The One Percent Project- Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Resilience

The One Percent Project- Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Resilience

By Pritish SanyalBusinessManagement
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The One Percent Project- Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Resilience episodes

  • Episode 83: CEO’s Journey: McKinsey to Entrepreneurship w/ Simran Khara
    About Simran Khara:
    My next guest on The One Percent Project is the charismatic Simran Khara, the founder and CEO of Koparo. Simran talks about her Journey: From McKinsey to Entrepreneurship.
    She has an MBA from the Indian School of Business and is an alumnus of the London School of Economics and Shri Ram College of Commerce. With over 16 years of experience, she has advised, built, and monetized in her roles at McKinsey & Co, Star TV, and Juggernaut Books. Now, she is building Koparo, a D2C toxin-free home-care brand.
    In this conversation, Simran talks about the importance of discipline, adaptability, and social skills that she imbibed growing up in a Faugy Family, the liberating environment Mumbai offers to women, her role at Star TV and what she gathered from her mentor, Uday Shankar, becoming the CEO of Jaggaurnat Books, building Koparo, the impact of being featured on Shark Tank India, and much more. This conversation inspired me to kick off a series on "First Time Founders", where I will invite young and experienced entrepreneurs who will help share their journey of building a business with no prior entrepreneurial experience. If you have any guest recommendations, drop me a line at [email protected]
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    In this conversation, he talks about:
    00:00 Intro
    02:24 Finding Love and Career in Mumbai: A Personal Journey
    03:31 Life Lessons from a Fauji Brat: Discipline, Packing, and Social Skills
    05:07 Embracing Competition and Empathy in Professional Life
    07:41 From McKinsey to Star TV: A Career Transition Story
    10:47 Learning from Uday Shankar?
    11:30 The CEO's Perspective: Sales vs. Operations
    13:15 Leading Juggernaut: An innovative book publishing venture
    21:06 Launching Koparo: Innovating in Home Cleaning
    24:27 Applying to Shark Tank India: Leveraging TV for Brand Growth
    26:24 Unique Challenges and Insights as a D2C Founder
    30:15 Generalist Vs Specialist: A career choice for youngsters
    32:26 Why is struggle an evolving concept?
    33:41 Counterintuitive insight about entrepreneurs.
    34:28 Shark Tank India: Impact, Value & Opportunity
    36:15 What does success mean to you?
    38 min
  • Episode 82: Business Breakdown of the Indian F&B Industry w/Sarthak Ahuja
    About Sarthak Ahuja:
    My next guest and co-host on The One Percent Project is Sartha Ahuja. In this episode, Sarthak & I deep dive into India's Food and Beverage industry. We discuss the unit economics of running a restaurant to making butter chicken, ordering patterns in India, the business models of food aggregators like Zomato and Swiggy, cloud kitchens, and the reason behind the rise and fall of Uber Eats. We uncover the success story behind Domino's and how in such a competitive industry, Ankit Gupta and Chirag Chhajer built Burma Burma, a Burmese cuisine restaurant chain.
    Sarthak shares how consumer businesses must undergo a "speed Ludo test," emphasising time efficiency, small transaction sizes, and positive unit economics. This strategy is essential for long-term success in a price-sensitive market like India.
    ⁠Sarthak is a published author, a seasoned Chartered Accountant with expertise in startup advisory and investment banking and a LinkedIn top voice who brings a wealth of intriguing insights to the discussion.
    Key Take Aways & Transcript: https://bit.ly/TOP_BusinessBreakdownIndianFB
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    00:00 Intro
    04:10 The most ordered dishes
    09:21 Indian Food Preferences and the Authenticity of Chinese Cuisine
    11:06 The Business Models and Unit Economics of the Food Industry
    15:40 The Challenges and Economics of Running a Restaurant
    39:54 The Success Story of Domino's in the Indian Market
    44:38 Identifying Opportunities in the Food Industry
    45:18 Burma Burma's reason of success
    53 min
  • Episode 75: Business Breakdown of the Indian B2B Textile Industry
    About Mayank Tiwari:
    Success in the textile industry is not just about fabrics and threads; it's about empowering communities and redefining the way we connect with our roots.
    Welcome to The One Percent Project, where we bring you the stories of exceptional leaders who have achieved extraordinary success in their fields. In this episode, we speak to Mayank Tiwari, Founder & CEO of ReshaMandi, a natural fibre venture from Bharat (India), along with my co-host Sarthak Ahuja. Sarthak is an Author, Virtual CFO, M&A expert, and ISB Gold Medalist.
    Mayank Tiwari's saga is one of resilience, ingenuity, and unwavering commitment to transforming the textile industry. As the mastermind behind ReshaMandi, he has forged a path where tradition intertwines seamlessly with innovation, revolutionising the way we perceive and engage with fabrics.
    Join us as we dive into the fascinating story of ReshaMandi. Mayank shares the challenges of the natural fibre industry, the social impact his company has made in the space, and the exciting future ahead. Listen in as Sarthak and I explore the origins of ReshaMandi, commitment to social welfare, and visionary path forging.
    Key Take Aways & Transcript: https://bit.ly/TOP_Mayank
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    In this conversation, he talks about:
    00:00 Intro
    02:49 India’s association with natural fibre.
    08:45 India’s fibre consumption pattern and Challenges in scaling production of natural fibre.
    19:20 How does fashion get influenced?
    25:35 Reshamandi’s focus areas and route to profitability.
    40:12 Why is the mulberry leaf mentioned in the Vedas?
    51:27 Why is Mayank and Saurabh best placed in building Reshamandi?
    56:33 Will Reshmandi become a monopoly such as Amazon, where new players will find it harder to enter the space?
    1:02:24 Why has Reshmandi expanded from silk to other natural fibres?
    1:06:46 What are the available white spaces within the fabric/ textile industry?
    1:09:33 Evolution and contribution of Fab India.
    1 hr 13 min
  • Episode 81: The Indian Video Game Revolution: History & Social Impact of Gaming, The Indian Female Gamer, Unit Economics of the Gaming Industry w/Salone Sehgal

    About Salone Seghal:

    My next guest on The One Percent Project is Salone Sehgal, a trailblazer in the world of gaming and interactive media. Salone has shattered the glass ceiling by becoming the world's first female general partner of games and interactive media VC funds. Her impressive journey has seen her co-founding Lumikai Fund, India's first early-stage interactive media and gaming VC.

    Salone's remarkable career expanded to over 18 years as a global game and new media investor, games entrepreneur, and former M&A banker. 

    In this conversation, she talks about the history of gaming, the cultural impact of gaming, the female Indian gamer, the unit economics of the gaming industry, and much more.

    Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to it and sign up for The One Percent Project's "Think" newsletter at ⁠onepercent.live⁠ for curated content that adds value to your professional and personal development.


    Key Take Aways & Transcript: ⁠https://bit.ly/TOP_Salone


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        • 00:00 Intro

        02:14 Salone's journey into Gaming.
        07:38 The History and Evolution of Gaming
        16:11 How did Nokia stumble upon "Snake"?
        17:49 FAANG founders are gamers.
        23:41 The Indian Female Gamer.
        27:32 Unit Economics of the Gaming Industry.
        30:37 Observations on One-Hit Wonders in Gaming.
        34:39 Evaluating Success in the Gaming Industry.
        38:36 Understanding the Gaming Demographics- Building a Career in Gaming.
        44:26 Views on the Metaverse.
        47:59 One management advice that you have learned as a leader.
        50:44 Reflections on Leadership Figures- Michelle Obama & Indra Gandhi.
        52:22 Are leaders polarising?
        52:56 Kindest thing anyone has done for you.
        53:32 Key takeaways

        55 min
      • Episode 80- Cycle Pure Agarbathis: Whenever the nation prays together, Building the world’s largest incense business- History, Culture, Customer w/Arjun Ranga

        About Arjun Ranga:

        Globally, incense is the silent bridge that connects humans to the divine. And naturally, no Indian wants to compromise when it comes to their hopes and prayers. This episode of The One Percent Project is an intriguing exploration of the incense business and its essence in Indian culture with a remarkable guest, Arjun Ranga, the CEO of Cycle Pure Agarbathis, a part of the NR Group. 

        In this insightful conversation, Arjun delves into the fascinating journey of Cycle Agarbathis, the world's largest incense manufacturer, and its transformation into the world's first certified zero-carbon manufacturer of incense, prayer, and air care products. Arjun also shares his journey as the CEO, drawing inspiration from his grandfather and NR Group's founder, Shri N. Ranga Rao. He sheds light on the deep-rooted significance of prayer in Indian culture and the sentiments attached to it, his marketing strategies through the years, his vision for the company and much more. 

        Joining him in this conversation is Sarthak Ahuja, a seasoned Chartered Accountant with expertise in startup advisory and investment banking and a LinkedIn top voice who brings a wealth of intriguing insights to the discussion. Join us in this fascinating episode to explore the dynamic intersection of business, culture, and sustainability.

        Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to it and sign up for The One Percent Project's "Think" newsletter at onepercent.live for curated content that adds value to your professional and personal development.


        Key Take Aways & Transcript: https://bit.ly/TOP_ArjunRanga


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          • In this conversation, he talks about:

          • 00:00⁠⁠⁠ Intro
          • 02:28 History of the incense industry
          • 03:44 Journey of building Cycle Pure Agarbathi
          • 09:54 How can you innovate and stay relevant in a highly commoditised industry?
          • 12:20 Product Positioning
          • 14:42 Key customer retention metrics in the incense industry
          • 17:02 Customer segmentation for a diverse Indian market
          • 20:32 Premium positioning of incense: Who is the target audience for premium incense products?
          • 23:50 Why is vanilla the most used fragrance in premium stores and bakeries worldwide?
          • 24:36 Why are the Gulf, Europe and Africa the largest markets for incense?
          • 25:42 Value chain & Unit economics of making an Agarbathi.
          • 27:09 Actual product differentiation Vs product marketing and branding
          • 27:55 His journey of becoming the CEO.
          • 31:43 The growth and impact of D2C.
          • 34:50 Cyle's association with cricket
          • 37:45 Cycle's next decade
          • 39:42 The disruption AI would bring to the industry
            • 42 min
          • Episode 79- Being Resilient & Committed: Lessons from Three Startups, B2B- Marketing, Pricing, Why is Generative AI the next Saas w/Vijay Rayapati @Atomicwork

            About Vijay Rayapati:

            The next guest on The One Percnet Project is Vijay Rayapati, the co-founder and CEO of Atomicwork a startup that helps enterprises bring their employees, IT systems, and HR operations together to drive business impact. Previously, Vijay co-founded Minjar, a cloud management startup. Minjar was acquired by Nutanix in 2018.

            Vijay’s journey is a testament to grit, patience, and perseverance. From his early life in a small town in Andhra Pradesh in India to becoming a prominent entrepreneur, Vijay shares his counterintuitive insights on entrepreneurship, the importance of people's success, and his passion for seeding and building. 

            Join us as we explore Vijay's journey, from his roots in a small town to his role as a leader in the tech industry.

            Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to it and sign up for The One Percent Project's "Think" newsletter at onepercent.live for curated content that adds value to your professional and personal development.


            Key Take Aways & Transcript: https://bit.ly/TOP_Vijay


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              • In this conversation, he talks about:

              • ⁠⁠00:00⁠⁠⁠ Intro
              • 02:28 Influence of his mother
              • 05:01 Journey from a small town to Atmoicwork
              • 13:52 Why build Amnigos- a Food delivery startup in 2007?
              • 20:28 Why build Minjar after Amigos’s failure?
              • 25:23 Types of entrepreneurs
              • 27:27 Why build Atomicwork?
              • 35:13 Outbound vs. Inbound lead generation
              • 39:17 Pricing
              • 42:07 Why is generative AI the next Saas?
              • 46:40 Generalist Vs Speacialist
              • 47:07 Counterintuitive insights about entrepreneurship
              • 49:24 Three Books
              • 51:05 Advice to younger self
                • 54 min
              • Episode 78- Designing & Building a Career: Investing in Yourself, Finding a Career Coach w/Sawan Kapoor

                About Sawan Kapoor:

                My next guest is Sawan Kapoor. Sawan is widely recognised as 'The Career Guy' and India’s foremost career coach. From his early days at Daymon Worldwide, the largest private label broker in the FMCG industry, to his rise as CEO of a multi-million-dollar organisation in the Wine & Spirits industry, Sawan's journey is marked by rapid progression and visionary leadership. His ability to navigate challenging situations, like a sudden job loss in a foreign country, spurred him to develop a systematic, scientific approach to finding the perfect job fit, a methodology he uses to guide thousands of professionals towards career success.

                In this episode, we will dive deep into Sawan Kapoor's life, extracting insights and wisdom that have the potential to reshape career journeys. Discover how Sawan's experiences, from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, have shaped his perspectives on adversity, growth, and the art of career development.

                Subscribe to the show wherever you listen to it and sign up for The One Percent Project's "Think" newsletter at onepercent.live for curated content that adds value to your professional and personal development.


                Key Take Aways & Transcript: https://bit.ly/TOP_Sawan


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                  • In this conversation, he talks about:

                  • ⁠00:00⁠⁠ Intro

                  • 02:13 History of career guidance and coaching.

                  • ⁠⁠03:22⁠⁠ Early life.

                  • 13:53 Path to becoming a CEO.

                  • 18:40 How important is it to invest in yourself?

                  • 20:08 His journey to becoming a Career Coach. ⁠

                  • 23:56 How to design a career?

                  • 29:02 How to find the right career coach?

                  • 32:38 Why do you need to surrender to your coach?

                  • 37:07 How to kick off a career in coaching?

                  • 40:11 How do you create a brand that lasts for generations?

                  • 45:33 His views on being a generalist vs. a specialist.

                  • 47:23 Counterintuitive insights about career coaching.

                  • 50:13 Books that have influenced him the most.

                  • 51:45 Advice to his younger self.

                    • 55 min

                  About The One Percent Project- Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Resilience

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                  Explores the stories and ideas of some of the most innovative and creative business minds. The show features conversations with inspiring entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders who are pushing…