From zero network in Copenhagen to leading the Nordic India Startup Summit (NISS) at TechBBQ — this is the story behind the bridge.

In this episode of Before the Lights Go On, Harsha shares what it actually looked like when he landed in Denmark in June 2023 and couldn’t get a single meeting for three months — despite two decades of experience in financial services and cross-border work (US–India and UK–India).

We talk about the real obstacle: it wasn’t his script, it wasn’t his positioning — it was perception. The “Why India?” question exposed a gap between two mature startup ecosystems that barely interacted. Harsha then backed it with data, turned the gap into a mission, and started building awareness first — then density.

You’ll hear:
• What “starting from zero” feels like in a new ecosystem
• The perception gap between the Nordics and India — and how it blocks opportunities
• The data points that revealed the cross-border gap in VC activity
• Why perseverance matters when most doors stay closed
• Painkiller vs. vitamin: why most startups fail
• Why team + timing matter more than people admit
• Why there’s no founder playbook — only curiosity and adaptation

If you’re an immigrant, a founder, or someone trying to bridge markets and communities, this conversation will hit.
Watch the full episode, and subscribe for more founder stories before the lights go on.