Revanth Christober M’s Post

Can Zepto be the Byju's of 2024. Every day morning when I wake up at 10A.M. the first message I see is from Zepto. My 40Rs. cashback is expiring unless I purchase something now. It has been expiring for the last 3 months atleast. Last time I ordered a Zepto pass was sneakily added to my cart. So I am a Zepto pass user who uses Zepto once every 3 months. Zepto has raised 3 consecutive rounds of funding and have been agressively expanding their team. Their goal is to be larger than DMart whatever it takes. Hence everyday 40Rs. gets credited to every Dmart users wallet before they wake up in the morning. According to a report Zepto founders own very less equity in the company and majority is tied up in their family offices in Dubai. This could hint as safeguard for a potential liquidity event. Do you believe Zepto will be the new face of ecommerce in India? As a techie I personally believe its always better to prioritize work culture and stability over hikes . Companies that offer standard salaries but have a focus on profitability and sustainability should always be prioritized. PS : Opinions are my own , collected from reddit and TOI articles and may or may not be correct. Follow Ramit Kundu for your daily dose of tech.

From #ContentDistribution angle -- for AV content it's YouTube v. Netflix. For written content expect it to be Reddit v. LinkedIN. || First understand why is Reddit > Quora in the eyes of many Users? What did Reddit do much better for Users that Quora couldn't seem to? || #ContentMarketing || #PublicRelations ||

From $22bn to $225mn : The journey of India’s fastest growing edtech startup - BYJU'S Started by Byju Raveendran and his wife Divya Gokulnath in 2011 . Company launched its app in 2014 as a learning platform and soon received lots of positive response as the downloads crossed 5.5 million and it had 250,000 paid users annually. Investors were pouring money into BYJU'S like water which inflated its valuation to $22 bn in 2021 as people shifted to online learning after the covid hit. All this came to an end when covid was over and people started going back to offline classes, investors started to take their money back. There were primarily 3 reasons for its fall: 1) Long term loan – BYJU'S took a term loan during covid from foreign countries at cheap rates as low as 0.2% interest which went up to 5% after the Russia-Ukraine war. So, this led to huge interest burden on the company. 2) Losses from acquired companies – BYJU'S had acquired more than 70 companies during its growth which included companies like WhiteHat Jr and Akash Institute, and along with the companies came their losses which were as huge as 1670 cr (white hat jr). So BYJU'S total accumulated losses grew upto Rs. 4500 cr in 2023, which was humongous among the start up ecosystem. 3) Marketing spend – Company spent heavily on marketing, a whooping amount of Rs. 4150 cr when its revenue was only Rs. 5300 cr. BYJU'S went on to become sponsor for IPL as well as FIFA world cup and got stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Messi to endorse itself. All this happened because the company inflated their numbers to get high valuation and revenue, which ultimately resulted in huge losses. Key Takeaways : 1) Building good companies take time, do not go for a valuation run . 2) Spending a huge amount on marketing will bleed your company out. 3) Gaining customer’s value is the most important factor.

Title: Learning from the Rise and Fall of BYJU'S and Paytm The stories of BYJU's and Paytm offer significant insights into startup success and the challenges of sustaining it. Here are key takeaways: 🎯Fundraising vs. Sustainability: Heavy reliance on funding can obscure operational inefficiencies. Sustainable growth strategies are crucial. 🎯Market Saturation and Competition: Both companies faced stiff competition as their markets matured. Innovation and differentiation are vital for long-term success. Especially in the case of BYJU's, despite laying focus on one domain, it ventured to acquire start-ups like Akash institute, Great Learning, White hat jr etc. 🎯Regulatory Hurdles: Changes in government policies and regulations have impacted BYJU'S expansion plans. Paytm faced regulatory scrutiny in the fintech space, affecting its growth trajectory. 🎯Customer Trust and Brand Perception: Data privacy concerns eroded consumer trust for both BYJU's and Paytm. Rebuilding trust requires transparent communication and proactive measures. 🎯Adaptability is Key: Success in the tech industry demands continuous evolution and staying ahead of the curve. Resilience, agility, and customer-centricity are essential for sustainability. The experiences of BYJU's and Paytm underscore the importance of building resilient business models, fostering innovation, and maintaining trust. By learning from these stories, startups can better navigate the challenges of the ever-changing market landscape. #Startup #Unicorn #Edtech #UPI #Byju #Sharktankindia

Byju's and the list of its growing troubles... The #chinese smartphone manufacturer OPPO (OPPO India) recently filed a case with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) worth  ₹1 Crore taking the tally to  ₹190 Crores. Other major entities include; 📌 Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI): ₹158.9 Crores 📌 Cogent E Services: ₹6.7 Crores 📌 Teleperformance: ₹5 Crores These claims are over and above the drag by collation investors such as Prosus Ventures, Owl Ventures, General Atlantic, Peak XV Partners etc. fighting against the raise of $200 Million via rights issue slashing down the valuation by 99% from its peak valuation of $22 Billion. Think and Learn Pvt. Ltd paid salaries for the month of April except for the Sales Team. The sales team isn't on the payroll but more of a channel sales where employees will be paid basis of their weekly sales. Since the salaries are largely performance-based, there are no targets attached! BYJU'S has vacated all the premises and moved to the Work From Home (WFH) model. Post-pandemic, it has become increasingly difficult to sell #edtech courses especially BYJU'S Learning courses and material given the preference for offline tuition classes! Also, the salaries are brought down to levels under ₹6 LPA while Most of the higher-paid employees are asked either to take a deep discount or to leave. Though Byju Raveendran is leaving no stone unturned with 3.0, the revival looks far-fetched! More about Byju's from my recent posts; 🔗 De-UNICORNisation of #byjus: https://lnkd.in/d-wGFbKs 🔗 Everything wrong at Byju's: https://lnkd.in/dEKdM4WF 🔗 Slashing down Byju's valuation: https://lnkd.in/dGxkXD98 🔗 Byju's Alpha Unit closure & Pay to Play trick: https://lnkd.in/dDVEPH7z I am Faraz Wadhwania, I write about #startups, #vcfunding, #investments #fundraising, #venturecapital, #privateequity,#familyoffice etc. React/Share + Follow + Send Connection Request + 🔔

🚨 Key Highlights From Byju Raveendran's mail to BYJU'S employees today - July salary yet to be credited as company's account not restored to founders due to Supreme Court's order - In last 2.5 years, BYJU'S founders infused INR 7,500 Cr in BYJU'S for operational needs - Out of INR 3,976 Cr disbursed as salaries to employees in last 2 years, Riju Raveendran has infused INR 1,600 Cr personally - Between 2015 - 2022 Riju Raveendran has sold BYJU'S stakes worth INR 3,600 Cr - No ED investigation against Byju Raveendran and Riju Raveendran - The founders are currently not in India - BYJU'S to launch BYJU'S 3.0 — an AI driven, hyper personalised educational platform low on cost and high on impact #BYJU'S #Byju #Edtech #Pendingsalaries #Startups #Indianstartups

Enough of article floating around BYJU, mostly negative but I personally admire the grit of promoters who had led the online education idea to a billion dollar unicorn from India.. they had infused 1600 crs from their side to keep it float, not sure but insolvency banking code been brought with the idea of government been paid last as company if stay alive, it benefits the whole ecosystem. I wish education ministry to step in & support this amazing platform. It can be a client of BYJU and indirectly funding them. There are so many advantages for government as well:- - they can offered BYJU services in govt schools through platforms like zoom so online monitoring of students can also be done without any sham.. number of students online plus recording features can be audited later. - BYJU can lead to amazing reach as it’s a internet based platform so any remote villages can have access through mobile/computers. Just imagine if it becomes free or at concessional rate, ofcourse backed by govt funding. - Quality faculties which is so much required for quality education which this BYJU already has. - more and more videos/audios can be prepared along with govt schemes can be transmitted through this platform for wider reach. & so on and on .. AI coupled with user inputs can be game changer & make platform much better.. It’s a win win situation .. Govt can provide good education through this platform and BYJU can get fund to keep float.. Any views ??

#100daysofproductmanagemnt The rise and fall of BYJU'S >Byju's, founded in 2011 by Byju Raveendran and Divya Gokulnath, has transformed from a startup to a multi-billion dollar edtech company, shaping India's education landscape. Its innovative approach, using technology like videos and interactive content, made learning engaging and accessible >Attracting over $2 billion in funding from investors like Sequoia and Naspers, Byju's grew rapidly. It acquired companies like Osmo, WhiteHat Jr, Aakash Educational Services, and Great Learning to strengthen its offerings >Byju's is making loss after loss every year despite the fact that its valuation was once$22 billion in 2022 and now Byju's made a valuation of $200 million, a very sharp fall you can see. >What went wrong? 1. They started buying up their competition at a high valuation than they actually worth. 2. They ignored their core feature "Education" and instead focused on selling their product forcefully. 3. They only followed the trend when children wanted to learn coding they acquired "whitehat jr" when they wanted to study offline they acquired "Akash". 4. They forced their sales team to achieve unrealistic goals. #byjus #product #startups #news #productstrayegy #productmanagement

The fall of BYJU’s Byju's, led by CEO Byju Raveendran, was a prominent player in India's startup scene, valued at $22 billion in 2022 for its online and offline education courses. However, its popularity and value have recently dropped, leading to calls for leadership changes by investors. Byju's experienced rapid growth during the pandemic but is now facing financial challenges. Allegations of a toxic work culture and employee pressure to acquire customers have also emerged. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Byju's expanded its online presence and marketing efforts, experiencing significant growth from March to October 2020. The company acquired educational technology startups in India and the US to boost expansion. Aggressive marketing tactics, financial mismanagement, major event sponsorships, and celebrity endorsements contributed to the company's downfall. Byju's founder mortgaged personal properties to secure a loan for employee salaries due to a significant drop in valuation to $0.23 billion from its peak, indicating a challenging time for the ed-tech company. https://lnkd.in/g67kgGDY

From $2.1 Billion to Zero: Byju Raveendran's Rise & Fall Byju Raveendran's journey began with a vision to transform education through technology. In Kerala, he started teaching friends for competitive exams, laying the groundwork for something big. In 2011, Raveendran founded Byju's in Bengaluru. It was initially an offline coaching center, focusing on test preparation. The launch of the Byju's app in 2015 marked a turning point. The app used videos and interactive tools to make learning engaging, attracting millions of users. Byju's growth was meteoric. Its innovative approach to education helped it become India's most valuable startup. Investors flocked, and Byju's valuation soared to $22 billion. Raveendran was hailed as a pioneer in ed-tech. However, challenges lurked beneath the surface. Reports of aggressive sales tactics and pressure on families began to emerge. As the pandemic's impact on online learning waned, Byju's faced a liquidity crisis. The shift in demand led to financial strains. Investor confidence wavered as Byju's struggled with capital. The valuation was drastically cut to about $1 billion. Legal troubles and government scrutiny added to the woes. Layoffs and a tarnished reputation followed. In a dramatic turn, Forbes reported Raveendran's net worth had fallen to zero. Once a billionaire, his financial status was now in question. Will he prevail over the pain this time? We will see. Emerging startups will need to brainstorm on how can startups balance rapid growth with sustainable practices? What role does corporate governance play in ensuring a company's longevity? #edtech #startups #entrepreneurship #valuation #billionaire #forbes #byjus