Zero to Infinity

Welcome to 'Zero to Infinity,' the new face of the Z47 Podcast.  In this series premiere, tech veterans Avnish, Rajinder, Vikram, Tarun and Rajat chart the remarkable evolution of India's 25 year internet revolution. From the early dot-com pioneers to today’s AI-innovators today, travel back in time to the moments that shaped India’s digital transformation. Learn about Z47's mission: Developed Nation Building, as we work towards India’s emergence as a global digital superpower by 2047. This is one of those rare, unfiltered chats about the future of Indian startups that you wouldn't want to miss.  Subscribe startup insights, founder stories and sector deep dives.

What does it take to lead a 17-year-old legacy brand like redBus into international markets? In this episode of the #Z47podcast, CEO Prakash Sangam shares an unmissable journey—from his transition to the world of startups to selling 87 million tickets globally.  Discover how a passion for innovation, cultural alignment, and a relentless focus on customer-centricity propelled redBus to break records, such as selling 400,000 bus seats in a single day! What's in for you? Actionable insights, leadership hacks that built high-performing teams, the power of cultural alignment, and why embracing ambiguity is key to success in today’s startup ecosystem.

Going deeper into their discussion on first-time and experienced founders, Avnish Bajaj and Chandrasekhar Venugopal dissect everything from failure zones founders should watch out for, to increasing one’s chances of success and finding purpose. But the question remains: How first-time founders truly leverage this evolved ecosystem to outpace seasoned counterparts? Can there be just one winner? Watch the second and final part of the #Z47Podcast on Founder Archetypes and find out! And, if you haven't already, catch episode 1 here:   • Founder Archetypes: The First Time Fo...  ▶️Some more of our podcasts that came up in the conversation: Burn Rates: https://www.z47.com/podcast/whats-the... PMF: https://www.z47.com/podcast/finding-s... Org 3.0: https://www.z47.com/podcast/finding-s... Single VC Multiple VCs: https://www.z47.com/podcast/single-ve...

60% of Indian unicorns are helmed by first-time founders, 29% by second-time founders, and 6% by those on their third attempt. Why is that? First-time founders bring audacity, fearlessness, and unencumbered first-principles thinking. Experienced founders solve deep problems with domain expertise and strong customer networks. But here’s the big question: Are founders born or made? Join Avnish Bajaj and Chandrasekhar Venugopal as they dive into this age-old debate on the #z47podcast. Gain valuable insights into entrepreneurship, startup journeys, and what it takes to build a unicorn. 💡 Discover the secrets to success in the #FounderPlaybook!

The aerospace, space, and defence sector is pivotal to India's journey toward self-reliance and global leadership. Over the years, this industry has seen a growing startup ecosystem addressing challenges in supply chains, autonomous systems, indigenous manufacturing, and space technology. In this exclusive panel discussion, featuring industry stalwarts like Air Chief Marshal (Retd.) Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, Lt Gen PJS Pannu, and Ashish Saraf, CEO, Thales India, we delve into: 1️⃣ Strategic Entry Points for Startups 2️⃣ Why Customer-Focused Innovation Matters 3️⃣ Leveraging Policies and Support Systems From understanding market dynamics to leveraging opportunities like iDEX, Aditi, and the Space Tech Fund, learn how startups can create a lasting impact in this high-stakes sector.

The DMII: Seed to Silicon edition in Bangalore brought together builders in India’s semiconductor story. Z47’s Sudipto Sannigrahi hosted d-Matrix CEO Sid Sheth on the panel about India’s rising semiconductor potential and d-Matrix’s growth. d-Matrix’s commitment to lowering adoption barriers and hyper-interactive video solutions promises to reshape the industry. The riveting chat was a goldmine: Sid’s insights about a vital space for India’s tech-ade are a blueprint for how Indian founders can chart a path to success in semiconductors. 5 Key Takeaways: Breakthroughs Take Time: d-Matrix Took a Year Even though Sid’s background at Intel and Aeluros gave him deep domain expertise, he took a year to explore ideas before launching d-Matrix. This reflects the importance of taking time for reflection and eliminating weak opportunities before venturing forward. Focusing on What’s Overlooked in Chip Design to Disrupt Incumbents By developing a unique chip architecture that integrates compute and memory, d-Matrix carved out a niche in the semiconductor market where larger players couldn’t compete. Energy & Cost Efficiency Drive d-Matrix’s Semiconductor Success d-Matrix’s focus on building energy-efficient, cost-effective chips addresses key pain points for customers, positioning them as a more practical solution for data centers. Betting on India as the Tech Hub is a Competitive Advantage Recognizing the immense talent pool and market potential, d-Matrix set up its largest tech hub in India, positioning the country as a critical player in the future of semiconductors. Building Trust with Proof-of-Concept Chips is the Way to Grow d-Matrix invested heavily in developing proof-of-concept chips in the first few years. This demonstrated real progress and minimized risk for investors and customers, enabling efficient innovation in their chip design.

"If you are an AI founder, buy a .com domain and not .ai domain" says Pranay Desai (MD, Z47) as CIOs often restrict access to most .ai domains within their organisational networks.   In conversation with Ashwin Pandian, Pranay addresses the facets of AI in SaaS, talking about various dimensions of the trade and shares insightful nuggets on the subject: He engages with key topics, including: ▶️ The shift in role of CIOs - from enabling businesses and creativity to protecting them. ▶️ The future being consolidated stacks instead of point solutions, as clients are sceptical about giving away their data. ▶️ The founder’s conundrum: to ship fast, or take time and build a full stack. ▶️ Focus on distribution innovation to win in a mature product market. ▶️ A good AI business could be measured on the basis of product usage, repeat usage, revenue, and talkability.  ▶️ Founders building in large markets need not build their own models, unlike players in smaller markets Globally, we are on the verge of a complete overhaul of the software stack, and India is positioned to capture a significant share of this emerging landscape due to its strong capabilities in data curation and labelling.   Tune into the full podcast if you are a founder interested in AI in SaaS and want to know about the markets to consider.

How do you monetise your app business from 600 million connected smartphone users in India? This is the only question founders in India’s App Economy 3.0 need to ask themselves. Vivek Ramachandran, Chandrasekhar Venugopal and Aakash Kumar from Z47’s consumer team talk about the shifts in India’s app economy over the years and how engagement, retention and monetisation became the key pillars for app-based businesses. They answer questions useful to any and every founder trying to succeed in India’s app economy 3.0: ▶️ What is the core nature of the value exchange in the app economy? ▶️ What effect will AI have on production? ▶️ What are the exciting trendlines? ▶️ Where do founders make mistakes when measuring success? ▶️ What key vectors do founders need to focus on building in 2024? If you’re someone looking to build in or understand India’s app economy, this episode will give you years of insights in less than an hour.

Romita Mazumdar is channelling her love for skincare into a Rs. 1000 Cr Brand. She started with almost 1000 interviews over a course of six months to find a market gap. And now, inspired by the likes of P&G, she has her eyes set on the Rs. 1000 Cr mark for Foxtale. As a former VC, she closely observed consumer brands before shifting her focus to building in skincare, a category where she is a power user. In conversation with Z47’s Rajat Agarwal, Romita recounts her journey from investment banking to founding Foxtale and answers gripping questions that all D2C founders can learn from : ▶ How consumer needs have changed in skincare ▶ How she thinks about channels for her business ▶ Where the 1000 Cr goal comes from ▶ Her thoughts on new ventures and diversification If you’re passionate about entrepreneurship, building in skincare or branding, this episode will provide insights to help you get started on your journey.

If you’re a founder working to solve for an underserved market in unsecured lending, this episode is required listening! Vikram Vaidyanathan and Anish Patil trade trendlines in unsecured credit landscape, and highlight four key insights that underpin the Z47 thesis for this sector. 👥Solving for Under-served Market Potential Borrowers with low, but stable incomes and good credit culture have been under-served by traditional lenders, presenting an opportunity for new lenders.   🗂️Forecasting with Robust Payments Data The evolution of UPI, account aggregators, and GST has streamlined underwriting, enabling precise borrower profiling, and accurate cash flow estimation, all of which allows lenders to tailor financial products. 🤳🏽Why A Phy-gital Approach Is Optimal Digital tools enable fraud prevention, enhanced risk assessment and monitoring, while physical presence helps build trust and strengthen operations. 🌏Financial Inclusion & Strong Credit Demand  Improved infrastructure, steady GDP growth, and better law & order, especially in northern states, have opened new credit markets. Strong credit demand and smoother operations have made previously underserved areas more appealing to lenders.