"It's very hard to read a label when you're inside the bottle." This insightful quote from Mohit Sadani highlights a key theme of the conversation: the crucial role of external perspective, often from mentors, in navigating the intense, 'inside-the-bottle' experience of entrepreneurship. Founders need trusted advisors to see the bigger picture they might miss while deep in the daily grind.

Malika Datt Sadani and Mohit Sadaani are the couple co-founders of The Moms Co., India's largest "Nature In. Toxins Out." brand. Launched in 2017 out of their personal need for safe, natural products, they scaled the D2C company to a ₹150 Cr+ ARR, raised over $10 Million in funding (Approx. ₹75-80 Cr), and achieved a successful acquisition by the Good Glamm Group in 2021. Malika is a BW 40 Under 40 honoree, and Mohit previously worked with McKinsey and Snapdeal.

Key Insights from the Conversation:

• Building Trust: Establishing trust is paramount yet difficult in the Mom & Baby category; requires authentic branding and quality products.
• D2C Strategy: Successfully navigated online (DTC website, Marketplaces like Amazon ) and offline channels, pivoting effectively during the pandemic to embrace retail.
• Consumer Centricity: Leveraged deep consumer understanding, community engagement (Facebook groups, influencers), and personal storytelling for growth and product development.
• Funding & Acquisition: Successfully raised Angel, multiple VC rounds (from investors like DSG & Saama), and strategically opted for acquisition by a house of brands for infrastructure and faster scaling.
• Couple Co-Founders: Sharing the entrepreneurial journey involves deep trust but requires consciously managing the work-life blend.
• Product Innovation: Maintaining control over in-house R&D and rigorous testing ensures high-quality, differentiated products.

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 - Introduction
• 00:02:26 - Malika's Origin Story: Army Brat to Accidental Engineer
• 00:08:31 - Mohit's Origin Story: Early Entrepreneurial Influences
• 00:13:42 - How The Couple Co-Founders Met
• 00:16:08 - London Learnings & The Moms Co. Idea Genesis
• 00:25:06 - Building the Brand: Trust, Mentors & Early Funding
• 00:41:12 - Launch & Scaling: D2C Strategy & Channel Mix
• 00:56:15 - Pandemic Pivot & Cracking Offline Retail
• 01:02:19 - Inside The Moms Co. Product Development
• 01:08:16 - The Journey to Acquisition by Good Glamm Group
• 01:17:44 - Couple Co-Founders: Learnings & Life Balance
• 01:35:53 - Advice for Aspiring D2C Founders

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