarantee right? Answer to PS2 (1) Because someone who is good at what they do will not need to disrespect their craft by offering salesy guarantees and cashbacks. And (2) It's not the responsibility of your marketing partner to bear the brunt of your lack of judgment and decision making skills. As someone who has been on both sides, I'm learning that betting on my gut and instincts over someone else's "guarantee" has consistently proved to be a better strategy. And if you cannot do that yet, then hiring a good agency is the least of your worries as a founder. Lastly, this is a message to all new, early stage founders. Making money is YOUR job as a founder. Putting it on and blaming your marketing partner is against the very ethos of entrepreneurship, which is all about accountability and ownership. You're entering into a relationship with them and you're both EQUALLY responsible to make good things happen. And when you're equally responsible, you say "we failed". Not "they failed". And I'm not saying that you don't call a shitty marketing company a shitty marketing company. I'm just saying that you should educate yourself enough to correctly identify one, and upskill yourself enough to support a good one. On this note, a shoutout to some of the best marketing teams I know out there. If you want to work with elites, it has to be one of these. Each of these agencies specialises in something unique, so i don't actually think of them as each other's competition at all. Beyond Ads (personal care and marketplaces) Adbuffs (fashion) Brandslane (beauty) Bharat Mavens (Personal care and Fashion) Porcellia (wellness & new category creation) I may have missed out on some great marketing companies not possible to feature all) but these are the ones my direct contacts of several dozen founders have had really positive feedback of. Full disclosure: Last one is owned by me. If you're a founder happy with your marketing partner, do tag them here. Would be good to learn about other solid marketing teams.

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Why Shouldn't Aachho empower its users with Simpl's pay later, pay in 3? (X) - Additional cost: what if high intent or high frequency UPI customers start using simpl, this will mean additional cost on every sale? Valid concern. - What if a customer reaches Simpl's pay in 3 or pay later page and find s/he is not approved? not really as: 1/ 62 mn pre approved users, the probability is very less. 2/ If they drop off at payment page, would they really be a high or even medium intent buyers? Why should Aachho empower its users with Simpl's pay later and pay in 3? (Y) -conversion boost: 1/ pay in 3 makes buying more affordable: A 28 year old office goer earning 9 lacs annually has to budget for things. Paying 1/3rd (900 inr) now to get aachho's "arvi pink leheriya silk coord set"(inr 2700) makes it more easier for her to buy while budgeting for everything else in her life. 2/ pay later enables for trust: India is a low trust society- Imagine a 35 year old businesswoman who is a new user to aachho. she is very hands on at her business place and she is hands on with other decisions as well. she is yet to see Aachho's product, yet to feel their product, and most importantly completely unaware about if anything goes wrong from order placed to order delivered. she like Aachoo's Beryl blue printed coord set @4650 iNR. But she has a hitch. Pay later removes that hitch and enables trust as s/he doesn't have to pay now and can rather embrace the product in their hands and pay for it as and when it's due. -AOV boost who wouldn't buy more of aachoo's trendy and classy collection if one has to pay only 1/3rd now? When one can buy more--> they end up buying more. easy peasy! -better cash flows COD relisation: t+8 days Simpl's realisation: t+2 days Why block 6 days of cashflow? All in all Aachhoo has now to decide on a simpl equation of X-Y. I say the equation looks fairly one sided :) what say Aachho Anurag Singh Khangarot Rimjhim Hada? :) 

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This is how Fractional CMOs can book highly qualified meetings with $15M funded startups using cold email: 1. Scrape funded companies from Crunchbase and other databases Simple. Crunchbase has great info (funding date & amount) on funded startups and SaaS companies. 2. If they got funded recently, mention in the email {{first_name}} − saw you raised $15M in July. Congrats! As a company with {{funding type}} investment, I assume {{desired outcome 1}} and {{desired outcome 2}} are top of mind for you. {{benefit driven offer line}} {{case study line}} Open to a complimentary strategy session with one of our FCMOs? −−−−− Here's why it works: → Short & straight to the point (< 90 words) → Personalized & relevant (why we're reaching out) → Pain point driven (speaking their language) → Great case studies (we're confident we can also help them) → Valuable CTA (consultation where they get free value/marketing plan)

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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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Large offline-first brands are enamored with going D2C. And they should. But they’re horrible at it. It’s just not in their DNA. Just like how D2C startups can’t do sustenance media or offline distribution. Not their DNA. Have been having a horrific experience with Samsung Electronics D2C. Moved into a new place and at first had to wait for 8 days after the due delivery date. Spoke to customer care everyday and they didn’t have an answer. I got to understand how impossible it is to live without a refrigerator for two weeks. When they finally delivered, they delivered a wrong product and now cannot give a replacement. As per protocol, the reverse pickup will happen first and then only after 7 days they will deliver the right product. What large companies need to understand is that D2C is a collective fight against the might of Ecommerce algorithms. One needs to be agile and malleable to the shopper. When one D2C player screws up, the entire D2C ecosystem loses. After this one experience, a regular shopper would NEVER shop from D2C again and would go back to the Ecommerce duopoly for all major purchases. D2C-0, Ecommerce-1. 100Days.co led by the inimitable Maninder Singh has been solving this exact problem for 3 years now. You take care of the brand, the consumer, the product and the proposition. We talk the talk and walk the walk with the shopper. Deepak Bansal

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What did you do in your 0 to 1 journey? Brief 2-3 lines only. Will start with mine: 1. Have started and scaled cofounder matching community platform form 0 to 8k+ users 2. Conceptualize, built and scaled Travel SaaS product to paying 125 users What's yours?

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