Radhika Gupta, CEO, Edelweiss Mutual Funds, urges startups to move past the glitzy lure of startup life romanticized by co-working spaces, viral social media posts and celebratory fund announcement rounds.
“There's an increasing air of 'startup romance' that paints startup life as working in a cool co-working space in cool clothes, pitching ideas all day, raising funds, giving gians on social media, hosting fry eve drinks, etc. Colleagues,” said Gupta. “Don't fall for it.”
Her message is a true reality check. Real startup journeys consist of painful implementations, razor-thin budgets, limited resources, and a constant struggle to hire and retain talent.
Founders face relentless rejection, relentless pressure to deliver revenue at any cost, and long-term uncertainties.
For many entrepreneurs, these challenges are exacerbated by bias. After facing discrimination from investors for not being an IIT alumnus or fluent in Hindi, Dhruv Suyamprakasam, CEO of telemedicine startup iCliniq, shared how his journey took unexpected turns.
Hailing from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Dhruv's move to Bengaluru in 2010 seemed like a no-brainer—a leap into the heart of India's startup ecosystem. “It's not the best place for us,” he later admitted, citing unrealistic growth pressures.
“In healthcare, you can't afford to fail fast. Investors expected us to get 100 paid consultations per day, which is not practical in a trust-based industry.
Dhruv described the prejudice he faced: “I was excluded for not speaking Hindi, not studying at IIT and coming from a small town that not many had heard of.”
Gupta and Dhruv's experiences highlight the gap between the illusion of a vibrant, inclusive startup culture and its gritty underbelly. For aspiring entrepreneurs, the message is clear – don't mistake the brilliance of the startup ecosystem for the grind it demands.