SeedToScale | Curated by Accel INSIGHTS#47 - How are Startups dealing with the COVID-19 situation?
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How are Indian Startups dealing with the COVID-19 situation?
This is a special podcast episode that deals with the tough situation that the world is facing today amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and features how the startup ecosystem in India is responding to it.
We have 4 guests on the podcast this time around:
- Vivekananda Hallekere, CEO & Co-founder of Bounce (two-wheeler scooter sharing solution operating in Bangalore & Hyderabad)
- Abhiraj Bhal, Founder and CEO of Urban Company (managed market place for all kinds of home services)
- Suman Gopalan, Chief HR Officer of Freshworks (Software-as-a-Service company focused on customer engagement)
- Girish Menon, Head of HR, Swiggy (online food ordering and delivery platform)
Podcast Summary
Our guests today represent startups employing over ten thousand employees and take out time from their schedule to share some of the best practices for dealing with the disruption to business operations.
Vivek, Abhiraj, Suman, and Girish cover some of the most critical themes for business owners which include communicating within the organization and with the customers, prioritizing the health and safety of all stakeholders, planning for business continuity and dealing with challenges that come along the way.
To learn more about how these leading startups are dealing with the COVID-19 situation, tune in to the latest episode of the Insights Podcast by Accel
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Notes -
02:04 – Vivek on dealing with business continuity challenges at Bounce
05:48 – Abhiraj on steps taken to continue Urban Company’s business line
10:24 – Suman on the steps they’re taking at Freshworks globally
15:12 – Limiting exposure vs. extreme measure at the cost of losing business
20:45 – Best practices on communicating to customers
21:58 – Girish on educating customers and 2 lakh + delivery executives at scale
27:30 – Dealing with challenges in rolling out Business Continuity Plans for work from home
35:24 – Keeping employee productivity in check
38:40 – Impact of COVID-19 on business plan and runway