Episoder
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Every entrepreneur dreams of turning a small startup into a global powerhouse. But how do you do it without following the typical "build a product, get funding, scale it, and exit" playbook? Luca Ferrari, founder and CEO of Bending Spoons, did just that— their journey is anything but conventional.
It started in 2013, when their first-ever startup Evertale flopped and left them with just $40,000. After Evertale missed PMF, they pivoted, bootstrapping Bending Spoons by focusing on acquiring digital products with solid market fit but untapped potential.
Bending Spoons has mastered the art of turning underperforming digital businesses into powerhouses using operational tweaks, AI, and machine learning.
In this episode of Neon Show, we sit down with Luca Ferrari in the heart of Milan, at the headquarters of a tech company that's rewriting the rules of how digital businesses scale.
Discover their bold acquisition strategy behind major deals like Evernote and Splice, and how they’ve managed to serve 150 million monthly active users with just 400 employees!
Timestamp:
00:00 Introduction
00:37 Who is Luca and what's Bending Spoons?
02:32 Bending Spoons by the numbers: Users and revenue
03:05 Recent funding rounds: 2023 and 2024
04:59 Profitability and use of debt
07:27 Luca's previous startup experience
10:17 The birth of Bending Spoons in 2013
13:35 The secret sauce: Product-market fit and talent
15:29 First acquisition: iPhone keyboard app
18:28 Top revenue generators: Remind, Evernote, Splice
20:26 Future acquisition strategy debate
24:24 Price range for acquisitions
33:29 Transforming acquired products like Evernote
37:00 Competing with giants: Evernote vs. Notion
42:32 Plans to enter enterprise software
45:07 Luca's take on product-market fit
47:58 Luck vs. skill in Bending Spoons' success
51:30 AI's Impact on Bending Spoons
54:42 Why Italy for Bending Spoons?
59:08 Going public: Future plans
1:00:32 Luca's journey: From small town to tech CEO
1:04:27 Why aren't more tech companies starting in Europe?
1:10:54 Bending Spoons' unique hiring approach
1:14:35 Future growth areas for Bending Spoons
1:16:47 The art of pricing in acquisitions
1:21:49 How accurate are Bending Spoons' acquisition predictions?
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Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys.
Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.
We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
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Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww
—---------------------
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/
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Disclaimer
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not c -
To say that India needs to create more jobs, is a downplay - what we need are 20 million jobs every year. But jobs can’t be created out of the wishing well.
We have resources, but not proper skills. We have opportunities, but not proper initiatives to boost on the employment elasticity. We need a shift from Tier 1 to Tier 2 cities. We need a shift of capitals. We need immigration-based jobs for our youths, and we definitely need the women workforce landscape to improve at the earliest. But, will this be enough?
Check out our latest podcast where we are in a conversation with Sridhar Krishna, a senior scholar at the Takshashila Institution, to know more!
Timestamps
00:00 -
00:47 - The Karnataka Job Reservation Bill
04:19 - The impact on the recruiters/builders
07:00 - Public Transport and Women in Karnataka
09:16 - Bangalore is not just for startups!
09:27 - Government’s performance: what we have done well & where can we improve?
11:19 - India needs 20 million jobs each year
12:00 - How to create jobs in India?
13:16 - Annual PLF data on unemployment - truth or facade?
14:12 - Have “100 million people joined the workforce” truly?
14:52 - Labor productivity in India vs in the US
15:22 - Statistics on how to grow employment elasticity
16:25 - 1800 people apply for 10 vacancies in Gujarat - why?
17:23 - ILO reports on job skills and job vacancy mismatch
18:56 - Is manufacturing & services good options to transition from agriculture?
20:32 - Shridhar talks about his take on Raghuram Rajan’s book “Breaking the Mould”
21:26 - Are PLIs unable to craft job growth?
22:30 - Rebuilding big cities - a solution for employment growth?
23:22 - Lavasa, Maharshtra failed - why?
25:02 - Utlising AI to analyse the nature of jobs in other countries
27:08 - Career Impact Bonds - What’s that?
33:14 - 6 pillars as proposed by the recent Eonomic Survey
33:49 - Focus needs to shift from Tier 1 to Tier 2 cities
34:40 - Women workforce participation better in Bangladesh than India?
39:57 - India losing significant GDP due to fewer women in the workplace
Follow Sridhar Krishna -
Linkedin - / sridharkrishna
X - https://x.com/sridhar_kri?
___________________________________
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys.
Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.
We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
__________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
__________________________________
Sponsor Shout Out
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/ -
Over the last decade, we have been getting news updates, social media highlights, and WhatsApp forwards about India being the “fastest growing economy” in the world. IMF, World Bank, and ADB have confirmed this. The question is, in the face of demonetisation, GST, and the drastic shift of focus to the organised sector from the unorganised one, is this data a true reflection of India’s economic reality?
Today, Neon talks about these facts with Professor Arun Kumar, a renowned author of economic titles and an Economic Professor at JNU.
Watch the episode to know more!
Timestamps
0:00 - Introduction
0:14 - Introducing Economist Arun Kumar
0:40 - Current scenario of India’s Economy
1:25 - South East Asian countries' growth from 1947 as compared to India?
3:31 - Proof of India’s failure in education system
5:20 - How can India develop education & health?
8:48 - Does India really have “TOO MANY” billionaires & why is it a concern?
9:24 - The journey from becoming a “developing” nation to a “developed nation.”
10:51 - The “Bottom-Up Approach” - What’s that?
14:00 - Growing chasm between high-earning & low-earning category?
15:22 - Is the current budget failing to fund labour-intensive sectors?
17:03 - What’s the unorganised sector in India?
17:47 - What are the Micro, Small & Medium Sectors in India?
18:33 - Robot uprising vs human employment!
21:03 - What are the 4 types of unemployment in India?
23:27 - 60k jobs and 47 lakhs applicants ?
27:20 - Is GDP a proxy of the organised sector for the unorganised sector?
30:03 - Demonetisations hits the unorganised sector
32:12 - Is IMF, World Bank & ADB’s version of India’s fastest economic growth true?
34:25 - Black economy = Digging holes & filing holes
40:40 - India should have been 8X its current economy - how & why did we fail?
42:31 - Are we really a 3.6 trillion dollar economy?
51:11 - How can we help the unorganised sector generate more income?
1:01:48 - Bottom economy = 40% of the Goverment’s vote bank & yet not the focus of development & growth? Why?
1:05:26 - Why does the government want to help the organised sector?
1:11:38 - How will India transform into a “developed” nation or double the GDP per capita?
___________________________________
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys.
Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.
We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
__________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
__________________________________
Sponsor Shout Out
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/ -
SaaS is Dead. There is Too Much SaaS.
The two most common proclamations about SaaS these days. But where is the truth?
In this episode we analyse the State of SaaS in 2024. We discover new truths and uncover fundamental truths.
From where is the money in SaaS to where is the market. From the challenges first time founders face to the mistakes second time founders make. We cover the heavy cost of not understanding brand marketing, why PMF is not a science, IPOs in India, The India SaaS Advantage, Pricing Innovation and so much more.
Tune in for insights to power your SaaS strategy in 2024 and beyond.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
1:06 - Where is SaaS in 2024
2:08 - Delivering Value is the Most Important Thing
3:57 - AI is a Tool not a Magic Wand
5:04 - SpotDraft's Super Growth
5:36 - Is There Too Much SaaS?
9:49 - Where is the Money?
12:22 - Metrics, Metrics But No Vanity Metrics
14:50 - Is There an India advantage for SaaS IPOs?
17:18 - Pallav's lessons from Investing in 50+ SaaS companies
23:30 - What First: Feature Parity or Pricing?
25:24 - Where Are Category Creators SaaS Startups in India?
28:02 - Has AI Changed Buyer Expectations
30:24 - The Next SaaS Unicorns From India
32:35 - Exploring Exit Options for Indian SaaS Unicorns
35:01 - So Much to Learn From SaaS Startup Community
37:19 - Why Do Second Time Founders Fail
40:39 - PMF is Not a Science
44:14 - SaaS is Dead?
48:55 - Digital Marketing or Billboards?
51:02 - The Cost of Not Understanding Brand Marketing
54:44 - Is Europe a Good Market for SaaS Startups?
59:36 - How to Expand Globally
1:01:30 - To Be a US HQ or India HQ Company?
1:05:01 - Pallav on Fusion Charts and Presentations dot ai
1:09:00 - Discussion on replacing established SaaS products
1:15:11 - Success in SaaS: Product vs Distribution
___________________________________
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys.
Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.
We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
__________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
__________________________________
Sponsor Shout Out
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/ -
150 Years of Greatness in 50 Minutes.
There is much talk about John D Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie but not much about India’s first business Titan, Jamshedji Tata.
In this episode, we sat down with Harish Bhat, Former Brand Custodian of Tata Group, and dive deep into Tata Group and its legendary founder. The founder who kept community at center and nation first, who brought the best to India and built the best in India with fire in his eyes and kindness in his heart. And the giant which never stops, the Tata group, from building India’s first steel plant to India’s first airlines.
Tune in to hear lesser-known but must-watch stories about what it takes to build great companies with mission and purpose.
00:00 - Introduction
01:12 - The Story of A Titan
07:31 - Lessons From An Entrepreneur With Purpose
09:41 - The Value of Values
13:22 - Great Founders Are Always in The Room
17:56 - Because Right Decisions Matter
20:37 - The Everything Company: From Textiles to Telecom
23:08 - The Great Digital Evolution
24:46 - How Tata Group Created India’s First Cancer Hospital
29:35 - Building The Best With Fire in Eyes & Kindness in Heart
37:15 - What Makes Someone a Patriot
39:31 - Great Leaders Are Great Readers
43:42 - How India Started Flying
50:32 - Always Be Learning
___________________________________
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys.
Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.
We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
__________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
__________________________________
Sponsor Shout Out
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/ -
Success Starts with Belief. And Belief Comes from Actions.
Indians and the world are optimistic about India. But what actions has India taken that inspire this belief? And what actions does India need to take to keep up the momentum?
From independence to today, India has increased its GDP 40x, its per capita income 8x, its literacy rate 6x, and its electrification 300x, among many other achievements. But the ambition of its people has also grown manifold.
In this episode, we talk about India's journey from a survival mindset to a thriving mindset, and its road to becoming a developed nation. From entrepreneurs everywhere to numerous IPOs. From brain drain to reverse flipping. And what the government needs to do to what we, the people, need to do.
Tune in and let us know what are you optimistic about.
00:00 - Introduction
01:00 - The Hero’s Journey Of India
03:31 - Doing Business Is Not A Bad Thing
07:02 - India Is More Ambitious Than Ever
09:10 - Entrepreneurs Everywhere: From IITs To Tier 2 Cities
11:59 - What’s NAAMM?
12:47 - India's Pivot From Socialism To Capitalism
16:07 - India Story Vs China Story
20:47 - How Flipkart’s Acquisition Changed Everything
22:46 - How Much Should Regulators Regulate?
26:56 - IPOs, IPOs and More IPOs
28:36 - The Era of Reverse Flipping
30:28 - The $10 Trillion Dollar Economy Goal
31:14 - India is Growing But Are All Indians Too?
33:08 - Will SaaS Be India’s Next Growth Lever?
34:52 - What Inspires Us At Neon?
___________________________________
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys.
Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.
We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
__________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
__________________________________
Sponsor Shout Out
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/ -
China is the 2nd largest economy. India is on its way to become the 3rd largest economy. Few decades ago both were at the same level. Is there anything for India to learn from China? Or we will have our own unique journey?
In this episode of The Neon Show we explore the nuances behind the economic and political landscapes of India and China. From becoming the world’s biggest factory to now shifting to high-end manufacturing. From economic liberalisation to now back to being heavily controlled by the government. From boom to bust.
China & India are two very unique countries. But are there any similarities between these two Asian giants? Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion on two of the world’s most important economies.
00:00 - Introduction
01:02 - Similarities and Differences Between India and China
08:49 - How China Became The World’s Factory?
16:04 - Do Indian & Chinese Cities Face Same Challenges?
21:45 - What Caused The Real Estate Bubble in China?
30:24 - Why is China Shifting to High-End Manufacturing?
36:03 - Charlie Munger on India Vs China
42:11 - Does India Have The Right Industrial Policy?
46:09 - The Right Job For The Right People
49:36 - The Power of Good Infrastructure
___________________________________
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys.
Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.
We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
__________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
__________________________________
Sponsor Shout Out
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/ -
Talent Investing and the Future of Entrepreneurship
In this episode, we have Matt Clifford, founder of Entrepreneur First, an organization focused on talent investing. We cover how EF invests in talent, the success stories and unicorns that have emerged, and whether location truly matters for entrepreneurs.
Matt also discusses the optimism of Indian talent, the regulatory environment in Europe, and India’s unique AI opportunities. We also explore how the UK differs from the EU in tech innovation, why Silicon Valley remains the best, and what it takes to win in the software market.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:04 - Investing in Talent First
08:33 - Matt’s Journey From Mckinsey to EF
12:14 - Why EF is Now A Venture Fund
13:52 - How EF Investments in Talent
22:49 - EF Success Stories & Unicorns
27:17 - Does Location Matter for Entrepreneurs?
29:09 - Why Indian Talent is So Optimistic?
33:33 - Is Europe All About Regulation?
38:31 - India's Unique AI Opportunity
45:06 - How UK is Different From EU
49:05 - Why Silicon Valley is Still The Best
55:03 - What to Win in the Software Market
57:23 - Key Learnings from 13 Years of EF
___________________________________
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys.
Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.
We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
__________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
__________________________________
Sponsor Shout Out
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/ -
Mobile App is The New Bank Branch.
In this episode we have Vinay Bagri, co-founder of Niyo, one of the leaders in the Neo banking movement in India. Vinay shares fascinating insights on how young India travels, the opportunity size of the travel tech market and why India hasn’t become a major travel destination despite having the best to offer.
We also cover Vinay’s journey from FMCG to Banking, The Impact of Regulations on FinTech, And large untapped opportunities in Fintech space.
Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
00:56 - From Water Bottles to Personal Loans
06:05 - The Rapid Evolution of Banking In the Last 20 years
09:41 - Mobile App is The New Bank Branch
14:57 - The Launch of Niyo
19:43 - Is Travel Tech a Big Market?
24:12 - Where & How Young India Travels
31:03 - How Powerful is Indian Passport?
39:02 - Why Aren’t More People Travelling to India
43:28 - The Good & Bad Of Regulations on FinTech
50:13 - Is IPL Good For Acquiring Customers?
51:17 - What’s Next for FinTech in India
___________________________________
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys.
Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.
We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
__________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
__________________________________
*Sponsor Shout Out*
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/ -
Nishit had a front-row seat to the growth of the Indian Startup ecosystem. And often times he was in the driver's seat as well.
Nishit Garg, a partner at RTP Global, shares his experiences from his early days at Flipkart, discussing the pivotal 0-1 journey and key projects that shaped his career. He provides a behind-the-scenes look at how Tiger Global revolutionized the Indian startup ecosystem and his reasons for joining RTP Global.
We also cover the scaling challenges for Indian startups, staying relevant in a rapidly evolving market, the ability to sell and the surprising nature of Indian markets.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:07 - Nishit’s Entry in The Startup World
07:55 - Many 0-1 Journeys at Flipkart
09:34 - Why Nishit Joined a VC Fund(again)
13:06 - How Tiger Global Changed Indian Startup World
14:59 - The Journey of RTP Global: Successes & Exits
20:30 - Why India Surprises Everyone?
24:06 - How India is Different From Silicon Valley
26:18 - What Made Flipkart An Exception
28:57 - How Indian Startups Can Become Unstoppable
31:10 - Exits, Liquidity and IPO Markets
33:44 - Power Law and How Venture Capital Works
35:33 - What RTP Looks For In Founders
36:35 - The Right to Win For VCs
39:12 - How Should Founders Select The Best Investors
42:01 - Nobody Is Too Big To Fail
44:42 - How Can VCs Be Helpful to Founders
47:41 - Risks, Checklists & Gut Call As a VC
49:33 - How RTP Invests in a Company
51:03 - The Best Startups Expand TAM
54:33 - First Time Founders Vs Second Time Founders
55:51 - Why Indian Startups Struggle After $10M ARR
58:16 - Sales Is Not A Bad Word
59:39 - What Nishit Has Learned From Portfolio Companies
1:03:06 - Advantages Indian B2B SaaS Startups Have
___________________________________
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys.
Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.
We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
__________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
__________________________________
*Sponsor Shout Out*
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/ -
Manav Garg is the founder of Eka and Together Fund.
Manav started Eka before SaaS was even a word. We start with Manav's journey from a small town in Punjab to founding Eka, one of India's first vertical SaaS companies. He shares all the ups and down in Eka & his life in the last 20 years. From building and selling from India to global businesses. From pivoting, which few companies survive, to coming out not just alive but highly profitable again.
We also discuss his work with SaaS Bhoomi, future of Indian B2B SaaS, Together fund and Manav’s next mission.
___________________________________
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
02:00 - From Small Town Punjab to International Trading
10:27 - Lateral Thinking Makes Invisible Visible
12:45 - In The Middle Of The Dot Com Boom
16:14 - Raising Funding of $1M in the 90s
19:41 - The Birth of Eka Software
22:36 - First Enterprise SaaS Company From India
24:28 - Eka’s Journey From $2M ARR to $20M ARR
32:32 - A Hard Pivot & A Profitable Company
34:19 - SaaSBoomi & SaaS Playbooks From India
38:43 - When Did Manav Decide to Exit Eka
42:25 - How To Design Your Exit Strategy
50:44 - Increasing Liquidity Events in Indian Startups
55:11 - How Global Buyers Look At India SaaS
57:57 - The Road to Many Billion+ ARR Companies From India
1:05:01 - Are We Early In AI Wave?
1:09:36 - Where Is India In The AI Race?
1:12:33 - What is India SaaS Advantage?
1:16:40 - Can Indian Startups Grow As Fast As US Startups?
1:21:21 - The Power of Relationships & Cold Calling
1:24:31 - How to Manufacture Co-Founders?
1:26:49 - Pause & Reflect
___________________________________
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys.
Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.
We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
___________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
___________________________________
*Sponsor Shout Out*
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/
___________________________________ -
VCs Invest in Startups But Who Invests In VCs?
In this episode we host Raja Doddala, an experienced investor and a key figure at Churchill AM a leading Fund of Fund.
Raja shares how he judges the strategy of a VC fund, metrics to evaluate a fund manager, which sectors have yielded the best returns and the differences between the best VC funds and the rest.
We also discuss how funds compete for the best VCs, why old days of fundraising are over, whether Indian public markets are better than the US for IPOs, why he and Churchill are excited about India and much more...
If you are interested in startups, venture capital, fund management, and investment strategies then this is the episode for you.
___________________________________
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:11 - From Software Engineer to Investing in VC funds
03:53 - The People Who Invest in VC Funds
05:33 - State of Fund of Fund Ecosystem in the US
06:51 - What Makes Fund of Fund Different from University Endowments?
07:42 - What Makes Someone an Emerging Manager
08:59 - Churchill’s Strategy for Venture Capital Investments
12:56 - How to Choose The Right Fund of Fund Manager
15:10 - How Fund of Fund Compete For The Best VCs
18:10 - Churchill’s Evaluation Criteria for VC Funds
22:34 - At What Stage of Fund Does Churchill Invest
24:17 - Churchill’s Geographical Focus From US to Israel
26:29 - Manager Is More Important Than The Strategy
30:01 - Metrics to Evaluate a Fund Manager: IRR, DPI & TVPI
33:39 - Which Sectors Have Given The Best Return
36:40 - How Raja Judges The Strategy of a VC Fund
38:09 - How The Best Differ From The Rest
39:59 - Old Days of Fundraising Are Over
42:20 - Decide Your Minimum Viable Fund Size
44:03 - The Mortality Rate of Funds
45:02 - Mistakes Funds Make When Building Data Rooms
47:45 - Why Raja & Churchill Are Excited About India
49:57 - Churchill’s Investment Strategy for India
50:59 - Churchill’s Investment Strategy for Israel
53:05 - Are Indian Public Markets Better Than US for IPOs
___________________________________
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys.
Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.
We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
___________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
___________________________________
*Sponsor Shout Out*
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/
___________________________________ -
In this episode of The Neon Show, we dive deep into the serious world of casual gaming in India with Dilsher Malhi, the founder of Zupee.
We discuss the uniquness of Indian gaming market, why entertainment is a feature and not a bug, India’s trillion dollar digital economy dream and how will regulation affect the gaming industry.
If you are serious(or casual) about gaming and startups then this episode will offer a range of insights to you.
________________________________
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:12 - Gaming Market in India: Who, What & How Much
03:39 - Did You Win By Skill Or Chance?
06:05 - The Serious World of Casual Gaming
09:47 - Is Real Money Gaming Bad for Society?
12:33 - Entertainment is a feature, not a bug
14:39 - Real Money Gaming & Stock Markets
19:33 - Innovation Vs Regulation: What’s The Right Balance
24:32 - From Infosys mafia to Flipkart mafia
25:13 - Why Indian Gaming Market is Unique?
29:29 - Why is RMG Successful in India and NOT Everywhere?
30:35 - The Tencent Story: Power of Brand & Distribution
31:44 - Does India Have a Gaming Ecosystem?
32:43 - Gen AI Will Make Everyone Creative
34:25 - What Makes Zupee Successful?
35:27 - Break Barriers and Build Amazing Things
36: 23 - Lessons From an Unstructured Learner
39:07 - The Joys of Crazy Inherent Curiosity
________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
________________________________
*Sponsor Shout Out*
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/ -
Join us on this exciting episode of The Neon Show as Siddhartha Ahluwalia hosts an insightful conversation with Sanjay Swamy, Shripati Acharya, and Amit Somani, Managing Partners at Prime Venture Partners.
We discuss the past, present and future of Venture Capital in India. In this unfiltered conversation we cover the struggles, successes, opportunites and failures as well.
From MakeMyTrip IPO to the evolution of the Indian market. From why talent left India to why it is coming back now. From building a career in venture capital to the nuances people miss. And so much more
Don't miss this episode if you want to gain a deeper understanding of venture capital in India from seasoned experts.
___________________________________
*Sponsor Shout Out*
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/
___________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
___________________________________
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:12 - The Origin Story of Prime Venture Partners
04:00 - India’s Place In The Global Macro
04:56 - MakeMyTrip IPO and The Evolution of the Indian Market
07:41 - Why Is Talent Returning to India
13:07 - What’s Unique About The Indian Tech Ecosystem
18:57 - Why More Global VC Funds' Are Not Coming To India
22:11 - Prime Venture Partners' Strategy and the India Opportunity
27:37 - The Magic Four-Letter Word (Exit) In Venture Capital
35:24 - Building A Career in Venture Capital
43:26 - The Nuances of Venture Capital People Miss
50:06 - The Venture Capital Opportunity In India
53:45 - Lessons Learned From Companies That Didn't Succeed
1:01:07 - Secrets of Top VCs -
In this episode, Siddhartha Ahluwalia, Managing Partner at Neon Fund, sits down with Sri Batchu, Chief Marketing Officer at The RealReal. Sri has had an impressive career, having held key positions at highly successful companies like Opendoor, Instacart, and Ramp.
Sri shares his thoughts on career pivots, the debate between founder-operators and career VCs, the relevance of operator experience over time, and transitioning from big companies to startups.
Sri also shares valuable insights on identifying the right tech companies, constructing the perfect investment round, and the current AI cycle.
Don’t miss this episode if you are an operator, founder, or an aspiring investor.
___________________________________
*Sponsor Shout Out*
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/
___________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
___________________________________
Timestamps:
01:03 - Sri Batchu's Career Journey From Opendoor, Instacart, And Now The RealReal
05:04 - Career Pivots & Choosing The Right Tech Company To Join
15:33 - Founder-Operator Or Career VC?
25:32 - The Half life Of An Operator
29:30 - What Do People Get Wrong About The Venture Capital Profession
30:55 - The Best Investor Sri Batch Has Worked With
33:00 - What Is The Ideal Career Stage For Transitioning To VC
35:55 - Starting Up Vs Starting a VC Fund
38:02 - Sri Batchu's Angel Investing Framework
45:40 - Angel Investing Vs Venture Investing
51:42 - New Funds Vs Top-Tier VCs
58:46 - How Founders Can Build A Perfect Round
1:06:13 - How Al Will Impact Consumer And B2B Markets -
Meena Ganesh is the founder of Portea, India's largest platform for delivering healthcare services at home.
On the episode Meena's shares her vision and passion for improving healthcare accessibility and quality. Meena shares her journey of founding Portea, the challenges faced by healthcare startups, and the opportunities available for entrepreneurs. Learn about the evolution of healthcare infrastructure in India, the rise of home healthcare, and the role of digital transformation in the sector.
Finally, Meena provides insights into the pharmaceutical industry, medical devices, and the future of healthcare in India.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:15 - Meena Ganesh's Journey Building Portea
06:53 - How is Healthcare Technology Adoption in India
11:16 - Opportunities for Entrepreneurs in Healthcare
21:07 - Building Sustainable & Profitable Healthcare Companies
37:44 - Digitisation of Healthcare In India by Government
43:26 - The Evolution of Indian Pharma Industry
51:04 - Challenges and Opportunities in Health Insurance
55:22 - Growth of Medical Tourism in India
1:00:02 - Innovations in Medical Devices and Equipment in India
___________________________________
*Sponsor Shout Out*
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/
___________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
___________________________________ -
On this episode of The Neon Show we have Laura Raggl, a distinguished partner at ROI Ventures. Based in Europe, ROI Ventures is renowned for its strategic investments in B2B SaaS companies globally.
In this episode, Laura shares her extensive experience and insights into early stage investing. With a portfolio of 18 diverse investments, Laura discusses ROI Ventures' approach to angel investing, their investment criteria, and how they nurture long-term growth without initial revenue or traction requirements.
We also explore the intricacies of the European startup ecosystem as Laura highlights the unique challenges and opportunities it presents, especially in contrast to other major markets.
Whether you're an investor, a startup enthusiast, or someone curious about the venture capital world, this episode offers valuable lessons and insights into venture capital and angel investing.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:02 - The Journey of ROI Ventures
07:23 - What's Happening In The European Startup Ecosystem
12:30 - Understanding B2B SaaS Dynamics in Europe
25:12 - How Investing In Europe Differs From The World
31:18 - The Growth of Indian Startup Ecosystem & Public Markets
42:06 - Why Focus on B2B SaaS Investing
46:58 - B2B Investing Vs B2C Investing
51:55 - Family Office Dynamics & Venture Investing
----------------------------------
Sponsor Shout Out
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/ -
Hunter Somerville is a partner at StepStone, one of the largest fund investors globally with over $600 billion in capital responsibility and $100 billion in AUM.
Hunter shares deep insights into the factors that make StepStone different, their extensive global coverage, and the strategies that drive their success.
You'll also discover what it takes to succeed as an emerging manager, the importance of building long-term relationships, and how StepStone navigates the complexities of fund investing, direct investments, and secondary markets. Plus, Hunter provides a candid look at the challenges and opportunities in the venture capital landscape, particularly in emerging markets like India.
Join us for an enlightening conversation filled with valuable lessons on venture capital, fund management, and the nuances of building a successful investment platform.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
02:15 - Hunter Somerville's background and history with Greenspring Associates
05:40 - The evolution and strategy of StepStone
09:20 - Differences between StepStone and other fund investors
13:45 - Global coverage and geographic focus of StepStone
17:10 - Insights on venture capital management
20:50 - Strategies for emerging managers
25:30 - Building long-term relationships in venture capital
30:15 - Navigating fund investing, direct investments, and secondary markets
35:40 - Challenges and opportunities in the venture capital landscape
40:00 - StepStone's approach to investing in emerging markets, particularly India
45:20 - Importance of relationship building and pattern recognition
50:10 - Characteristics of successful fund managers
55:30 - Advice for new fund managers
1:00:00 - Closing remarks and final thoughts
----------------------------------
Sponsor Shout Out
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/ -
Listen to this episode to learn about:
0:00 - Intro
1:22 - The Life and Challenges of an IAS Officer
3:34 - Distinguishing Roles: Finance Secretary vs. RBI Governor
6:57 - Populism vs. Fiscal Responsibility: A Balancing Act
15:01 - Rethinking IAS Recruitment: Criteria and Challenges
17:38 - The Judicial Process: Why It Feels Like Punishment
19:24 - Civil Servants and Their Respect Tied to Power
21:47 - The Effectiveness of British Administrative Systems
24:08 - IAS Officers and the Legacy of Colonial Policies
26:08 - Exemplary Duty and Loyalty of District-Level Staff
28:44 - Contrasting Worlds: Scarcity in India vs. Plenty in the US
35:04 - Has the IAS Failed the Nation? An Introspective Look
39:10 - Andhra Pradesh’s Growth: A Tribute to Visionary Leadership
41:15 - Tribal Development and the Impact of Land Transfer Bills
48:34 - Key Decisions and Reflections as RBI Governor
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Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sponsor Shout Out
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high-conviction, high-support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/ -
Listen to this episode to learn about:
01:14 - Neon’s Journey From Podcasting to Investing
11:00 - Important Factors When Building a VC firm
20:34 - Exciting Portfolio companies: Atomic Work, SpotDraft, Gallabox & Infeedo
25:30 - Working with Ambitious & Humble Founders
30:12 - Key Questions and Important Metrics For Founders & Investors
36:08 - Key People who helped in Neon's journey
39:22 - Changes in the investing world
40:42 - What makes Neon the best place for founders?
42:28 - Fun question: If not an investor, who would Siddhartha be?
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Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sponsor Shout Out
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high-conviction, high-support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/ - Vis mere