Part 13 of 19 in Make Your Users Heroes: An Indian Founder’s Guide← Part 12Part 14 →
Stop wasting time perfecting your pitch deck. If you’re an early-stage founder in India, you need a plan, not a presentation. A 30-day plan to be precise. You won’t build a unicorn in a month, but you can dodge a few bullets and lay a foundation for success. Here’s the deal: most founders are so wrapped up in fundraising fantasies they forget the basics. Let’s cut the fluff and focus on what you can actually do in the next 30 days to make your startup worth investing in.
Days 1-3: Name the Story Correctly
Define the Larger Context
Your startup’s vision shouldn’t need a 20-slide presentation. Write down your startup’s core purpose in one sentence. No company name, no jargon. If you can’t explain it simply, you’re not clear yet. Think of it as an elevator pitch for a stranger who doesn’t care about your startup.
Identify the Representative Task
What does your product actually do? Write down a single task that exemplifies the value you provide. If someone unfamiliar with your industry can’t understand it, refine it until they can.
Draft the Ideal User Review
Imagine a user describing your product’s impact in the first person. What do they say? This isn’t a wishlist; it’s a target. Make it real enough that your team can aim for it.
Put these three elements on a wall. If your team argues over them, good. You’re starting a conversation that matters.
Days 4-8: Go Back to Where They Are
Observe First Uses
Stop assuming you know your users. Watch five real people use your product for the first time. Not interviews, actual usage. Record their pauses and hesitations. Note where they struggle. This is pure gold.
Analyze Support Interactions
Dig into fifty support tickets or WhatsApp chats from last month. Highlight verbs like “file,” “collect,” “understand.” These words reveal what your users are trying to accomplish. They’re telling you about their job. Listen.
Days 9-14: Cut the Path to First Result
Simplify the User Journey
Your product likely has too many steps from sign-up to meaningful action. Cut one. Just one. Your goal is to reduce friction, not redesign everything.
Rethink Error Messages
Most error messages blame the user or the system. Change one to guide the user to their next action. Make it about what they can do next, not about what went wrong.
Days 15-20: Add One Model of ‘Good’
Provide a Real Example
Show users what success looks like. A filled khata, a completed SIP, or an invoice that won’t make a CA cringe. Give them one honest model they can emulate. You don’t need quantity right now, just one quality example.
Days 21-25: Open a Co-Creation Loop
Collect User Feedback
Share your streamlined process with ten users. Ask them where they felt stupid. This isn’t about their intelligence; it’s about the flaws in your design. Fix the worst point of friction and tell the users what you’ve changed. This is the start of building in public.
Days 26-30: Make the Work Visible
Publish Your Learnings
Share a short chapter of what you learned, whether on your website, LinkedIn, or a WhatsApp group for founders. Include a mistake you made, a metric you’re working to improve, and invite feedback. Transparency builds trust.
The Bottom Line
Forget about raising your next round for a moment. Focus on making your product better and your user experience smoother. This 30-day plan isn’t about adding features or rebranding. It’s about understanding your users and delivering what they actually need. By the end of the month, you won’t have a new company, but you’ll have a more reliable product, a more aligned team, and a user base that trusts you. That’s a foundation worth building on.
FAQs
How do I know if my one-sentence vision is clear enough?
If a stranger who knows nothing about your industry can understand it, you’re on the right track. Simplicity is key.
What if user feedback contradicts my vision?
Consider whether your vision is flexible enough to incorporate user needs. Sometimes, users reveal insights that can refine your direction.
Why focus on just one model of ‘good’?
Quality over quantity. One clear example can guide users better than a dozen vague ones. It sets a standard and reduces confusion.
How do I effectively make my work visible?
Be honest about your learnings and mistakes. Share these with your community. It builds credibility and invites valuable feedback.
For those looking for hands-on guidance, Malpani Ventures is here to mentor you through these critical early stages. Reach out if you’re ready to dig deeper.