Ever since UPI (Unified Payments Interface) alpha launched on 11th April 2016, I see much confusion amongst various stakeholders. For me, the most relevant question is will UPI kill payment gateway aggregators and PSPs (payment service providers) ? My answer is No. If you’re interested to know more, please read on… To understand in detail, let’s understand below 5 pointers:(1) What is UPI...
April 22, 2016
An Indian Fintech Entrepreneur’s Views on UPI
22April
April 21, 2016
Getting Marketing basics Right (for First Timers) by Pallav Nadhani, FusionCharts #SaaSx3
21April
Marketing for beginners The morning of the SaaSx3, saw a round table by Pallav Nadhani, CEO of Fusion Charts. And I was one of the few lucky people who managed to find a seat at this already cramped round table. Pallav, kick-started the session with a question: Who are you & what will the world miss if your company dies in 10 years? The question (although slightly morbid) did its trick. It...
April 20, 2016
Design is about Love and Empathy towards the customer
20April
The Design RoundTable last week lead by Deepa Bachu and Rajan, was not what I expected. By and large, design to me was either a part of an application (UI / UX) or a concept which i did’nt know much about. But, when we went in depth with Deepa, I realized that design is an integral part of who we are and what we see around us. Through detailed discussions, we were made to think about what design...
April 19, 2016
5 Types of People Every Startup Should Hire
19April
It takes passion to start up and convert your idea into a moneymaking business. However, passion alone is never sufficient to succeed in a business. It is people that make business happen; the ‘right’ kind of people. The core team plays a key role in shaping the future of a startup. It is the moot point that sets the course for the future. Hence, it is imperative that the founding team comprises...
April 18, 2016
3 Marketing Hacks for Bootstrapped Entrepreneurs
18April
If I say “the startup scene in India has taken off in a big way”, it’s probably the biggest understatement of this year! Startups are sprouting from every corner of this country fueled by big success stories. An eager online and print media are doing their best to fan the flames of entrepreneurship. That’s why India has now the third largest base of Startups in the world. The glamour of starting...
April 15, 2016
Of Cockroaches, Gazelles and Unicorns
15April
We took a hard look at our company. Was it going to become a unicorn? No. Not close. Was it going to do the proverbial J curve in the near future? Not really. I could sense the VC and the Angel instantly saying ‘Shark Tank’ style. “I’m out”. I could sense the other entrepreneurs console us. “Don’t worry, there are other legitimate business styles out there. Nothing wrong in being a ‘lifestyle...
April 13, 2016
Cracking a niche B2B market without funding: Valuefy's Story
13April
Valuefy was started in 2010 to empower fund houses to make informed decisions better and faster. Vivek Singal, a B.Tech from IIT Bombay and Sharad Singh, an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad worked together at Fractal Analytics, an analytics firm, before starting Valuefy. On choosing to build a product like this, Vivek shares, “When we chose our niche, which was a B2B product for such a specific market, at...
April 12, 2016
Freshdesk at #SaaSx3
12April
The story of how Freshdesk grew 500% in revenue in 12 months, and how Girish Mathrubootham and team went about telling us how they did it at SaaSx 2016. “How many of you recognize this man on screen?” Girish Mathrubootham, CEO of Freshdesk, asked the room. He was gesturing to a picture of a man with thinning dark brown hair, a wide forehead, and a familiar crooked smile. A lot of hands went up...
April 11, 2016
Buyer’s Fault or Seller’s Fault: Who Is Responsible For Invoice-Related Late Payments?
11April
(originally published here) 1 in Every 3 Invoices Unpaid Is Due To Seller Errors. Seriously?! “The formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution.” Albert Einstein That’s just a fancy way of saying unless you understand the problem, you can’t really reach a solution. Pursuit of an Objective Answer Whenever we talk about late payment among B2B SMBs or startups, the usual...
April 11, 2016
Why I’m doing what I’m doing!
I’m forever being asked a question by the people I meet during my travels, events, etc. I usually smile and avoid it. Or let someone embarrass me by talking about how important and selfless my work has been and is being. But I’ve never really tackled that question on my own. Perhaps I needed to think about it myself. A few days ago, when I was looking back at three years of Playbooks, the action...
