E141: Anshuman Singh (Co-Founder of Scaler)

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

#Trading #Business #India #Akash Bhat #Managing Partner

29:53

Steve Preston is the CEO of Goodwill Industries. Though Goodwill is known for big stores where people can donate clothes and buy them secondhand, those stores are just the first level of what Goodwill Industries are about. Those stores fund an international organization that provides job training, employment placement services and other community-based programs for people who face barriers in their employment. Steve joins Jay to discuss the ways Goodwill Industries support veterans and individuals who lack job experience, an education, or face employment challenges, such as those people who are formerly incarcerated. Today's episode was produced by Tani Levitt and Mijon Zulu. To check out more episodes or to learn more about the show, you can visit our website Allaboutchangepodcast.com. If you like our show, spread the word, tell a friend or family member, or leave us a review on your favorite podcasting app. We really appreciate it. All About Change is produced by the Ruderman Family Foundation. Episode Chapters 0:00 intro 1:02 The Goodwill you don’t know 4:33 The troubling reality of work reintegration for formerly incarcerated folks 10:00 How Steve brings his public-sector experience to Goodwill 11:17 Goodwill’s employment centers 15:51 The interplay between Goodwill’s national and local arms 24:07 The case for minimizing recidivism becoming a cross-party cause 27:05 Goodbye For video episodes, watch on www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation Stay in touch: X: @JayRuderman | @RudermanFdn LinkedIn: Jay Ruderman | Ruderman Family Foundation Instagram: All About Change Podcast | Ruderman Family Foundation To learn more about the podcast, visit https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/ Looking for more insights into the world of activism? Be sure to check out Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight , in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at ⁠⁠⁠www.jayruderman.com⁠⁠⁠ .…

about a year ago 55:46

MP3•Episode home

Anshuman Singh is the Co-founder of ⁠Scaler⁠, an edtech company designed to upskill college graduates and young software engineers in advanced computer science topics. The company has raised $55M from Lightrock, Peak XV Partners and Tiger Global Management, at a valuation of $700M. Before Scaler, Anshuman had co-founded InterviewBit, a platform aimed at helping software engineers prepare for technical interviews. During this time, he noticed that many talented individuals were struggling with the practical skills required to excel in real-world tech jobs, despite holding degrees in computer science. This realization laid the groundwork for Scaler.

. . .

Episode Notes:

Introduction (1:20)
Shifts in EdTech: A Founder’s Perspective (2:35)
The Inspiration Behind Scaler (6:40)
Crafting a World-Class Curriculum (14:48)
Navigating Challenges as a VC-Backed Startup (21:10)
Building Brand Advocacy and Community (25:19)
Preparing Talent for an Evolving Workforce (31:20)
Today’s Student and Their Approach to Learning (35:49)
Surprising Insights About EdTech in India (44:55)
Key Learnings as a Founder and Leader of Scaler (50:11)
Advice for Aspiring EdTech Founders (53:25)

. . .

Social links

Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anshuman on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anshuman Singh on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠

151 episodes

E141: Anshuman Singh (Co-Founder of Scaler)

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

14 subscribers

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

. . .

Episode Notes:

Introduction (1:20)
Shifts in EdTech: A Founder’s Perspective (2:35)
The Inspiration Behind Scaler (6:40)
Crafting a World-Class Curriculum (14:48)
Navigating Challenges as a VC-Backed Startup (21:10)
Building Brand Advocacy and Community (25:19)
Preparing Talent for an Evolving Workforce (31:20)
Today’s Student and Their Approach to Learning (35:49)
Surprising Insights About EdTech in India (44:55)
Key Learnings as a Founder and Leader of Scaler (50:11)
Advice for Aspiring EdTech Founders (53:25)

. . .

Social links

Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anshuman on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anshuman Singh on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠

151 episodes

#Trading #Business #India #Akash Bhat #Managing Partner

All episodes

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

1
E152: Near Bankruptcy to $250M ARR | Rohan Nayak (CEO, Pocket FM) 1:14:31

7 weeks ago1:14:31

1:14:31

Rohan Nayak is the Co-founder & CEO of Pocket FM , a company redefining audio storytelling for the world. While we’ve recently been publishing video episodes, this one’s a throwback to pure audio. Rohan had to travel unexpectedly, but we didn’t want to miss the chance to capture his insights on building one of India's fastest-growing consumer tech companies. Pocket FM is making waves globally — having recently raised $103 million in Series D funding , bringing total funding to $196.5 million, with backing from Lightspeed, Tanglin Venture Partners, Goodwater Capital, and Naver. With $150 million+ in ARR and 57% QoQ growth, they’re showing that audio isn’t just alive — it’s thriving. In today's episode, Rohan shares how building from India creates efficient growth playbooks, the nuances of global GTM, and why the future of content might sound a lot more like audio than you think. ⌛ Timestamps: Motivation behind starting a company (3:55) Why Rohan chose audio as a medium (5:20) Early reactions to Pocket FM’s vision (12:20) How audio is transforming short-form storytelling (22:10) Why audio has a higher creative bar than video (24:30) Localization and Pocket FM’s global expansion plan (25:40) The role of A/B testing in content development (32:25) How A/B testing works specifically for audio (37:20) Audio’s ability to transcend cultural boundaries (39:39) How Pocket FM finds breakout "blockbuster" shows (40:40) Why US-origin stories scale better globally (42:25) What content categories work—and which don’t (43:00) Top 3 learnings from going to market in the US (43:52) Mistakes Pocket FM made in their GTM journey (47:32) How culture shapes global go-to-market strategy (50:35) How Pocket FM is using AI to enhance storytelling (54:50) Rohan’s five-year vision for Pocket FM (1:01:35) Why AI will supercharge the next generation of creators (1:03:39) Personal lessons Rohan has learned as a founder (1:07:00) What keeps him grounded — the concept of "Basecamp" (1:11:15) 🎥 Subscribe to watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain! Support the podcast: 🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🐦 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎵 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💌 BTS content on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

1
E151: Leaving VC to Build an AI Startup | Brij Bhasin (Rebright VC / Snow Mountain AI) 1:16:45

9 weeks ago1:16:45

1:16:45

Brij Bhasin is a longtime investor turned founder and the co-founder & CEO of Snow Mountain AI , a company focused on automating business processes in finance, compliance, and legal through AI. Before founding Snow Mountain, Brij was a General Partner at Rebright Partners , and earlier helped launch GSF Accelerator, one of India’s first and largest startup accelerators. He was also part of the early team at Little Eye Labs, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014, and has over a decade of experience building tech products across startups in India and the US. In this episode, Brij shares why he left a successful venture career to become a founder, the challenges of building an AI startup from India for global markets and how he’s navigating entrepreneurship after a long break. This conversation is a must-listen for VCs considering a shift to operating roles, and for founders building deep-tech or AI startups out of India. ⌛ Timestamps Trailer (00:00) Brij's journey from 10 years of VC to a startup founder (01:48) What has Brij learnt being an investor for 10 years (04:24) How to build a startup in 2025 (Investor's POV) (05:53) Investor's definition of "velocity" and its importance (08:54) Medibuddy's case study (10:48) Importance of long-term view for a founder (13:43) PhonePe's case study (17:40) Monetary success, purpose, drive and teamwork (21:05) Difference between velocity and momentum (23:15) How do companies manage culture (29:41) Is quitting or pivoting bad? (35:25) What does it really mean to go from an investor to a founder? (48:58) Akash's strategic plan towards trademarking his company's logo (52:06) Thinking outside of the box (55:55) How easy it is to move from being an investor to a founder? (1:03:09) How difficult it is to raise capital as a founder who is a former investor? (1:07:40) What has Brij learnt about himself that surprised him yet transformed him? (1:11:41) Outro (1:15:56) 🎥 Subscribe to watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain! Support the podcast: 🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🐦 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎵 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💌 BTS content on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

1
E150 - "Build Companies Not Products" | Pramod Gosavi (Blumberg Capital) 1:24:06

12 weeks ago1:24:06

1:24:06

Pramod is a Senior Principal at Blumberg Capital , an early-stage venture capital firm specializing in leading Seed and Series A rounds. The firm is based in Tel Aviv (Israel) and San Francisco. Before joining Blumberg Capital, Pramod was a Principal at 11.2 Capital, where he focused on investing in early-stage cybersecurity, data, dev-tools, and AI. He led seed rounds in Coalesce, Permiso, StrikeReady, Surf Security, MightyMeld, Leen, and Collinear AI. Previously, Pramod was Director of Corporate Strategy/Venture Capital at VMware, advising senior leadership on product, growth, and M&A while investing in startups such as JFrog (IPO), CloudEndure (acq. by AWS), Armis (acq. by Insight), GuardiCore (acq. by Akamai), Wavefront, VeloCloud (acq. by VMware), and Affirmed Networks (acq. by Microsoft). In today's episode, we discuss his journey from an operator to corporate venture capital and then to traditional venture capital, as well as investing in AI. This is a unique episode—you'll find very few VCs with a career trajectory like Pramod’s. ⌛ Timestamps: Trailer + Intro (0:00) CVC vs. traditional VC: key similarities (3:45) How CVCs are structured & incentivized (6:39) The mandates & investment thesis of CVCs (12:45) Investing for today vs. the future (14:45) How CVCs make investment decisions (18:25) The role of a ‘sponsor’ in CVC investments (22:44) Why should early-stage startups take CVC money? (25:00) How CVCs add value to later-stage companies (30:25) Maximizing value from CVC investors (34:10) Transitioning from CVC to traditional VC (37:50) How Pramod has helped his portfolio startups (42:00) What investors look for in AI startups (49:00) Can founders be taught to sell better? (56:15) GTM strategies for selling to enterprises (59:45) Understanding enterprise customers as a founder (1:04:27) How investors can build a personal brand (like Pramod) (1:09:15) The “so what” philosophy for founders & investors (1:13:50) Advice to younger self (1:16:03) Why being 10x is attractive to investors (1:20:35) 🎥 Subscribe to watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain! Support the podcast: 🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🐦 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎵 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💌 BTS content on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

1
E149 - From Amazon Engineer to IPO: The HyreCar Story | Anshu Bansal 1:06:23

15 weeks ago1:06:23

1:06:23

Anshu Bansal is a serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He co-founded Hyrecar , a peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace that allows anyone to rent their cars to Uber and Lyft drivers safely and reliably. In today’s episode, learn how a late-night Uber ride in 2014 sparked a groundbreaking business idea that would reshape the ride-sharing industry in the US. Anshu takes us through his incredible entrepreneurial journey—from his programming days at H&R Block and Amazon Prime Music to building the “Airbnb for ride-share cars.” Along the way, he faced direct competition from Uber, financial struggles that nearly led to bankruptcy, and even sold his own car to keep the company afloat. Against all odds, he turned things around and ultimately took the company public in a remarkable comeback story. Learn how they validated their concept by going undercover at Uber Driver Hubs, built their first MVP using just a spreadsheet that generated $9,000 in month one, and navigated crucial pivots when faced with competition from Uber itself. ⌛ Timestamps: Introduction – The late-night Uber ride that sparked a billion-dollar idea (05:03) Early Career – From coding at Amazon & H&R Block to building startups (05:31) The Birth of Hyrecar – How one conversation turned into a game-changing business (06:31) Cracking the Business Model – How Anshu structured Hyrecar for success ( 08:43) Proving the Idea – The key steps that validated Hyrecar’s potential (13:13) Ignored by Uber – Why the ride-share giant didn’t see Hyrecar coming (16:25) Reinventing Car Ownership – How Hyrecar disrupted the ride-sharing ecosystem (18:36) Thriving in the Unknown – Why Anshu builds businesses in industries he knows little about (24:27) Lessons from Amazon & Microsoft – What big tech taught Anshu about scaling companies (26:53) Hiring in Startups vs. Big Tech – The biggest differences founders must understand (30:43) The Real Meaning of Entrepreneurship – What it truly takes to build a successful startup (32:43) Personal Struggles & Entrepreneurship – How life’s challenges shape founders (35:43) Finding the Right Co-Founder – The make-or-break decision for every startup (41:08) From Near Collapse to IPO – The incredible journey of Hyrecar’s turnaround (47:41) Building a VC Fund – Why Anshu launched his own investment firm (54:43) Jumping into Cybersecurity – What made Anshu bet on an entirely new industry (56:14) The Biggest Lessons as an Operator – What years of entrepreneurship have taught him (01:01:13) Advice to His Younger Self – The hard-earned wisdom every founder should hear (01:02:03) Support the podcast: 🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ 📸 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ 🐦 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠⁠ 💼 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ 🎵 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠ 💌 BTS content on ⁠⁠⁠Substack…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

1
E148 - The Ultimate Founder-Led-Marketing Playbook | Aquibur Rahman (CEO, Mailmodo) 1:11:29

17 weeks ago1:11:29

1:11:29

Aquibur Rahman is the Co-founder and CEO of Mailmodo , an interactive email marketing software that helps marketers create app-like experiences in email by adding forms, shopping cart, calendar, NPS and other widgets. It helps companies collect feedback from their users, book meetings with prospects, recover abandon carts, generate leads, all within the the body of the email. The company is backed by Peak XV Partners (prev. known as Sequoia India), Y Combinator, BoldCap, Titan Capital & All In Capital.Aquib has been a marketer his entire career. Prior to founding Mailmodo, he headed marketing at Cleartax, a leading tax & investing platform, where he built and grew the practice from the ground up. And before that he had short but impactful stints at P&G, iProf Learning Solutions (I) Pvt. Ltd., and CarDekho.From a small village in Bihar to Super30, IIT Dhanbad, IIM Ahmedabad, and now the Silicon Valley, Aquib has come a long way and defied the odds at every step. Humble, soft-spoken, and incredibly knowledgeable, he brings deep insights into marketing, growth, and startup success.In today's episode, we dive deep into marketing strategies for founders and startups. Aquib shares actionable insights on why founders should position themselves as the face of their companies and how they can do it effectively, proven strategies for scaling market as a strong source of lead generation and brand building in the early stages, and a step-by-step playbook for executing founder-led marketing effectively.This is a MUST-watch episode for every founder and marketing person at startups ⌛ Timestamps: Trailer (00:00) Introduction (01:16) Episode kick-off (03:33) How did Mailmodo land its first customer? (03:47) Proven strategies to acquire your first paying customer (05:36) How Mailmodo landed Razorpay as a customer (10:33) Why design partnerships & POCs should be paid (11:55) What is "build-in-public"? What's a good playbook for it? (13:56) What is Founder-Led Marketing & why it works (18:38) The key components of a strong Founder-Led Marketing strategy (20:32) Marketing strategies that helped Mailmodo scale (22:33) How to build partnerships with lesser-known brands (25:12) Is all marketing good marketing? (25:50) The dangers of overpromising & underdelivering (27:18) Examples of founders who nailed Founder-Led Marketing (29:53) When should founders start focusing on Founder-Led-Marketing? (32:15) How customer discovery leads to marketing success (34:03) The biggest mistakes founders make in marketing (40:50) Live Marketing Workshop: Aquib breaks down a real-world example (45:01) How AI is changing SEO: What founders need to know (48:33) SEO best practices for 2025 and beyond (55:13) How AI is reshaping email marketing (59:43) How should a brand think about email marketing today? (1:01:59) Why marketing is all about building relationships (1:06:03) If Mailmodo started today, what would Aquib do differently? (1:09:19) With infinite resources, how would Aquib scale marketing? (1:10:13) 🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow us on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ 📸 Follow us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ 🐦 Follow us on ⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠ 💼 Follow us on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ 🎵 Follow us on ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ 💌 BTS content on ⁠⁠Substack…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

1
E147 - Tips for B2B Enterprise Founders | Yousuf Khan (Ridge Ventures) 1:34:13

19 weeks ago1:34:13

1:34:13

Yousuf Khan is a Partner at Ridge Ventures , a seed and Series A stage venture fund investing in enterprise and B2B startups. With a deep understanding of startup growth and scaling challenges, Yousuf not only drives Ridge’s investment portfolio forward but also provides hands-on support to founders, offering guidance rooted in his extensive experience across leadership roles. He currently serves as a board director for Ridge-backed companies, including Archera, Cerby, Chisel Labs, Lightyear, Rafay, and Rewind. Before joining Ridge, Yousuf held several pivotal positions in leading technology companies. He was the first CIO of Automation Anywhere ($6.84 billion company), played a dual role as CIO and Vice President of Customer Success at AI-driven cloud platform Moveworks ($2.1 billion company), and served as CIO at two public companies, Pure Storage (PSTG) and Qualys (QLYS). His deep industry expertise also includes advisory roles with companies like Zoom, Productiv, and Material Security. In this episode, Yousuf shares his journey into venture capital, discussing key insights on building a career in VC, the importance of founder empathy, and the role of self-awareness and diversity in investing.He offers practical advice on how VCs can create information arbitrage, draw value from feedback cycles, and support founders through challenges at scale. The conversation also delves into best practices and strategies for enterprise software founders, covering topics like customer obsession, board meetings, and leadership at scale. ⌛ Timestamps: Trailer (0:00) Introduction (1:40) Episode kick-off (3:44) Yousuf shares his experience in venture capital (4:26) Is venture capital for everyone? What should one expect? (5:20) Knowing your 'WHY' before starting a career in VC (7:13) How to become a venture capitalist (9:00) How VCs draw inferences from feedback cycles (11:44) Creating information arbitrage as a VC ( 14:41) The importance of diversity in a venture team (16:46) The role of founder empathy in investing ( 18:25) Authenticity: An underrated trait in founders ( 19:39) Why VCs should have self-awareness ( 22:07) Common problems founders face as they scale ( 25:07) Why very few CIOs become VCs ( 27:00) API to DPI: The journey of an investor ( 32:34) How to build a strong track record in venture ( 36:40) Speaking the talk vs. walking the walk ( 39:00) The importance of obsession in venture capital ( 41:06) Serendipity and opportunity in VC ( 43:01) Immigrant spirit, shared experiences, and gratitude in venture ( 47:37) How Yousuf handles failures or bad investments ( 59:06) Best practices for running board meetings ( 1:06:07) The science of creating a perfect board deck ( 1:08:10) How long it takes founders to master board meetings ( 1:10:35) Tips for founders on running their companies better (1:12:32) Why the technology industry is inherently imperfect ( 1:14:15) The importance of operating in "customer mode" (not just founder mode) ( 1:20:16) Advice for enterprise software founders ( 1:24:54) What’s ahead for 2025 ( 1:26:58) Advice Yousuf would give his younger self ( 1:30:10) 🎥 Subscribe to see watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain! 🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠YouTube⁠ 🎧 Follow us on ⁠Spotify⁠ 📸 Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ 🐦 Follow us on ⁠Twitter/X⁠ 💼 Follow us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 🎵 Follow us on ⁠TikTok⁠ 💌 BTS content on ⁠Substack…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

1
E146 - Inside a $1.1B Deep Tech, Cross-Border Fund 🚀 | Sriram Viswanathan (Founding Managing Partner, Celesta Capital) 1:21:06

21 weeks ago1:21:06

1:21:06

We had the privilege of hosting Sriram Viswanathan , Founding Managing Partner of Celesta Capital . Based in San Francisco, Celesta Capital is a global, multi-stage venture capital firm managing $1.1 billion in assets. The firm specializes in cross-border investments between India and the United States, with a focus on deep-tech. Since its inception in 2013, Celesta Capital has invested in over 100 companies including those in space-tech, bio-tech, artificial intelligence, drug discovery, semi-conductors, cloud infrastructure, imaging, construction, diagnostics among others. Sriram Viswanathan has more than 30 years of technology business operations and venture capital experience. Prior to Celesta, Sriram was the founder of IndusAge Partners, a cross-border venture firm investing in companies in India-US corridor. Sriram spent nearly 20 years at Intel Corporation in various senior management roles, including VP of the Intel Architecture Group (IAG) and later as the VP of Intel Capital and General Manager of Intel’s Incubation and Innovation Group. In this episode, we explore Sriram’s journey, from his time at Intel during its peak, where he first delved into deep tech, to his unique experiences intersecting with Hollywood. We explore building a winning organizational culture, Sriram’s core values, and how Celesta Capital reflects the shared principles of its four partners. Sriram shares insights into Celesta’s investment thesis, rooted in the operational expertise of its team, and offers lessons on what makes a successful venture capitalist, from the importance of relationships and authenticity to navigating leadership changes. We discuss the immense opportunities in deep tech, particularly in India, the impact of geo-politics and regulation on investing, and strategies for attracting LPs to deep tech funds. With advice on choosing the right VC partner, building with an exit mindset, and running efficient board meetings, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways for founders, investors, and anyone navigating the world of deep tech and venture capital. 🎙️ Fun fact: Sriram also hosts @techsurge-deeptech podcast. Give it a listen! ⌛ Timestamps: 1. Episode Trailer | 00:00 2. Guest Introduction | 01:23 3. Episode Kickoff | 04:12 4. The secret behind longevity at Intel | 05:24 5. Why Intel bet big on deep tech | 08:51 6. How Intel evaluated deep tech in the 90s | 11:13 7. Convincing Steven Spielberg to use Intel's InTru3D for Shrek | 13:13 8. Building a culture of longevity in organizations | 17:08 9. Laying the foundation for a career in venture investing | 19:57 10. Traits of a successful venture capitalist | 23:58 11. The tough decisions in VC: leadership changes | 30:04 12. Why VC is about people and relationships | 32:32 13. Choosing the right VC partner over a big-name fund | 36:15 14. “Elon doesn’t run SpaceX” | 37:40 15. How to run efficient board meetings | 39:08 16. Authenticity as a superpower | 40:14 17. Celesta Capital’s investment philosophy | 41:40 18. The three pillars of a VC fund and founding Celesta Capital | 45:00 19. Key investment criteria at Celesta | 50:10 20. “Venture capital sucks” | 53:28 21. Why deep tech is a major opportunity in India | 58:25 22. How geo-politics and regulation shape investing in India | 01:01:21 23. Why LPs are excited & going long on deep tech | 01:03:55 24. Balancing returns across markets with different maturities (India & the US) | 01:05:40 25. Attracting new LPs to deep tech | 01:07:46 26. Building deep tech with an exit mindset | 01:11:45 27. Lessons learned from venture investing | 01:13:28 28. Sriram’s decision-making framework | 01:16:22 29. Episode Outro | 01:20:16 🎥 Subscribe to see watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain! 🔗 SUBSCRIBE on YouTube 🎧 Follow us on Spotify 📸 Follow us on Instagram 🐦 Follow us on Twitter/X 💼 Follow us on LinkedIn 🎵 Follow us on TikTok 💌 BTS content on Substack…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

1
E145 - Built & Sold 2 Companies & Now Manages $350M AUM Fintech Fund | Sheel Mohnot 1:02:07

23 weeks ago1:02:07

1:02:07

In this episode, we sit down with ⁠ Sheel Mohnot ⁠ , co-founder of ⁠ Better Tomorrow Ventures ⁠ (BTV), a San Francisco-based $350M AUM fund that leads pre-seed and seed rounds in fintech companies globally, typically writing first checks ranging from $500K to $4M. BTV also runs The Mint Accelerator, a program providing mentorship, resources, and community support for fintech founders. At its core, BTV invests for a better future, driven by the belief that fintech can genuinely improve people’s lives. Sheel is an operator-turned-investor. He built and sold FeeFighters, a Stripe-like payment gateway and processor product called Samurai, which was acquired by Groupon pre-launch in 2012, as well as Innovative Auctions. He also co-founded Thistle, a healthy meal delivery company that raised minimal VC funding and now employs over 500 people. In this episode, we dive deep with Sheel to uncover the lessons he’s learned from building and exiting two businesses, the profound influence of family on his journey as both a founder and now an investor, and why he believes seed-stage investing allows BTV to have the greatest impact. He shares candid insights about what it means to be the first call for his founders, the perks and challenges of being an operator-turned-investor, and the importance of portfolio diversification. Sheel also reflects on traits of an ideal investor, finding life’s purpose, and even tells a story about the time he smoked a cigarette just to close a deal as a founder. Whether you’re an aspiring investor, an entrepreneur, or just someone looking to grow as an individual, this episode is packed with stories, lessons, and actionable insights. It’s the perfect way to kick off the year—leaving you inspired and introspective! ⌛ Timestamps : Episode trailer | 00:00 Family's influence on Sheel | 02:15 First encounter with Fintech | 04:44 Lessons from working in India | 05:43 Impression of India while growing up | 09:05 Correlation between family, values and investing | 11:57 Why VCs seek billion-dollar outcomes | 15:28 Importance of discipline in venture investing | 17:53 How does Sheel view himself? | 20:40 Value of approachability | 22:21 Importance of putting oneself ‘out there’ | 27:30 Hard problems, emerging markets & power of writing | 28:57 Dealing with imposter syndrome | 30:35 The hidden role of a VC | 34:10 Benefits of portfolio diversification | 38:09 Advantages Operator-turned-VCs hold over pure investors | 39:06 Traits of the ideal investor | 40:15 Finding life’s purpose | 45:17 Advice for indecisive founders | 47:12 Angel investing as a precursor to VC | 52:38 Key Learnings as a second time founder | 53:43 Story of smoking a cigarette to make a sale | 54:52 Insights from successful leaders & why startups fail | 57:09 Sheel’s fashion & style | 59:07 🎥 Subscribe to see watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain! 🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠YouTube⁠ 🎧 Follow us on ⁠Spotify⁠ 📸 Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ 🐦 Follow us on ⁠Twitter/X⁠ 💼 Follow us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 🎵 Follow us on ⁠TikTok⁠ 💌 BTS content on ⁠Substack…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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Trailer: We're now on video! 2:04

23 weeks ago2:04

2:04

After 150 audio-only episodes on Spotify & Apple Podcasts, The Desi VC is finally stepping into the world of video ! The first video episode drops on January 1st. Join host Akash Bhat every fortnight as he interviews: Top investors managing billion-dollar funds Serial entrepreneurs with multiple successful exits Operators who’ve built some of the most recognizable tech companies Get ready for: Candid stories of personal highs, lows, and the decisions that shaped these leaders' journeys Exclusive insights into venture capital & the art of building successful startups Playbooks & strategies for cracking the US market (founders, take notes!) Funny & relatable moments that show the human side of the industry’s best 🎥 Subscribe now to see unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain! 🔗 SUBSCRIBE: https://youtube.com/thedesivc 🎧 Follow us on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/41OVDhM 📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bhatvakash 🐦 Follow us on X: https://x.com/bhatvakash 💼 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/bhatakash 🎵 Follow us on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/thedesivc 💌 Sponsor The Desi VC Podcast: akash@thedesivc.com…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E144: Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl (Founder & Managing Partner, Eternal Capital) 58:46

24 weeks ago58:46

58:46

Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl is the Founder & Managing Partner at Eternal Capital , a 120-crore fund investing in transformative startups across technology, healthcare, and consumer sectors in India. He is the former COO of BharatPe, and a leader with extensive experience in scaling businesses and driving operational excellence across Airtel, PayTM, and Fortis Hospitals, where he spearheaded growth and strategy initiatives. This is the first of a two-part series, with the second part coming out next week. Stay tuned! Episode Notes: Introduction (1:45) Dhruv’s transition from operator to investor (5:09) Insights from launching a new fund in India in 2024 (16:20) Developing investment skills and discipline as a venture fund manager (27:30) Strategies for fund managers to unlock capital for portfolio companies in later rounds (42:30) Perspectives of external vs domestic investors/LPs on India’s venture landscape (49:35) Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dhruv on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dhruv ⁠⁠ on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E143: Dhirendra Mahyavanshi (Co-founder & CEO, Turtlemint) 50:52

25 weeks ago50:52

50:52

Dhirendra Mahyavanshi is the Co-Founder of Turtlemint , an online insurance platform backed by Nexus Venture Partners, Peak XV, Jungle Ventures, GGV Capital, Blume Ventures among others. The company is on a mission to makes it easy to understand and buy insurance. Before founding this company he held leadership positions at Quikr and ICICI Lombard. He holds an MBA degree from The IIM Calcutta. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (1:20) Early exposure to entrepreneurship (2:16) Influence of ICICI and Quikr roles on founding Turtlemint (5:15) Startups in the 2010s: parallels and differences (8:50) The inspiration behind starting Turtlemint (12:34) The Indian insurance landscape in 2014 and VC sentiment (17:05) Enhancing the insurance buying experience in India (21:20) Insurance purchasing patterns across India’s diverse tiers (24:24) The leadership journey at Turtlemint (28:25) Mental models and decision-making frameworks (33:38) Challenges in running Turtlemint (37:40) Dhirendra's vision for Turtlemint’s future (40:01) Influencing policy and regulation in India’s insurance sector (43:15) Reflections on the entrepreneurial journey (47:47) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dhirendra on Twitter⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Dhirendra ⁠⁠ on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E142: Archana Jahagirdar (Managing Partner, Rukam Capital) 54:24

27 weeks ago54:24

54:24

Archana Jahagirdar is the founder and managing partner of Rukam Capital , to find out. Set up in 2019, the Delhi-based venture capital firm invests in early-stage consumer products and services companies with significant growth potential. The VC has funded as many as 20+ startups, including noted brands such as Go DESi, Sleepy Owl Coffee, Burger Singh, BECO, The Indus Valley, Curefoods and more. . . . Episode Notes: Intro (1:25) Why did Archana venture into investing in startups? (2:51) The evolution of the Indian startup ecosystem (7:14) Why are Rukum’s LPs excited about India and the fund? (14:04) How do Indian LPs add value to portfolio companies? (17:50) Key learnings from portfolio founders (22:08) Essential practices for every founder (31:19) Rukam Capital: Investment focus and thesis (41:15) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Archana on Twitter⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Archana ⁠⁠ on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E141: Anshuman Singh (Co-Founder of Scaler) 55:46

28 weeks ago55:46

55:46

Anshuman Singh is the Co-founder of ⁠ Scaler ⁠ , an edtech company designed to upskill college graduates and young software engineers in advanced computer science topics. The company has raised $55M from Lightrock, Peak XV Partners and Tiger Global Management, at a valuation of $700M. Before Scaler, Anshuman had co-founded InterviewBit, a platform aimed at helping software engineers prepare for technical interviews. During this time, he noticed that many talented individuals were struggling with the practical skills required to excel in real-world tech jobs, despite holding degrees in computer science. This realization laid the groundwork for Scaler. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (1:20) Shifts in EdTech: A Founder’s Perspective (2:35) The Inspiration Behind Scaler (6:40) Crafting a World-Class Curriculum (14:48) Navigating Challenges as a VC-Backed Startup (21:10) Building Brand Advocacy and Community (25:19) Preparing Talent for an Evolving Workforce (31:20) Today’s Student and Their Approach to Learning (35:49) Surprising Insights About EdTech in India (44:55) Key Learnings as a Founder and Leader of Scaler (50:11) Advice for Aspiring EdTech Founders (53:25) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Anshuman on Twitter⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Anshuman Singh on LinkedIn⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠ ⁠⁠⁠…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E140: ⁠Sagar Kochhar⁠ (Co-founder & CEO, Eatsure, Rebel Foods) 58:19

33 weeks ago58:19

58:19

Sagar Kochhar is the Co-founder of Rebel Foods , and CEO of Eatsure . After completing his engineering degree from NIT Kurukshetra and an MBA from SCMHRD Pune, he began as a design engineer with Larsen & Toubro, then moved to Perfetti Van Melle and Vodafone in marketing roles. At Rebel Foods, he initially joined as Sr. VP of Operations, playing a crucial role in building brands from scratch to multi-million-dollar valuations. Since becoming Group CMO in 2016, Sagar has led brand growth across geographies, focusing on innovative campaigns and community engagement to strengthen brand equity and deliver memorable consumer experiences. In 2020, he launched and became the CEO of Eatsure , a food delivery platform and brand created by Rebel Foods that focuses on providing safe, quality-assured food from a curated selection of restaurant brands. It’s known for its "100% Safe Food Guarantee," where every meal is prepared following strict hygiene and safety protocols. Eatsure's app aggregates multiple brands under one platform, offering a wide variety of cuisines through a virtual food court concept. It also uses technology to track and assure quality across Rebel Foods’ cloud kitchens, enabling customers to order from different brands in one single order. . . . Episode Notes: The journey of Rebel Foods: From inception to today (2:50) Cracking the cloud kitchen business model (24:11) Insights from Sagar on India's evolving food consumption habits (31:45) Leveraging technology and AI to drive Rebel Foods' operations (43:13) Leadership transformation throughout the company’s growth (52:55) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sagar on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sagar on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Akash Bhat on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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⁠⁠E139: Karthik Prabhakar⁠⁠ (Managing Partner, ⁠⁠PeerCapital) 1:09:16

39 weeks ago1:09:16