The Neon Show

In a thought-provoking discussion, Krishnamurthy Subramanian, the Executive Director at the IMF and former Chief Economic Advisor to India, unveils his vision for India to become a $55 trillion economy by 2047. He highlights the transformative power of compounding and critiques past socialist policies that hindered growth. The conversation delves into inflation's impact on purchasing power and advocates for reforms to empower farmers. Additionally, Subramanian emphasizes the need for market-driven strategies to harness India's entrepreneurial spirit.

Rajrishi Singhal, a senior journalist and banker, discusses India's economic evolution since the 1991 crisis, detailing how urgent reforms reshaped the landscape. He critiques the continued impact of corruption on businesses and consumers, emphasizing the need for transparency. Singhal reveals the paradox of demonetization's failure to tackle corruption and analyzes Rajiv Gandhi's legacy as an ‘Accidental Prime Minister’. He also covers the challenges of implementing reforms under coalition governments and the complexities faced by India’s banking sector.

In the competitive world of online grocery shopping, BigBasket is a name that stands out.But how did they get here?By 2011, smartphones were everywhere, and you could buy almost anything online—except groceries. The co-founders decided to try the grocery game online again, leading to the birth of BigBasket.In 2015, BigBasket pioneered the dark store model, using small, strategically placed warehouses to speed up deliveries and roll out express delivery services. In May 2021, Tata Digital, a subsidiary of Tata Sons, acquired a  64% stake in stake in BigBasket for about $1.5-2 billion from major shareholders, including Alibaba and Actis.In this episode of Neon Show, Vipul Parekh, the visionary co-founder of BigBasket, shares his invaluable insights and experiences from his entrepreneurial journey. Vipul shares candid insights on the recent disruption in the online grocery space with the rise of quick commerce.----------------Timestamp00:00 Introduction01:14 Reflections on building BigBasket for 13 years02:21 Admitting wrong predictions about online grocers03:25 Analysis of online grocery delivery changes in India05:30 Factors behind quick commerce success in India07:45 Quick Commerce's success in India vs. other countries09:22 Profitability challenges for dark stores11:52 BigBasket's market share and transition plans13:06 Leveraging Tata Group synergies in retail15:36 Shift in household behaviour towards quick commerce21:53  Why India doesn't have its own Walmart-equivalent23:15 Learnings from Big Basket28:22 Tata's long-term approach to business30:04 BigBasket founders' future involvement31:47  Lessons from Tata33:00 Implementing financial governance at BigBasket36:08 Trillion-dollar question39:49 Potential for $100B Indian Startups45:18 Building financial independence through startups49:15 Hard work Vs Luck52:20 Vipul's background 55:40 Time in Wipro and meeting VS Sudhakar-------------Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww-------------Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

Every entrepreneur dreams of turning a small startup into a global powerhouse. But how do you do it without following the typical "build a product, get funding, scale it, and exit" playbook? Luca Ferrari, founder and CEO of Bending Spoons, did just that— their journey is anything but conventional.It started in 2013, when their first-ever startup Evertale flopped and left them with just $40,000. After Evertale missed PMF, they pivoted, bootstrapping Bending Spoons by focusing on acquiring digital products with solid market fit but untapped potential.Bending Spoons has mastered the art of turning underperforming digital businesses into powerhouses using operational tweaks, AI, and machine learning.In this episode of Neon Show, we sit down with Luca Ferrari in the heart of Milan, at the headquarters of a tech company that's rewriting the rules of how digital businesses scale.Discover their bold acquisition strategy behind major deals like Evernote and Splice, and how they’ve managed to serve 150 million monthly active users with just 400 employees!Timestamp:00:00 Introduction00:37 Who is Luca and what's Bending Spoons?02:32 Bending Spoons by the numbers: Users and revenue03:05 Recent funding rounds: 2023 and 202404:59 Profitability and use of debt07:27 Luca's previous startup experience10:17 The birth of Bending Spoons in 201313:35 The secret sauce: Product-market fit and talent15:29 First acquisition: iPhone keyboard app18:28 Top revenue generators: Remind, Evernote, Splice20:26 Future acquisition strategy debate24:24 Price range for acquisitions33:29 Transforming acquired products like Evernote37:00 Competing with giants: Evernote vs. Notion42:32 Plans to enter enterprise software45:07 Luca's take on product-market fit47:58 Luck vs. skill in Bending Spoons' success51:30 AI's Impact on Bending Spoons54:42 Why Italy for Bending Spoons?59:08 Going public: Future plans1:00:32 Luca's journey: From small town to tech CEO1:04:27 Why aren't more tech companies starting in Europe?1:10:54 Bending Spoons' unique hiring approach1:14:35 Future growth areas for Bending Spoons1:16:47 The art of pricing in acquisitions1:21:49 How accurate are Bending Spoons' acquisition predictions?-----------------------Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.—---------------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww—---------------------Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/—---------------------DisclaimerSend us a text

To say that India needs to create more jobs, is a downplay - what we need are 20 million jobs every year. But jobs can’t be created out of the wishing well.We have resources, but not proper skills. We have opportunities, but not proper initiatives to boost on the employment elasticity. We need a shift from Tier 1 to Tier 2 cities. We need a shift of capitals. We need immigration-based jobs for our youths, and we definitely need the women workforce landscape to improve at the earliest. But, will this be enough?Check out our latest podcast where we are in a conversation with Sridhar Krishna, a senior scholar at the Takshashila Institution, to know more!  Timestamps00:00 - 00:47 - The Karnataka Job Reservation Bill04:19 - The impact on the recruiters/builders07:00 - Public Transport and Women in Karnataka 09:16 - Bangalore is not just for startups!09:27 - Government’s performance: what we have done well & where can we improve? 11:19 - India needs 20 million jobs each year 12:00 - How to create jobs in India?13:16 - Annual PLF data on unemployment - truth or facade?14:12 - Have “100 million people joined the workforce” truly?14:52 - Labor productivity in India vs in the US 15:22 - Statistics on how to grow employment elasticity 16:25 - 1800 people apply for 10 vacancies in Gujarat - why? 17:23 - ILO reports on job skills and job vacancy mismatch 18:56 - Is manufacturing & services good options to transition from agriculture?20:32 - Shridhar talks about his take on Raghuram Rajan’s book “Breaking the Mould”21:26 - Are PLIs unable to craft job growth?22:30 - Rebuilding big cities - a solution for employment growth?23:22 - Lavasa, Maharshtra failed - why?25:02 - Utlising AI to analyse the nature of jobs in other countries27:08 - Career Impact Bonds - What’s that?33:14 - 6 pillars as proposed by the recent Eonomic Survey33:49 - Focus needs to shift from Tier 1 to Tier 2 cities 34:40 - Women workforce participation better in Bangladesh than India?39:57 - India losing significant GDP due to fewer women in the workplaceFollow Sridhar Krishna - Linkedin -   / sridharkrishna  X - https://x.com/sridhar_kri?___________________________________Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. __________________________________Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShowwFollow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/__________________________________Sponsor Shout OutLooking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/Send us a text

Over the last decade, we have been getting news updates, social media highlights, and WhatsApp forwards about India being the “fastest growing economy” in the world. IMF, World Bank, and ADB have confirmed this. The question is, in the face of demonetisation, GST, and the drastic shift of focus to the organised sector from the unorganised one, is this data a true reflection of India’s economic reality?  Today, Neon talks about these facts with Professor Arun Kumar, a renowned author of economic titles and an Economic Professor at JNU.Watch the episode to know more!Timestamps0:00 - Introduction0:14 - Introducing Economist Arun Kumar0:40 - Current scenario of India’s Economy1:25 - South East Asian countries' growth from 1947 as compared to India?3:31 - Proof of India’s failure in education system 5:20 - How can India develop education & health?8:48 - Does India really have “TOO MANY” billionaires & why is it a concern?  9:24 - The journey from becoming a “developing” nation to a “developed nation.”10:51 - The “Bottom-Up Approach” - What’s that? 14:00 - Growing chasm between high-earning & low-earning category?15:22 - Is the current budget failing to fund labour-intensive sectors?17:03 - What’s the unorganised sector in India?17:47 - What are the Micro, Small & Medium Sectors in India?18:33 - Robot uprising vs human employment! 21:03 - What are the 4 types of unemployment in India?23:27 - 60k jobs and 47 lakhs applicants ?27:20 - Is GDP a proxy of the organised sector for the unorganised sector?30:03 - Demonetisations hits the unorganised sector32:12 - Is IMF, World Bank & ADB’s version of India’s fastest economic growth true?34:25 - Black economy = Digging holes & filing holes40:40 - India should have been 8X its current economy - how & why did we fail?42:31 - Are we really a 3.6 trillion dollar economy?51:11 - How can we help the unorganised sector generate more income? 1:01:48 - Bottom economy = 40% of the Goverment’s vote bank & yet not the focus of development & growth? Why?1:05:26 - Why does the government want to help the organised sector?1:11:38 - How will India transform into a “developed” nation or double the GDP per capita?___________________________________Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. __________________________________Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShowwFollow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/__________________________________Sponsor Shout OutLooking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https:Send us a text

SaaS is Dead. There is Too Much SaaS.The two most common proclamations about SaaS these days. But where is the truth?In this episode we analyse the State of SaaS in 2024. We discover new truths and uncover fundamental truths.From where is the money in SaaS to where is the market. From the challenges first time founders face to the mistakes second time founders make. We cover the heavy cost of not understanding brand marketing, why PMF is not a science, IPOs in India, The India SaaS Advantage, Pricing Innovation and so much more.Tune in for insights to power your SaaS strategy in 2024 and beyond.Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction1:06 - Where is SaaS in 20242:08 - Delivering Value is the Most Important Thing3:57 - AI is a Tool not a Magic Wand5:04 - SpotDraft's Super Growth5:36 - Is There Too Much SaaS?9:49 - Where is the Money?12:22 - Metrics, Metrics But No Vanity Metrics14:50 - Is There an India advantage for SaaS IPOs?17:18 - Pallav's lessons from Investing in 50+ SaaS companies23:30 - What First: Feature Parity or Pricing?25:24 - Where Are Category Creators SaaS Startups in India?28:02 - Has AI Changed Buyer Expectations30:24 - The Next SaaS Unicorns From India32:35 - Exploring Exit Options for Indian SaaS Unicorns35:01 - So Much to Learn From SaaS Startup Community37:19 - Why Do Second Time Founders Fail40:39 - PMF is Not a Science44:14 - SaaS is Dead?48:55 - Digital Marketing or Billboards?51:02 - The Cost of Not Understanding Brand Marketing54:44 - Is Europe a Good Market for SaaS Startups?59:36 - How to Expand Globally1:01:30 - To Be a US HQ or India HQ Company?1:05:01 - Pallav on Fusion Charts and Presentations dot ai1:09:00 - Discussion on replacing established SaaS products1:15:11 - Success in SaaS: Product vs Distribution___________________________________Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. __________________________________Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShowwFollow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/__________________________________Sponsor Shout OutLooking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/Send us a text

150 Years of Greatness in 50 Minutes.There is much talk about John D Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie but not much about India’s first business Titan, Jamshedji Tata.In this episode, we sat down with Harish Bhat, Former Brand Custodian of Tata Group, and dive deep into Tata Group and its legendary founder. The founder who kept community at center and nation first, who brought the best to India and built the best in India with fire in his eyes and kindness in his heart. And the giant which never stops, the Tata group, from building India’s first steel plant to India’s first airlines.Tune in to hear lesser-known but must-watch stories about what it takes to build great companies with mission and purpose.00:00 - Introduction01:12 - The Story of A Titan07:31 - Lessons From An Entrepreneur With Purpose09:41 - The Value of Values13:22 - Great Founders Are Always in The Room17:56 - Because Right Decisions Matter20:37 - The Everything Company: From Textiles to Telecom23:08 - The Great Digital Evolution24:46 - How Tata Group Created India’s First Cancer Hospital29:35 - Building The Best With Fire in Eyes & Kindness in Heart37:15 - What Makes Someone a Patriot39:31 - Great Leaders Are Great Readers43:42 - How India Started Flying50:32 - Always Be Learning___________________________________Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. __________________________________Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShowwFollow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/__________________________________Sponsor Shout OutLooking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/Send us a text

Success Starts with Belief. And Belief Comes from Actions.Indians and the world are optimistic about India. But what actions has India taken that inspire this belief? And what actions does India need to take to keep up the momentum?From independence to today, India has increased its GDP 40x, its per capita income 8x, its literacy rate 6x, and its electrification 300x, among many other achievements. But the ambition of its people has also grown manifold.In this episode, we talk about India's journey from a survival mindset to a thriving mindset, and its road to becoming a developed nation. From entrepreneurs everywhere to numerous IPOs. From brain drain to reverse flipping. And what the government needs to do to what we, the people, need to do.Tune in and let us know what are you optimistic about.00:00 - Introduction01:00 - The Hero’s Journey Of India03:31 - Doing Business Is Not A Bad Thing07:02 - India Is More Ambitious Than Ever09:10 - Entrepreneurs Everywhere: From IITs To Tier 2 Cities11:59 - What’s NAAMM?12:47 - India's Pivot From Socialism To Capitalism16:07 - India Story Vs China Story20:47 - How Flipkart’s Acquisition Changed Everything22:46 - How Much Should Regulators Regulate?26:56 - IPOs, IPOs and More IPOs28:36 - The Era of Reverse Flipping30:28 - The $10 Trillion Dollar Economy Goal31:14 - India is Growing But Are All Indians Too?33:08 - Will SaaS Be India’s Next Growth Lever?34:52 - What Inspires Us At Neon?___________________________________Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. __________________________________Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShowwFollow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/__________________________________Sponsor Shout OutLooking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/Send us a text

China is the 2nd largest economy. India is on its way to become the 3rd largest economy. Few decades ago both were at the same level. Is there anything for India to learn from China? Or we will have our own unique journey?In this episode of The Neon Show we explore the nuances behind the economic and political landscapes of India and China. From becoming the world’s biggest factory to now shifting to high-end manufacturing. From economic liberalisation to now back to being heavily controlled by the government. From boom to bust.China & India are two very unique countries. But are there any similarities between these two Asian giants? Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on two of the world’s most important economies.00:00 - Introduction01:02 - Similarities and Differences Between India and China08:49 - How China Became The World’s Factory?16:04 - Do Indian & Chinese Cities Face Same Challenges?21:45 - What Caused The Real Estate Bubble in China?30:24 - Why is China Shifting to High-End Manufacturing?36:03 - Charlie Munger on India Vs China42:11 - Does India Have The Right Industrial Policy?46:09 - The Right Job For The Right People49:36 - The Power of Good Infrastructure___________________________________Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. __________________________________Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShowwFollow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/__________________________________Sponsor Shout OutLooking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.To know more, visit https://primevp.in/Send us a text