That’s an excellent question.
When we started out, we faced a challenge that many considered impossible: asking Indian consumers to pay for content. Both internally and externally, there was a common belief - Indians won’t pay for content.
But something was changing in India. Thanks to Jio’s affordable internet and the rise of UPI, we saw a shift happening. Faster internet access and seamless digital payments were creating new possibilities.
Around December 2020, at a time when hardly anyone was charging for content, we sat down and did the math. We realized that if we didn’t charge for valuable, high-quality content, we wouldn’t have a sustainable business in the long run. It was a tough call, but one we had to make.
So, we took the leap. We introduced a paywall. Honestly, we were not even sure what content we’d put behind it yet! But we simply put it out there and asked people, ‘Do you want an early bird discount?’
That night, something magical happened—50 people subscribed overnight.
We were stunned. Who were these people? Why did they trust us enough to pay for something new and untested?
We decided to call them. I still remember speaking to our very first customer, Amit, who worked at a rice mill. I asked him why he chose to subscribe, and his answer left us humbled. He said:
"I listen to your shows while I work. This is the first time I’ve ever paid for anything on the internet, and it’s worth it. I never get time to learn otherwise."
For Amit, learning while working was life-changing. And for us, hearing his story was the validation we needed.
That moment gave us the confidence to move forward. We haven’t looked back since.
Today, I can proudly say that what started as an experiment is now a thriving platform, thanks to people like Amit—who believed in us, even before we fully believed in ourselves.
