Indian startups love to talk about “jugaad” as if it’s the secret sauce of innovation. But the gritty truth is that jugaad is not a long-term strategy. It’s a hack, a band-aid, a makeshift solution that can keep your startup afloat today but might sink it tomorrow. Let’s cut through the romance a…
Most Indian startup founders focus too much on building the perfect prototype and end up polishing a product that nobody wants. You can spend lakhs on a shiny prototype that impresses investors but fails to resonate with users. Before you find yourself down that expensive rabbit hole, you need to…
Most Indian startups fail not because of poor execution, but because they chase the wrong idea from the start. This is the harsh truth. Founders often fall in love with their own ideas, blind to the reality that the market simply doesn’t care. The root of their failure isn’t a lack of effort or s…
Most Indian startups don’t fail because they lack innovation; they fail because they build the wrong ‘it’. You might think you’ve got a groundbreaking product, but until you’ve tested its core assumptions in the real world, you’re just playing a guessing game. Enter pretotyping—the art of testing…
Most Indian startups fail not because they can’t execute, but because they chase the wrong idea. You might think your product is the next big thing, but if it’s not solving a real problem, it’s a non-starter. The Indian startup scene is littered with the carcasses of ideas that seemed brilliant i…
Most Indian founders believe they need a fully functioning product and a hefty marketing budget before they can test their market. Wrong. This is a lie that leads to wasted time and blown budgets. The truth? You don’t have to build anything to validate your startup idea. Enter pretotyping — a fru…
The whole story, in the order I’d read it Founder’s Handbook Starting Up in India: A Practical Guide — Most Indian startups fail because founders ignore the basics. Inside the Handbook: Key Concepts — Most founders think they need to raise as much money as possible, as soon as possible. Read Me F…
Most Indian startups aren’t actually startups. They’re family businesses trying to paint a startup gloss. If you’re one of them, here’s the truth: your biggest hurdle isn’t the market or the product. It’s your family. The Illusion of a Startup Family businesses are entrenched in tradition. They h…
Planning is not a sexy topic. It’s not a viral growth hack or a groundbreaking AI tool. But if you’re an Indian startup founder, it’s the difference between surviving the month and shuttering your dreams. Many founders think they’re too busy to plan, but let’s be honest: if you’re too busy to pla…
Your pitch deck is not a PowerPoint beauty pageant. It’s a weapon. Most founders in India get this wrong. They think a pitch is about dazzling investors with design or a revolutionary tech idea. But here’s the harsh truth: investors care about numbers and execution, not fluff. If your pitch deck …
