Why Boring Companies Win: A Lesson for Aspiring (v)Entrepreneurs

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of welcoming our new group of MBA interns from IIT Jodhpur and IIT Kanpur.

Preparing for the Worst, Hoping for the Best

Putting it All Down on Paper

2017 was a pivotal year for Artha. Artha India Ventures surpassed 50 investments, Artha Energy Resources tri...

A FinTech IPO Shows That We Are in A Blockchain Bubble

A couple of weeks ago a small cap stock showed up on my India stock screener. My preliminary research yielded that ....

Founders… Don’t get Caught with Catch Words!

Founder: ….then we will provide data analytics to the hotel owners providing an overview of what are the common ...

SoftBank should flex its muscle: Flipkart buys Snapdeal or the deal snaps

The Masayoshi Son led SoftBank is in a boardroom battle to save its investment in Snapdeal, which is well known to us...

Save India from being Buried

After 20 years I returned to Kullu Manali for a short trip. The drive from to the hotel was breathtaking. The beautiful...

$30 billion in annual sales was built like that

Shoe Dog by Nike founder and chairman Phil Knight traces the journey of Nike from the time it was a startup...

Ola gets its product mix right!

Whosoever dreamed up Ola Select & Ola Play for ANI Technologies (DBA Ola Cabs) should be given a raise & ...

A Holocaust of Renewable Energy Investors in India

It has been over 12 months since the we have received a payment from our energy consumer, Ajmer DISCOM...

How LenDenClub.com grew 8x in 7 months (and under budgeted spends!)

It seems like yesterday when Bhavin Patel entered our office after raising money from VentureCatalysts. ...

Did you involve your customer in product development?

A single conversation with Mikhil Innani (of CouponDunia.com and Pharmeasy.in fame) brought about disruption...

How to shoo away investors at your next pitch..

Recently, I was on a conference call with experienced investors where our objective was to decide if a startup is f...

The Art of Losing a Sale

An experienced sales person will tell you that the most nervous moment for a salesperson, who is about to close a...

Indian Democracy is Being Murdered by the Congress!

“Such a prima facie view is being taken in view of the fact that the assignment of the huge debt by...

An Open Letter to the CEO of Knowlarity from a Knowlarity Customer and Exotel Investor

Our company holds a very unique position between Knowlarity and Exotel...

Screw Amendments, Rewrite the Law!

I have wanted to write this post for a very long time but kept putting it off for some good reason best known to ...

Rebuilding Brand India

We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific...

25 Lessons after Investing into 25 Start-ups Part One

Artha Venture Partners recently closed on its 25th investment, Interview Master. We have since then committed to...

Cross Subsidy Surcharge: A Dacoit in Robinhood's Clothing

The verb “cross subsidize” as defined by the Oxford dictionary is “Subsidize (a business or activity) out of the profits o...

An Example of Horrible Pricing Strategy : Blackberry India's BB10 Pricing

I must start this article by stating that I have been using a Blackberry for the past 10 years and I will...

DGCA: Now Approves Business Models too?

I like Tony Fernandes. He is the CEO of Air Asia with a spunky attitude which has made him one of the richest p...

Investment Idea : A Visitor Travel Management App

“When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity” – Mary Kay Ash, Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics

LinkedIn’s Inmail Credit: An Example for Other Businesses to Follow

Protect our Protectors

Before I open up with my views on this highly controversial topic, I must tell you that I grappled with the thought of...

Dropping Out Of The Rat Race…

A picture that says so much about our highly competitive society.

Pulling the plug on your fundraise

I’ve written a lot about the fundraising process. Of late (however), I have begun advising founders to pull the plug on their fundraise.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W4)

Last week Indian startups raised $1.55 billion compared to $433 million in the comparable previous week period.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W2 & W3)

Last 2 weeks, 73 startups raised $843 million year-to-date, the month of January has seen a steady funding momentum as Indian startups have raised more than $1.50 billion in total capital.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W1)

Last week 27 start-ups raised $567 million. Given the record-breaking year of 2021 in terms of fund inflow and the emergence of unicorns for the Indian start-up ecosystem, the early signs of 2022 give hope that this momentum may continue. 

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W41)

Last week 28 startups raised $705 million; the slowdown in China has only increased the confidence in India!

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W39 - W40)

Last two weeks 68 startups raised $2.3 billion; our ecosystem is on a sustained bull run now. Just when it seems like there could be a dip, a slew of startups raise...

The 5 things I wish for from next week's budget

In India, the focus shifts to the Budget 2022 to be presented next week. India has been the biggest beneficiary of the COVID-related Quantitative Easing and...

Hiring 'experienced' sales managers can ruin your startup

There is an old saying in sales, “The worst salespeople are the best interviewers”. However, this saying is even more applicable for sales managers,...

Narrowing the founder focus

I believe that founders are super-humans.

8 ways to improve your fundraising narrative

Behind every successful fundraise is a strong narrative. That is the honest answer to a question that investors repeatedly ask when they get bewildered by sky-high valuation and moonshot venture ideas.

Is your low-ball pricing strategy driving customers away?

Yesterday, I had an odd conversation with a founding team. They were addressing an important, critical, and an absolutely need-to-solve problem with a lifestyle intervention solution.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W29)

Last week 28 startups raised $547 million. The ecosystem is flying high now that it set a solid base of 100 deals per month.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W28)

Last week 29 startups raised $209 million; the base of 25+ deals a week is firmly set now, and the Zomato & PayTM IPOs led-liquidity...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W27)

Last week 27 startups raised $847 million; the impressive number streak continues with 113 startups raising in the previous 28 days!

How my Propstack sales call can teach you about gaps in your sales strategy

Propstack Sales Guy (PSG): Hello, is this Anirudh Damani? Me: Yes, who is this? ...

Yes we should go for gold but let's celebrate our best-ever Olympics nonetheless

India had sent its biggest ever contingent of athletes (126), competing in 69 disciplines. Therefore, despite the...

Pondering as I look out of my flight window on a wet & cold Sunday morning…

How quickly we’ve recovered from the impact, COVID had on our life & lifestyles.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W26)

Last week 36 startups raised $761 million! The number of deals taking place continued climbing, and...

A book I have gifted over 1000 times

Bhavesh Kothari invited me to join the United Book Lover’s Club (UBLC) with several esteemed members of the literary...

Episode XLiii- Kailash Katkar, founder of Quick Heal

In this week's episode of #DamaniTalks I spoke to Kailash Katkar, Founder of Quick Heal a man who built a ₹1800 crore...

A simple MVP is the key to disrupting a market & introducing my next guest on #DamaniTalks!

There is clear evidence that many of the most recognized technology companies in the world (and in India) started wit...

4 Reasons Behind My Bearish Stance on EV Charging Startups

I have looked closely at the EV space for the better part of the last decade. While I have not made any investments in...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W25)

Last week 30 startups raised $293 million; while the total funding amount fell, most heartening is the number of deals...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W24)

Last week 20 startups raised $740 million; that once again reassured that the demand for Indian startups ...

Episode XLii- Prashant Pitti, co-founder of EaseMyTrip

Prashant graduated from IIT Madras worked with HSBC and Capital One in the United States before coming back to...

Why I discourage early-stage founders from pursuing 2 business models?

Yesterday, I was eagerly waiting to see a startup's pitch as it was creating a name for itself in a niche space growing...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W23)

Last week 19 startups raised $46 million; the numbers indicate a dip, but it just a temporary lull. This fire burns...

Witnessing blockchain's AI/ML moment & introducing the next guest on DamaniTalks!

I am a huge believer in the applicability of blockchain and cryptocurrencies in the real world. I am incredibly confident...

Isn't it time that ration cardholders get a home delivery option?

I learned about the need for reform in India's Public Distribution Scheme (PDS) scheme a year after Narendra Modi got...

Episode XLi- Ganesh Sonawane, Co-founder of Arcatron Mobility

Arcatron Mobility builds the next generation of innovative physical aid devices to enhance people's lives with limited...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W22)

Last week 25 startups raised $638 million; as expected, the number of deals and the amounts raised continue trending...

How to score a gig, a job, or an internship

There was a time when a degree from a top college guaranteed a prosperous life. But, because the knowledge taught...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W21)

Last week 16 startups raised $403 million, marking a trend of improving deals and amounts raised. The good news...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W20)

Last week 19 startups raising $285 million showed a steady revival in the number of deals closed and the aggregated...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W19)

Last week 13 startups raised $9 million, indicating a drop in funding in terms of the total amount raised and the number...

My Funding Picks For Last 5 Weeks (Week 14 - 18)

A bug in my blog led to a critical error that stopped me from posting a new blog. Therefore I missed out on sending my...

Leverage PR for your fundraising efforts

I am a strong advocate for my founders to allocate a PR budget to get utilized only in the last 9 months of their seed...

Episode VII - Pranav Maheshwari, Co-founder of Vista Rooms

Vista Rooms provides experiences to customers at exquisite properties across India. They started as a budget hotel platform like OYO Rooms but decided to pivot their strategy, branding themselves as a luxury homestay brand. 

My Funding Picks for Last Week (W10)

The surge in COVID19 cases did not dampen the VC ecosystem's investment spirits as 10 startups raised...

Let's encourage them to start early!

An exciting read forwarded to me by my team inspired the blog for today.Tauseef Shahidi goes into depth about how...

Are you switching away from WhatsApp to protect your privacy?

May 15th, 2021, the day that many privacy champions have dreaded, is finally here.

Episode V – Ashutosh Valani, Co-founder of Beardo

Beardo is a retailer of men’s grooming products. Offers products such as beard oil & growth oil, beard wax, face wash,...

Episode VI - Pankaj Aswani, Co-founder of Coolberg

Coolberg launched the first non-alcoholic beer in India with a vision of catering to a new category of drink that is...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W7)

Last week, 17 startups raised $157 million, therefore continuing a strong revival in our ecosystem's funding interest.

The butterfly effect of 1.0 GPA

Our brain plays fantastic tricks with our memories. Events in our history that seemed earth-shattering at the time get...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W1)

Last week, 20 startups raised $612 million, starting 2021 on the right track as the previous few weeks' slowdowns get...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W6)

Last week, 28 startups raised $300 million, and the most heartening statistic to track here is that the number of ...

Video of the Week: Lessons from the relic of a 30-year-old floating hotel rotting in North Korea!

It is a well-known fact that I love the water. My friends and family claim that I am a wasted companion on trips if ...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W54)

Last week, 9 startups raised $20 million. The first few days of a new year are usually slow; therefore, I expected the lo...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W50)

Last week, 23 startups raised $118 million. The ecosystem is striking back!

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W49)

Last week, 23 startups raised $501 million. While we are finally back to funding happening more frequently (almost a...

There is genius in giving limited choices

The 1st was a piece of advice I received from the owner of a leading Mumbai based bakery brand. He was sampling th...

Management fees - Mutual funds vs VC funds

Yesterday, I pitched 3 family offices to invest in our fund. Oddly enough, I got the same question in each of those...

What is founder-friendly?

Sanjay shared this article over WhatsApp last night, How venture capitalists are deforming capitalism. I guessed that it...

Episode IV - Avik Ashar, B2B Division Head at Zilingo

Zilingo is a technology and commerce platform in the fashion industry. The Singapore headquartered startup was...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W46)

Last week, 16 startups raised $32 million. Another week that saw the deal value oscillate below $100 million, but there...

Episode III - Prerna Kalra, Co-founder of Daalchini

Daalchini is an operator of smart vending machines. They provide ready-to-eat food to offices, apartments, and...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W45)

Last week, 18 startups raised $225 million. Although we’re bouncing above and below the $100 million mark every ...

Episode II - Jasmeet Thind, Cofounder of Coutloot

Coutloot is a local language social commerce offline to online (O2O) platform which lets anyone sell online across the...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W44)

13 early-stage startups raised $20 million last week. Although the numbers are a little lower, the recent surge in IPOs is...

My Funding Picks for last week (W43)

13 early-stage startups raised over $20 million last week, with the overall funding boosting up to $172 million, accordi...

Profitable Angel Networks are a Paradox

I have (for a very long time) said that angel networks in India are in a deadly spiral. I had not (yet) discovered "why"...

A mistake that I cannot forgive

A team member leaving and finding a role someplace else is part and parcel of running a company – not just in India bu..

What it means to become an Executive Assistant

I have known Anil for over 8 years, and I credit him for introducing me to angel investing. He raised the flag for angel...

You don't raise venture capital to play it "safe"

Yesterday, I was on a pitch call with a consumer brand creating a niche in a mass-market commodity with strong...

How India Shops Online

As a consumer-facing startup, where should you invest your marketing rupees? Google AdWords? Social...

Let's celebrate failures

Yesterday, an icon in the sports entertainment space – where I have innumerable memories with family, friends, team,...

Sponsorship Sunday: High-quality masks for Mumbai Police

I wrote my first Sponsorship Sunday blog in April, backing Savety – The Instant Smart Water Tap. Shortly after, as I ...

Alternative Reward Systems for Top Performing Team Members

The greatest gift one could receive is the gift of growth. You could make a lot of money, live in mansions, and own an...

Hiring & Payraise: Is It Time To Ramp Up?

Two contrasting events took place yesterday. First, as we got to the end of a board meeting, the founders initiated a...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W35)

Last week, the ecosystem bounced back with over 3 equity deals/day average, with 19 startups raising $70 million. It i...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W30)

Last week, the ecosystem breached the 2 deals/day average yet again with 15 startups raising $168 million. The recen...

Negative gross margins can bury your startup

In my last blog on gross margins, I had written about the importance of gross profits for a startup to survive in any...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W29)

It has been several weeks since our ecosystem breached the 2 deals/day average with 17 startups raising $106 million...

Why Boring Companies Win: A Lesson for Aspiring (v)Entrepreneurs

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of welcoming our new group of MBA interns from IIT Jodhpur and IIT Kanpur.

Preparing for the Worst, Hoping for the Best

Putting it All Down on Paper

2017 was a pivotal year for Artha. Artha India Ventures surpassed 50 investments, Artha Energy Resources tri...

A FinTech IPO Shows That We Are in A Blockchain Bubble

A couple of weeks ago a small cap stock showed up on my India stock screener. My preliminary research yielded that ....

Founders… Don’t get Caught with Catch Words!

Founder: ….then we will provide data analytics to the hotel owners providing an overview of what are the common ...

SoftBank should flex its muscle: Flipkart buys Snapdeal or the deal snaps

The Masayoshi Son led SoftBank is in a boardroom battle to save its investment in Snapdeal, which is well known to us...

Save India from being Buried

After 20 years I returned to Kullu Manali for a short trip. The drive from to the hotel was breathtaking. The beautiful...

$30 billion in annual sales was built like that

Shoe Dog by Nike founder and chairman Phil Knight traces the journey of Nike from the time it was a startup...

Ola gets its product mix right!

Whosoever dreamed up Ola Select & Ola Play for ANI Technologies (DBA Ola Cabs) should be given a raise & ...

A Holocaust of Renewable Energy Investors in India

It has been over 12 months since the we have received a payment from our energy consumer, Ajmer DISCOM...

How LenDenClub.com grew 8x in 7 months (and under budgeted spends!)

It seems like yesterday when Bhavin Patel entered our office after raising money from VentureCatalysts. ...

Did you involve your customer in product development?

A single conversation with Mikhil Innani (of CouponDunia.com and Pharmeasy.in fame) brought about disruption...

How to shoo away investors at your next pitch..

Recently, I was on a conference call with experienced investors where our objective was to decide if a startup is f...

The Art of Losing a Sale

An experienced sales person will tell you that the most nervous moment for a salesperson, who is about to close a...

Indian Democracy is Being Murdered by the Congress!

“Such a prima facie view is being taken in view of the fact that the assignment of the huge debt by...

An Open Letter to the CEO of Knowlarity from a Knowlarity Customer and Exotel Investor

Our company holds a very unique position between Knowlarity and Exotel...

Screw Amendments, Rewrite the Law!

I have wanted to write this post for a very long time but kept putting it off for some good reason best known to ...

Rebuilding Brand India

We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific...

25 Lessons after Investing into 25 Start-ups Part One

Artha Venture Partners recently closed on its 25th investment, Interview Master. We have since then committed to...

Cross Subsidy Surcharge: A Dacoit in Robinhood's Clothing

The verb “cross subsidize” as defined by the Oxford dictionary is “Subsidize (a business or activity) out of the profits o...

An Example of Horrible Pricing Strategy : Blackberry India's BB10 Pricing

I must start this article by stating that I have been using a Blackberry for the past 10 years and I will...

DGCA: Now Approves Business Models too?

I like Tony Fernandes. He is the CEO of Air Asia with a spunky attitude which has made him one of the richest p...

Investment Idea : A Visitor Travel Management App

“When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity” – Mary Kay Ash, Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics

LinkedIn’s Inmail Credit: An Example for Other Businesses to Follow

Protect our Protectors

Before I open up with my views on this highly controversial topic, I must tell you that I grappled with the thought of...

Dropping Out Of The Rat Race…

A picture that says so much about our highly competitive society.

Pulling the plug on your fundraise

I’ve written a lot about the fundraising process. Of late (however), I have begun advising founders to pull the plug on their fundraise.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W4)

Last week Indian startups raised $1.55 billion compared to $433 million in the comparable previous week period.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W2 & W3)

Last 2 weeks, 73 startups raised $843 million year-to-date, the month of January has seen a steady funding momentum as Indian startups have raised more than $1.50 billion in total capital.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W1)

Last week 27 start-ups raised $567 million. Given the record-breaking year of 2021 in terms of fund inflow and the emergence of unicorns for the Indian start-up ecosystem, the early signs of 2022 give hope that this momentum may continue. 

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W41)

Last week 28 startups raised $705 million; the slowdown in China has only increased the confidence in India!

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W39 - W40)

Last two weeks 68 startups raised $2.3 billion; our ecosystem is on a sustained bull run now. Just when it seems like there could be a dip, a slew of startups raise...

The 5 things I wish for from next week's budget

In India, the focus shifts to the Budget 2022 to be presented next week. India has been the biggest beneficiary of the COVID-related Quantitative Easing and...

Hiring 'experienced' sales managers can ruin your startup

There is an old saying in sales, “The worst salespeople are the best interviewers”. However, this saying is even more applicable for sales managers,...

Narrowing the founder focus

I believe that founders are super-humans.

8 ways to improve your fundraising narrative

Behind every successful fundraise is a strong narrative. That is the honest answer to a question that investors repeatedly ask when they get bewildered by sky-high valuation and moonshot venture ideas.

Is your low-ball pricing strategy driving customers away?

Yesterday, I had an odd conversation with a founding team. They were addressing an important, critical, and an absolutely need-to-solve problem with a lifestyle intervention solution.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W29)

Last week 28 startups raised $547 million. The ecosystem is flying high now that it set a solid base of 100 deals per month.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W28)

Last week 29 startups raised $209 million; the base of 25+ deals a week is firmly set now, and the Zomato & PayTM IPOs led-liquidity...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W27)

Last week 27 startups raised $847 million; the impressive number streak continues with 113 startups raising in the previous 28 days!

How my Propstack sales call can teach you about gaps in your sales strategy

Propstack Sales Guy (PSG): Hello, is this Anirudh Damani? Me: Yes, who is this? ...

Yes we should go for gold but let's celebrate our best-ever Olympics nonetheless

India had sent its biggest ever contingent of athletes (126), competing in 69 disciplines. Therefore, despite the...

Pondering as I look out of my flight window on a wet & cold Sunday morning…

How quickly we’ve recovered from the impact, COVID had on our life & lifestyles.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W26)

Last week 36 startups raised $761 million! The number of deals taking place continued climbing, and...

A book I have gifted over 1000 times

Bhavesh Kothari invited me to join the United Book Lover’s Club (UBLC) with several esteemed members of the literary...

Episode XLiii- Kailash Katkar, founder of Quick Heal

In this week's episode of #DamaniTalks I spoke to Kailash Katkar, Founder of Quick Heal a man who built a ₹1800 crore...

A simple MVP is the key to disrupting a market & introducing my next guest on #DamaniTalks!

There is clear evidence that many of the most recognized technology companies in the world (and in India) started wit...

4 Reasons Behind My Bearish Stance on EV Charging Startups

I have looked closely at the EV space for the better part of the last decade. While I have not made any investments in...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W25)

Last week 30 startups raised $293 million; while the total funding amount fell, most heartening is the number of deals...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W24)

Last week 20 startups raised $740 million; that once again reassured that the demand for Indian startups ...

Episode XLii- Prashant Pitti, co-founder of EaseMyTrip

Prashant graduated from IIT Madras worked with HSBC and Capital One in the United States before coming back to...

Why I discourage early-stage founders from pursuing 2 business models?

Yesterday, I was eagerly waiting to see a startup's pitch as it was creating a name for itself in a niche space growing...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W23)

Last week 19 startups raised $46 million; the numbers indicate a dip, but it just a temporary lull. This fire burns...

Witnessing blockchain's AI/ML moment & introducing the next guest on DamaniTalks!

I am a huge believer in the applicability of blockchain and cryptocurrencies in the real world. I am incredibly confident...

Isn't it time that ration cardholders get a home delivery option?

I learned about the need for reform in India's Public Distribution Scheme (PDS) scheme a year after Narendra Modi got...

Episode XLi- Ganesh Sonawane, Co-founder of Arcatron Mobility

Arcatron Mobility builds the next generation of innovative physical aid devices to enhance people's lives with limited...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W22)

Last week 25 startups raised $638 million; as expected, the number of deals and the amounts raised continue trending...

How to score a gig, a job, or an internship

There was a time when a degree from a top college guaranteed a prosperous life. But, because the knowledge taught...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W21)

Last week 16 startups raised $403 million, marking a trend of improving deals and amounts raised. The good news...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W20)

Last week 19 startups raising $285 million showed a steady revival in the number of deals closed and the aggregated...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W19)

Last week 13 startups raised $9 million, indicating a drop in funding in terms of the total amount raised and the number...

My Funding Picks For Last 5 Weeks (Week 14 - 18)

A bug in my blog led to a critical error that stopped me from posting a new blog. Therefore I missed out on sending my...

Leverage PR for your fundraising efforts

I am a strong advocate for my founders to allocate a PR budget to get utilized only in the last 9 months of their seed...

Episode VII - Pranav Maheshwari, Co-founder of Vista Rooms

Vista Rooms provides experiences to customers at exquisite properties across India. They started as a budget hotel platform like OYO Rooms but decided to pivot their strategy, branding themselves as a luxury homestay brand. 

My Funding Picks for Last Week (W10)

The surge in COVID19 cases did not dampen the VC ecosystem's investment spirits as 10 startups raised...

Let's encourage them to start early!

An exciting read forwarded to me by my team inspired the blog for today.Tauseef Shahidi goes into depth about how...

Are you switching away from WhatsApp to protect your privacy?

May 15th, 2021, the day that many privacy champions have dreaded, is finally here.

Episode V – Ashutosh Valani, Co-founder of Beardo

Beardo is a retailer of men’s grooming products. Offers products such as beard oil & growth oil, beard wax, face wash,...

Episode VI - Pankaj Aswani, Co-founder of Coolberg

Coolberg launched the first non-alcoholic beer in India with a vision of catering to a new category of drink that is...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W7)

Last week, 17 startups raised $157 million, therefore continuing a strong revival in our ecosystem's funding interest.

The butterfly effect of 1.0 GPA

Our brain plays fantastic tricks with our memories. Events in our history that seemed earth-shattering at the time get...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W1)

Last week, 20 startups raised $612 million, starting 2021 on the right track as the previous few weeks' slowdowns get...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W6)

Last week, 28 startups raised $300 million, and the most heartening statistic to track here is that the number of ...

Video of the Week: Lessons from the relic of a 30-year-old floating hotel rotting in North Korea!

It is a well-known fact that I love the water. My friends and family claim that I am a wasted companion on trips if ...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W54)

Last week, 9 startups raised $20 million. The first few days of a new year are usually slow; therefore, I expected the lo...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W50)

Last week, 23 startups raised $118 million. The ecosystem is striking back!

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W49)

Last week, 23 startups raised $501 million. While we are finally back to funding happening more frequently (almost a...

There is genius in giving limited choices

The 1st was a piece of advice I received from the owner of a leading Mumbai based bakery brand. He was sampling th...

Management fees - Mutual funds vs VC funds

Yesterday, I pitched 3 family offices to invest in our fund. Oddly enough, I got the same question in each of those...

What is founder-friendly?

Sanjay shared this article over WhatsApp last night, How venture capitalists are deforming capitalism. I guessed that it...

Episode IV - Avik Ashar, B2B Division Head at Zilingo

Zilingo is a technology and commerce platform in the fashion industry. The Singapore headquartered startup was...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W46)

Last week, 16 startups raised $32 million. Another week that saw the deal value oscillate below $100 million, but there...

Episode III - Prerna Kalra, Co-founder of Daalchini

Daalchini is an operator of smart vending machines. They provide ready-to-eat food to offices, apartments, and...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W45)

Last week, 18 startups raised $225 million. Although we’re bouncing above and below the $100 million mark every ...

Episode II - Jasmeet Thind, Cofounder of Coutloot

Coutloot is a local language social commerce offline to online (O2O) platform which lets anyone sell online across the...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W44)

13 early-stage startups raised $20 million last week. Although the numbers are a little lower, the recent surge in IPOs is...

My Funding Picks for last week (W43)

13 early-stage startups raised over $20 million last week, with the overall funding boosting up to $172 million, accordi...

Profitable Angel Networks are a Paradox

I have (for a very long time) said that angel networks in India are in a deadly spiral. I had not (yet) discovered "why"...

A mistake that I cannot forgive

A team member leaving and finding a role someplace else is part and parcel of running a company – not just in India bu..

What it means to become an Executive Assistant

I have known Anil for over 8 years, and I credit him for introducing me to angel investing. He raised the flag for angel...

You don't raise venture capital to play it "safe"

Yesterday, I was on a pitch call with a consumer brand creating a niche in a mass-market commodity with strong...

How India Shops Online

As a consumer-facing startup, where should you invest your marketing rupees? Google AdWords? Social...

Let's celebrate failures

Yesterday, an icon in the sports entertainment space – where I have innumerable memories with family, friends, team,...

Sponsorship Sunday: High-quality masks for Mumbai Police

I wrote my first Sponsorship Sunday blog in April, backing Savety – The Instant Smart Water Tap. Shortly after, as I ...

Alternative Reward Systems for Top Performing Team Members

The greatest gift one could receive is the gift of growth. You could make a lot of money, live in mansions, and own an...

Hiring & Payraise: Is It Time To Ramp Up?

Two contrasting events took place yesterday. First, as we got to the end of a board meeting, the founders initiated a...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W35)

Last week, the ecosystem bounced back with over 3 equity deals/day average, with 19 startups raising $70 million. It i...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W30)

Last week, the ecosystem breached the 2 deals/day average yet again with 15 startups raising $168 million. The recen...

Negative gross margins can bury your startup

In my last blog on gross margins, I had written about the importance of gross profits for a startup to survive in any...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W29)

It has been several weeks since our ecosystem breached the 2 deals/day average with 17 startups raising $106 million...

Why Boring Companies Win: A Lesson for Aspiring (v)Entrepreneurs

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of welcoming our new group of MBA interns from IIT Jodhpur and IIT Kanpur.

Preparing for the Worst, Hoping for the Best

Putting it All Down on Paper

2017 was a pivotal year for Artha. Artha India Ventures surpassed 50 investments, Artha Energy Resources tri...

A FinTech IPO Shows That We Are in A Blockchain Bubble

A couple of weeks ago a small cap stock showed up on my India stock screener. My preliminary research yielded that ....

Founders… Don’t get Caught with Catch Words!

Founder: ….then we will provide data analytics to the hotel owners providing an overview of what are the common ...

SoftBank should flex its muscle: Flipkart buys Snapdeal or the deal snaps

The Masayoshi Son led SoftBank is in a boardroom battle to save its investment in Snapdeal, which is well known to us...

Save India from being Buried

After 20 years I returned to Kullu Manali for a short trip. The drive from to the hotel was breathtaking. The beautiful...

$30 billion in annual sales was built like that

Shoe Dog by Nike founder and chairman Phil Knight traces the journey of Nike from the time it was a startup...

Ola gets its product mix right!

Whosoever dreamed up Ola Select & Ola Play for ANI Technologies (DBA Ola Cabs) should be given a raise & ...

A Holocaust of Renewable Energy Investors in India

It has been over 12 months since the we have received a payment from our energy consumer, Ajmer DISCOM...

How LenDenClub.com grew 8x in 7 months (and under budgeted spends!)

It seems like yesterday when Bhavin Patel entered our office after raising money from VentureCatalysts. ...

Did you involve your customer in product development?

A single conversation with Mikhil Innani (of CouponDunia.com and Pharmeasy.in fame) brought about disruption...

How to shoo away investors at your next pitch..

Recently, I was on a conference call with experienced investors where our objective was to decide if a startup is f...

The Art of Losing a Sale

An experienced sales person will tell you that the most nervous moment for a salesperson, who is about to close a...

Indian Democracy is Being Murdered by the Congress!

“Such a prima facie view is being taken in view of the fact that the assignment of the huge debt by...

An Open Letter to the CEO of Knowlarity from a Knowlarity Customer and Exotel Investor

Our company holds a very unique position between Knowlarity and Exotel...

Screw Amendments, Rewrite the Law!

I have wanted to write this post for a very long time but kept putting it off for some good reason best known to ...

Rebuilding Brand India

We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific...

25 Lessons after Investing into 25 Start-ups Part One

Artha Venture Partners recently closed on its 25th investment, Interview Master. We have since then committed to...

Cross Subsidy Surcharge: A Dacoit in Robinhood's Clothing

The verb “cross subsidize” as defined by the Oxford dictionary is “Subsidize (a business or activity) out of the profits o...

An Example of Horrible Pricing Strategy : Blackberry India's BB10 Pricing

I must start this article by stating that I have been using a Blackberry for the past 10 years and I will...

DGCA: Now Approves Business Models too?

I like Tony Fernandes. He is the CEO of Air Asia with a spunky attitude which has made him one of the richest p...

Investment Idea : A Visitor Travel Management App

“When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity” – Mary Kay Ash, Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics

LinkedIn’s Inmail Credit: An Example for Other Businesses to Follow

Protect our Protectors

Before I open up with my views on this highly controversial topic, I must tell you that I grappled with the thought of...

Dropping Out Of The Rat Race…

A picture that says so much about our highly competitive society.

Pulling the plug on your fundraise

I’ve written a lot about the fundraising process. Of late (however), I have begun advising founders to pull the plug on their fundraise.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W4)

Last week Indian startups raised $1.55 billion compared to $433 million in the comparable previous week period.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W2 & W3)

Last 2 weeks, 73 startups raised $843 million year-to-date, the month of January has seen a steady funding momentum as Indian startups have raised more than $1.50 billion in total capital.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W1)

Last week 27 start-ups raised $567 million. Given the record-breaking year of 2021 in terms of fund inflow and the emergence of unicorns for the Indian start-up ecosystem, the early signs of 2022 give hope that this momentum may continue. 

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W41)

Last week 28 startups raised $705 million; the slowdown in China has only increased the confidence in India!

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W39 - W40)

Last two weeks 68 startups raised $2.3 billion; our ecosystem is on a sustained bull run now. Just when it seems like there could be a dip, a slew of startups raise...

The 5 things I wish for from next week's budget

In India, the focus shifts to the Budget 2022 to be presented next week. India has been the biggest beneficiary of the COVID-related Quantitative Easing and...

Hiring 'experienced' sales managers can ruin your startup

There is an old saying in sales, “The worst salespeople are the best interviewers”. However, this saying is even more applicable for sales managers,...

Narrowing the founder focus

I believe that founders are super-humans.

8 ways to improve your fundraising narrative

Behind every successful fundraise is a strong narrative. That is the honest answer to a question that investors repeatedly ask when they get bewildered by sky-high valuation and moonshot venture ideas.

Is your low-ball pricing strategy driving customers away?

Yesterday, I had an odd conversation with a founding team. They were addressing an important, critical, and an absolutely need-to-solve problem with a lifestyle intervention solution.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W29)

Last week 28 startups raised $547 million. The ecosystem is flying high now that it set a solid base of 100 deals per month.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W28)

Last week 29 startups raised $209 million; the base of 25+ deals a week is firmly set now, and the Zomato & PayTM IPOs led-liquidity...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W27)

Last week 27 startups raised $847 million; the impressive number streak continues with 113 startups raising in the previous 28 days!

How my Propstack sales call can teach you about gaps in your sales strategy

Propstack Sales Guy (PSG): Hello, is this Anirudh Damani? Me: Yes, who is this? ...

Yes we should go for gold but let's celebrate our best-ever Olympics nonetheless

India had sent its biggest ever contingent of athletes (126), competing in 69 disciplines. Therefore, despite the...

Pondering as I look out of my flight window on a wet & cold Sunday morning…

How quickly we’ve recovered from the impact, COVID had on our life & lifestyles.

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W26)

Last week 36 startups raised $761 million! The number of deals taking place continued climbing, and...

A book I have gifted over 1000 times

Bhavesh Kothari invited me to join the United Book Lover’s Club (UBLC) with several esteemed members of the literary...

Episode XLiii- Kailash Katkar, founder of Quick Heal

In this week's episode of #DamaniTalks I spoke to Kailash Katkar, Founder of Quick Heal a man who built a ₹1800 crore...

A simple MVP is the key to disrupting a market & introducing my next guest on #DamaniTalks!

There is clear evidence that many of the most recognized technology companies in the world (and in India) started wit...

4 Reasons Behind My Bearish Stance on EV Charging Startups

I have looked closely at the EV space for the better part of the last decade. While I have not made any investments in...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W25)

Last week 30 startups raised $293 million; while the total funding amount fell, most heartening is the number of deals...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W24)

Last week 20 startups raised $740 million; that once again reassured that the demand for Indian startups ...

Episode XLii- Prashant Pitti, co-founder of EaseMyTrip

Prashant graduated from IIT Madras worked with HSBC and Capital One in the United States before coming back to...

Why I discourage early-stage founders from pursuing 2 business models?

Yesterday, I was eagerly waiting to see a startup's pitch as it was creating a name for itself in a niche space growing...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W23)

Last week 19 startups raised $46 million; the numbers indicate a dip, but it just a temporary lull. This fire burns...

Witnessing blockchain's AI/ML moment & introducing the next guest on DamaniTalks!

I am a huge believer in the applicability of blockchain and cryptocurrencies in the real world. I am incredibly confident...

Isn't it time that ration cardholders get a home delivery option?

I learned about the need for reform in India's Public Distribution Scheme (PDS) scheme a year after Narendra Modi got...

Episode XLi- Ganesh Sonawane, Co-founder of Arcatron Mobility

Arcatron Mobility builds the next generation of innovative physical aid devices to enhance people's lives with limited...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W22)

Last week 25 startups raised $638 million; as expected, the number of deals and the amounts raised continue trending...

How to score a gig, a job, or an internship

There was a time when a degree from a top college guaranteed a prosperous life. But, because the knowledge taught...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W21)

Last week 16 startups raised $403 million, marking a trend of improving deals and amounts raised. The good news...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W20)

Last week 19 startups raising $285 million showed a steady revival in the number of deals closed and the aggregated...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W19)

Last week 13 startups raised $9 million, indicating a drop in funding in terms of the total amount raised and the number...

My Funding Picks For Last 5 Weeks (Week 14 - 18)

A bug in my blog led to a critical error that stopped me from posting a new blog. Therefore I missed out on sending my...

Leverage PR for your fundraising efforts

I am a strong advocate for my founders to allocate a PR budget to get utilized only in the last 9 months of their seed...

Episode VII - Pranav Maheshwari, Co-founder of Vista Rooms

Vista Rooms provides experiences to customers at exquisite properties across India. They started as a budget hotel platform like OYO Rooms but decided to pivot their strategy, branding themselves as a luxury homestay brand. 

My Funding Picks for Last Week (W10)

The surge in COVID19 cases did not dampen the VC ecosystem's investment spirits as 10 startups raised...

Let's encourage them to start early!

An exciting read forwarded to me by my team inspired the blog for today.Tauseef Shahidi goes into depth about how...

Are you switching away from WhatsApp to protect your privacy?

May 15th, 2021, the day that many privacy champions have dreaded, is finally here.

Episode V – Ashutosh Valani, Co-founder of Beardo

Beardo is a retailer of men’s grooming products. Offers products such as beard oil & growth oil, beard wax, face wash,...

Episode VI - Pankaj Aswani, Co-founder of Coolberg

Coolberg launched the first non-alcoholic beer in India with a vision of catering to a new category of drink that is...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W7)

Last week, 17 startups raised $157 million, therefore continuing a strong revival in our ecosystem's funding interest.

The butterfly effect of 1.0 GPA

Our brain plays fantastic tricks with our memories. Events in our history that seemed earth-shattering at the time get...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W1)

Last week, 20 startups raised $612 million, starting 2021 on the right track as the previous few weeks' slowdowns get...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W6)

Last week, 28 startups raised $300 million, and the most heartening statistic to track here is that the number of ...

Video of the Week: Lessons from the relic of a 30-year-old floating hotel rotting in North Korea!

It is a well-known fact that I love the water. My friends and family claim that I am a wasted companion on trips if ...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W54)

Last week, 9 startups raised $20 million. The first few days of a new year are usually slow; therefore, I expected the lo...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W50)

Last week, 23 startups raised $118 million. The ecosystem is striking back!

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W49)

Last week, 23 startups raised $501 million. While we are finally back to funding happening more frequently (almost a...

There is genius in giving limited choices

The 1st was a piece of advice I received from the owner of a leading Mumbai based bakery brand. He was sampling th...

Management fees - Mutual funds vs VC funds

Yesterday, I pitched 3 family offices to invest in our fund. Oddly enough, I got the same question in each of those...

What is founder-friendly?

Sanjay shared this article over WhatsApp last night, How venture capitalists are deforming capitalism. I guessed that it...

Episode IV - Avik Ashar, B2B Division Head at Zilingo

Zilingo is a technology and commerce platform in the fashion industry. The Singapore headquartered startup was...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W46)

Last week, 16 startups raised $32 million. Another week that saw the deal value oscillate below $100 million, but there...

Episode III - Prerna Kalra, Co-founder of Daalchini

Daalchini is an operator of smart vending machines. They provide ready-to-eat food to offices, apartments, and...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W45)

Last week, 18 startups raised $225 million. Although we’re bouncing above and below the $100 million mark every ...

Episode II - Jasmeet Thind, Cofounder of Coutloot

Coutloot is a local language social commerce offline to online (O2O) platform which lets anyone sell online across the...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W44)

13 early-stage startups raised $20 million last week. Although the numbers are a little lower, the recent surge in IPOs is...

My Funding Picks for last week (W43)

13 early-stage startups raised over $20 million last week, with the overall funding boosting up to $172 million, accordi...

Profitable Angel Networks are a Paradox

I have (for a very long time) said that angel networks in India are in a deadly spiral. I had not (yet) discovered "why"...

A mistake that I cannot forgive

A team member leaving and finding a role someplace else is part and parcel of running a company – not just in India bu..

What it means to become an Executive Assistant

I have known Anil for over 8 years, and I credit him for introducing me to angel investing. He raised the flag for angel...

You don't raise venture capital to play it "safe"

Yesterday, I was on a pitch call with a consumer brand creating a niche in a mass-market commodity with strong...

How India Shops Online

As a consumer-facing startup, where should you invest your marketing rupees? Google AdWords? Social...

Let's celebrate failures

Yesterday, an icon in the sports entertainment space – where I have innumerable memories with family, friends, team,...

Sponsorship Sunday: High-quality masks for Mumbai Police

I wrote my first Sponsorship Sunday blog in April, backing Savety – The Instant Smart Water Tap. Shortly after, as I ...

Alternative Reward Systems for Top Performing Team Members

The greatest gift one could receive is the gift of growth. You could make a lot of money, live in mansions, and own an...

Hiring & Payraise: Is It Time To Ramp Up?

Two contrasting events took place yesterday. First, as we got to the end of a board meeting, the founders initiated a...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W35)

Last week, the ecosystem bounced back with over 3 equity deals/day average, with 19 startups raising $70 million. It i...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W30)

Last week, the ecosystem breached the 2 deals/day average yet again with 15 startups raising $168 million. The recen...

Negative gross margins can bury your startup

In my last blog on gross margins, I had written about the importance of gross profits for a startup to survive in any...

My Funding Picks For Last Week (W29)

It has been several weeks since our ecosystem breached the 2 deals/day average with 17 startups raising $106 million...