Founder Thesis

“Organisation has to be larger than yourself” - Girish BatraGirish Batra is the founder of NetAmbit - a 19-year-old organisation that has been powering startups in India to scale their businesses through a unique sustainable sales growth model. The model was so successful that it was featured in Forbes India magazine. A tenacious entrepreneur, Girsh has built NetAmbit from the ground up not once but twice, braving setbacks & rising above challenges stronger than ever. Today NetAmbit is a well known managed sales service provider with a team of over 15000 employees. Girish is a graduate from the prestigious Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He’s always aspired to be an entrepreneur, right from his early childhood days & is amongst the few who’ve had the courage to chase their dreams. In this week’s episode on Founder Thesis podcast hosts, Akshay & Saurabh are in conversation with Girish, where he talks about his entrepreneurial journey and the lessons he picked up along the way. Key takeaways from the show: How to scale businesses successfully. Mistakes to avoid when scaling your startup. Overcoming challenges with a positive mindset. Importance of ethics & culture in scaling the business. Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on investors & how much capital to raise. 

"Nothing is free in India, garbage is also not free." This stark realization from Nakul Kumar, Co-founder & CMO of Cashify, encapsulates the gritty realities faced by entrepreneurs. It underscores that even seemingly abundant resources have associated costs in the journey of building a business from the ground up, a lesson learned firsthand during his initial venture in waste management before revolutionizing the re-commerce space.Nakul Kumar is a serial entrepreneur and the driving force behind Cashify, India's largest re-commerce marketplace. Under his leadership, Cashify has empowered over 20 lakh (2 million) people by paying out more than ₹1400 crores (approx. $187 million USD) for their used gadgets. The company has processed over 50 lakh devices, boasts over 10 million app downloads, and has expanded to around 200 offline stores. Nakul's journey from early hustles to building a company eyeing a multi-million dollar revenue and an IPO is a testament to his perseverance and innovative spirit.Key Insights from the Conversation: Early Entrepreneurial Drive: The "bug" of entrepreneurship can manifest early, even without a formal plan or resources. Value of Hands-On Experience: Practical experience, especially in challenging roles like sales or on-ground operations, provides invaluable learning that academia alone cannot. Execution Over Ideas: While ideas are abundant, the ability to execute and navigate real-world challenges is what truly builds successful ventures. Resilience in Manufacturing: Starting and running a manufacturing plant in India comes with significant hurdles, from bureaucracy to labor, demanding immense perseverance.Chapters: 03:16 Early Entrepreneurial Experiences and Initial Learnings 06:28 College Achievements and Building Foundations 08:24 Insights and Takeaways from the MBA 26:55 Navigating Initial Business Challenges and Roadblocks 37:55 The Experience of the First Fundraiser 39:39 Strategies for Reaching Out to Venture Capitalists 44:22 How the Funds Were Strategically Used 49:22 Understanding the Competitive Landscape for Cashify 50:29 Cashify's Ambitious Five-Year Vision for Growth 56:11 Key Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs TodayHashtags:#FounderThesis #NakulKumar #Cashify #StartupIndia #Entrepreneurship #IndianStartups #Recommerce #CircularEconomy #MakeInIndia #ZeroToOne #StartupJourney #BusinessPodcast #EntrepreneurLife #HustleCulture #TechStartup #WasteManagement #Innovation #Leadership #AkshayDatt