Sahil S’ Post

Rajan Anandan, Managing Director at Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India) shared two simple methods that can help founders to find whether they have achieved Product-Market Fit (PMF) 👇 The First is "Retention Curve" - "The retention curve is what percentage of your users keep coming back over some time while using your product/service." Essentially, there are 3 kinds of retention curves, and you should plot this curve by day, week, or month, once you launch your product. 1. Declining Curve (dark grey line), let's say you’ve launched a consumer internet app on day 0, and every week your retention rate declines by 10%, which essentially means that by the end of 3rd month, all your initial users would have churned, then that's a declining curve, which indicates that you don’t have a product-market fit. 2. Flattening Curve (orange line) is actually good, although it kind of varies depending upon the category (Health-Tech, EdTech, etc.,) but generically speaking if the retention curve flattens between 20%-40% that could be quite good. 3. Finally the best one is the Smiling Retention Curve (green line), which means that retention drops but then as time goes on you keep reactivating users, which indicates that you're getting close to your product-market fit. Another question that founder should think is - 2. Do Customers Love Product? Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a metric that organizations use to measure customer loyalty toward their brand, product or service. NPS works by asking your customers a single question: "How likely are you to recommend our products/services to others?" NPS = % Promoters (score 9-10) - % Detractors (score 0-6) If the magic score is = 70% or more, then you have an amazing product-market fit. But if the number declines to 40% or below, then you don’t have it. It's that simple! What do you think of these two methods? 🚀 Check out my free newsletter for insights: https://lnkd.in/dKZQKHg2 . #startup #fundraising #venturecapital #funding #fundraising #founders #founderjourney #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #founderstories #startuptips #sharktankindia #siliconvalley #startups #vc #vcfund #vcfunding #funding #startups #pmf #product #sequoiacapital

Greetings on this 18th day of our 'A to Z of Startups' Series! Today, on Day 18, let's delve into the Reservoir of "R" terms. Welcome to your premier gateway into the dynamic world of entrepreneurship. Our mission is to offer unmatched insights and unwavering support as you navigate the realm of startup ventures. Consider these principles as your trusted allies on this entrepreneurial odyssey. If you're eager to explore further, show your enthusiasm with a thumbs-up and help spread the word! Attention all astute investors! Gain access to exclusive curated deals and seize the opportunity to invest in the next generation of Future Relevant Start-Ups, side by side with us. Revenue: The income generated from the sale of products or services. ROI (Return on Investment): The ratio of profit or loss relative to the initial investment. Runway: The amount of time a startup can operate before exhausting its resources, typically measured in months. Risk: The potential of losing something of value, such as time or money, in pursuit of a business opportunity. Roadmap: A strategic plan outlining the steps and milestones needed to achieve business goals. R&D (Research and Development): The process of innovating, designing, and creating new products or services. Retention: The ability of a startup to keep customers engaged and loyal over time. Round (Funding Round): A specific stage in the fundraising process where investors contribute capital to a startup in exchange for equity. Rebranding: The process of changing the visual identity, messaging, or positioning of a startup to better align with its goals or target audience. Rapid Scaling: The process of growing a startup rapidly while maintaining or improving efficiency and profitability. These terms are fundamental in understanding and navigating the startup ecosystem. #Investor #Investors #StartupInvestment #Curateddeals #ROI #AtoZofStartups #StartupInsights #LearningTogether #StartupJargon #StartupSuccess #Entrepreneurship #FutureRelevant #FutureRelevantConsulting #FinancialSupport #startups #SEaaS #FutureRelevantConsultingLLP #Abhivyakti #FinAssist #TechnoFy #StartupInvestments #Startup #Networking #Collaboration #founders #funding #fundraising #mentorship #socialimpact #Cofounder #StartupLife #VentureCapital #StartupCommunity #startupindia #startupecosystem #startupfounders #startupmentor #founder #startupjourney #JustDial Manisha D Armaan Dalmia Dr. Rajiv Dalmia 🌟 Royal FinServ Consultants Private Limited Bangalore Ayush Poddar Aakriti Guglani Simrin Kapoor Khushboo Agarwal Anand Leel Rahul Toshniwal

Vision 2025: Get Your Startup to $1M+ in Revenue Can you hit $1M+ in Revenue in 2025? Today, a few trends have become evident: A large percentage of VCs are chasing Unicorns. Too much money chasing too few deals capable of delivering hyper growth bids up valuations. Many Death by Overfunding tragedies have emerged. Sad. Really sad. The industry doesn’t fully understand Bootstrapping.  Over 30 years of the Internet’s existence, sadly, it doesn’t. No, Bootstrapping and Venture Capital are NOT necessarily mutually exclusive. The savviest entrepreneurs have Bootstrapped First, Raised Money Later. VCs LOVE to invest in bootstrapped startups that have validated and de-risked their ventures before institutional capital is invested. There is nothing wrong with that approach, as long as entrepreneurs understand a few key principles: VCs love to come to the rescue of victory Do not go to VCs as beggars, go as kings Excess is not a requirement for success Entrepreneurship = Customers + Revenues + Profits; Financing and Exit are Optional Hypergrowth is not a natural phenomenon, but VCs demand it If you think you need help, consider my Free Online Mentoring Session.  I will diagnose your roadblocks and recommend a path forward. https://lnkd.in/gF2zTJj You can also jump into a full-year Acceleration by joining the 1Mby1M Premium Program with me. https://lnkd.in/gB69hhqK “I joined the 1Mby1M program about 3 years back when I just started my entrepreneurship journey. 1Mby1M has structured a great curriculum that I think is extremely practical and immensely helpful for startup founders. The courses are backed by very powerful case studies that give a true picture of real-life situations and what other founders have done in such situations. A big takeaway for me from the program was ‘bootstrap first, raise funds later’, something that Sramana emphasizes very often. I left the program with a clearer picture of the levers for navigating the very early stage of a startup journey. Fast forward a few years, CliniOps has bootstrapped to a position where our solution is currently used in 15+ countries across North America, South America, Asia and Africa, with over 50,000+ patients on our system, and our work has been recognized by some of the top analysts in our domain, and most importantly by happy customers. I recently rejoined the program.” Avik Pal Founder & CEO, CliniOps, Inc. Bootstrapped to $1.2+ Million in Annual Revenue by Applying the 1Mby1M Curriculum and Methodology #startups #entrepreneurs #founders #startup #venturecapital #entrepreneurship

New Year Resolution: Bootstrap to $1M Revenue with your Startup Can you hit $1M+ in Revenue in 2025? In working through the current landscape of our industry, a few trends become evident: A large percentage of VCs are chasing Unicorns. Too much money chasing too few deals capable of delivering hyper growth bids up valuations. Many Death by Overfunding tragedies have emerged. My observation, having covered Bootstrapping for 20 years, is that the industry doesn’t fully understand Bootstrapping. No, Bootstrapping and Venture Capital are NOT necessarily mutually exclusive. The savviest and most successful entrepreneurs have Bootstrapped First, Raised Money Later. VCs LOVE to invest in bootstrapped startups that have validated and de-risked their ventures before institutional capital is invested. There is nothing wrong with that approach, as long as entrepreneurs understand a few key principles: VCs love to come to the rescue of victory Do not go to VCs as beggars, go as kings Excess is not a requirement for success Entrepreneurship = Customers + Revenues + Profits; Financing and Exit are Optional Hypergrowth is not a natural phenomenon, but VCs demand it If you think you need help, consider a free online mentoring session with me. I will diagnose your roadblocks and recommend a path forward. https://lnkd.in/gF2zTJj You can also jump into a full-year Acceleration by joining the 1Mby1M Premium Program with me. https://lnkd.in/gB69hhqK “I joined the 1Mby1M program about 3 years back when I just started my entrepreneurship journey. 1Mby1M has structured a great curriculum that I think is extremely practical and immensely helpful for startup founders. The courses are backed by very powerful case studies that give a true picture of real-life situations and what other founders have done in such situations. A big takeaway for me from the program was ‘bootstrap first, raise funds later’, something that Sramana emphasizes very often. I left the program with a clearer picture of the levers for navigating the very early stage of a startup journey. Fast forward a few years, CliniOps has bootstrapped to a position where our solution is currently used in 15+ countries across North America, South America, Asia and Africa, with over 50,000+ patients on our system, and our work has been recognized by some of the top analysts in our domain, and most importantly by happy customers. I recently rejoined the program.” Avik Pal Founder & CEO, CliniOps, Inc. Bootstrapped to $1.2+ Million in Annual Revenue by Applying the 1Mby1M Curriculum and Methodology #startups #entrepreneurs #founders #startup #venturecapital #entrepreneurship

#RaisethatRound: Chapter 9: 📈 The Crucial Decision of #SeedRound Size for #Startups As a #founder starting your journey, determining the size of your #seed round is critical. Conventional wisdom suggests raising as little as possible or #bootstrapping, but if your goal is to secure #venturecapital and progress swiftly to #SeriesA, this may be counterproductive. 🔍 Key Insights: 🔄 Seed Round Size and Series A Success: Analysis of 4,000+ #US. #software startups shows that those raising under $2 million had a lower chance of reaching Series A within 24 months, regardless of the funding year. 🔄 Consistency Across #Market #Conditions:    This trend holds true across various market conditions. Larger #seed rounds consistently correlate with a higher likelihood of securing #SeriesA funding within two years. 🔄 Plateau Effect The advantage of larger seed rounds plateaus beyond a certain point. The difference in success rates between $2M-$5M and over $5M seed rounds is minor. 💡 Strategic Recommendations: 🔄 Avoid Underfunding If your goal is #venturecapital, raise an adequately sized seed round. Too little funding can hinder your ability to secure Series A within the desired timeframe. 🔄 Balance Fundraising Avoid excessive fundraising to prevent unnecessary equity dilution. Aim for a larger seed round within reasonable limits to ensure a sufficient runway for growth and traction. ❗️ Conclusion For startups aiming to progress swiftly to Series A, raising a seed round that's too small can hinder your ability to secure further funding. Adequate seed funding is key to achieving milestones and attracting Series A investors. #Startup #SeedFunding #VentureCapital #SeriesA #Fundraising #StartupGrowth #Entrepreneurship #BusinessStrategy

Why Do We Celebrate #Startups Burning Millions but Ignore Profitable Ones Fighting to Survive? . . #Startups are often glorified for burning through millions in cash to "capture the market," even when profitability remains a distant dream. Yet, the small, bootstrapped startups, which fight against all odds to stay profitable, barely get the appreciation they deserve. Let’s look at the reality: High-Burn, High-Funding Startups Example 1: A food delivery startup recently raised $300M in funding but reported losses of over ₹1,200 crore in FY 2023. Example 2: A quick-commerce company spent ₹900 crore on discounts and logistics last year, resulting in a net loss of ₹1,500 crore. And yet, these startups are celebrated, hailed as "market disruptors." Investors back them with more funds despite questionable sustainability. Bootstrapped Startups' Struggles On the flip side, bootstrapped startups: - Operate on razor-thin margins. - Struggle with working capital due to a lack of external funding. - Face challenges like delayed payments and limited resources. Yet, these startups often achieve profitability from Day 1, focusing on operational efficiency, resource optimization, and customer satisfaction. The Double Standard - When a well-funded startup burns cash, it’s called “growth.” - When a small, bootstrapped startup faces operational hurdles, it’s labeled as “poor management.” Why is funding celebrated over profitability? Why isn’t operational efficiency as glamorous as raising millions of dollars? #StatisticsSpeak - 75% of funded startups fail because they scale too fast without optimizing operations. - Over 85% of bootstrapped startups survive past five years, compared to just 30% of funded startups. It’s time to recognize the real heroes of entrepreneurship—the startups that solve real problems, operate efficiently, and prove that profitability doesn’t need millions of dollars. 💬 What do you think? Are we over-glorifying the wrong side of startup culture? Let’s start the conversation. #Startups #Profitability #FundingVsBootstrapping #Entrepreneurship #OperationalExcellence

Think all startups burn money? Think again. The real difference between success and failure lies in one crucial factor—Product-Market Fit (PMF). Ever wondered how some founders crack the code while others struggle? Check out the full post to dive deeper into what truly drives startup success. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gETXWM7q #startup #pmf #productmarketfit #funding #profit

When will my startup make money? A timeline of startup profitability💸 A common question that founders ask themselves is when their new company will start to make money. The answer is rarely straightforward, and every startup faces unique challenges based on its industry, market conditions and growth strategy. However, understanding the key stages of its life cycle can provide valuable insights and set realistic expectations for business success. 👇 Read more from Eleanor Hecks below 👇 #StartupsMagazine #Startups #Entrepreneur

2025 Resolution: Bootstrap to $1M Revenue with your Startup Can you hit $1M+ in Revenue in 2025? In working through the current landscape of our industry, a few trends become evident: A large percentage of VCs are chasing Unicorns. Too much money chasing too few deals capable of delivering hyper growth bids up valuations. Many Death by Overfunding tragedies have emerged. My observation, having covered Bootstrapping for 20 years, is that the industry doesn’t fully understand Bootstrapping. No, Bootstrapping and Venture Capital are NOT necessarily mutually exclusive. The savviest and most successful entrepreneurs have Bootstrapped First, Raised Money Later. VCs LOVE to invest in bootstrapped startups that have validated and de-risked their ventures before institutional capital is invested. There is nothing wrong with that approach, as long as entrepreneurs understand a few key principles: VCs love to come to the rescue of victory Do not go to VCs as beggars, go as kings Excess is not a requirement for success Entrepreneurship = Customers + Revenues + Profits; Financing and Exit are Optional Hypergrowth is not a natural phenomenon, but VCs demand it If you think you need help, consider a free online mentoring session with me.  I will diagnose your roadblocks and recommend a path forward. https://lnkd.in/gF2zTJj You can also jump into a full-year Acceleration by joining the 1Mby1M Premium Program with me. I will steer you clear of wasting your time and resources. https://lnkd.in/gB69hhqK “I joined the 1Mby1M program about 3 years back when I just started my entrepreneurship journey. 1Mby1M has structured a great curriculum that I think is extremely practical and immensely helpful for startup founders. The courses are backed by very powerful case studies that give a true picture of real-life situations and what other founders have done in such situations. A big takeaway for me from the program was ‘bootstrap first, raise funds later’, something that Sramana emphasizes very often. I left the program with a clearer picture of the levers for navigating the very early stage of a startup journey. Fast forward a few years, CliniOps has bootstrapped to a position where our solution is currently used in 15+ countries across North America, South America, Asia and Africa, with over 50,000+ patients on our system, and our work has been recognized by some of the top analysts in our domain, and most importantly by happy customers. I recently rejoined the program.” Avik Pal Founder & CEO, CliniOps, Inc. Bootstrapped to $1.2+ Million in Annual Revenue by Applying the 1Mby1M Curriculum and Methodology #startups #entrepreneurs #founders #startup #venturecapital #entrepreneurship

🌟 Different Startup Funding Stages 🌟 We all know that raising funds has its own difficulties for any company or individual. But when it comes to startups, the story is different. It is a very strenuous task for any startup to raise equity funding in its initial stages and it is a time at which most of the entrepreneurs feel low and disheartened. However, once the startup raises funds, it thrives and becomes a company, which was just an idea or a dream of an entrepreneur. Regardless of the hassles, various startups manage to obtain funding. Let’s dive into the different funding stages that include 1. Angel Round Funding 2. Pre-Seed Funding 3. Bride Round Funding 4. Series A/B/C/D/E Funding You also get to know about how startup Funding works where a hypothetical startup goes from Idea to IPO. Credit: Spice Route Finance ~~~~~ ♻️ Found this helpful? Repost it so your network can learn from it, too. And follow me, Fazlur Shah for more content like this. #startups #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #investing