Some of these are well known, but a very good list overall. Good read.

Welcome to Indian Startups's Private Community

Obvious things that I learned the hard way over 20+ yrs of entrepreneurship … thankfully learned just in time to never miss payroll & create financial independence. I would have done a lot better if I had known these earlier, but that is how it works I guess :) 🧵👇

Notes on Entrepreneurship from Vaibhav (Partner, Better Capital)

Investment Associate

Notes on Entrepreneurship from Vaibhav (Partner, Better Capital)- Grapevine

I have been investing now for 10 years+ at a $100mn Fund. If you have ever thought of starting up, do spend 5 mins reading this. 

My younger brother who has been seeing me do investing has always been very excited about starting up. The idea is as good or better than 99% of the founders. And I still recommend otherwise. It’s not for everyone.


Not everyone should start a company. Startups are often romanticized, but the reality is that the journey is only suited for a small percentage of people. Truthfully, very few ideas have the potential to grow large enough to be VC-backable, and those ideas are rare. The rest—no matter how meaningful or well-executed—often fall into a challenging space where founders can feel trapped, especially after taking on venture capital. 

There’s no glory in grinding 12 x 7 for 5-7 prime years of your life if chances of making it is 0.1%. VC funding means nothing more than you being invited for drinks and dinner 6x a year. 

In India, the lack of breakthrough innovation in many startups makes this struggle even more real. It’s disappointing to see so many talented people starting companies, not because they’ve found a burning problem to solve, but because they’re drawn to the allure of the “startup life.” They end up pouring time, energy, and passion into ventures that may not align with their true potential or with what the market genuinely needs.

If you’re considering a startup, let this be a gentle reminder: don’t jump in just for the glory. 

Unless you’re genuinely driven by a unique, compelling idea, one that fills a real need, think twice. Your work—done with focus, dedication, and care—can be just as meaningful and fulfilling. The value in doing your job well, in growing in your role, or even in leading from within an established organization is not less important. You don’t need a company to change the world; you need purpose, and that can be found in countless places beyond the startup path.

Please Do Not Startup, Please.

Growth Manager

VC with 5+ yrs of exp - AMA

Community Manager

Been spending way too much time on Grapevine lately - absolutely loving it @Micheal_Scott!

Posted the Prosus report takeaways yday - lots of you DMed asking questions. Then I saw NewsAnchor break down the entire Prosus Annual Report - great stuff.

I was an Associate at one of the largest VC funds in India, so I enjoy going through new reports and summarising them - found my notes from Bain's India Venture Capital Report 2024. Thought of sharing the unedited summary that I shared with the Partners at the fund, have a bunch of these - can share more if of value to any of you here (ofc removing the confidential parts)

Notes:
1/ India's maintaining its gravitational pull despite the global funding crunch. Sure, overall funding nosedived 63% to $9.6B, but we're still the #2 destination in Asia-Pacific. Might not necessarily be a crash, it's a necessary course correction.
2/ Early-stage investing is showing remarkable resilience. Seed deals now comprise 70% of all deals, up from 60%, with average check sizes holding steady at $1.4M. Smart money is quietly positioning itself for the next wave of innovation.
3/ The tech-only playbook is being rewritten. While consumer tech, fintech, and SaaS still command 60% of funding, traditional sectors like BFSI are gaining ground, with average deal sizes jumping from $8M to $15M. We're witnessing the birth of tech-enabled, not just tech-centric, growth stories.
4/ The unicorn factory has hit pause, with only 2 new billion-dollar valuations vs. 23 in 2022. Mega-rounds ($100M+) plummeted from 48 to 15. This isn't a drought; it's a return to fundamentals. The era of grow-now-profit-later is firmly behind us.
5/ Generative AI isn't just hype; it's reshaping the landscape. Funding exploded from $15M to $250M, with 80% flowing to existing companies integrating AI. India's quickly becoming a laboratory for practical AI applications, not just speculative moonshots.
6/ Electric mobility is rewiring itself. While overall funding dipped slightly to $600M+, charging infrastructure investment surged 50%. The real opportunity isn't just in vehicles; it's in building out the entire EV ecosystem.
7/ Exits are defying gravity, leaping 1.7x to $6.6B. Public market sales led the charge at 55%, even as IPOs cooled. LPs are getting liquidity, and the secondary market is proving surprisingly robust. There's still appetite for quality assets.
8/ PE is no longer just watching from the sidelines. These players doubled their share to 25% of investments, going toe-to-toe with traditional VCs. The lines between growth equity and venture capital are blurring, and it's changing the game for late-stage rounds.
9/ We're watching natural selection in real-time. Yes, 35,000+ startups shuttered and 20,000+ layoffs hit the headlines. But companies like Groww and Indifi turned profitable. This isn't a bubble bursting; it's an ecosystem strengthening its foundations.
10/ Domestic VCs are coming of age. While overall fund-raising halved to $4B, homegrown VCs led 90%+ of raises. They're not just following; they're specializing, with thematic funds like Omnivore's $150M agritech vehicle. The ecosystem is bootstrapping its own future.
11/ Regulation isn't just tightening; it's evolving. Angel Tax expanded and lending norms got stricter, but we're also seeing innovative policies like UPI for foreign travelers. India's crafting a uniquely balanced approach to fostering innovation while maintaining stability.

Topics we can discuss during our standup:
1/ Can India produce global tech giants if it's primarily adopting rather than pioneering in areas like AI? How do we enable this?
2/ How will the shift towards profitability impact India's ability to foster truly disruptive innovations? Implications for us, how should we be evaluating deals differently?
3/ With domestic VCs leading the charge, how will this change India's startup narrative on the global stage?
4/ Is this maturation setting the stage for more resilient, globally competitive Indian startups, or are we risking our innovation edge? How do we look at thesis driven investing v/s fomo investing?

Link to Bain's report - https://www.bain.com/insights/india-venture-capital-report-2024/

P.S. Do note that this is 6+ months old - data points mostly look diff now but sharing it anyways. Will post more as and when I get time :)

My notes on Bain's 2024 VC report as a VC Associate

Investor

What are some of the articles which are a must read for someone who is part of the VC ecosystem or aspiring to be a part of the VC ecosystem in India

Shout out to VCs here

I've been in startups for the last 8 years. From Series B/C onwards to even a unicorn, over time worked at 3. 
One of them was an outright scam, raised many millions of $s from top investors, and then ultimately died. 
Also close with CXOs at decent sized startups, and there is a pattern out there. 

A few thoughts:
1. Being a startup founder is tough. There's pain. Some people thrive in pain. AKA Masochists. Know how to spot a founder who works 15 hours a day because they love their vision vs. somebody who works 15 hours a day because they're masochists. These people thrive in pain, and hence love to see you miserable as you slog away the hours under their leadership. 

There is absolutely no vision for the future that they have. They do it for the fame, money, and cause a lot of pain in the process. Nothing good comes out of it. Investors love this breed.
   
2. I wish I'd done more than just leave the scammy startup. At the point, I decided against whistleblowing. Because I thought there's so many people employed here, they would all be impacted. Over time, 200-300 people more joined after I left. Once the scam was caught, all of them lost their jobs.
   
3. I'm not a coder. I'm a generalist. Over time, my pay grew but not in line with my peers who went into consulting/VC and then came back to big tech/startups. Over time, you disadvantage yourself if you stick around as a generalist in startups for too long. The next team pays you at some premium over the last one, there's no step jump. 
You need to somehow find a successful startup early, and genuinely, that is impossible to game - even VCs have to bet on 20 to get it right.

These are a few disjointed thoughts. I hope they give some insight.
My only takeaways:
- If you work at a scammy startup, don't stand it. At least, don't stick around. 
- I earn lesser than my peers (tier 1 undergrad), but I regret nothing. I love my work, and I'll never get over the kick. I cannot imagine working at a larger company ever again.
- Ultimately, you have to be optimistic. Believe that India will grow, good founders will come around, magic will happen ❤️

PSA: What 8 years in startups have taught me

A startup with experienced folks and a well defined set of roles and responsibilities >>> one where we're all "a family"

Software Engineer

Founder

Welcome to News Discussion's Private Community

Just saw this entrepreneur bootcamp program by Inc42

Thoughts?

Generalist

Businesses not startup. And you should've sold your product to customers not VCs. Saw a recent post of a guy who did same raised $5M and his startup failed but I am sure he took out 10L pm salary. Anyways I won't criticise him for burning someone's money because people who funded him have IQ and EQ equivalent to peanuts.

I am starting out alone cuz I couldn't find a co-founder for myself. Realised this is the best route, still didn't have a technical co-founder since all tech guys are busy looking for a job or PG. And remaining of my batchmates are "idea" guys. Who I consider equal to product managers. They're like basil leaves on poha. It doesn't add anything to it's taste nor the looks.

I am right now on a solo route. Any tips or tricks is welcome even psychological. Actually psychological is more helpful since I am in the industry where doing a job is considered as a "hobby" now imagine making your own product. Even tips on taxes and personal finance is welcome from men and women here.

P.s the industry is gaming industry and I make mobile games. So only comment if you have something to add cuz I am already done with "find a job" ones from everyone in my life. Btw I made some games and 1 of them is doing good and making me decent money.

Those who are running successful businesses. Any lessons for new comers?

Product Owner

I'll go first : 

1. Clickup
2. whop
3. Even healthcare 
4. Gumroad 
5.  Polymarket 


And mention the reason also, if possible.

Time to discover some less-known startups 🍿

What are some cool startups (globally) you would love to work with?

Byjus for its  honest business environment , compassionate work culture

Consultant

Product Manager

I'm seeing so many posts where startup employees are cribbing about things like layoffs, work culture etc etc. Doesn't seem like they have perspective on everything it takes to build a startup. I've built a failed startup myself and have immense respect for founders who are grinding it out there in such difficult recessionary circumstances. 

And then you have so many of the engineers and PMs cribbing about basics without talking about important things like learning growth, building for the future etc. Why such myopia? I work at a big tech and envy the speed at which startups move, the big responsibility everyone gets to handle, the fast career growth. All these things are being cribbed about. They crib about founders wanting more. Their job is to ensure success, not to give lifetime jobs to entitled people. They have more headaches you can imagine. In my small startup I had a million headaches. I can only imagine how hard it must be to run larger ships. Is everyone joining a startup these days looking for a get rich quick scheme?

Why are startup folks so entitled?

If you can’t run a business that lets people have a normal life then you’re the one who thinks they’re entitled to employees. 
 Businesses must take risk, employees don’t. Stop your whining that people won’t support shitty business plans

A bunch of people just were nominated for Forbes 30 under 30. What’s the deal with 30 under 30? 
Does it matter? Is it paid? What’s the judgement criteria? Would love some comments

Forbes 30 under 30

1. Forbes 30 under 30, is kinda sold out 
 2. Has pretty bad track record (at least in USA), of the featured founders to be frauds

Notes on Entrepreneurship from Vaibhav (Partner, Better Capital)

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