Based on what I know, startups provide novelty or upgrades. So, founders and ideators, how do you figure out what you can work on?  And investors, how to do you come to the conclusion that a startu...

Welcome to Indian Startups's Private Community

Based on what I know, startups provide novelty or upgrades. So, founders and ideators, how do you figure out what you can work on?

And investors, how to do you come to the conclusion that a startup has the potential to be profitable?

How do you find your niche?

How do you find your niche?- Grapevine

Want to build a AI startup. Finding it impossible as 
1) Incumbents with distribution and data will easily build AI to their products
2) I don’t have PhD to build something truly innovative.
3) For consumer space, I don’t think it’s possible to build a new device or a OS etc (Incumbents again!)

I seriously wonder how startup founders start something! Do they just BS VCs about nice ideas and raise money? Any tips *from actual founders*  will be useful

Can’t think of good startup ideas!

I understand if someone is asking this question, the person isn't ready. But would like to know from founders, what was your motivation ? What pushed you over from a 9-5?
Is it just taking a bet on yourself and working towards solving the problem?

When should one startup ?

Software Engineer

I have been following the Indian startup scene for a while now, and I have to say that I am not impressed. It seems like most of the startups here are nothing more than people chasing quick bucks and the entire scene is a circlejerk of people doing everything, attending these stupid conferences and gatherings than actually building something game-changing.

Every founder is chasing nothing more than a valuation just so they can exit and there’s nothing wrong with it but don’t sit on a moral high ground talking about building business etc. There’s a reason we don’t see startups here penetrating west because most of the founders in the Indian ecosystem reek of ego and it’s all because we don’t judge business on merit but based on the degree the founders have. We all can count stupid startups draining money all because they are from some IIT or IIM or now some fancy degree from Ivy and yes it takes effort and hard work to reach there. Still, it automatically doesn’t translate to you naturally being better than a guy working his ass off to make up that difference.

Also, just because you used your dad’s money to start a 'Venture Firm or be an angel investor after college doesn’t mean you’re an expert at everything. You’re just adding to the noise and the hype that is already too much in this space. You’re not helping anyone but yourself and your ego.

So a friendly reminder can we all actually focus on building things based on hard work and merit instead of glorifying this circlejerk. Can we stop being obsessed with funding rounds and valuations and start being obsessed with solving real problems and creating value for customers and society? Can we stop being influenced by the media and the hype and start being influenced by the data and the feedback? Can we stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution?

Startup scene being a complete circlejerk.

Product Manager

What questions would you ask to evaluate if you should join an early stage startup in this market?

The objective is to ensure job longevity, avoid getting laid off and experience a reasonable amount of growth.

Is there anything else that we can do apart from asking questions to the company folks?

Evaluating early stage startups in this market

Software Developer

We have an idea but, we worry that did really fit in market or not. And how would I find actual problem that my target user facing.

How to find if our startup idea is really going to solve or not

Welcome to Personal Finance's Private Community

What is the fastest way to make money?

I've a great idea and it's validated after talking to more than 50 founders/head of sales.

Questions -
1. What's the process of getting a domain/and checking if the domain/product name is not a brand name globally anywhere?

2. Wrt raising funding, any founders here who can throw some light on how much salaries you used to take? I am not very inclined towards bootstrapping rn.

3. What were the challenges wrt starting your website, getting it validated by running ads etc? Maybe some D2C founders can help me out here.

4. What tools did you use for your first MVP launch?

Thanks

Thinking of build my own startup. Have questions?

Welcome to Product Managers's Private Community

I have been on this journey for a long time now. Lots of failure comes with loads of learning. Each step or initiative I took has helped me grow as a person, the business guy (ed-tech, media space), and also in terms of technicalities (full-stack product management, hardcore hands-on into technology and I love user experience)

Ps: currently running an edtech startup in pre-seed/seed stage

Feel free to ask anything, would be happy to help even personally

5 years of failure (Entrepreneurship) AMA

Founder

Welcome to Office Gossip's Private Community

Absolutely sad to see the state of the startups, most of them.
I am a founder myself, and this is a post with equal disappointment with myself as much as it is for anyone else who relates.
Look at all these companies that have raised shit tons of capital, and now make a fraction of money that has been invested in them.
The raised money is spent on outsized, non business sense making acquisition costs, only to keep repeating it till the tap runs dry.
Then when all stakeholders get bored, the service quality plummets, the employees are fired and whole sectors are admonished as being bad.

But, my question is, which sector where large sums of money was invested in early days have come out with flying colours. Fucking nothing !
Edtech, proptech, agritech, ecommerce etc. etc. etc. kuch bhi nahi. 

Is there any sector where a startup which has raised in the 100s of millions in the first 5 years have actually built a sustainable business at any scale ?
Then scaling down, isse acha, scale slowly.
The worst part of this whole drama, is pushing the innovation wheel backward and destroying customer sentiment.

Isse acha, raise less money inititally, build slowly, and only scale when the market is ready. Artifical growth makes no sense, unless you have a treasure chest that shall never run out.
Even in that case, spend the money on assets and not on random acquisition costs, direct or indirect.

As founders, let's do better, nahi ?

Rant or is it ?

Welcome to Business Roles's Private Community

Im currently working at McKinsey and want to understand if working at a startup in a strategy.growth role is better. What are the factors i should be thinking about before making the switch?

High growth startup or Consulting?

Growth Manager

I am 34, BU Head at mid size startup, 1Cr+ CTC and 3Cr ESOP. Tier 1 MBA+Engg. Still 5yrs away from financial freedom. 
Startup founders who have taken similar jump what would say? Was it worth it? 
If yes, any tips on finding start up ideas.

Hifi job or start own startup?

Sales Leader

Something I've found very frustrating while pitching to investors, platforms and funds is that so many of them actually just bait and switch.

They pose like gyani people earnestly looking for investments or helping entrepreneurs, but when you speak to them they start selling you their services.

Fundraise is apparently just a step away, need to signup here first, or create xyz report first, or do outreach to xyz number of people, or do market research and fresh pitch deck creation, or hire xyz consultant/agency to get to the "next level" - basically a bunch of barriers you need to pay to clear despite having a profitable business with paying customers. 

Fact of the matter is there are plenty of people raising money based off of pitch decks with no MVP , or even just the right conversations with the right people. But they are rare and hard to find organically. Requires lots of networking and connecting dots over months and years.

The point is, this selling in the guise of securing investment is tiresome and a waste of time for most entrepreneurs. They probably do get a few suckers occasionally which helps them stay afloat I guess.

Some of them might even take your ideas and start building something of their own or back someone to build it under them. Once you start pitching, the deck starts floating around in VC groups and networks mostly beyond the reach of the average entrepreneur.

Considering all this, just keeping one's head down and bootstrapping forever in peace seems like a better approach.

Disingenuous behaviour in startup ecosystem

Product Owner

I have 2 job offers in hand and now am a bit confused. Need your advice on decision-making,

1st offer - Jaipur location - investing and trading company, offering me an Equity Research Analyst role with a profit-sharing in the new business division which they are developing.

2nd offer - Bangalore-based startup, recently raised $550k, has 18 months of runway, the current scale is low.. they are offering me mixed roles - 50% of the time will go into Social Media and Content, 30% in Business and 20% in Finance. ESOPs will be based on 6-8 months of performance.

Now I have 2 career paths in mind:

1) I want to do CFA and get into the core finance side... it might also lead me to the VC, PE, or IB side.

2) Startup - I have done startup in the past but failed. I want to do startup again but currently want to join a good startup where I can learn from experienced people.

I don't know how I should go about deciding b/w these 2 career paths.

If you were in my shoes, how would you make a decision?

Have 2 job offers - Confused to choose one

Equity Research

I have a few ideas for products I want to build in few niche spaces. At the same time I’m always a bit skeptic in discussing this with friends thinking they might ask for too much equity in partnership

The downside is that I feel I have to know everything to even get started

How did you do it? If you built your startup, at what point in your life while working full time you started working your own thing and how was the journey like?

Any tips you’d give a budding entrepreneur

How’d you get started?

I see so many folks complaining about status quo around where they work. Very curious to understand what are your expectations from a startup and the founders. This may help us get what we want from startup founders here.

In the comment, highlight what you want and what you're willing to give.

What do you want from a startup?

Welcome to Software Engineers's Private Community

Having worked for both early stage startups and large corporations, the work satisfaction I get by working for startups is unmatched.

I’m currently identifying few of the startups to work for as an experienced software engineer.

What are the metrics and parameters to look for?

There are some brilliant minds here who share their awesome knowledge, your thoughts will be appreciated!

How to identify a good startup to work for?

Consultant

Go ahead, ask if we pushed founders to commit fraud.

AMA: Worked at tier 2 VC - got in post a few years of workex and a tier 2 Indian uni

What stops you from *stealing* an idea that you found mind-blowing from a pitch of a startup trying to get a seed funding?

Last 3 years of startups have been all about SaaS. I just don't get it. So far, it was about solving real problems at scale.
First with consumer websites (google etc), then software, then shopping & delivery (amazon swiggy zomato fk etc etc) 

And now, it's all SaaS:
- Imma build a startup to help white businessmen in America do better billing 
- Imma build a 360 degree feedback tool specifically for Norwegian miners 
- Imma build a SaaS software to help HR people note down who isn't dressed properly
- Imma build a software to help hillbillies in the US better manage their trucking company

Like how are smart people in India taking up entrepreneurship to build these ideas that are dull and feel like the end of life? How does anybody become excited by this? 

is it just money? what am I missing?

SaaS: Why are people so attracted to it? (mini rant)

Analyst

Startup ecosystem seems to be going through a tough time recently.

with less money infused in the market, and all the big player laying off employees, companies stooping so low in the name of cutting down the cost and news about some companies treating their employees like shit.


Still my optimistic ass believes that it can’t all be that bad, right? and things might get better.


Here’s my question to the community, what are some companies you would like to work for and why(apart from money 😉)?

How do you find your niche?

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