A Founder & VC's Roadmap to Scaling | Rohit M A (PeerCapital & Cloudnine)

"The sooner you can get to a level where you can actually make yourself redundant, I think that's when you start building an institution."  

This powerful insight from Rohit M A encapsulates a core theme of our conversation: sustainable growth isn't just about a visionary founder, but about building systems and teams that can thrive independently. It’s about transitioning from being the indispensable force to the architect of an enduring enterprise. 

Rohit M A is the Managing Partner at PeerCapital, an early-stage tech-native venture capital fund. Before co-founding PeerCapital, he was instrumental in scaling Cloudnine Group of Hospitals from a single unit to a national leader with 42 locations and revenues exceeding ₹1200 crores. With over 23 years of entrepreneurial and management experience, and having angel invested in 70-75 companies, Rohit brings a deep operator's perspective to venture investing. PeerCapital's first fund is close to $40 million, focusing on "consumption enablers" and providing "valuable capital" to founders. 

Key Insights from the Conversation:  

👉The Operator-to-VC Journey: Understanding the mindset shift and challenges when transitioning from building a company to funding many. 

👉Scaling with Process & Data: How establishing robust processes and leveraging data were critical to massive growth, moving beyond founder-led decisions. 

👉"Valuable Capital": PeerCapital's thesis on providing more than just money – offering strategic, operational, and intellectual support. 

👉Fundraising Realities: The candid truth about how difficult fundraising is, both for founders seeking capital and VCs raising funds from LPs. 

👉Institutionalizing a Business: The importance of professional management, board governance, and preparing a company for long-term success, including being public-listing ready. 

👉Focus on the Problem: Why VCs (and founders) should obsess over the problem being solved rather than getting fixated on a single solution.  

Chapters: 

00:00:00 - Introduction: Rohit M A's Entrepreneurial Path 

00:02:13 - The Genesis & Early Vision of Cloudnine Hospitals 

00:10:03 - Scaling Cloudnine: From 1 to 42 Hospitals & Key Metrics 

00:17:00 - Transitioning to Professional Management & Making Yourself Redundant 

00:52:46 - Leveraging Data & Technology for Operational Excellence 

01:10:45 - The Cloudnine Fundraising Journey: From VCs to Private Equity 

01:24:23 - The Shift to Venture Capital: Founding PeerCapital 

01:26:34 - PeerCapital's Investment Thesis: "Valuable Capital" & Founder Fit 

01:33:04 - The Surprising Realities & Challenges of Running a VC Firm 

01:49:17 - How PeerCapital Evaluates Startups for Investment 

02:00:47 - What Kind of Founders Should Approach PeerCapital? 

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