ET Startup School

Apr 20 2023

ET Startup School Podcast artwork

Welcome to ET Startup School. A step-by-step guide to building your startup and helping it succeed. Host Suresh Venkat quizzes entrepreneurs to put together a 12-step program for beginners. From the basics of "What should I do with my idea?" to " How do I figure out Product-Market fit?" and expanding to " How do I prioritize spending?", ET Startup School gets you the answers from founders who have cracked it and lessons from the actions that failed. So, get your notepad out, it’s time for school! A new episode drops every Friday.

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Survived, Profitable, Listed. What Next?

Apr 20 2023 42 mins

Aditya Ghosh has worn several hats over a storied, and still continuing career - lawyer turned aviation entrepreneur, a restaurateur, an investor, a motivational speaker, an art collector, a dad, and then some. From explaining industry dynamics to solving startup challenges and doling out mentorship advice, this conversation on ET Startup School covers it all. You can follow our ho

Somebody wants to buy me out. Should I Sell?

Apr 13 2023 35 mins

Your startup has scaled up, and the market has taken notice. Potential suitors are hinting at an acquisition. How can you navigate deal structures, earnout periods, industry trends, and even payout terms and conditions? What should your response be to VCs, co-founders, team mates and more? Aakrit Vaish, Co-Founder and CEO of Haptik, that was acquired by Reliance Jio, helps you answ

How do I course correct?

Apr 06 2023 42 mins

Course correction is a term that traces its origins to sailing. This episode may help you navigate your startup ship out of troubled waters. Your teacher is Mayank Kumar, Co-Founder & MD, upGrad. Money is tight. Investors are scarce. Runways have shortened. What do you need to do to keep your business afloat? Listen on and find out. You can follow our host Suresh Venkat on his

Company Culture: Is that a real thing and how do I build one?

Mar 30 2023 46 mins

Should work be “like a family”? How do you manage office politics? Can you train for and enforce gender sensitivity? When is HR really needed, and what should their ideal role be? Fractal’s Srikanth Velamakanni breaks down what company culture really is and shares insights on fostering a workplace environment that drives long-term success. You can follow our host Suresh Venka

My startup is in trouble, What do I do?

Mar 23 2023 34 mins

You’re firing at all cylinders, but the results just don’t match. How do you assess and solve risks? Is there a troubleshooting playbook? Any frameworks to help you isolate and address concerns? Can funding help? Or should you just pack up? Learn what to do from Shivakumar Ganesan (Co-Founder & CEO, Exotel) as he shares his personal journey of bouncing back from failure. Yo

How do I build a brand?

Mar 16 2023 36 mins

Is there a science to naming your brand? What about choosing or designing your brand’s assets, such as a logo, jingle, colours or packaging? Should you sign on a celebrity or an influencer? Which platform should you advertise on, and is all marketing just performance marketing? Too many questions? Clear your confusion as your teacher, Shashank Mehta (Founder & CEO, The Whole

Topline Growth or Unit Economics? What should we chase?

Mar 09 2023 28 mins

Today’s class at ET Startup School is called Topline Growth or Unit Economics, what should I chase? Your teacher is Sandeep Deshmukh, the Co-Founder and CEO of ElasticRun, and a quintessential small-town boy who’s made it big. Sandeep Deshmukh is here to answer that all-important question - topline growth or bottom line profits – what should an entrepreneur chase? You can fol

How do I find and pay the right people to join my start-up?

Mar 02 2023 41 mins

Everyone needs a great team. Which means, everyone needs brilliant team-mates. So, how can you find, hire and pay the right people to join me? Listen in to your teacher, Upasana Taku, the Co-founder and Chairperson of MobiKwik to find out. Mobikwik has over 120 million registered users, turned profitable in 2021 and closed the year 2022 with a revenue of 540 crore rupees. From ESOP

How do I prioritize spending?

Feb 23 2023 37 mins

Is there really a subtle art of spending money and spending it well? Or is it all a calculated science? Should you buy? Should you rent? Should you splurge on a fancy logo or a brand ambassador? What about employee compensation? Listen in to today’s class at ET Startup School to clear your doubts. Your teacher for this class is Varun Alagh, Co-Founder and CEO of Honasa Consumer,

When and how should I talk to a VC?

Feb 16 2023 36 mins

Welcome to today's class titled, "When and How should I talk to a VC?" Your teacher is Karthik Reddy, Co-Founder of Blume. Karthik co-founded Blume with Sanjay Nath in 2011. Since then, Blume has invested in over 100 companies, both B2B and B2C. Companies like Exotel, Unacademy, HealthifyMe and Railyatri. So if you’re confused about anything VC, here’s Karthik Reddy to the resc