First Principles
Razorpay CEO Harshil Mathur talks about deliberate culture, building to a need, and the principles of product development
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Razorpay aims to simplify and streamline money movement for internet businesses by creating a full-stack financial ecosystem.
- Razorpay identified a need for a payment solution that allowed startups to quickly integrate and go live, leading to the creation of their payment gateway.
- Razorpay's philosophy revolves around constant innovation and product development to stay ahead in the fintech market.
- Streamlining financial management with a centralized solution like Razorpay allows businesses to focus on core activities and allocate resources effectively.
Deep dives
Razorpay's Vision: Simplifying Money Movement
Razorpay's co-founder, Herschel Martyr, shares the vision and mission of Razorpay, which is to simplify and streamline money movement for internet businesses. The goal is to create a full stack financial ecosystem that covers all aspects of managing money, including payments, payroll, vendor management, access to credit, and more.
The Challenge of Building a Payment Gateway
Razorpay faced the challenge of building a payment gateway in India as existing solutions were not suitable for small startups and lacked API customization options. They discovered a significant need for a payment solution that allowed startups to quickly integrate and go live, which led to the creation of Razorpay.
The Importance of Product Velocity and Adaptability
Razorpay's philosophy is centered on constantly innovating and building new products to stay ahead in the constantly evolving fintech ecosystem. They focus on product velocity, adapting to ecosystem changes, and listening to customer feedback to drive product development and ensure they remain at the forefront of the market.
Lessons Learned and Product Failures
Razorpay has experienced product failures, such as a social crowdfunding platform and invoicing solution that didn't gain traction in the market. However, they have learned from these experiences and pivoted their focus to areas that showed more potential for success.
Importance of Streamlining Financial Management for Businesses
Streamlining financial management for businesses can save time and resources that can be better utilized for core business activities. By reducing the time spent on managing money, businesses can focus on differentiating themselves in the market and enhancing their core proposition. For example, startups and e-commerce companies can benefit from a centralized financial management solution like Razorpay, which simplifies payment processes and allows businesses to focus on their core differentiators. By making financial management more efficient and predictable, businesses can level the playing field and allocate their resources more effectively.
The Value of Friendship in the Workplace
Having friends at the workplace can significantly contribute to a positive work experience. Building a team with trusted individuals who have a shared history and experience can create a cohesive and supportive work culture. At Razorpay, the founders and early employees forged friendships through their connections from college, and most of them are still part of the company. This bond fosters a unique work environment and provides advantages such as trust, effective communication, and better collaboration among team members.
Building a Strong Company Culture
A strong company culture is a key factor in the success of any organization. At Razorpay, the founders understood the importance of culture in shaping the company's future. They were influenced by tech giants like Google and Apple, recognizing that the culture they established would determine the company's trajectory. Transparency is one fundamental aspect of their culture, promoting open communication and innovation. The founders consciously codified their desired culture and ensured that it could adapt as the company scaled. Maintaining a clear focus on culture has helped Razorpay create a transparent and empowering work environment.
Today’s guest on First Principles is Harshil Mathur, CEO and co-founder of Razorpay.
Razorpay claims to be India’s first full-stack financial solutions company. And if that sounds very much like how a coder would describe a company, it’s because that’s exactly what’s happening.
When Harshil Mathur and Shashank Kumar, two coding enthusiasts fresh into their first jobs, started working on what would later become Razorpay, they never really set out to build a company or be entrepreneurs. They just wanted to solve a problem.
But in doing so, they were compelled to create Razorpay.
Today’s episode is a delightful mix of first principles thinking, thoughts on product development, and the importance of deliberately driving company culture. Earlier in August, The Ken’s journalist Shashwat Mohanty did a story on the challenges Razorpay faces in realising its neo-banking dream. The story is now behind a paywall but you can find it here.
Feedback? Write to us on podcasts@the-ken.com
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