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Weekend Entrepreneurs
Weekend Entrepreneurs episodes
- Ep. 9: Building a 150 crore business without VC funding. The Urban Vault Story with Amal Mishra
In this episode, Rohith and Govind sit down with Amal Mishra, co-founder and CEO of Urban Vault, a bootstrapped managed office space company generating over 150 crore INR in revenue with an 18% profit margin. Amal shares his journey from techie to entrepreneur, the challenges of scaling a business with blue-collar workers, and the principles of sustainable, people-first business growth.
This conversation explores themes of bootstrapping, market strategy, and the impact of building meaningful livelihoods for the team while scaling a highly profitable business.Chapters:0:00 – Introduction to Amal Mishra and Urban Vault0:45 – From Tech to Furniture to Managed Office Spaces10:39 – The Decision to Bootstrap14:01 – Balancing Personal Finances and Early-Stage Funding17:25 – Scaling Urban Vault: Profitability and Expansion19:38 – Building a Team and Culture Without FOMO27:18 – Scouting Real Estate Supply and Leasing vs. Purchasing32:35 – Vision and Enjoying the Journey37:02 – Comparing Old and New Business Mindsets39:27 – Managing and Motivating a Blue-Collar Workforce45:01 – Current Challenges and Lessons for Entrepreneurs48:14 – Rapid-Fire Insights51:00 – Applying the Blue Ocean Strategy57:04 – Bootstrapping Software Businesses1:13:13 – Takeaways and Closing Reflections💬 Let us know your favorite part of the conversation in the comments!If you’re interested in startups, entrepreneurship, or the sports industry, hit Subscribe and stay tuned for more conversations like this.#bootstrap #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurmindset1 hr 14 min - Ep. 8: Pickleball and Startups: How GoRally is Transforming Recreational Sports in India
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America, and it's now making waves in India. In this episode, we sit down with Sam and Abhinav, co-founders of GoRally, a company that's revolutionizing recreational sports in India by introducing full-stack pickleball experiences.
GoRally's mission is to get the next 10 million Indians playing sports regularly. They're starting with pickleball, setting up courts, building communities, and leveraging technology to make sports accessible and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of age or gender.Here's what you'll learn in this episode:🎯 The inspiration behind GoRally and their mission to transform recreational sports in India🏓 What is pickleball, and why is it gaining popularity globally and in India💡 How Sam and Abhinav validated the demand for pickleball in India🏢 Challenges and strategies in setting up sports infrastructure and facilities🤝 The importance of building community and inclusivity in sports💰 Their fundraising journey: Raising a pre-seed round and choosing the right investors🚀 Future plans for GoRally: Scaling, building a moat, and potential pivots⚖️ Balancing operational challenges with passion and mission🎙️ Insights into being early-stage startup founders in an emerging industryThis episode offers valuable insights into building a business from the ground up in a nascent market. Whether you're interested in startups, sports entrepreneurship, or the rise of pickleball in India, you won't want to miss this conversation.---👉 Chapters:00:00 - Teaser00:55 - Introduction01:23 - Meet Sam and Abhinav, Founders of GoRally04:24 - GoRally's Mission: Transforming Recreational Sports in India07:38 - Why Focus on Pickleball?17:00 - What is Pickleball and Why is it Gaining Popularity?26:38 - Validating the Demand: Early Success and Learnings35:13 - The Fundraising Journey: Raising a Pre-Seed Round40:52 - Choosing the Right Investors and Their Expectations50:36 - Overcoming Operational Challenges in Setting Up Facilities1:00:22 - Picking App Partners like Hudle & Playo vs. DIY distribution1:04:41 - What's Keeping the Founders Up at Night: Building a Moat and Balancing Passion with Operational Realities1:09:44 - Rapid-Fire Q&A with Sam and Abhinav1:22:23 - Closing Thoughts and Takeaways1:32:23 - Rohith's back-of-envelope Math---💬 Let us know your favorite part of the conversation in the comments!If you’re interested in startups, entrepreneurship, or the sports industry, hit Subscribe and stay tuned for more conversations like this.#Startups #GoRally #Pickleball #Entrepreneurship #SportsBusiness #India1 hr 44 min - Ep. 7: How Sathya Sampat Built BoldCap: Lessons on Starting a VC Fund & Backing SaaS
🚀 What does it take to build a VC fund from scratch?
In this episode, we sit down with Sathya Sampat, the Founder and Managing Partner of BoldCap, to explore his incredible journey of starting and running a venture capital fund focused on early-stage SaaS startups.BoldCap is a VC fund that specializes in backing early-stage SaaS startups originating from India. With a mission to help these startups scale globally, BoldCap has already made a mark with investments in companies like SpendFlo, Testsigma, and SpotDraft.Here's what you’ll learn in this episode:🛠️ The preparation required to launch a VC fund💼 How to find early LPs for your fund💡 Challenges while raising a fund and tips for sourcing LPs🚀 Sathya's approach to picking startups📈 The art of figuring out the right valuation for startups👥 What the day-to-day of running a VC fund looks like and insights into the BoldCap teamThis conversation is packed with actionable insights for anyone curious about the VC world, building a fund, or understanding how early-stage investing works. Whether you’re an aspiring VC, a founder seeking funding, or just curious about the behind-the-scenes of venture capital, this episode is for you.👉 Chapters:Check out the timestamps to dive into specific parts of the conversation.00:00 - Teaser00:40 - Introduction03:14 - What made Sathya leave his previous venture to start BoldCap - his VC Fund?07:38 - Steps Sathya took to prepare himself to start a fund11:35 - What did Sathya do when raising Fund 1 for BoldCap and who were his partners in crime?15:46 - What did day-to-day look like during the early days of raising Fund 1? Who were his early LPs?22:10 - Where do you find LPs for your VC Fund?24:10 - What are the challenges that someone needs to aware of when raising a VC Fund?29:18 - How many LPs anchored BoldCap's first Fund?30:09 - How Sathya sourced his first few deals - SpendFlo, Testsigma & SpotDraft?44:00 - How does Sathya decide what is the right valuation for companies that he invests in?47:48 - What does it take to run a VC fund? What does the BoldCap team look like?51:40 - Rapidfire54:35 - Debrief - what we took away from our conversation with Sathya💬 Let us know your favorite part of the conversation in the comments!If you’re interested in startups, venture capital, or entrepreneurship, hit Subscribe and stay tuned for more conversations like this.#VentureCapital #BoldCap #StartupFunding #Entrepreneurship #startup #funding1 hr 5 min - Ep. 6: Is Mensa Brands' Billion-Dollar Valuation Justified? A Deep Dive into Rollup Companies
Is Mensa Brands truly worth its billion-dollar valuation? In this deep dive, we explore the strategy behind India’s leading D2C rollup company, Mensa Brands. From their acquisition approach and founder involvement to distribution advantages and capital strategy, we dissect what sets Mensa apart and the challenges it faces.
We also dive into why D2C brands are booming in India, how traditional brand moats are changing, and if Mensa’s valuation holds up. Plus, we look at lessons from Thrasio and rollup opportunities across other industries such as software and food.00:00 - Teaser00:44 - Introduction to Mensa Brands01:19 - What does Mensa Brands do?02:44 - Is it primarily a finance play or are there deeper integrations? What value does Mensa add to the acquired companies? Are the founder still a part of the company?08:52 - When these companies are acquired, what is the stage that these companies are at?09:47 - What are the advantages that Mensa brings to the distribution of these D2C brands?11:14 - How was the founder, Anand Narayanan, able to raise the capital needed to scale this business?13:16 - Why are there so many D2C brands cropping up in India now?16:10 - Does the moat for these vintage brands no longer exist?20:09 - Does Mensa as a company make sense? Are these synergies between the segments they are operating in?22:22 - Why didn’t Thrasio succeed?23:54 - How much does Mensa pay for the companies they are acquiring?26:34 - Do you think Mensa is worth a billion dollars? How large can it potentially get?29:00 - Are the margins for D2C companies better than they are for vintage distributor-led brands?30:59 - Mensa’s hidden advantages31:55 - What are reasons to be bearish about Mensa Brands?33:50 - Are you a buyer or seller of this business?35:22 - What are the other kinds of industries where this rollup strategy can be employed?38:54 - Are rollup companies a viable exit strategy for entrepreneurs?42:10 - What would a rollup company for in the software space look like?43:20 - Conclusion👉 Note: We’re not affiliated with Mensa Brands—this episode reflects our independent research and insights from publicly available sources.36 min - Ep. 5: Applying to Y Combinator? What to Expect + Application Tips from a 2-Time YC Founder
Considering applying to Y Combinator, the world's top startup accelerator? In this episode, Govind Chandrasekhar shares his decision-making framework for evaluating if YC is the right fit for your startup and provides expert insights on navigating both the application and interview processes. Govind has been through Y Combinator twice—first in 2013 with Semantics3 and again in 2023 with Branch AI.
If you’re working on your YC application and would like feedback, feel free to send it to [email protected], or connect with Govind directly on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/govindchandrasekhar/Chapters:00:00 - Teaser00:38 - Introduction01:20 - What is Y Combinator (YC)?02:17 - What made Govind apply to YC in 2013?04:21 - Notable companies from Govind’s 2013 YC cohort06:03 - A typical day/week at YC10:06 - How much do the YC partners actually help you?12:33 - Govind’s experience meeting Sam Altman14:30 - When is the right time to apply to YC? What kinds of founders benefit the most from it?16:28 - Does YC make sense for startups targeting non-US markets?20:02 - Why Govind reapplied to YC in 202323:45 - Common mistakes founders make in their YC applications31:56 - What founders should expect during the YC interview process#entrepreneurship #ycombinator #yc #incubator #startupaccelerator #fundraising #startup #startupjourney45 min - Ep. 4: Building a Global QSR Chain - Diksha Pande's Mission
This is a must-watch for anyone who has ambitions of starting their own food brand or restaurant!
Join us as we sit down with Diksha, one of the co-founders of Samosa Party, to uncover how they’re revolutionizing Indian street food.They share their journey from spotting a big opportunity with a humble dish (the samosa) to scaling a thriving QSR brand. We dive into key insights on building a culture of innovation, mastering logistics, and navigating partnerships with platforms like Swiggy and Zomato.Discover the critical metrics they track daily, their strategies to crack delivery growth, and why they believe Samosa Party is more than just a business—it’s a movement to decolonize Indian fast food.Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or just curious about the food industry, this conversation is packed with invaluable lessons!Chapters:00:00 - Teaser00:47 - Introduction02:01 - Origin story of Samosa Party and the problem Diksha and Amit set out to solve06:57 - The Inflection point that made Diksha dive all-in to work on Samosa Party08:59 - Why focus on Samosas?13:02 - Samosa Party's culture of innovation20:30 - The logistics of getting the first Samosa Party outlet off the ground25:14 - How much does domain experience and prior expertise matter while starting a business?28:00 - What does it take to open and run a Samosa Party outlet in 2024?30:01 - Samosa Party's principles on hiring and building a strong culture36:46 - Thoughts on consumer trends that are pushing people to consume more healthier food42:20 - Key metrics that Diksha + Amit looks at every day46:01 - Key signals that indicate the success of a particular outlet47:41 - Revenue split between dining in vs. Zomato & Swiggy48:29 - How do your margins differ between physical stores vs. dark stores?49:56 - Views on Swiggy, Zomato and some of the other aggregators52:56 - The digital strategy to crack growth on Swiggy & Zomato58:33 - Views on ONDC01:00:59 - Views on owning your own delivery fleet01:01:15 - Thought process of expanding your product line01:05:57 - Diksha’s view on how and why Samosa Party is going to be a massive brand01:08:58 - Rapid fire01:11:08 - Your startup is a “Movement” - Samosa Party is going to decolonize Indian fast food!01:13:30 - Do you need to think mission come first or does it come out as you build your business?01:17:54 - [Debrief] How early did Rohith invest in Samosa Party?01:20:17 - [Debrief] The importance of having an irrational love for your company + product01:22:48 - [Debrief] The mission-mindset can grow over time - starting small is okay!01:24:12 - [Debrief] Why raising money too early can psychologically affect an entrepreneur01:25:14 - [Debrief] Govind’s key takeaways01:27:01 - [Debrief] Rohith’s key takeaways - deep focus on the product + branding + team building01:29:29 - [Debrief] Founder-Market-Passion Fit01:31:23 - [Debrief] Entrepreneurs need to be okay doing things they have never done before01:32:06 - [Debrief] Will becoming an entrepreneur help you maximize your bank balance?#entrepreneurship #restaurants #startup #entrepreneurmindset1 hr 39 min - Ep. 3: From Paypal to WOTU/Zomato Hyperpure to Rize.farm: Dhruv Sawhney's Journey
Dhruv Sawhney, Founder & CEO of Rize.farm and the former founder of WOTU (acquired by Zomato and rebranded as Hyperpure), joins the Weekend Entrepreneurs podcast to share his inspiring journey from working as an executive at PayPal to building successful B2B businesses in India.
In this conversation, Dhruv dives deep into the challenges and opportunities of the Indian B2B landscape. He discusses his early days building WOTU, the strategic decision to sell to Zomato, as well as the mission oriented approach he is taking to build his current company - Rize.farm.Dhruv also offers valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs, including:- How to identify and solve real problems in the B2B space- The importance of building relationships and customer focus in B2B sales- Opportunities in the agri-tech space- Other gaps he sees in the Indian ecosystem.This episode is a must-watch for anyone interested in B2B entrepreneurship, the Indian startup ecosystem, agri-tech and the future of food supply chains.Chapters:00:00 - Teaser00:38 - Introduction & Dhruv's journey02:50 - What did WOTU do and what were the problems the company was looking to solve?04:35 - Dhruv's thought process on leaving Paypal to pursue entrepreneurship06:20 - Dhruv's groundwork before starting WOTU09:23 - The moment when Dhruv decided to take the leap12:50 - Selling to MSMEs in India16:05 - How did Dhruv know that it was time to sell (to Zomato)?19:38 - The opportunity for Zomato Hyperpure21:58 - The Ideal Customer Profile for WOTU/Zomato Hyperpure25:21 - The GTM motion for WOTU/Zomato Hyperpure27:25 - Building a competitor in markets with entrenched B2B players28:35 - How would you build a competitor for Zomato Hyperpure?34:28 - Moving from Zomato Hyperpure to the Agritech space38:45 - How does someone who doesn't know anything about agriculture learn about the space?43:03 - The opportunities in agriculture (especially around Rice harvesting)45:23 - Rize.farms monetization model + social engineering opportunities/challenges50:19 - The time-horizon you need to give yourself to go after hard problems52:40 - Does going after hard problems allow you to employ more of a blue ocean strategy?54:21 - Does having a larger social mission help you get more motivated?56:01 - Other startup opportunities in Housing & real estate, Eldercare and Climate that Dhruv has observed01:00:26 - Rapid fire Round01:06:15 - Dhruv's Parting Advice01:07:18 - [Debrief] Our thoughts on Dhruv's perspective01:09:31 - [Debrief] Is a mission necessary for business success?01:11:56 - [Debrief] Key takeaways on Dhruv's business philosophy01:13:57 - [Debrief] How valuable are business relationships in B2B?01:16:56 - [Debrief] Our views on Hyperpure01:23:56 - [Debrief] Our views on Rize.farm?#entrepreneurship #agritech #startup #b2bbusiness1 hr 34 min - Ep. 2. The Fresh Grad’s Dilemma: Should You Start a Company or Join One?
🎓➡️💼 Thinking about starting a company right after college? 🚀 In this video, we dive deep into the exhilarating yet challenging world of entrepreneurship right after college! 💡
We'll explore:✅ The unique advantages of launching with fresh eyes and boundless energy❌ Potential pitfalls of diving into entrepreneurship without industry experienceWhether you're a soon-to-be graduate or just curious about the startup journey, this video will help you weigh the pros and cons of becoming a founder before you've even framed your diploma! 🏆Chapters:00:00 - Introduction00:50 - Pros of starting a business right after college06:18 - Cons of starting a business right after college12:34 - Our recommendations for the new grad18 min - Ep. 1: SaaS, RCM & AI for Dentists
In this episode, we explore successful SaaS products and business models in the dental industry, and use this as a springboard to discuss broader opportunities in healthcare technology. We'll explore trends in adjacent healthcare specialties, the disruptive potential of AI, and take a closer look at India's healthcare landscape.
If you’re curious about building a niche SaaS business or breaking into healthcare, this one is for you!(00:00) Overview of dental products & business models(09:07) How we would think about building a new startup in this space(13:00) AI, voice bots and agentic employees(19:26) Building for the India market(22:56) Revenue Cycle Management for India(25:33) Healthcare Supporting Organizations + building for Bharat33 min
About Weekend Entrepreneurs
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Join Rohith and Govind as they break down real-world businesses, interview mission-driven founders, share entrepreneurial tips and discuss weekend startup ideas.