Founder Thesis

In a gold rush, the ones who sell the shovels are the ones who make the most money.  In the fintech gold rush that we are seeing today, it’s a company like M2P Fintech that is selling the shovels; connecting banks, fintechs, and businesses with custom APIs for financial services. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to understand the fintech ecosystem in India!Know about:-Conceptualizing use casesCoining the term “payments infrastructure”Building a neo banking platformThe BNPL scheme-----If you want to be a podcaster, then check out Zencastr.com which is also the generous sponsor for this episode. Zencastr is like a Shopify for podcasters taking care of all your needs from recording to editing to hosting. Show your love for this show by using this link to sign up: https://zen.ai/founderthesis

An IIT Delhi alumnus who, inspired by the Chinese startup scene, built India’s largest hyperlocal tech-backed gig marketplace- Abhishek’s story is truly like that of Frodo Baggins. In an insight-packed conversation, Abhishek tells Akshay about the journey of building Shadowfax.Know about:-Aggregating supply and demandPivoting towards enterprisesCreating static hotspotsData-feedback loop of the enterprise product-----If you want to be a podcaster, then check out Zencastr.com which is also the generous sponsor for this episode. Zencastr is like a Shopify for podcasters taking care of all your needs from recording to editing to hosting. Show your love for this show by using this link to sign up: https://zen.ai/founderthesis

Unlike most founders who first have an idea, then build a prototype and then raise funds, Shachindra started big - by directly acquiring a publicly listed financial institution that he transformed into U GRO Capital.In this episode, you’ll hear about some unique innovations of this fintech platform that is at the forefront of the digitization of SMEs.-----If you want to be a podcaster, then check out Zencastr.com which is also the generous sponsor for this episode. Zencastr is like a Shopify for podcasters taking care of all your needs from recording to editing to hosting. Show your love for this show by using this link to sign up: https://zen.ai/founderthesis

Bhakti and Bharat are inseparable. Finding its root in Sanskrit, Bhakti means spirituality and encompasses community, mental well-being, and philanthropy. Being a uniquely Indian concept, the market for this space remains hugely untapped.Prashant is an Internet entrepreneur who created a spiritual-tech app to serve the emerging devotional needs of Indians. He tells Akshay Datt about his journey of building this engagement lead consumer platform.Know about:-Finding cofounders for the first ventureGenesis and evolution of TrellModel of AppsForBharat and the flywheel of growthCommunity features and virtual darshan-----If you want to be a podcaster, then check out Zencastr.com which is also the generous sponsor for this episode. Zencastr is like a Shopify for podcasters taking care of all your needs from recording to editing to hosting. Show your love for this show by using this link to sign up: https://zen.ai/founderthesis

"If the bet had not worked out, we would have died".This was Clear's reality when it pivoted from a beloved consumer brand into enterprise software for the new GST regime. This single, high-stakes gamble reveals the conviction required to build a category-defining company, moving from a product people liked to a platform businesses couldn't live without. BioSrivatsan Chari is the Co-founder of Clear (formerly ClearTax), the company that transformed financial software in India. A computer science engineer from BITS Pilani, he has been instrumental in building Clear into a fintech powerhouse that has served over 6 million income tax filers , supports more than 600,000 SMEs , and processes over $300 billion in B2B invoice value annually. Under his leadership, Clear was the first India-focused startup to be accepted into Y Combinator and has raised over $140 million from elite investors like Stripe, Sequoia Capital, and Founders Fund.Key Insights from the Conversation: The "Unglamorous Problem" Advantage: Clear deliberately chose to solve the complex and "unglamorous" problem of Indian tax filing, a niche that larger competitors had ignored, turning it into a competitive advantage. The Great B2B Pivot: The company made a high-stakes, "bet the company" decision to pivot from a high-traction B2C tax product to a B2B enterprise SaaS platform with the launch of GST in 2017. This move now accounts for 85-90% of Clear's revenue. Bootstrapped Resilience: The founding team bootstrapped for three years, a period that forged extreme resilience and creativity. All early growth was organic, driven by content, SEO, and word-of-mouth, a DNA that remains core to the company. Founder's Philosophy: Build & Sell: A key lesson from Srivatsan's earlier, failed startups was that a founder must be involved in both building the product and selling it, embracing all facets of the business from customer support to marketing. The Financial OS Vision: Clear's ambition extends beyond taxes to building a connected "Financial Operating System" for businesses, using acquisitions and technology to unify invoicing, payments, compliance, and credit on a single platform. Forward-Thinking Regulation: The Indian government's decision to provide APIs for tax filing and implement a forward-looking, digital-first GST system was a critical enabler for Clear's success and scale.Chapters:(00:00) The Origin Story: Solving India's Tax Problem(11:10) Early Days: Bootstrapping with a "Pay What You Want" Model(17:14) The YC Catalyst: How Y Combinator Transformed The Company(32:51) The "Bet the Company" Pivot to GST(38:25) Why GST & E-invoicing are a Global Game-Changer(45:51) The Challenge of Pricing & Selling Enterprise SaaS(55:16) More Than Tax: The Story Behind Rebranding to "Clear"(57:53) The Future: Building a Financial OS for Businesses(1:01:52) Taking the Indian Playbook Global(1:05:31) Clear's Monetization and Business Model TodayHashtags:#FounderThesis #SrivatsanChari #Clear #ClearTax #StartupIndia #Fintech #SaaS #B2BPivot #YCombinator #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #MakeInIndia #StartupStory #Bootstrapping #IndianStartups

There are 2 ways to build a startup - one is through cash burn and the other is by bootstrapping it- the harder but sustainable way. This episode is a masterclass in building a startup the harder way.Akshay Datt speaks with Neel Kothari who built iZooto, a push notification platform that touches the lives of billions consuming news on the Internet!Know about:-Concept of “owned audience marketing”Customer retention & future engagement- personalizing messaging at scaleMaking it contextual to the contentRSS feed integration & developing own content recommendation engine-----If you want to be a podcaster, then check out Zencastr.com which is also the generous sponsor for this episode. Zencastr is like a Shopify for podcasters taking care of all your needs from recording to editing to hosting. Show your love for this show by using this link to sign up: https://zen.ai/founderthesis

This edition is a delectable one where Akshay Datt chats with a couple elevating India’s experience of bread consumption. Aditi Handa and Sneh Jain are the founders of The Baker’s Dozen, India’s first artisan bakery brand serving an exquisite variety of authentic European breads and bakery products. Aditi is a trained baker from the renowned International Culinary Institute in New York and Sneh is an IIM-A alumnus and an ex-McKinsey consultant. Together they started up the venture, with Aditi passionately steering the product, and Sneh building the business with an eye on the numbers.Know about:-Aditi’s learnings at International Culinary Institute, New YorkSneh Jain’s epiphany at McKinsey- using lego blocks to create a worldScaling up the supply chainEvolution of sales channel: the omnichannel approach-----If you want to be a podcaster, then check out Zencastr.com which is also the generous sponsor for this episode. Zencastr is like a Shopify for podcasters taking care of all your needs from recording to editing to hosting. Show your love for this show by using this link to sign up: https://zen.ai/founderthesis

This episode is a crash course in molecular biology, a $62 billion industry, and its several real-world applications.Akshay Datt speaks with Dr. Manoj Gopalkrishnan, Founder and CEO of Algorithmic Biologics, a deep-tech startup providing the highest quality molecular testing at a fraction of the market cost. Their first product, Tapestry, is an award-winning software delivering affordable large-scale Covid-19 testing.Dr. Manoj is an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur who, after completing his doctorate in the US, came back to India and became an associate professor at IIT Bombay, before starting Algorithmic Biologics.Know about:-Contributions during Ph.D. and RSA algorithmRT-PCR test and TapestryChallenges of the medical diagnostics marketHow molecular computing leads to better molecular testing-----If you want to be a podcaster, then check out Zencastr.com which is also the generous sponsor for this episode. Zencastr is like a Shopify for podcasters taking care of all your needs from recording to editing to hosting. Show your love for this show by using this link to sign up: https://zen.ai/founderthesis

"It's very hard to read a label when you're inside the bottle." This insightful quote from Mohit Sadani highlights a key theme of the conversation: the crucial role of external perspective, often from mentors, in navigating the intense, 'inside-the-bottle' experience of entrepreneurship. Founders need trusted advisors to see the bigger picture they might miss while deep in the daily grind.Malika Datt Sadani and Mohit Sadaani are the couple co-founders of The Moms Co., India's largest "Nature In. Toxins Out." brand. Launched in 2017 out of their personal need for safe, natural products, they scaled the D2C company to a ₹150 Cr+ ARR, raised over $10 Million in funding (Approx. ₹75-80 Cr), and achieved a successful acquisition by the Good Glamm Group in 2021. Malika is a BW 40 Under 40 honoree, and Mohit previously worked with McKinsey and Snapdeal.Key Insights from the Conversation: Building Trust: Establishing trust is paramount yet difficult in the Mom & Baby category; requires authentic branding and quality products. D2C Strategy: Successfully navigated online (DTC website, Marketplaces like Amazon ) and offline channels, pivoting effectively during the pandemic to embrace retail. Consumer Centricity: Leveraged deep consumer understanding, community engagement (Facebook groups, influencers), and personal storytelling for growth and product development. Funding & Acquisition: Successfully raised Angel, multiple VC rounds (from investors like DSG & Saama), and strategically opted for acquisition by a house of brands for infrastructure and faster scaling. Couple Co-Founders: Sharing the entrepreneurial journey involves deep trust but requires consciously managing the work-life blend. Product Innovation: Maintaining control over in-house R&D and rigorous testing ensures high-quality, differentiated products.Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:26 - Malika's Origin Story: Army Brat to Accidental Engineer 00:08:31 - Mohit's Origin Story: Early Entrepreneurial Influences 00:13:42 - How The Couple Co-Founders Met 00:16:08 - London Learnings & The Moms Co. Idea Genesis 00:25:06 - Building the Brand: Trust, Mentors & Early Funding 00:41:12 - Launch & Scaling: D2C Strategy & Channel Mix 00:56:15 - Pandemic Pivot & Cracking Offline Retail 01:02:19 - Inside The Moms Co. Product Development 01:08:16 - The Journey to Acquisition by Good Glamm Group 01:17:44 - Couple Co-Founders: Learnings & Life Balance 01:35:53 - Advice for Aspiring D2C FoundersHashtags:#TheMomsCo #MalikaSadani #MohitSadani #D2CIndia #IndianStartups #FounderThesis #Entrepreneurship #StartupIndia #DirectToConsumer #BrandBuilding #Mompreneur #CoupleFounders #Skincare #BabyCare #PersonalCare #D2CEconomics #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #Acquisition #GoodGlammGroup #RetailStrategy #Ecommerce #DigitalIndia #MakeInIndia #BusinessPodcast #FounderJourney #ScalingBusiness

"Money follows a very simple mathematical formula. Its magnitude multiplied by impact."This is the beautifully simple principle that Karan Bajaj landed on after years of searching for a path to financial independence. It cuts through the noise of online gurus and get-rich-quick schemes, arguing that true wealth is a direct byproduct of creating deep and wide-ranging value for people.In this episode, host Akshay Datt sits down with Karan Bajaj, the founder of WhiteHat Jr. and a bestselling novelist. In just 18 months, Karan built his ed-tech startup to a staggering:$150 million annual revenue run rate before its landmark$300 million all-cash acquisition by BYJU'S —a deal that personally netted him an estimated$120 million.Before his explosive entrepreneurial journey, he published4 novels with major houses like Penguin Random House and HarperCollins and led a corporate life as the CEO of Discovery Networks for South Asia.Key Insights from the Conversation: The "50-50-50" Rule: Karan reveals his strict criteria for product-market fit before scaling: achieving a 50% Net Promoter Score, a 50% renewal rate, and 50% of new revenue from referrals. Willful Poverty: To break free from financial anxiety, he practiced "willful poverty," taking a year-long sabbatical to travel from Europe to India by road on a barebones budget, a phase that gave him the courage to take bigger risks. The Blitzscaling Playbook: The conversation unpacks the engine behind WhiteHat Jr.'s hyper-growth, which was remarkably focused on just two channels: Facebook advertising and referrals. From Founder to Politician: Karan shares his next ambitious goal: to enter Indian politics and apply his learnings in scaling systems and operations to public service. "The Yogi and the CEO": The discussion explores the central duality of Karan's identity—the mindful, introspective novelist and the aggressive, impatient startup founder.YouTube Chapters:(00:00) The "Yogi CEO": Balancing a corporate career with spiritual sabbaticals.(01:22) The Power of Willful Poverty: How living with nothing gives you the freedom to risk everything.(16:41) The 4% Rule: The mathematical formula for financial independence that sparked the startup journey.(28:05) The WhiteHat Jr. Idea: Why coding for kids was a "blue ocean" opportunity.(33:51) From Zero to One: How to build an MVP and get your first paying customer in 4 weeks.(48:43) The "50-50-50" Rule: The 3 metrics you MUST hit before scaling your startup.(57:50) The Blitzscaling Playbook: How we doubled revenue every month.(1:18:19) The $300M BYJU'S Exit: The logic behind selling a rocketship startup in just 18 months. (1:23:47) The "Wolf Gupta" Controversy: Lessons from a marketing campaign that went too far.(1:24:08) What's Next: From founder & CEO to a new life in politics.Hashtags:#founderthesis #karanbajaj #whitehatjr #startupindia #entrepreneurship #founderstories #akshaydatt #businesspodcast #scaling #venturecapital #edtech #byjus #exitstrategy #blitzscaling #productmarketfit