In this episode, I invited Karan Mehra - Founder & CEO of Tyke Invest, a company that has created a platform which enables people to invest in startups with as little as INR 5000.

Up until now, retail investors had to watch VCs corner the BIG gains from increase in startup valuations, but now the game is open for everyone.

Through Tyke, everyone can get in on the act & own a piece of the pie. I had a really fun session & learned a lot conversing with Karan.

We spoke about a range of topics in this episode like:

(00:00): Introduction

(4:37): Exploring Karan's background & understanding how he dipped his feet into the world of entrepreneurship

(6:00): What's the Elevator Pitch for Tyke Invest & what are the pain points that the company seeks to address

(09:51): What were some of the biggest BLOCKERS that Karan faced while building Tyke

(11:19): Tyke's competitive advantage & why this space hasn't been explored by other players yet

(12:21): The process of investing in a startup through Tyke from A to Z

(16:00): Possibility to execute this model on a global level? Can Tyke tap into international investors?

(17:00): How was Tyke able to reduce the investment amount to as low as INR 5000?

(18:05): Talking about User growth and traction since Tyke's beta launch & what are the different segments that they’re targeting in B2B segment

(23:28): What's the market size & how BIG of an opportunity is Tyke tapping into?

(25:12): Is competition heating up in this space & how is Karan planning to stay ahead of the curve?

(27:12): Talking about Tyke's revenue model (I really liked it!) and what potential revenue streams can they leverage in the future

(30:24): Karan's key takeaways of running his own business & what are some of his learnings

(33:10): The story behind the name ‘Tyke’?

Do you want to be the owner of a startup? Make your first investment through ⁠Tyke⁠!

In this episode, I invited Kuonal & Aayushi - founders of 23BMI & Upnourish, two brands which are perfectly positioned to tap into the growing meal replacement market in India.

We spoke about a range of topics in this episode like:

• (00:00): A brief into Kuonal & Aayushi's respective backgrounds and how the idea of starting a meal replacement company popped in their minds
• (08:55): Talking about the R&D process, building new products and execution of the idea into action
• (13:15): How long it took to turn the idea into a marketable product? And what it felt like to see an idea manifest into reality.
• (15:20): *CLICHE Q* How are meal replacements different from protein powders?
• (20:00): The meal replacement market opportunity - how big is the market? Who are the other players in this segment?
• (27:56): Talking about the Product SKUs
• (28:15): The thought process behind setting up two separate brands [23BMI & Upnourish]
• (31:40): Decoding the founder journey - talking about the challenges & key learnings along the way
• (35:50): *THE BIG Q* How long does it take for an overweight person to start seeing changes in their body after taking Upnourish’s meal replacements? [Hint: you’re gonna love the answer!]
• (36:57): What are the immediate changes that happen inside your body & how long before someone reaches 23BMI [science-y stuff]
• (39:50): Talking about pricing points & the traction generated
• (42:15): What’s it like being business partners AND partners in life!
• (45:55): Some customers can be a biaatch :P
• (48:05): What’s in the pipeline for Upnourish and 23 BMI?

Ready to try out meal replacements? Check out ⁠23BMI⁠ & ⁠Upnourish⁠!

In this episode, I invited Karan Kalra who is a visual engineer & has a decade long experience in creating illustrations, motion graphics & animations.

We spoke about a range of topics in this episode like:

• Karan's journey exploring various creative crafts
• How he got into NFTs
• What exactly is an NFT & how it's different from other Cryptos
• How NFTs work - what are some technical aspects to keep in mind while minting/selling NFTs
• Platforms where you can trade NFTs
• How NFTs could liberate artists
• Other potential use cases & Karan's take on the future on this tech
• What's next for Karan Kalra

You can find more about Karan on his Instagram page here. Also, do check out his NFT collection here

In this episode, I invited Vaibhav & Sayantani - cofounders of What’s up Wellness, a company in the health & wellness space. Their first product is a [delicious] gummy which is packed with nutrients which targets the skincare/haircare/nailcare segment.

We spoke about a range of topics in this episode like:

1. How working for various D2C startups helped Vaibhav & Sayantani in creating their own company
2. The idea behind entering the nutraceuticals market & the filtering process they used to choose gummies as their medium of distribution of the required nutrients
3. The R&D process - trying out flavors that would work, choosing the right mix of nutrients, sampling the product & using feedback to make changes.
4. The key ingredients used inside the product & what makes it unique
5. Questions that Vaibhav & Sayantani get from their customers & how setting the right expectation at every touch point is vital
6. Key learnings from running their own venture WuW’s long term strategy & the thought process behind the name [which, is quite funky!]

• If you’re spending tons of money on skincare/haircare products & are looking for alternative solutions that work - why not give these incredible gummies a shot?
• Check out their website here - whatsupwellness.in

In this episode, I invited Jayanti & Shalini - two sisters who have created India Hemp & Co, a company which sells various products made from Hemp - like protein powder, hemp oils etc.

We talked about a range of topics in this episode like:

1. The central idea behind building a company in the Hemp space

2. Challenges faced during the initial days (insert - the pandemic) & how they turned crisis into opportunity. Also spoke about the GTM strategy and the target market of the company.

3. How being incubated with IIM-Bangalore have helped in the brand building process

4. The product offerings, the manufacturing & sourcing process and the regulatory landscape around Hemp in India & abroad

5. IH&C's NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH - GOOD DOGGO TREATS. We discussed the R&D process, how they came up with the idea to create something in the pet space. IH&C is the only company to launch a hemp treat for pets!

6. Talked about the potential of Hemp, how it could disrupt various sectors & why it is the next BIG thing.

7. Jayanti & Shalini's words of wisdom for anyone entering the Hemp or the F&B space8. IH&C's long term vision and how they plan to capture opportunities in this space

And, understanding the experience of working with a sister who is also the co-founder. [Well, their secret is that they never fight! :p]

If you're someone interesting in the hemp space or want to learn how to build a sustainable/creative brand - this episode is just for you.

Find more about IH&C here - https://www.indiahempandco.com/

In this episode, I hosted Shailesh Ganeriwala & Animesh Thakur - cofounders of OGHemp, a company which is making paper & packaging materials from Hemp.

We dived into their respective journeys, how they got in the Hemp space & why they specifically targeted the paper industry. Shailesh explained the benefits of making paper from Hemp & why it is a no brainer to do so!

Animesh covered the process they follow to make paper from Hemp & also spoke about the challenges in the initial days in manufacturing Hemp paper.We discussed OGHemp's target market, distribution channels & what sets them apart from other players in the market.

I was also curious about why Hemp has not exploded [yet] in India & Animesh had a very interesting answer to it.

We spoke about the company's long term vision & what exactly does 'OG' stand for in OGHemp!

Check out their website here - https://www.oghemp.in/