Team-BHP - Startup shenanigans

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Originally Posted by V.Narayan (Post 5000717)

I actually found getting a like minded industrialist to invest a more sensible approach. They have a longer horizon, understand business and don't nit pik with spread sheets.

Will get in touch with you when the time is right :Cheering::p

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Originally Posted by Samurai (Post 5000597)

Did Mafia invest in non-profit making ideas or unproven ideas? Didn't think so. They wouldn't invest in loss making ventures. Money laundering firms are an exception though.

Man what does one have to do around here to get a joke noticed?!

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Originally Posted by Samurai (Post 5000597)

You may be thinking about Tencent, Sequoia Capital or Softbank.

And why would you assume I was thinking that?

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Originally Posted by Samurai (Post 5000597)

But there tons of investors who invest in $200K to $1M range per company, and never more than that.

Yes I would know. I have these people on my cap table.

I assume you posted the hot take on how VCs (and anyone else) invest and think of exit horizons for the forum's general knowledge. I plan my own investments with similar multiple goals and exit horizons, and I would think any investor does the same.

Congratulations on bootstrapping to profitability. It is a rare achievement and one that is worthy of admiration.

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Originally Posted by v1p3r (Post 5000885)

I assume you posted the hot take on how VCs (and anyone else) invest and think of exit horizons for the forum's general knowledge. I plan my own investments with similar multiple goals and exit horizons, and I would think any investor does the same.

Then I will not argue with you. I might need you one day. :D

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Originally Posted by v1p3r (Post 5000885)

Congratulations on bootstrapping to profitability. It is a rare achievement and one that is worthy of admiration.

Thanks, the next challenge is to stability the cashflow. After that we have to address growth. It never ends.

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Originally Posted by V.Narayan (Post 5000899)

Dil bada hai par jeb khali hairl: {the heart is big but the pocket is empty}

Sir, experience dil mein hota hai, jeb mein nahi.

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Originally Posted by Samurai (Post 5000890)

Then I will not argue with you. I might need you one day. :D

Me and my meagre monthly salary are always at your disposal, Samurai san.:)

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Originally Posted by v1p3r (Post 5000422)

Some products need capital to scale. Some do not. To tar all with the same brush in not advisable.

Agree broadly that its best not to generalize. A company like Tesla / SpaceX needs a lot of money to grow.

But we need to really review the general tendency of investors and entrepreneurs of investment led growth. It can really go wrong.

For instance, OYO is a car crash waiting to happen. It's original idea was brilliant - creating a market for the middle-income traveller which the likes of ITC were happy to ignore for a long while. But Softbank's mad money has now pushed it to go to USA, Japan and I believe EU as well.

Insanity is all I can say.

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"More than just losing money, it's their brazenness that hurts. These guys have no moral compass and took us all for a ride,” said angel investor Doshi, Parekh’s friend, who works in Malaysia for tourism company Tui.

"Even today, I'm not sure why he (Vaibhav Jain) did it. He could have made the same money legally easily. He's a smooth talking cold blooded scamster,” he added.

Moneycontrol.com: Fake customers, dodgy deals, and angry investors—inside a startup’s shenanigans.
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/bu...s-7143511.html

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Originally Posted by Samurai (Post 5280095)

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/bu...h-8211161.html

Why do these founders think they have to be bad boys in order to be really successful?

I think two lines in the article sums it up

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Some believe that only dynamic and belligerent leaders can grow fast and build large companies, and consider everything else worthy collateral damage.

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Early on, we decided that we will play the high-risk, high-reward game. We will not be a ‘good company.’ Either it has to be a great company or it has to be an utter failure

That is what VC's want. Most of us want to build up a firm the sane, sustainable way, probably with self/3F(friends, family and fools equity)/debt funded growth. If you want to scale up crazy fast, you need to deal with the devil, and to meet their terms, you need to be crazy yourself.

The sad part is now this nonsense is going mainstream because larger firms have to play this same dirty game to compete.

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Originally Posted by greenhorn (Post 5280138)

The sad part is now this nonsense is going mainstream because larger firms have to play this same dirty game to compete.

Let him do whatever in his company. But bullying other companies, destroying those who don't yield to satiate his ego, gives me the Mogambo vibe.

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Originally Posted by Samurai (Post 5280095)

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/bu...h-8211161.html

Why do these founders think they have to be bad boys in order to be really successful?

Funny piece. Made me chuckle. In our startup consulting firm, I seek to avoid working with EdTech firms that are focused on individual coaching/teaching. We only have three EdTech clients and all follow some form of hybrid model. Each operates in a different category of EdTechs as well so are not competitors as well.

On a side note -

As our clients work closely with schools and in two cases focus on Tier 2/3/ regions, we have learnt a lot about the state of education in those regions. Very very depressing. We are heading for a major crisis in North India, decreasing government and private jobs and a growing mass of increasing and unemployable youth population.

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Originally Posted by Spaced Out (Post 5280970)

When were fresh graduates in India ever employable straight outta school?

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Originally Posted by hothatchaway (Post 5281165)

When were fresh graduates in India ever employable straight outta school?

We have a long running thread on that topic!

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...graduates.html

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Originally Posted by thanixravindran (Post 5293266)

Just read this news about major layoffs as cost cutting exercise at Unacademy. It's time to deliver results/returns to VCs???

Similar things are happening at Byjus.

https://www.deccanherald.com/busines...a-1101709.html

Finally some sanity is coming back to ed-tech world.