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3 trends that we noticed from over 500 Indian startups that we reviewed

Over the last few weeks we reviewed over 500 startups and talked (phone, skype, etc.) with over 100 startup founders. This was our shortlisting process to get to 15 companies that will make it to our Spring 2013 batch at the Accelerator. First, we reviewed a lot of travel startups. Especially the problem of helping travelers with trip planning. A list of things to do, places to see, restaurants...

M. A. P 2013 – Your Bridge to Global Brands.

ProductNation is pleased to support M.A.P 2013 a unique project supporting Asian innovation and designed to match new companies to the most senior decision-makers in global marketing and media. Since its launch in 2011, it has had applications from over 50 new companies and awarded four “Hot Company of the Year” citations. All applications are assessed by a jury of VCs and successful media...

Are you a Tech Startup? You are part of a Fraction

I remember this TED talk by Hans Rosling as he echoed the sentiments that I’ve heard working closely with Market Research firms: Even with quantitative data, you have to be careful because as much as they are hard numbers, they usually are averages of two extremes – and the markets are full of extremities. Truth is, if you follow (just) the numbers and build a product, you might end...

Are Product Managers Future Entrepreneurs?

Prof. Rahul Abhyankar, Director of ICPM Programs at the Institute of Product Leadership summarized it well in his message to the Graduating Class, “Product Management is more of a mindset change merely skillset” Product Management has many definitions but most experts will agree that its essentially the art & science of delivering delighting solutions to real market problems and doing it...

Indian start-up ecosystem – in a sweet & sour spot

Health warning: this post is slightly longer than the regular articles as the subject calls upon a more detailed discussion of the issues, so please be patient and read on! Our start-up ecosystem has come leaps and bounds over the past few years, the sheer development can be measured by the rising number of early stage investments, the increase in the number accelerators and the number of wannabe...

How to come up with a great company or product name? – A few YouTube videos can teach you that!

Who said YouTube is a waste of time? It can even teach you on how to come up with a great company or product name! Naming a company or a product is so crucial in a product start-up. You can call your services company – “The Great Maharashtra IT Services and Systems Company”  and your clients may not care too much! Product startups, especially in the consumer space, need to think...

Software Products can Spur Economic Growth

Over more than two decades, India earned a reputation as the global leader in software outsourcing, but product companies – perceived as the mark of a true technology powerhouse – have been few and far between. While India is still a long way from showcasing a Microsoft or a Google, unobtrusively, technology companies have sprung up across the country to create products and solutions...

Learnings from the 2nd #PNMeetup – Selling your product Gangnam Style

#PNMeetup on Selling your product Gangnam Style was the topic at the recently concluded Meetup(Podcast link). We had over 45-50 people across products and the services who came out to gain an insight into the Enigma of Gangnam Style Sales, with their eyes wide open and all ears the speakers Mr. Sanjay Agarwala MD of Eastern Software, Ketan Kapoor Co-Founder and CEO  of Mettl and Vishal Jain Chief...

Growth = Engagement: A product design principle you can’t ignore

Newly launched startups love to see their traffic and sign-up stats grow. Growth, after all, is opium for a startup fresh out of the door, and frequent refreshes of the sign-up logs are the happiest pastime for entrepreneurs. Startups often tend to think of growth and engagement as two unrelated divorced concepts. In reality, nothing could be farther from the truth. Startups that focus on growth...

May 2013 be the year for Systematic Innovation in India

If 2012 saw a lot of buzz in India about Jugaad thanks to the Radjou/Prabhu/Ahuja bestseller, I am really hoping that 2013 will restore the balance towards systematic innovation. Indian companies need systematic innovation more than they realize because their challenges are different from the ones that multinationals face. Why are Indian Companies afraid of Systematic Innovation? Among Indian...