In this episode, we have Anjali Sosale, Partner at WaterBridge Ventures, chatting with Chaitanya Ramalingegowda, co-founder of Wakefit. 

Chaitanya graduated from the National Institute of Engineering, Mysore in 2002 and did his MBA from ISB Hyderabad in 2005. Wakefit is an innovation-driven sleep and home solutions company, aiming to revolutionize the quality of sleep among Indians. After building a successful line of sleep products, Wakefit has launched a line of home products, ergonomically designed for the modern Indian household. Till date, Wakefit has serviced over 800K customers, sold over 1800K products and spent 1500+ hours in R&D. 

We dive into Chaitanya's childhood, his tryst with failures in two startups, how his indomitable spirit to be an entrepreneur got him to give Wakefit a shot, his team and customer love that kept him going despite rejections from the initial 42 investors, how Ankit and his middle-class upbringing made the company focussed on building from first principles and his learnings from managing the diverse Wakefit board. 

Key Moments during this podcast - 

(00:00): Introduction of Chaitanya, co-founder of Wakefit 
(00:18): CR’s nomadic childhood across 16 schools 
(2:15): Finding the courage to start again after two failed startups 
(06:55): Customer love convincing CR to go all-in on Wakefit 
(11:03): Building Wakefit from first principles - sustainability, profitability and consumer focus 
(15:02): Relationship with Ankit, CR's co-founder 
(17:04): Finally convincing the 43rd investor on an “irrational” idea 
(20:10): Wakefit is a consumer-led product company 
(24:08): Why go offline, when online can give a non-linear scale? 
(26:59): Kumbhakaran’s LinkedIn, sleep internships and other marketing campaigns 
(30:24): Character traits that fit into the Wakefit hood 
(34:13): To listen, or not to listen, that is the question 
(36:27): Founder-to-founder ties form strong support systems 
(40:47): The real board meeting happens before the board meeting 
(43:23): What's in store for Wakefit in 2024?

Relevant Links: 

WaterBridge Ventures: https://www.waterbridge.vc/ 
Wakefit: https://www.wakefit.co/ 

Linkedin Profiles: 

Chaitanya Ramalingegowda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaitanyar/ 
Anjali Sosale: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pinkamma/ 
WaterBridge Ventures: www.linkedin.com/company/waterbridgeventures 

You can also listen to this podcast on 
YouTube: https://youtu.be/Q8_szqrtilk
Apple Podcast: 

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast (“Content”) is solely for educational and information purposes. The content does not reflect the views or opinions of WaterBridge Ventures and/or any of its members. The content is not intended to be legal or other expert advice or services and should not be used in place of consultation with appropriate professionals. The content shall not be reproduced, distributed, shared, or relied upon in any manner whatsoever, in whole or part, without prior written permission of WaterBridge Ventures. In no event shall WaterBridge Ventures and/or any of its members be liable for any liability, loss, injury or risk which is incurred or suffered as a direct or indirect result of the use of the contents.