StartupTalky

Tag: 📝Interviews

  • Iesh Dixit, Founder and CEO of Powerplay, Discusses How Smart Management Is Helping the Construction Sector Reduce Costs and Time

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    The construction industry in India is a significant contributor to the country’s economy, with a market size of around $126 billion in 2019. The construction industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6% during the period of 2020-2025. The report also states that the Indian construction industry is expected to reach a market size of around $340 billion by 2025.

    The Indian construction industry is characterized by a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and unorganized players, with only a few large companies. The sector is also known for its low productivity and low-profit margins. The government’s ‘Housing for All’ initiative, increasing infrastructure development, and rising foreign investment in the real estate sector is expected to drive growth in the Indian construction industry in the coming years.

    For this Interview, we invited Iesh Dixit, Founder & CEO of Powerplay, and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the Construction Industry.

    StartupTalky: What service does your company provide? What was the motivation/ vision with which you started?

    Iesh Dixit: Powerplay is a freemium app to simplify communication between construction sites and central office teams. It enables specialty contractors, general contractors, and builders to manage site work, materials, and labor on its SaaS platform.

    The platform has multiple modules that offer palpable convenience through its framework of seamless interoperability. The offered free modules are made readily available for the site teams to use on Android, iOS, and web browsers.

    The premium modules include project management, financial management, and procurement management services, which are suitable for office teams. Located in Bengaluru, Powerplay, the SaaS-based construction management platform was founded by Shubham Goyal and me (Iesh Dixit), in the year 2020.

    The initial spark was ignited when my father was building a house for my family, giving me a glimpse into how time and budget estimations go wrong in the Construction industry. But at that time, I never understood the reason for the same.

    Fast forward a couple of years, when Shubham and I moved in together in
    Bangalore to continue their entrepreneurial journey, We decided to get their apartment renovated, and this time again both the budget and timeline were exceeded by 40% — Forcing us to stay with the carpenter and painter for a week to keep the cost & time under control and understand the problem.

    We wondered how such delays affected larger projects if smaller projects like this faced so many issues. That’s when We realized that owners lose a lot of money when construction projects exceed budgets and timelines. We both validated the problem by spending weeks on multiple construction sites and started to build technology to solve those problems. Making plenty of mistakes along the way, we have got some fantastic clients now and a long way to go.

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    StartupTalky: What new features have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of your SaaS?

    Iesh Dixit: Construction is one of the key contributors to the Indian economy but still uses clunky and archaic solutions. We are helping the sector to reduce its construction costs and time by enabling smart management via the use of technology. We are on a larger mission of accelerating the growth of socioeconomic infrastructure in the country.

    We provide a SaaS base application to construction clients to track and manage their labor, material, and tasks. Meticulously tracking these day-in-day-out details is a painful task for construction businesses. They generally use traditional methods like pen-paper, WhatsApp, and excel spreadsheets to track these details on a daily basis. With Powerplay, we help them reduce their construction cost and time by carefully managing all on-site stakeholders at ease.

    The platform also provides features like – Geo Tagging, Org Level Dashboard, Multiple-languages, etc. It is available on Android, iOS, and the Web.

    StratupTalky: How has the construction industry changed in recent years, and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Iesh Dixit: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, like all other industries, real estate and construction have adopted technology in their day-to-day construction management activities. During the lockdowns, it was difficult for site managers to travel to sites and get real-time updates. We saw an opportunity here as we were doing the right thing at right time. With the Powerplay app, the on-site team can now update their supervisors regarding tasks, labor, and material at a click. When we started in 2020, the task module was the key requirement as site supervisors were keener on observing progress while they worked from home. And since then, we identified two more pain points of construction management and introduced them on our app – labor and material management.

    Iesh Dixit: Being closely connected with our paying and non-paying customers helps us with grass-root-level insights. And this has helped us grow tremendously since our inception. Our teams regularly connect with users and visit sites to understand their pulse, and take corrective actions accordingly.

    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?

    Iesh Dixit: Being in the growth phase, alongside MMR, we currently very closely measure the number of active users (users who use Powerplay more than 4 days a week) and their engagement with the platform.

    StartupTalky: What were your company’s most significant challenges in the past year and how did you overcome them?

    Iesh Dixit: Moving people from traditional platforms like Whatsapp and excel was one of the biggest challenges. Bringing a behavioral change is never an easy task. With our freemium approach, people started ‘trailing’ and slowly were confident and motivated enough to access the paid premium version of the platform.

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    StartupTalky: Customer Success has become more important than ever. How do you keep your customer engaged to stop churn?

    Iesh Dixit: With customer centricity as one of our key approaches, we believe in delivering a positive experience for our customers, paid or unpaid. In order to stop churn, we introduce and upsell new features which may be beneficial for their business. We also have a strict policy of resolving customer grievances within a set turn-around time.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off.

    Iesh Dixit: At present, our key goal is to build a community of active users who engage deeply on the platform. We have a community on Instagram (@CivilEngineersDiary) which has close to 900K followers. With this page, we are trying to build a strong connection with civil engineers and the on-site engineers’ community. Also, we are using a mix of ATL and BTL marketing activities. Digital Marketing, SEO, Social Media Marketing, Referral, PR, E-mail, etc are some mediums we are currently using to create a buzz amongst the target group. Being an extremely niche market, we are yet to explore our fullest potential via marketing.

    StartupTalky: Content marketing and Community building are something everyone is talking about in SaaS, How do you plan to leverage that?

    Iesh Dixit: The success of a SaaS product is highly dependent on the number of active and engaged people on the platform, and hence it gets extremely essential to keep the target group hooked. While content marketing may help in acquiring new clients or generating interest, it is the platform ultimately that will decide how far will they engage. For this, robust troubleshooting, behavior research, and delivering features or updates even before the client thinks of them are extremely necessary. While we do all this, we never forget to keep the app – simple and easy to use. That’s the secret mantra to keep audiences engaged.

    StartupTalky: What are the important tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?

    Iesh Dixit: Slack and Google suite are the basic software we use company-wide to work effectively. Parallelly, individual teams use much other software like Trello, Whimsical, Mix Panel, etc for their internal work and task tracking.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in your industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behaviour have you seen between India and the world?

    Iesh Dixit: We launched our product in the US market this year, and by far we have observed minimal differences. While we do have competition in the US market, most of the existing players are currently focusing only on monetization and revenue.

    We would rather want to focus on the user engagement aspect as that is very crucial for scalability. Hence the opportunity is immense. However, the US has more tech-savvy blue-collar workers and higher penetration of iOS users when compared to India.

    StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year and how will these inform your future plans and strategies?

    Iesh Dixit: We have collectively learnt that it is user engagement over monetization. I am sure that this learning will help us grow much faster as a PLG SaaS company globally.

    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, product features, and team base in the future?

    Iesh Dixit: National and international expansion is on our radar. We are working toward making self-serve software and building intuitive product flows. This would reduce human intervention and help us scale faster. While we are expecting to grow our OS user base, we are committed to delivering a glitch-free experience as we scale. To meet this promise, we are working towards expanding our tech team by bringing in a few industry leaders.

    Expanding our software offering to cater to wider segments of global users is our immediate action plan. With the high penetration of iOS users in the US market, creating a universal application that runs cohesively across platforms (android, iOS, and web) will be our key focus area for the next few months.

    StartupTalky: Iesh finally, one tip that you would like to share with another SaaS founder?

    Iesh Dixit: Focus on user engagement and not monetization in the initial phase of your SaaS business.

    We thank Iesh Dixit for spending his valuable time and sharing his learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • Reviving the Art of Handcrafted Sarees: Ritu Oberoi, Founder of ForSarees, Shares the Need for High-Quality Sarees in Major Cities

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    The saree market in India is a large and diverse market, with a wide variety of sarees available to suit different occasions, styles, and budgets. The saree is a traditional garment that is worn by women in India, and it is considered to be an elegant and versatile piece of clothing.

    In the financial year 2021, the size of the Indian market for sarees, blouses, and petticoats amounted to INR 288 billion, with an estimate of INR 616.67 billion for 2025.

    Sarees are made from a wide variety of fabrics, including silk, cotton, georgette, chiffon, and more. There are many different types of sarees available in the Indian market, each with its own unique characteristics and designs. Some popular types of sarees include Banarasi sarees, Kanjeevaram sarees, Patola sarees, Paithani sarees, and more.

    The saree market has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sales have dropped significantly due to lockdowns and closures of physical stores; however, eCommerce platforms have seen a significant boost in saree sales.

    For this Interview, we invited Ritu Oberoi, Founder of ForSarees, and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the Traditional handloom/Saree industry.

    StartupTalky: Ritu, what products does your company sell? What was the motivation or vision with which you started?

    Ritu Oberoi: ForSarees is a platform selling diverse ethnic handcrafted and handloom sarees from different parts of India. I have always been in love with sarees since my college days, and it is a form of dress that crores of Indian women wear every single day.

    However, I was surprised when I discovered that major metro cities needed more high-quality handcrafted sarees. Barring occasional exhibitions or special events, one didn’t see the authentic handloom sarees at most regular saree showrooms. I knew that ample talent and artisans regularly made such sarees, but they suffered due to the lack of market access. That motivated me to build ForSarees as a D2C brand for handmade sarees.

    StartupTalky: Ritu if we talk about ForSarees in specific, what other products/features have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of your products?

    Ritu Oberoi: All sarees from ForSarees are 100% authentic handicraft pieces. I have traveled extensively across India to identify the right talent, and we have established clusters in several states to manufacture the sarees.

    The biggest USP of ForSarees has been finding the right artisans to build a supply chain free of any middlemen. Like there is farm to table concept in agriculture, we have created a channel where handcrafted sarees from artisans are being directly offered to buyers in metro cities through our online platform. We are unique even in terms of quality, authenticity, and affordability of the sarees on the platform. Besides running the eCommerce portal, ForSarees is involved in various developmental projects and supports rural empowerment and gender inclusivity.

    StarupTalky: How has the traditional handloom/saree industry changed in recent years, and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Ritu Oberoi: Sarees have been a perennial favorite among Indian women, and many of them wear sarees daily. However, the industry, especially the retail operators in metro cities, needs to improve in high-quality handmade sarees.

    The talented artisans from rural areas don’t have adequate market access despite the demand for handcrafted sarees in the metros. That’s an area ForSarees
    has managed to address this by building an online platform showcasing collections of sarees by weavers and handlooms from various states. Our digital platform works in tandem with rural artisans and enables customers to buy high-quality sarees directly. Thus, the sarees are authentic, superior in quality, and affordable. This is how we overcome market challenges and improve things for all stakeholders.

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    Ritu Oberoi: ForSarees sells authentic, ethnic, handmade sarees. The artisans design the sarees as per the signature styles of each type and contemporary sensibilities.

    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?

    Ritu Oberoi: We track sales and customer talking points. Direct sales are never the direct impact. There are always things like people liking the product and not buying it, but they do recommend it to some more friends. Hence we look at overall feedback, and our feedback mechanism is good.

    StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?

    Ritu Oberoi: The biggest challenges we constantly faced were finding the right talent and building an ecosystem where the artisans could generate a steady monthly income by working with ForSarees. We have set up clusters of artists in different states where they make sarees and sell them online through our platform without any middlemen.

    StartupTalky: Repeat purchase is one of the most important parameters on which most e-commerce brands are betting. How do you keep your customer engaged to stop churn?

    Ritu Oberoi: The market we target is humongous, and women who wear ethnic sarees seek high-quality and authentic pieces. We scored highly on both parameters and keep contemporary styling and design trends in mind. Thus, every saree from ForSarees is exquisite and affordable hand-crafted brilliance. This has kept our customers happy; many have worn our sarees for years.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off.

    Ritu Oberoi: We rely on multiple modes with a prime focus on content and influencer marketing. We have associated with several actors, celebrities, and social media influencers like Vidya Balan and Renuka Shahane, who have worn our sarees on different occasions. We promote the sarees by frequently sharing style guides and dress recommendations to make our audience aware of the easy access to authentic handmade sarees facilitated by ForSarees. It has helped us significantly.

    StartupTalky: What are the important tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?

    Ritu Oberoi: We use tools like Zoho for our CRM, Shiprocket for delivery, HubSpot for content marketing, and the Sumo app for business ideas and creatives for social media.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in your industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen within states in India?

    Ritu Oberoi: There is incredible demand for handmade sarees in Indian metro cities and through e-commerce portals like ForSarees, a change is being ushered in. In the past, conventional saree outlets offered very few affordable handmade saree options.

    However, the D2C retail model is transforming the scenario, and we will see the segment proliferate in the times ahead.

    StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year and how will these inform your future plans and strategies?

    Ritu Oberoi: As a team, we realized that one market channel and single sales channels aren’t enough; hence, we are building up parallel channels to create better brand value and revenue streams. In the future, we will experiment with many more things like new products, new modes of marketing and sales, etc.

    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, SKUS, and team base in the future?

    Ritu Oberoi: We plan to popularize traditional Indian crafts in urban and modern setups. ForSarees has already achieved significant success in this arena. We work with new artist clusters each year and are onboarding more handloom weavers from the existing clusters. This has helped us expand the variety and diversity of product categories. We will be introducing new product categories such as stoles, scarves, home dĂŠcor items, and even utility gifts in the times to come.

    StartupTalky: With so much hype around D2C brands spending on ads, What will be your growth strategy organic or inorganic? How to plan to work around SEO and content marketing?

    Ritu Oberoi: We rely heavily on SEO, content, and influencer marketing initiatives. Successful women such as entrepreneurs, social media influencers, actors, and celebrities serve as role models and style icons. When women see personalities like Vidya Balan wear our sarees, they take note. This strategy has worked well for us, and we will continue to leverage it in the future.

    StartupTalky: Ritu, one tip that you would like to share with other d2c founders?

    Ritu Oberoi: Keep going, persistence is the key to success.

    We thank Ritu Oberoi for spending her valuable time and sharing her learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • Alex George, Co-Founder and Managing Director of ITLH, Empowering Students With UI/UX Design Skill-Based Courses

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    There are many resources available for learning UI/UX design and front-end web development, such as websites offering online courses. These self-paced courses can be taken at your own convenience.

    If you prefer a more structured learning experience, consider enrolling in a boot camp. These intensive programs provide a comprehensive education in UI/UX design and front-end development, usually completed within a few months. The global EdTech market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.5% from 2022 to 2030, reaching USD 429.5 billion by 2030.

    For this Interview, we invited Mr. Alex George, Co-founder & Managing Director of ITLH, and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the skill-based ed-tech industry.

    StartupTalky: Alex, What service does your company provide? What was the motivation or vision with which you started?

    Alex George: ITLH is driven by the motive of #SkillingForEmployability. We are more than an ed-tech company providing UIUX design and Front-End Development courses. It is a learning community that bridges the skill gap with practical learning, the best industrial mentorship, and lifetime career support.

    StartupTalky: What new services have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of your service?

    Alex George: ITLH provides innovative experiential learning with a disruptive approach.
    We provide:
    ● Specialised Training
    ● In-depth curriculum
    ● Real-Time Projects
    ● Affordable
    ● Course certification and internship letter
    ● Dedicated Practice Session
    ● Freelancing and job assistance

    We have launched the Course ReactJS

    Global Multi-Member Faculty of Industry Experts with an Avg Experience of 15 Years from Google, Accenture, Tech Mahindra, Salesforce, etc

    Guest Faculty with World-Renowned Heads and CEOs. The Clock mentorship ensures your learning experience is holistic. Special Focus to build your own personalized Behance Portfolio.

    Collaboration with a Singapore-based Design & IT company to ensure you don’t go out in the market as a Fresher.

    Lifetime Placement Opportunity so that we have your back when you decide to switch. Access to World’s first Gated freelancing community for UIUX Designers.

    StartupTalky: How has the ed-tech industry changed in recent years, and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Alex George: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on educational frameworks. The country’s entire digital landscape has seen a significant transformation. Even schools and universities have demonstrated how crucial an efficient online interface is.

    ITLH is trying to build an online ecosystem. Our program focuses on enhancing students’ skill sets and preparing them for the workplace. With more than 15 years of combined expertise, our trainers come from Google, TataCliq, Accenture, and Salesforce, and we put a lot of emphasis on equipping our students with the best of the best.

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    Alex George: Monitoring competitor social media pages and their websites.
    The fact is that the ITLH is an initiative of an IT corporation ‘Centillion’. As a result, we are able to keep an eye on the latest technological developments and market demands because it is co-directed by an IT firm. Our curriculum is continually being improved in accordance with the most recent industry trends as technology continues to advance. so that the students can learn more about current trends and have the necessary understanding of current trends in the UIUX industry.

    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?

    Alex George: A student enrolled compared to last month and last year’s cost per acquisition and ROAS Lead to conversion enrollment from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities Referral Packages students are getting in job placement % of self-placed students.

    StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?

    Alex George: Making our audience understand that “Practical learning and Skill development “is a much more important focus area than just certification. Due to our education system’s approach, it is now a default tendency that you give an exam and gain certification, you deserve a good job, but that’s far from reality, when it comes to corporate, your work experience & skills matter the most. We solved this issue by slowly displaying our array of case studies!

    We have students who were mechanical engineers but never got a job to become a UIUX designer, we have students who have degrees that have no relation to UIUX design but are now currently one of the most successful designers in the Industry.

    StartupTalky: Good service is something everyone is talking about in the service industry. How do you ensure that your clients are happy?

    Alex George: We offer a course that is more in-depth than the certification. We provide lifelong placement support, boot camps, and webinars for our students so, that they can keep themselves updated with the current trends and knowledge. With the aid of our practical/application-based training style, our goal is to empower our students to become independent. Students shouldn’t rely on others or look for assurances from them; instead, make sure that our students are confident enough in their own abilities to apply to and be hired by any ideal employer.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off.

    Alex George:  We follow many strategies for marketing. These include:

    • Using email for branding, lead nurturing
    • Doing webinar sessions to solve UIUX-related queries of Users
    • Leverage Referral Marketing
    • Cash the Trends to get engagement on the Social Media page
    • Using Facebook and google ads for lead generation and remarketing
    • Industry-based articles/news where we are garnering our product knowledge.

    StartupTalky: Foreign clients- this is what most service-based companies are looking for. What has been your experience?

    Alex George: There aren’t any restrictions on the number of international students we accept. we make sure that we offer our services to overseas clients wherever they need to upgrade their skills.
    Currently, we are providing our services to the UAE market. What we have understood is a skill gap in Traditional Education is a common issue that needs to be resolved across the globe.

    StartupTalky: What are the important tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?

    Alex George: For lead generation, we use Facebook Ads and Google Ads; for lead nurturing, we use LeadSquared (mail) and Verloop (WhatsApp message, chatbot).
    We also use Google Analytics and Search console for tracking traffic and monitoring website performance.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in the ed-tech industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen between India and the world?

    Alex George: In the coming years, our surroundings will only consist of digital experiences because our world is already a digital ecosystem. A practical understanding of UI and UX principles will determine one’s employability in crucial technical roles. The user base of the application and software will mostly be influenced by customer satisfaction and loyalty.

    Demand for UI and UX design courses has grown in India as more professionals looking to advance their careers by entering the field that is prepared for the future. Both in India and the World, users are becoming more selective and over-pampered with the unlimited amount of technological resources that are available, business need to value the customer experience at the highest level if they want to stay in Business.

    Another valuable gold mine that is already in process is user data, consumers understand the value of sharing data and we will see market behavior change towards making this the center of attention for applications. With Customer Experience and Data becoming the next big thing, we see a huge potential for employment in the field of UIUX as the very purpose of UIUX as an industry is to deal with these two important areas.

    StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year and how will these inform your future plans and strategies?

    Alex George: There are many things we have learned as a team together, few of the highlights of the learning we did would be that time has finally become a valuable resource. Our students prefer lesser interaction with the highest quality as they are working professionals and students aspiring to get job-ready, time is the most important determinant of success for them, our focus area this year would be to make sure we are able to build a robust technology intelligence that ensures the utmost learning experiences for our students within the shortest and the most accessible amount of time.

    Students look for a job that satisfies them rather than a big name or big pay package: we are already able to deliver one of the top companies and highest pay packages that are available in our country to our students, what we have come to realize is what our top students look forward for is much more than that. Our focus area for this year would be to scan for companies that provide additional value than these benefits.

    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, service offering, and team base in the future?

    Alex George: Our company’s ultimate mission has always been to redefine learning. The three industry pillars of proficiency, professionalism, and pragmatism determine a candidate’s employability in the tech tier. Our innovative approach to experiential learning has produced a revolutionary approach that is essentially a simulation of the skills and competencies needed in the workplace.

    Many students in India and the Middle East have confidence in ITLH to help them advance their careers. We have been able to set some expansion plans as a team and as a business thanks to this trust.

    We want to expand the number of courses offered, create additional opportunities for college students to receive in-depth corporate training, and expand the number of placements available.
    Our product basket will now include:

    • Corporate training
    • Campus Training
    • Bootcamps
    • Master courses and
    • A Freelancing Ecosystem.

    StartupTalky: So finally Alex, One tip that you would like to share with another Service company founder?

    Alex George: We say that customers are always right, which I agree with. But we must always remember we belong to the education industry, where students come to us knowing that we are doing something right, making decisions that give better end results to the customer for eg: a job or a placement rather than giving fancy experiences without output is what will make us stand apart for the long term. Focus on long-term customer satisfaction.

    We thank Alex George for spending his valuable time and sharing his learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • Shreya Sharma, Founder of Rest the Case, Addresses the Lack of Digitalization in India’s Legal Market with a One-Stop Platform for All Legal Needs

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    A legal service marketplace is a platform that connects clients with lawyers or legal professionals. The marketplace offers a variety of legal services, such as document review, contract drafting, and dispute resolution, among others. Clients can choose the legal professional they want to work with based on factors such as experience, ratings, and cost. The platform typically handles payment and manages the transaction between the client and the legal professional, making it easier and more convenient for both parties to find and work with each other.

    Despite having so many legal aggregators quality of information is missing. Also, other standards like knowledge with analysis and judgments under one stop were dreams for the legal fraternity in India.

    To solve this problem, Shreya Sharma launched REST THE CASE . The legal-tech market in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 25% during the forecast period 2021-2026, according to a report by Mordor Intelligence.

    For this Interview, we invited Shreya Sharma founder of REST THE CASE, and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the Legal industry.

    StartupTalky: Shreya, what service does REST THE CASE provide? What was the motivation/ vision with which you started?

    Shreya: We are a legal aggregator platform that connects lawyers and clients. Our main service is bridging the gap between clients and lawyers. Apart from this we also have legal information and legal drafts which one can access on our website.

    The legal market in India was missing digitalization and there weren’t platforms that offered all things related to the law under one roof. The main motivation was to provide one place for all kinds of legal services to enhance people’s access to legal services.

    StartupTalky: What new features have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of your product?

    Shreya: We have an ERP-based case management system for our registered lawyers which helps them efficiently keep records of their clients saving time and cost. When speaking about USPs, we are a platform that has everything law related under one roof. One doesn’t need to go to any other platform for different services.
    Alternatively, we are also catering to a plethora of interested parties be it lawyers,
    clients, law students, or even someone wanting to gain knowledge about our laws.

    Shreya: As in all industries technology’s role in law has increased tremendously. Being a legal tech company our entire business model revolves around tech in law. Apart from this AI and Mediation are two spaces that a growing and we are currently working on bringing them onto our platforms.

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    Shreya: There are multiple ways of doing this, one of the most helpful way is to stay in touch and network with your peers in the industry. Reading and keeping a tab on what other similar companies are doing also helps. Additionally, we also keep having events like Panel Discussions and Interviews with industry experts which helps us also know the new developments.

    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?

    Shreya: Metrics and numbers are an important part of any business and we place a lot of importance on them as they can be a great indicator of how the business is
    performing. Some of the indicators we focus on are: Revenue, the Number of
    Lawyers Registered with us, How many Clients approach us, Our social media
    reach, etc.

    StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?

    Shreya: Legal matters are very personal and very confidential. Gaining the trust of people to use our services was one of our biggest challenges. To overcome this we have ensured that all the lawyers on our website go through a verification process. Not just this but everything on the website is end-to-end encrypted.

    StartupTalky: Trust among all the stakeholders is very important for a marketplace. How do you ensure it?

    Shreya: As mentioned above we have a verification process for our registered lawyers. Apart from this, our team has constant communication with lawyers and clients to make sure all queries and concerns are addressed.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off.

    Shreya: We have very active social media and with that, we try to make people aware of the current legal happenings in the country.

    StartupTalky: Keeping up with supply and demand is important. How do you keep both in order?

    Shreya: For us, the supply and demand would be in the form of lawyers and clients. We try to make sure that we are constantly expanding our lawyer base all over the country to make sure that we can provide legal services to almost everyone and not just in major cities.

    StartupTalky: What are the important tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?

    We use a multitude of tools for running our business like SEO tools, tools for running our Ads, social media optimization tools, etc.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in your industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen between India and the world?

    Shreya: There is a lot of scope for growth for our company. With new and more advanced technologies coming we will constantly be updating our platform and incorporating the same to make it most advantageous for our users.

    StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year and how will these inform your plans and strategies?

    Shreya: We have learned how dynamic our environment is and hence all our plans and strategies are going to be such that they support any kind of macro or micro factors affecting us.

    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, service offering, and team base in the future?

    Shreya: We are working towards incorporating AI-based technology on our platform. Additionally, we also want to add a mediation portal to our platform as it is one of the most sought-after ADR mechanisms.

    StartupTalky: One tip that you would like to share with another marketplace company founder?

    Shreya: The most important thing is to believe in oneself and their ideas. Having a team who can support you in that idea is key to your company’s success.

    We thank Shreya Sharma for spending her valuable time and sharing her learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • Technology Plays a Crucial Role in the Growth and Monetization of Apps Says Arpit Jain, Founder of GreedyGame

    In 2020, the Indian advertising industry was valued at INR 670 billion. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11% between 2023 and 2028 reaching approximately INR 1253.2 billion according to the data shared by Expertmarketresearch.

    Statista data shows the digital advertising industry in India reached approximately INR 200 billion in the year 2021.  It is expected to reach INR 360 billion by 2023.  The reason for this exponential growth is attributable to the deep penetration of social media and gaming platforms.  These platforms have provided businesses and brands an invaluable marketing opportunity to reach their target audience.

    Startup Talky: Take us through the GreedyGame journey and how it started?

    Arpit Jain: We founded GreedyGame in 2013 with a vision to have a content-driven approach to mobile advertising.  At the time, mobile ads were considered intrusive and disruptive to user experience resulting in low conversions for advertisers. The GreedyGame platform was one of the early pioneers of native advertising for gaming apps that helped publishers with advanced native formats years before AdMob or FAN.

    Over the years, we have evolved to be a one-stop platform for publishers to acquire users, maximize revenue, and also get actionable insights to improve their business growth trajectory. In the past decade, we have set industry standards to better engage the audience by making ads attractive and profitable. Today we are a Google Channel Partner, working with more than 1500 publishers and 500+ advertisers.

    We have grown as a team. In the last three years, we have achieved a multi-fold growth with a brilliant team and cutting-edge technology.

    Currently, we are also supporting young app developers and startups with best practices, insights, and marketing funds to grow their apps on our platform, called ‘Appicorns’. Overall, the whole journey has been a remarkable learning experience, with immense growth along the way.

    GreedyGame celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. It’s been a winding road full of challenges, obstacles, successes and failures. The last three years have, especially, been significant to our growth.

    Startup Talky: What are the services offered by GreedyGame? Please also mention core services or verticals.

    Arpit Jain: Our product repertoire is extensive helping apps and websites increase their user bases and earn revenue.

    GreedyGame AdX: We help monetize apps efficiently with AdX. It is an ideal alternative to AdMob or AdSense for implementing better ad monetization strategies and data analysis. It helps publishers connect with premium demand partners and direct advertisers to improve fill rates and eCPMs (effective cost per thousand impressions).

    GROW: With Grow, you can kickstart your app’s growth with self-service user acquisition. You can overcome the challenges of building ads from scratch, and create productive ad campaigns and reach out to millions of users who are looking for an app like yours. The best part is, you get targeted installs and can acquire non-incentivized users at a nominal cost.

    SDK X: You can switch to advanced AdMob integration with SDK X. It allows publishers to supercharge their ad revenue with a refined way of integrating AdMob and multiple demand sources with apps. It is a revolutionary ad-serving technology, allowing publishers to integrate AdMob and premium ad networks to optimize their ad revenue and get higher fill rates and eCPM.

    Insights: Insights provide a 360-degree overview of your app growth and revenue. It offers a comprehensive dashboard that declutters various contextual metrics for you to identify the right type of data and quickly identify the user behavior to find your ROAS (return on ad spend).

    As far as our core services are concerned, we offer an all-in-one product that aids in overall app/website growth, monetization, and user acquisition across all domains.

    Startup Talky: How do you see the landscape of mobile app monetization in the coming years, especially in India?

    Arpit Jain: The mobile app monetization landscape in India is expected to continue growing in the coming years. The increasing penetration of smartphones and internet access in the country will likely lead to more people downloading and using mobile apps, which will in turn create more opportunities for app developers to monetize their products. Some of the most popular monetization methods currently used in India include in-app advertising, in-app purchases, freemium models, subscription-based models, and affiliate marketing. Additionally, with the rise of digital payments and e-commerce in India, we can also expect to see more apps integrate these revenue models to generate revenue.

    In addition, 5G technology has the potential to greatly impact the mobile app monetization landscape in India. With faster speeds and lower latency, 5G will allow for more immersive and interactive experiences within mobile apps, which could lead to increased engagement and revenue for app developers. Moreover, 5G’s ability to support a larger number of connected devices will enable new monetization opportunities, such as IoT-based apps and services. 5G will also enable new technologies like edge computing and cloud gaming, which could also boost monetization potential for mobile app developers.

    This is not all; 5G will also allow for more efficient delivery of video and other high-bandwidth content, which could lead to an increase in video-based advertising and other monetization methods that rely on rich media. This would enable app developers to access a wider range of monetization options, allowing them to create more personalized and profitable apps.

    Startup Talky: Do you think mobile app monetization platforms are thriving in India? If yes, then what factors have contributed to this success?

    Arpit Jain: Yes, mobile app monetization platforms are thriving in India. The factors that have contributed to this success include:

    1. Increase in smartphone penetration: With the rise of affordable smartphones, more Indians are accessing the internet through their mobile devices. This has led to an increase in the number of app downloads and usage, providing a large audience for app monetization platforms to target.
    2. Growth of e-commerce: The growth of e-commerce in India has led to an increase in the number of apps being developed for online shopping, food delivery, and other services. This has created a demand for monetization platforms that can help app developers generate revenue through in-app purchases, subscriptions, and ads.
    3. Increase in ad spends: As more companies shift their advertising budgets to digital platforms, there has been a significant increase in ad spending on mobile apps. This has created a large market for mobile app monetization platforms that can help app developers monetize their apps through advertising.
    4. The rising popularity of mobile gaming: The popularity of mobile gaming in India has also contributed to the success of mobile app monetization platforms. Many app developers are now developing games that are free to download but require in-app purchases to unlock certain features or advance to higher levels.
    5. Government initiatives: The Indian government has also played a role in the success of mobile app monetization platforms by promoting the development of the digital economy and encouraging the growth of the startup ecosystem. This has led to an increase in the number of app developers and startups in the country, creating a larger market for monetization platforms.

    Startup Talky: What is your USP as a mobile app monetization platform?

    Arpit Jain: GreedyGame offers end-to-end business growth solutions via a single platform. App developers can start acquiring users and scale up in multiple ways, including influencers, affiliates, and DSPs. They can set up their ad monetization and receive data-backed insights on a continuous basis to help them grow their business.

    The top 1% of app publishers get 80% of all downloads; we help the other 99%. We are looking to democratize the app ecosystem with the world’s first AI-enabled ad unit recommendation and creation engine for implementing ads of all formats. We have established industry standards with this platform to increase audience engagement by making advertisements entertaining and lucrative.

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    Startup Talky: What are some of the biggest challenges that the company has faced so far?

    Arpit Jain: As an app monetization company, we have faced a number of challenges, including:

    Ad fraud: Ad fraud, where fraudulent actors impersonate legitimate advertisers, has become a significant issue in the app monetization space. This can lead to revenue loss for app monetization companies.

    Privacy concerns: With increasing concerns about data privacy, app monetization companies have had to adapt their practices to comply with new regulations such as GDPR and CCPA.

    Changes in app store policies: Changes in app store policies, such as Apple’s recent changes to its App Store guidelines, can impact the way app monetization companies are able to monetize their apps.

    Startup Talky: What is the role that technology plays in the growth and monetization of apps?

    Arpit Jain: Technology plays a crucial role in the growth and monetization of apps. It allows for the creation and development of apps, as well as their distribution and promotion through various channels such as app stores and social media. Additionally, technology enables the use of various monetization strategies, such as in-app purchases, advertising, and subscriptions. It also allows for data collection and analysis, which can be used to improve user experience and target monetization efforts more effectively.

    Besides, the usage of AI/ML (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning) in apps can greatly enhance their functionality and user experience. For example, AI-powered chatbots can provide personalized customer service and support, while ML algorithms can be used to analyze user data and improve app recommendations and personalized content. AI/ML can also be used to optimize in-app advertising and improve the efficiency of app monetization. Additionally, AI/ML can be used to improve app security by detecting and preventing fraudulent activities. Overall, incorporating AI/ML into apps can significantly improve their value, which can result in higher growth and monetization.

    Startup Talky: How are you going to add more value to your services this year (2023)?

    Arpit Jain: Until 2022, all our products had separate dashboards, but this year we have come up with a unified dashboard called PubScale. Thanks to this integrated dashboard, publishers now have access to analytics, growth, optimization, and monetization, all in one convenient location. Our goal with PubScale is to give developers solid data and total transparency for their advertising campaigns. This platform helps publishers run a profitable and goal-oriented business by providing features for ad monetization, user acquisition, ad revenue optimization, and app performance analytics. Thereby, it eliminates app developers’ extra costs and the hassle of using separate platforms for unique campaign objectives.

    In addition, our stakeholders will see heavy usage of AI/ML from GreedyGame, meaning, more recommendations, insights, and data from competitors, to help app developers grow.

    Startup Talky: Please tell us a little bit about your company’s expansion plans in the coming years and how you see your growth in the next 5 years?

    Arpit Jain: Geographically, we are in Bangalore and Delhi in India, and in Delaware, US. We have already started having sales consultants in different countries. In the next five years, we see ourselves expanding into new markets and establishing our footprints across the globe.

    We are also looking to create deeper-level partnerships with mid-sized app developers whose apps have the potential to grow and the capability to go big. We will collaborate with them and help them scale through all the knowledge and resources at our disposal.

    We thank Arpit Jain for spending his valuable time and sharing his learnings with all of us.

  • One Uses the Products One Like – Gender Does Not Enter the Equation Says Crazy Owl Co-founder Karishma Sahni

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    Luxury products are high-end, premium goods that are perceived to have superior quality, design, and craftsmanship. People across the world use luxury products for a better experience, quality, and status.

    Nowadays, Luxury products are facing challenges due to counterfeit products and changing consumer preferences. The luxury products market is full of competition and slight loose ends can play a big role in the hindrance of any brand’s growth.

    The luxury goods industry is dominated by a small number of large multinational corporations, with a few key players in each product category.

    However, the global luxury goods market is expected to experience a CAGR of around 5-7% from 2021 to 2026. This growth is driven by factors such as the increasing wealth of consumers in emerging markets, the rise of e-commerce, and the continued popularity of luxury goods as status symbols and forms of personal expression.

    For this Interview, we invited Karishma Sahni, Co-founder of, Crazy Owl, and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the industry.

    StartupTalky: Karishma, what products does Crazy Owl sell? What was the misison with which you started?

    Karishma: Crazy Owl – Your Skin Co. is a luxurious, consciously crafted brand on a mission to deliver clean and sustainable products that work at the highest standards. “Our Philosophy Is That One Wears the Scent One Loves, and One Uses the Products One Like – Gender Does Not Enter the Equation.”

    Today, men and women are not looking for products specifically for their gender, but simply efficient, cleaner formulas based on effectiveness with no difference in scent, packaging, or name, and this is simply because efficacy has no gender or age.

    With Crazy Owl, we wanted to spread the message to shop for gender neutrality, diversity, inclusiveness, and the idea that we are all the same yet different in our ways.

    StartupTalky: What other products/features have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of your products?

    Karishma: We are a personal care brand that is PETA and IFRA certified, and FDA approved. We launched our products in mid-April 2022 and currently provide the best possible sensorial experience in our Hair Care range with India’s First Date Seed Oil Shampoo, Conditioner, and Hair Oil. Our Body Wash range is 100% soap-free, pH balanced, and made with 99% Glycerine. Our Eau de Parfum range is strong, long-lasting, and accentuates your essence. Our unique Body Spray range uplifts your mood and senses.

    With 15 years of experience in manufacturing for leading fragrance brands globally, we wanted to launch best-in-class products for Indian consumers where every scoop, spritz, and slather is a sensorial and sensational experience that can make a remarkable difference to your hair, body, and skin.

    At Crazy Owl we believe in delivering quality and integrity that matches international standards. This quality is reflected in our handpicked packaging as well as the ingredients sourced. Our fragrances are IFRA certified and are formulated using skin-safe ingredients making you feel and look the best at all times.

    Our vibrant, colorful, and flamboyant color palette is what sets us apart. Our products with their lively and vivacious spirit reflect in our packaging, creating positive connections with you every day thereby conferring high-spirited vibes all day long. Our product range has gone through vigorous R&D to ensure the highest quality and efficacy.

    StartupTalky: How has the Beauty and personal care industry changed in recent years and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Karishma: As per Euromonitor, the Indian beauty and personal care market is INR 1136 Bn market expected to exhibit a CAGR of 8.7% during 2021-2026. The BPC market is currently 4th Largest in the world. In the last two-year, Indian consumers have started spending a lot on “Looking good” per capita consumption has gone up for beauty categories.

    Does & Fragrance categories are the fastest growing with double-digit growth. Therefore, Crazy Owl would be focusing on these categories and launching more India-relevant fragrances that are strong and long-lasting to capture our ground in the Indian market.

    Karishma: Being a manufacturer of leading fragrance brands globally we understand what notes are in trend and what notes are preferred for which region, season, personality, etc. Using this experience, we tend to launch winning fragrances for India under our brand label. We are very focused on building a lineup that is answering our consumer needs and have taken a problem-solving approach for our portfolio.

    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?

    Karishma: Ever since our launch we are growing by double digits; however, we measure our performance from the stunning return rate of our existing customers which is much higher than the industry standard, and the ongoing appreciation posts, reviews, and WhatsApp that we receive from our customers when they love our products.

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    StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?

    Karishma: Given we launched only in April 2022 we are still learning our ground on how best we can reach out to a large Indian audience and serve them. Demand prediction is uncertain especially when you are launching a new brand and don’t know how the response to your brand will be.

    Customer acquisition always takes a lot of time as the brand is new, we are continuously working on brand visibility through Influencer marketing, PR, and running differentiated marketing campaigns to get the brand noticed in the eyes of our consumers.

    We have also started communicating the problem-solving benefits of our products to the consumers so that they are more willing to try the brand. Given a good return ratio of the consumers, we are certain that once the brand is experienced by more consumers it will grow multifold.

    StartupTalky: Repeat purchase is one of the most important parameters on which most e-Commerce brands are betting. How do you keep your customer engaged to stop churn?

    Karishma: We try to bring in new products every 60 days to keep the customers excited and engaged. We run exciting campaigns and offer to create an urgency to buy for our consumers.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off.

    Karishma: “Our products don’t discriminate. All ages. All gender. All humans. Skin is skin. Hair is hair. Scents are genderless”

    We want to provide our consumers with a luxury, sensorial experience that’s effective and our products work for the entire family irrespective of age and gender.

    With this mindset, we launched our #OwlForAll campaign where we asked men and women to feel free to choose what they want or like to use. Discover who you are with #OwlForAll, live your life authentically, love yourself, and spread that positivity with #CrazyOwl love toward other people. Reveal the real you with #OwlForAll and break free from the stereotypes. With the #OwlForAll motto, we want to be your daily dose to relax and unwind – so add a splash of freshness with Crazy Owl and uplift your mind, body, and soul!

    The campaign was picked up and spoken about by Startup India and many other publications and TV celebrities who have supported the cause and brand philosophy.

    StartupTalky: What are the important tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?

    Karishma: Shopify for an e-commerce website is really good and we recommend it for all Startups. Helium for a Market place really helps get insights that are useful in driving sales.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in your industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen within states in India?

    Karishma: In our industry perfume is slowly and steadily moving from a special occasion product to an everyday usage product just like does. Therefore we acknowledge that trend and want to give a plethora of options to Indian consumers to choose from as there are not many gender-neutral fragrance brands in India.

    As a behavior we see women buying into male fragrances as they prefer strong fragrances, however, there aren’t many brands catering to the core needs of Indian consumers of different states, seasons, personalities, etc.

    StartupTalky: With so much hype around d2c brands spending on ads, What will be your growth strategy organic or inorganic? How to plan to work around SEO and content marketing?

    Karishma: Marketing is VERY expensive for a new brand. Return on Ad Spend is quite low in the beginning and customer acquisition is very expensive. In the early stages, ad spending is significantly higher. But it gets easier down the line as the brand starts getting recognized. The return rate of customers if it’s good then also helps. Our strategy is to get focus on customer acquisition as we have a very impressive return rate we want consumers to try our products therefore our spending is focused on that.

    Through content marketing, we are trying to create a community that stuns the stereotype. “Our products don’t discriminate. All ages. All gender. All humans. Skin is skin. Hair is hair. Scents are genderless”

    With this mindset, we launched our #OwlForAll campaign where we asked men and women to feel free to choose what they want or like to use. Discover who you are with #OwlForAll, live your life authentically, love yourself, and spread that positivity with #CrazyOwl love toward other people. Reveal the real you with #OwlForAll and break free from the stereotypes. With the #OwlForAll motto, we want to be your daily dose to relax and unwind – so add a splash of freshness with Crazy Owl and uplift your mind, body, and soul!

    The campaign was picked up and spoken about by Startup India and many other publications and TV celebrities who have supported the cause and brand philosophy.

    StartupTalky: One tip that you would like to share with another d2c founder?

    Karishma: Invest in Tech! It is crucial for a B2C brand to offer customers a seamless and personalized digital shopping experience in this competitive market.

    We thank Karishma for spending her valuable time and sharing her learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • Technology is the Biggest Unifying Factor Encouraging Industries across the Globe Says Kaustubh Kashyap, Chief Growth Officer Of Openturf

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    A Virtual Technology Office (VTO) refers to a service model where a company outsources its IT and technology support functions to an external provider, who manages these services remotely. The provider typically provides technology-related services, such as network management, software support, and hardware maintenance, through a virtual platform. The VTO model is designed to help companies reduce their IT and technology-related costs, while still providing reliable and efficient technology support services.

    For this Interview, we invited Mr. Kaustubh Kashyap, Chief Growth Officer (CGO), OpenTurf, and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the industry.

    StartupTalky: Kaustubh, what service does Openturf provide? What was the motivation/ vision with which you started?

    Kaustubh: We started Openturf with a vision to help companies achieve incrementally and transformative change in both efficiency and effectiveness of their business processes with the use of technology. By offering organizations cutting-edge technology along with co-creating customized software solutions aligned with their specific needs, Openturf is becoming instrumental in changing the fortunes of firms across product categories and service domains.

    Among the prominent services, we are the leading solution provider in technology audits & consulting, digital bridges (automation solutions for faster roll-outs), platform integrations, and enterprise software development. We also offer distinctively superior services in performance engineering, databases, analytics, technology stack assessment, cloud cost optimization, and cognitive services among others.

    StartupTalky: What new services have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of your service?

    Kaustubh: We have been expanding our portfolio of services with a laser-sharp focus on achieving the highest levels of quality and market requirements. We have successfully added our flagship offering Virtual Technology Office -VTO (virtual CTO services), 5G expertise, and complex System Integration capabilities in the last few years in our portfolio.

    Further, the work is on building various digital bridges (pre-built modules for automation) to shorten time-to-market for enhanced customer experience. Some of the USPs offered by Openturf include a Build-Operate-Transfer engagement model, a turnkey software development model for shared risks and responsibilities, an incremental approach to platform scalability, and building a dedicated technology team. In addition, we are also proud of our governance practices that ensure complete project transparency and ethical conduct at each and every phase of business execution leading to trustworthy long-term engagements.

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    StartupTalky: How has the tech outsourcing industry changed in recent years and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Kaustubh: The increasing influence of technology is very much evident in today’s fast-changing business environment. Companies cutting across industries are increasingly becoming inclined to integrate new-age innovations and this change is fuelling the demand for SaaS platforms, VTOs, and BOT models among others. Openturf has aligned itself well with the ongoing changes by adding new services to its constellation while making the necessary amendments to the existing services in accordance with the requirements of its clients.

    Kaustubh: By constantly interacting with the stakeholders of the business ecosystem including our clients, technology developers, suppliers, and policymakers, we at OpenTurf keep a close tab on the present and future pulse of the business. Participating in international and national conferences, symposiums, discussions, competitions, and allied events also helps us to keep up the pace with contemporary trends and changing realities.

    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?

    Kaustubh: While we closely follow key performance indicators (KPIs) such as revenue growth, profitability, and operating margins, the real metrics that matter most to us include net promoter score, the longevity of client engagements, repeat orders from our existing clients, and a number of projects gone live per client to name a few.

    StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?

    Kaustubh: The issues related to project execution – non-availability of tech documentation, or rapid changes in the scope of work where tech documents exist, or lack of project visibility by the customer. Then there were issues related to living systems – need-based just-in-time scalability of the platforms, the supportability of legacy systems, etc.

    In order to successfully address all these issues, we evolved our processes to come up with a slew of innovative approaches which delivered considerably well on the above-mentioned KPIs. We also started a few new practices like sustenance engineering practices to address the management of legacy systems.

    StartupTalky: Good service is something everyone is talking about in the service industry. How do you ensure that your clients are happy?

    Kaustubh: The fundamental operating principles that help us to deliver exceptional service experiences to clients are our single-minded focus on customer-centricity – Our mantra is “if the customer succeeds we succeed.”

    Besides, our customer-friendly business approach – commercials based on deliverables provide a lot of confidence to our customers to work with us. This coupled with the cost competitive structure and high transparency makes us the preferred choice of tech supplier across business categories and service domains.

    Further, our culture of bringing new-age technologies to customers is at the epicenter of our business practice, and it is proving instrumental in keeping us ahead of our contemporaries.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off.

    Kaustubh: Our clients are our biggest assets as we have been able to achieve an exceptional 91%+ of repeat businesses from our enterprise customers. We also boast that more than 80% of our clients come via references, which again speaks volumes about our software delivery and system integration capabilities that we deliver to enterprises across the globe. In sum, a chunk of our business comes from repeat orders as our existing clients refer our services to new potential customers around the world.

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    StartupTalky: Foreign clients- this is what most service-based companies are looking for. What has been your experience?

    Kaustubh: We are receiving a very positive response from overseas clients and this explains the rapid expansion of our operations in foreign territories. We have a dedicated office in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and efforts are underway to further build up our presence in the US and Europe. As technology integration today has become a prerequisite for success, we anticipate the demand for virtual CTO, cloud computing, SaaS-based systems, and platform integrations to reach a whole new level in the coming years.

    StartupTalky: What are the important tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?

    Kaustubh: Being a technology service provider, we at Openturf have integrated new-age platforms and open-source enterprise-grade systems to keep our operations smooth and nimble-footed. Google Cloud, Slack, Jira, CRM, Accounting tools, and a few other such platforms are used to streamline our business processes and deliver enriched experiences to our clients, employees, and suppliers.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in your industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen between India and the world?

    Kaustubh: Technology is the biggest unifying factor encouraging industries across the globe to strive for more efficiency and effectiveness. While the needs and requirements of Indian and foreign clients vary as per the taste and preferences of their customer segments, the underlying need to realize better operational efficiencies and functional effects are the same on both national and global fronts. There is tremendous scope for growth in VTO – virtual CTO services, AI/ML services, analytics, database management, and 5G services. Further, the need for integrated platforms, automation modules, and SaaS architectures is going to drive the growth of our services going forward.

    StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year and how will these inform your plans and strategies?

    Kaustubh: We have always been focused on exercising the highest level of customer centricity and as we go forward in the future, we would like to take this characteristic of our organization a notch or two higher. We have also learned that any cost that doesn’t add value to the client has to be taken away with immediate effect. Our focus on the learning and development needs of our employees even amidst fast-changing business scenarios helps us to keep our customers happy.

    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, service offering, and team base in the future?

    Kaustubh: We are focusing on a multi-pronged strategy for expanding our customer base in the coming years. The focus is also on expanding capabilities in newer domains such as 5G and Web 3.0. We are also expanding our corporate base by setting up overseas offices to further encourage the adoption of our services among prospective clients globally. In addition, we will continue to hire across the country and onboard employees with a hybrid work culture.

    StartupTalky: One tip that you would like to share with another Service company founder?

    Kaustubh: Exercising the highest level of customer centricity is one of the most important virtues to remain relevant in the service industry. In addition, companies should strive to provide the best solutions and services which are equally competitive on the cost front to stay ahead of the competition.

    We thank Kaustubh Kashyap for spending his valuable time and sharing his learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • Blusalz Hospitality Revolutionizes Restorative Travel Market, Founder Sanjay Sharma Weighs In

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    Hospitality refers to the provision of friendly and generous treatment to guests, visitors, or strangers. It encompasses various industries such as hotels, restaurants, cruise lines, and events, and aims to make guests feel comfortable and valued.

    The global hospitality market grew from $4,390.59 billion in 2022 to $4,699.57 billion in 2023 at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 7.0%. However, according to recent reports, the global hospitality industry is expected to have a CAGR of around 4% to 6% over the next few years due Russia-Ukraine War.

    According to WTTC, India is ranked 10th among 185 countries in terms of travel & tourism’s total contribution to GDP in 2019. The travel market in India is projected to reach US$ 125 billion by FY27 from an estimated US$ 75 billion in FY20.

    For this Interview, we invited Mr. Sanjay Sharma, Founder of Blusalz Hospitality, and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the industry.

    StartupTalky: Sanjay, what does Bluesalz do? What was the motivation/ vision with which you started?

    Sanjay: BluSalz is all about Involved Living. It’s a natural progression of how the consumer’s journey has evolved, and maybe even pivoted during the Covid era. From Global to Local and now ‘Involved’ – here the Heightened Local and Lifestyle Experiences are the real draw. Come to think of it – it’s a full circle where we are rediscovering the roots of how early travel may have been. Each journey very unique – very individual – very personal.

    Having spent a lifetime in Hospitality, the glaring gap was evident in the consumer’s wants and the industry’s readiness. All this added up to our Benjamin Button moment!

    StartupTalky: What is the USP of your experiences curation platform?

    Sanjay: Our inspirations are our USPs. We are inspired by Uncommon Retreats. We are inspired by Diversity and Inclusion. We are inspired by Community and Conservation. These are the core of our ethos, and hence visible in our choices for everything we do. Our original local immersions act like restorative programs for travel curators who want to explore, connect and collect memories. These unconventional and unique spaces are our guests’ playground to leave with nothing but happiness.

    StartupTalky: How has the restoration travel market changed in recent years and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Sanjay: The last decade has seen a discontinuous change. The era of consolidation transcended to a period of reflection. The way of doing business was re-evaluated, and consumer behavioral triggers & preferences changed. Our inception was a by-product of these changes. The need for restorative travel is now more than ever and BluSalz is making this fragmented market accessible.

    Sanjay: It’s simple. Network – Network – Network. Stay connected in person and digitally. Sometimes we look outside our industry to get inspired and innovate.

    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?

    Sanjay: As an organization, we believe we are defined by the 3 R’s. Reputation – Relationships – Revenue. In that order. Revenue is last on this priority. This is not to say that it can be undermined in any way as it is the only way to survive. However, we believe our Reputation and Relationships are the gateways to
    stronger Revenue lines.

    All 3 R’s need to be looked at from a 360-degree perspective. Example: When we talk about Reputation it’s about the pride that anyone associated with us feels be it owners, vendor partners, staff & their families. To quantitatively identify the growth in our performance we use Balance Score Cards where these parameters are further defined and stressed. These checks and balances help us achieve longer-term stability and not just focus on the short-term gains that may actually
    come at a cost and a long-term loss.

    StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges Bluesalz faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?

    Sanjay: The biggest challenge, and a good problem to have on our hands, is the rate of our growth. We are growing exponentially. In a short span of time, we have grown to 30+ flags, and have a stronger pipeline predominantly for South Asia. What’s interesting to note is that we have generated significant overseas interest something we did not anticipate happening this early in our start-up journey. 2023 was targeted at a 2X growth rate but looks like we may very well overshoot the target.

    We are humbled by the love that we have received from our Staff, Guests, Owners, and Partners and owe this success to them. This blistering pace comes with its fair share of hair-pulling days, learnings, tempers, and all other piled-up human emotions. But every small success is celebrated like our 83’s world cup win. Extremely gratifying!

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off.

    Sanjay: Just like the 5 fingers in our hand are different, so are our properties. Acknowledging that is the biggest growth hack that any organization can pull off. More often than not one tries to have a blanket marketing plan that meets mediocre success. One size fits all does not work very well for our industry.

    Our patrons are well-traveled – well-read – well connected. Hence, we focus on a 2 pronged strategy-Educate and Distribute. Hard sales don’t work. Content does. We want to be a part of traditional and e-periodicals, trend stories, destination covers, community & conservation features, architectural delights, and more. We want to be in Social Media and Traditional Mediums too.

    Our brand is not only for those who travel but also for the people where our properties are located. Once we are a part of their every day – we have created the top-of-the-mind recall that creates a legacy. This along with Distribution on all Platforms that our guests may explore ensure a Billboard effect where the next time they think of a destination they will think of BluSalz.

    StartupTalky: What are the important tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?

    Sanjay: Technology was one of the main pillars that we knew we had to invest in. From the very beginning, we chose the best. Our technology partners are the best 3rd Party technology providers with global recognition. We understand that choosing a partner whose core business is technology will always give us an edge against making in-house systems where our expertise and resources are limited. We don’t want to be in a position where we have to compromise on technology because we redirected the funds to another vertical.

    Our current system is simple communication between 2 platforms a leading Global Central Reservation System and a leading National Property Management System. Between these 2 platforms all our needs end to end from Booking to Billing are covered – hence removing the multiple layers of disconnect and having a seamless interface.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in your industry in India and the world? What kind of difference in market behavior have you seen within states in India?

    Sanjay: As shared earlier, the future prospect looks very strong. Domestic travel has gained impetus and ease of travel has made borders more blurred. All surveys done in the last 12-18 months highlight travel as the top 2-3 areas for wallet share. Hence investor and consumer confidence are at an all-time high, surpassing the pre-2020 glory days.

    More than a difference there is a commonality that is strongly visible, at all ages people want to travel – they want to explore – and they want to experience. Essentially, they want to Keep Discovering.

    StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year and how will these inform your future plans and strategies?

    Sanjay: Resilience – Patience – Endurance – Self Belief. These were our biggest take away from the past year. As they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I believe we have been seasoned well for the future and will help us take a longer view of our strategies.

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    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, product, and team base in the future?

    Sanjay: With our strong pipeline we have no choice but to expand our team base. However, we are extremely focused on choosing the right team with the right values. Matching the right candidate to the right job is hard and sometimes time-consuming, a little planning and believing in providing the first opportunity to your existing team is the core of expansion.

    StartupTalky: One tip that you would like to share with people reading this article who want to get into entrepreneurship?

    Sanjay: There is no right or wrong time to start this journey – savor it like a wine, it gets better as it gets older and is sharp when it’s young.

    We thank Sanjay Sharma for spending his valuable time and sharing his learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • Businesses Must Build the Right Mix of Online and Offline Sales Points- Mr. Harshwardhan Patwardhan, Founder of Chappers

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    The footwear industry has grown significantly in recent years, driven by a number of factors like an increase in consumer demand, advancements in technology, and the growth of e-commerce.

    People are becoming more conscious of fashion and are willing to spend more money on high-quality footwear. Additionally, consumers are also becoming more health-conscious and are looking for footwear that provide comfort and support.

    Advances in technology have also played a role in the growth of the footwear industry. New materials and manufacturing techniques have allowed for the creation of new, innovative footwear products.

    Another trend that is driving growth in the footwear industry is the increase in customization and personalization of shoes. With the rise of 3D printing and other technologies, it is becoming easier for consumers to create their own unique shoe designs.

    The Indian footwear market is valued at approximately $13 billion in 2020 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 12% during the forecast period from 2021 to 2028. The production of footwear in India reached around 2.8 billion pairs in the year 2020.

    For this Interview, we invited Harshwardhan Patwardhan, Founder of Chappers, and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the footwear industry.

    StartupTalky: Harshwardhan, What’s Chappers all about? What was the motivation/ vision with which you started?

    Harshwardhan Patwardhan: Chappers is a footwear brand that offers customization to anyone who loves to have their style using AR technology. We offer various styles right, from Kolhapuri Chappals to Belgian loafers, mojdis, Peshawari sandals, and more, for both men and women.

    I have been fond of Kolhapuri chappals since college, and when I went to study in the UK, I took my favorite footwear along. It received much appreciation from my friends and other people around me, but the only challenge around wearing Kolhapuris was the need for more color and design. This gave me the idea to build a world-class footwear brand that could offer unmatched design and color innovations and give Kolhapuris a contemporary avatar. This is the vision with which I started my journey with Chappers.

    StartupTalky: What other products/features have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of your products?

    Harshwardhan Patwardhan: Chappers is a brand unlike any other in the Indian footwear market. We have created a unique fusion of Indian and western footwear to create stylish, high-quality, durable, and comfortable footwear. Alongside expanding the range of Chappers customized footwear, Chappers, which started as a men’s footwear brand, recently introduced some SKUs for female customers with the festive and wedding footwear demand in mind. The uniqueness of Chappers lies in the usage of cutting-edge design and AR technology in order placement. We encourage our customers to create designs with colors, materials, and even personal symbols or accessories for footwear.

    Thus, our customers can make their style statement through footwear. This kind of designer footwear is offered to them at far more affordable prices than other international brands providing such services.

    StartupTalky: How has the footwear industry changed in recent years and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    Harshwardhan Patwardhan: The footwear industry has been steadily growing in size over the years. However, there has yet to be growth when it comes to innovation. All major brands keep producing thousands of pairs of almost identical-looking footwear. Chappers has identified the unaddressed demand for personalization and introduced a cutting-edge software-driven approach that ensures limitless creativity and options for personalizing footwear. Along with high quality and the right price, our footwear has been gaining rapid market acceptance and is now available for delivery all over India from our e-commerce portal. Customers can also order the footwear through our offline stores in Pune, and we are working towards expanding our retail network to different parts of the country.

    Harshwardhan Patwardhan: I attend most of the industry events and exhibitions. It is inspiring to see how Indian entrepreneurs are coming up with newer technology and innovative manufacturing techniques. I also research many foreign brands that have made a mark on the footwear world, like Christian Louboutin, Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Giuseppe Zannotti.

    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?

    Harshwardhan Patwardhan: We track Month on Month sales growth and the number of customer touchpoints added. We want all Indians to experience the power of customization. We believe our model will change the footwear industry forever.

    StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges your company faced in the past year and how did you overcome them?

    Harshwardhan Patwardhan: In the early stages of Chappers’ evolution, we faced challenges related to the procurement of raw materials. Still, we overcame those through extensive research and visits to leather makers across Maharashtra, especially the Mumbai region. In recent times, we have had challenges with the pandemic. Still, we have built a full-fledged eCommerce website to ensure that customers can order Chappers footwear from their homes across India now and get them delivered in three to four days from order placement.

    StartupTalky: Repeat purchase is one of the most important parameters on which most eCommerce brands are betting. How do you keep your customer engaged to stop churn?

    Harshwardhan Patwardhan: Chappers is a one-of-its-kind footwear brand in India. We offer customers freedom of choice to get their footwear made the way they want. We have built a patented AR software that lets them choose materials and colors and add personalized elements such as accessories or signs. They can visualize the look and feel of the product through AR tools, and if they are satisfied with the design, they can finalize it and place an order. This is the only brand currently offering right-priced footwear options in this country. This has been a critical driver for Chappers retaining its customers and getting many repeat orders. Even the comfort and quality of the products are very high, making the customers choose Chappers over other brands.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off.

    Harshwardhan Patwardhan: We have been using different content marketing approaches and increasing online brand visibility through media coverage and footwear style guides. Further, Chappers also participates in a lot of exhibitions and fairs. We also run social media and search engine marketing to optimize our customer reach.

    StartupTalky: What are the important tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?

    Harshwardhan Patwardhan: Chappers is a technology-driven brand, and we have built our proprietary AR software to enable customers to design and visualize the footwear even before it takes shape. For sales, we use the latest e-commerce technologies and keep improving the tech stack to streamline operations further.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in your industry in India and the world?

    Harshwardhan Patwardhan: As a country of nearly 1.4 billion people, a strong audience is keen to buy stylish, high-quality, personalized footwear. We have revamped the iconic Maharashtrian Kolhapuri footwear and made it apt for consumers worldwide. Chappers has already received several orders from foreign countries. In the long run, my vision is to make Chappers available in every shopping mall across India and through eCommerce channels in every part of the world.

    StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year and how will these inform your future plans and strategies?

    Harshwardhan Patwardhan: Covid was a challenging phase for all of us. We must stick through the bad phases in life to see a brighter future. Testing times are always short-lived, and there’s always a ray of light at the end of the tunnel. Never give up! The past year has seen a tremendous rise in sales of high-ticket-value items, which was surprising for us.

    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, SKUS, and team base in the future?

    Harshwardhan Patwardhan: We keep track of the most popular Chappers designs and frequently upgrade our database with new SKUs based on these designs. Chappers recently unveiled a range of footwear for women, and we will expand it in the year ahead. Further, there are plans to introduce kids’ footwear and include products based on various other ethnic footwear from different states of India, such as more from Rajasthan.

    For market coverage, we are leveraging a kiosk franchise model under which we offer franchises to people to set up kiosks in shopping malls. Four such outlets are already operational in Pune, and in the long term, the vision is to have one kiosk in every shopping mall across India. We will expand our team of craftsmen and other professionals in sync with the brand’s growth.

    StartupTalky: With so much hype around d2c brands spending on ads, what will be your growth strategy organic or inorganic? How to plan to work around SEO and content marketing?

    Harshwardhan Patwardhan: Digital marketing is the key to success for any D2C brand today. Chappers generate many organic leads as customers who use our products recommend the brand to others. We currently use SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, and even search engine marketing to engage the audience. In the future, we will leverage influencer marketing and other D2C-centric marketing channels for faster growth.

    StartupTalky: So finally Harshwardhan, one tip that you would like to share with another d2c founder?

    Harshwardhan Patwardhan: I personally believe that d2c is a misunderstood term. People relate d2c just to online businesses. That is not true. Direct to Consumer businesses can run offline sales channels too. Online business is highly overrated. It is good for marketing and customer acquisition. But businesses must build the right mix of online and offline sales points to gain traction. Do not restrict yourself to any particular point of sale. Eventually, sales growth is essential; whether it comes online or offline does not matter.

    We thank Harshwardhan Patwardhan for spending his valuable time and sharing his learnings with all of us.

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.

  • General Awareness is the Major Reason for Employers not Having Group Insurance: Founders of Healthysure

    StartupTalky presents Recap’22. This is a series of interviews in which we conduct in-depth discussions with founders & industry leaders to understand their growth in 2022 and their predictions for the future.

    Corporate healthcare programs for organizations and their workforce are critical aspects of employee benefits and overall workplace wellness. These are designed to provide employees with access to health services and benefits that can help improve their physical, mental, and financial well-being. Having a corporate Healthcare program can lead to increased productivity, reduced absenteeism and health care costs.

    The growth of insurance and healthcare for organizations and their workforce has been driven by a number of factors. One major factor has been the increasing cost of healthcare, which has led many employers to provide more comprehensive insurance coverage to their employees as a way to manage these costs.

    According to a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO), around 60-70% of the formal sector workers in India have access to health insurance through their employers. This includes both public and private sector companies. The percentage is even higher in larger companies, as they tend to have more resources to offer benefits such as health insurance. Additionally, the Indian government is also promoting the health insurance for employees through various policies and regulations.

    However, the market still faces challenges, such as a lack of awareness about health insurance, a lack of trust in insurance companies, and a lack of a robust network of healthcare providers.

    For this Interview, we invited Anuj Parekh and Sanil Basutkar Co-founder, HealthySure and we talked about the growth, challenges, insights, and future opportunities in the Corporate Health Insurance industry.

    StartupTalky: Anuj, What does Healthysure do?

    Healthysure is a group benefits insurtech. We offer 360-degree insurance and healthcare for organizations and their workforce. Our ultimate vision is to enable affordable and accessible healthcare to the Indian population, and we see the organization-sponsored health programs go a long way to achieving that.

    We genuinely believe that a lot can be done to improve healthcare in the country, and we hope to play a big part in the coming years to help achieve that.

    StartupTalky: What is/are the USP/s of Healthysure over other platforms?

    We have created a first-of-its-kind platform in India that offers full-stack
    infrastructure as a service for group benefits to intermediaries. What this means is
    that we provide end-to-end support for our partners to sell group insurance and healthcare, right from pricing to operations to claim settlement. We aim to be the turtemint of group insurance.

    StartupTalky: How has the healthcare industry changed in recent years (2022) and how has your company adapted to these changes?

    The insurance industry regulator IRDAI has been swift in enacting reforms after the appointment of its new chairman. These reforms range from lowering the investment thresholds and liberalizing licensing for new insurance companies, opening insurance distribution avenues, developing a new insurance exchange platform and many more. The insurance industry too overall has been growing steadily. Healthysure is benefitting from this growth and as the industry matures, we will be one of the major contributors in the industry.

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    Insurance is a very active industry with respect to community engagements. We generally have plenty of opportunities to interact with stakeholders within the community through live events, networking meets, and webinars. In today’s world of WhatsApp and LinkedIn, it’s not very difficult to be in touch with your peers and stay updated on the newest trends.

    StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check the company’s growth and performance?

    We track metrics such as the number of lives covered, the number of clients, gross written premiums, and total turnover.

    StartupTalky: What were your company’s most significant challenges in the past year and how did you overcome them for 2023?

    Our number one challenge is convincing first-time buyers of group health insurance to adopt sponsoring health insurance for their employees. The amount of premium is generally only a small fraction compared to an employee’s annual salary. The benefits that the organization gets are generally much larger than the outlay. Over 2/3rd clients are still first-time adopters, and we feel employers not having group insurance just lack a general awareness. We hope to address this in 2023 and make it easier for organizations to secure their employees’ health with our products, marketing, and technology.

    StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack which you pulled off. (Some of the key things you adopted as a strategy in 2022)

    We use the normal set of marketing strategies that revolve around content, SEO, SEM and outbound activities. What really sets our marketing apart is our channel of partners that help us source and secure deals. We are transitioning to a partner
    focused model. In a B2B business, this is generally a great way to scale.

    StartupTalky: What are the essential tools and software you use to run your business smoothly?

    We use a combination of tools and software such as Apollo, Zoho, Cashfree,
    Microsoft, G-suite among others.

    StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in your industry in India and the world?

    The Indian insurance industry is poised for hyper-growth in the coming years. There is a lot of untapped potential in the Indian market. Despite being the 5th largest economy, India is only the 10th largest insurance market (2021) with premiums of around US$ 125 Bn. For context, the US leads the globe with US 2,700 Bn and China comes in 2nd with US$ 700 Bn. The Indian insurance story alone is a very large one. But we also believe our technology and products could have global use cases.

    StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year and how will these inform your future plans and strategies?

    As any startup grows, they become mature in understanding its industry.
    They realize there are certain problems that they can solve and are certain that they can’t. The hypothesis is that these startups have initially are invalidated and they are replaced by something new. We have a similar story, and through our experience in this industry, we are now working to add more value to this industry. We will continue to have the philosophy of build-learn-iterate and that can help us create something truly valuable to the ecosystem that in turn helps fulfill our vision.

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    StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the Customers, product, and team base in the future?

    We have invested heavily over the last year in our team, technology, and product. These investments will help us gain new customers faster in the coming year. We again have had the opportunity to create a scalable technology that will support multiple product use cases in the future. We continuously reach out to people that show interest in working with us, we have laid the groundwork to scale our team when we pursue aggressive growth.

    StartupTalky: One tip that you would like to share with people reading this article who want to get into entrepreneurship.

    A lot of people have ideas for starting up. What makes entrepreneurs different is the intent and ability to execute these ideas.

    We thank Anuj Parekh and Sanil Basutkar for spending their valuable time and sharing their learnings with all of us.

    Happy New Year to all the StartupTalky readers! Here’s to a year of hard work, innovation, growth, profit, and Impact!🚀

    You can read other Recap’22 Interviews here.