AMIT SHEKHAR

OpenAI declared war on Google yesterday and 82% of Indian shoppers are already on their side without knowing it. ChatGPT now has "Instant Checkout." You can search for products, compare options, and complete purchases without leaving the chat window. 700 million weekly users can now shop directly through conversations. Within hours of this announcement: 📌 Etsy's stock jumped 16%.  📌 Shopify gained 6%. The market immediately understood what this means for traditional e-commerce. When people use ChatGPT for shopping, they convert at 4× higher rates than regular websites, and that is because users spend 14 minutes per session on Ai tools like ChatGPT as compared to Google's 5 minutes. India's position in this makes it even more interesting: → 87% of Indian shoppers believe AI tools help them shop faster, with AI-powered interactions showing higher engagement rates (Walmart Retail Rewired Report India, 2025) → 62% of Indians make purchases influenced by AI recommendations vs 30% globally (EY India, Aug 2024) Traditional shopping makes you open multiple tabs, visit different websites, and compare prices manually. ChatGPT collapses this entire journey into one conversation. For small businesses, this could level the playing field. A seller in Jaipur gets the same access to global users as Amazon does. For established platforms, the threat is real. Why would customers visit your website when they can complete everything through a conversation? The companies optimizing for AI discovery today will own tomorrow's market. Is your business ready for AI-powered shopping or still relying only on traditional search?

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OpenAI just launched chatgpt go in india at ₹399/month 🙇🏻‍♂️ you get 10x higher message limits, 10x more image generations, 10x more file uploads, and double the memory compared to the free plan. plus, payments via UPI, no more USD conversion headaches. india’s the first country to get this tier, aimed at students, freelancers, and anyone who found the free limits too restrictive but didn’t want to pay for plus. the go plan bridges that gap, making advanced AI features way more accessible. feels like a smart move: affordable, local payments, and more power for everyday users. curious to see how this shapes ai adoption here 🙌

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How can you build your startup through Talrop’s ecosystem? There are six distinct categories through which startups are brought into Talrop’s ecosystem: Junior Innovators Program: A structured initiative for school students to grow within Talrop’s ecosystem. Upon turning 18, they become eligible to launch a startup inside the ecosystem. School of Startups: Designed for college students. They join Talrop’s ecosystem in their first year, engage in various entrepreneurial learning programmes, and by the time they graduate, they can launch a startup in the ecosystem. Founders Circle: A 6-month startup bootcamp for graduates. Participants are assessed on their individual skills, and selected candidates are placed as co-founders in startups being built inside Talrop’s ecosystem. Selection depends on attitude and strongest skill sets. Startup Incubation: For individuals with a startup idea. Talrop provides a one-year free incubation program. During this period, the idea is assessed. If viable, it moves forward. After one year, if both sides agree, the startup is built within Talrop’s ecosystem. Startup Collaboration: For individuals or organisations already running a business. By combining their domain expertise with Talrop’s ecosystem through a collaborative model, a new startup is built and scaled inside the ecosystem. In suitable cases, Talrop may take an equity stake in their existing startup. In-house Startups: Team members who have spent a minimum of two years within Talrop’s ecosystem, and have matured through hands-on experience, are eligible to build startups inside the ecosystem. The key difference between Founders Circle and Startup Incubation lies in the focus. Founders Circle is driven by individual capacity. Selected candidates become co-founders in startups based on their strengths. Startup Incubation is idea-driven; ideas not meeting standards are rejected. However if the individual behind the idea demonstrates strong skills, they may still be considered for the Founders Circle. While both are valid entry points, Talrop generally recommends the Founders Circle. Those confident in their idea may opt for Incubation. It is also essential to understand the terms when pitching an idea to Talrop’s ecosystem. Individuals do not retain intellectual property rights over ideas pitched within the ecosystem. This is because many people may pitch ideas simultaneously, and similar ideas can arise. Talrop may choose to proceed with any one of them - not necessarily yours. In the age of AI and tools like ChatGPT, ideas are abundant. The true value lies not in the idea itself, but in execution. Only those willing to pitch openly, without expecting exclusive rights, NDAs or NDOs, should approach Talrop’s ecosystem. Talrop is rapidly building large digital assets within its ecosystem. To be part of the journey, reach out to the team in the first comment. Thankfully, Safeer Najumudeen Co-founder & CEO, Talrop

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Builder.ai's $450M Collapse: The AI Unicorn That Was Actually "A Guy Instead" From $1.5B valuation to bankruptcy in months. Here's what every AI founder needs to know: The Deception Chain: → 700+ human developers in India manually coded apps → "Natasha AI" was just a chatbot collecting requirements → 300% revenue inflation through fake contracts with VerSe Innovation → $60M in circular invoicing without actual services The Warning Signs Timeline: 2019: Wall Street Journal exposes AI claims 2023: CFO position vacant during critical growth 2024: Whistleblower allegations surface 2025: Viola Credit seizes $37M, bankruptcy filed across 5 countries The Brutal Math: ↳ 90% of AI startups fail within 5 years ↳ 75% engage in revenue overstatement ↳ Only 3% achieve successful exits ↳ 1,000 employees lost jobs ↳ 500+ customers lost apps and data Critical Lessons for AI Founders: → Technology Transparency: Build real AI before claiming AI-powered solutions → Financial Integrity: Hire experienced CFOs early, not during crisis → Business Model Reality: Align pricing with operational costs → Governance Strength: Experienced leadership with proper oversight The Ripple Effect: Global AI investment declined 18-45% across regions post-collapse. The hype-driven era is ending. Swipe through our Global AI Forum breakdown → Research shows the AI industry needs substance over spectacle. Builder.ai's failure wasn't market rejection it was self-inflicted through systematic deception. Key Takeaway: Hype can fuel growth, but only substance sustains it.

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A startups journey is defined in these 3 stages: A. 0 to 1 B. 1 to 10 C. 10 to forever. But for the team, the journey is between those stages, not in those stages. When you reach at 1, you have to move from A to B. Moving A to B requires changing gears. It is very very difficult. Lot of failures happen during the gear change. You commit to a higher fuel consumption without immediately seeing any change in revenue. You lose a lot of your team members. You are required to unlearn-relearn a lot of things. But for the outside world you are still at 1. It's even worse when you realise that there is no clear demarcation for when you have arrived at 1. There are just symptoms. The regular growth levers stop working. Fuel efficiency goes down, there is a invisible resistance from all direction. But for the outside world you are still at 1. What helps in this situation? A set of believers, in the team and outside. Be very transparent with them. Albeit small, this set of believers is earned while you are happily running in those stages. When you may not need them at all.

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Top 12 resources for Early-Stage startup founders 👇 1) Must have document templates: pitch deck, financial models, one-pagers 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dDPbNENC 2) OpenAI tools and resources for startups 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dYk-QvFR 3) Startup playbook by Sam Altman 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dwgMprZ7 4) $500K+ in free credits and discounts for startups (Notion, AWS, Miro, etc.) 🔗 https://lnkd.in/djUb25pT 5) Idea validation tactics from the founders of Linear, Mercury and more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dehwRqAn 6) Superhuman engine to find Product Market Fit 🔗 https://lnkd.in/diQiZukr 7) Framework for product success from Sequoia 🔗 https://lnkd.in/d-EhNAK3 8) YC guide to business models & pricing 🔗 https://lnkd.in/efCcE2zp 9) How to raise your first round of funding by Founder Institute 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dhPcZxb8 10) All the metrics that matter to investors by Andrew Chen 🔗 https://lnkd.in/d44X-Ehc 11) All the startup accelerators for early-stage founders 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dxYEhYiN 12) Y Combinator application guide from YC alum 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dR-ERqUf ⭐ Bonus: GetFluently.app - AI tutor to nail your sales and pitch calls in English What would you add? -- ♻️ Save this list and share with founders in your network

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Fullstack India Demat: From Chaos to Clarity Since 2024, all Indian private companies must demat their shares. For global investors, this triggered chaos - setting up demat accounts for each entity, transferring shares, and managing sales through them. I went through it myself: even the “simple” first account was a nightmare. Enter Accounti. In just 90 days, they cracked the code: every entity type, every document, every blocker. They built an end-to-end playbook that finance leaders could follow without translation. Then they executed—300+ demat accounts set up, shares transferred, sales supported. US & EU investors stuck for months with other providers found Accounti’s Demat Stack delivered results in weeks. The secret? Relentless detail, full visibility, and clear communication. For me, they handled 40 of our entities and gave me peace of mind throughout. If you’re struggling with demat account setup, share transfers, or sales, talk to Rohit (rohit at accounti dot ai) or Harsha (harsha at accounti dot ai). They’ve turned the most painful part of Indian compliance into something effortless. Accounti Rohit Kapoor Harsha Baisya

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Would you pay ₹10,000 to earn ₹2,160? Many Indian startups do. Here’s why: Founders confuse raising money with making money. 👉 CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost): how much you spend to get 1 customer. 👉 LTV (Lifetime Value): how much that customer gives you over time. If CAC > LTV → you’re scaling losses. No matter how much funding you raise, you’re just burning fuel on a broken engine. Example 1: Skillshare 1. CAC: ~₹500 per customer 2. LTV: ~₹2,160 per year Solid math. Profitable flywheel. Example 2: Byju’s 1. CAC: ₹20k+ per student 2. LTV: ₹20k–40k (if they renew) The math only works if retention is high. If CAC shoots up to ₹50–60k, the engine collapses. This is the math most founders avoid because it’s boring compared to building decks and features. But this is also the math that decides who survives the crash. 💡 Insight: You can raise $100M. But if your CAC:LTV is broken, you’re not building a startup, you’re building a countdown timer. What’s your CAC:LTV ratio telling you right now?

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🚀 Young Startups Are Getting Acquired at Record Rates in 2025 from Darshana Manikkuwadura (Dash) 🇬🇧 🇱🇰 💡 The startup landscape in 2025 is looking very different from just a few years ago — and this chart from Carta paints a clear picture. 📊 Data shows 1,676 U.S. startups were acquired in Q1–Q2 2025, marking one of the fastest paces of acquisitions in the past decade. What’s most striking? The surge in younger startups — especially those in Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A stages — being bought up at record levels. 🔍 Key Insights from the Data: ✅ Early-stage acquisitions (Pre-Seed – Series A) have skyrocketed to 304 in just the first half of 2025 — a sharp rise from 230 in 2024 and more than triple 2020 levels. ✅ Mid-stage startups (Series B – Series C) are still active, though slightly cooling with 51 acquisitions — suggesting buyers are prioritizing smaller, faster-moving teams. ✅ Late-stage deals (Series D +) remain minimal, indicating that mature startups are either holding out for IPOs or focusing on profitability rather than exits. 💬 What’s Driving This Trend? 1️⃣ AI-Driven M&A Acceleration: With the boom in generative AI, agentic platforms, and automation tools, tech giants and even mid-tier acquirers are racing to buy innovative IP early — before valuations soar. 2️⃣ Economic Reset: Post-2024 capital tightening has forced founders to consider strategic exits earlier, especially as venture funding became more selective. 3️⃣ Build vs. Buy Decisions: Corporates are increasingly choosing to buy nimble, early-stage innovation rather than spend years developing it internally. 4️⃣ Talent Acquisition (“Acqui-hiring”): The demand for top engineering and AI talent remains intense. Many of these acquisitions are about the team, not just the tech. 🔥 Why It Matters for Founders & Investors: For founders, this is both an opportunity and a warning. The acquisition window is wide open — but timing and strategic positioning are everything. Founders who align their product vision with clear acquirer needs (AI, fintech, climate tech, cybersecurity, etc.) stand to benefit most. For investors, it signals a liquidity comeback. Early exits — once considered too soon — are now becoming smart portfolio-level strategies to recycle capital faster. 💡 The Bigger Picture: We’re entering a new phase where “startup maturity” is no longer defined by funding rounds but by strategic relevance. A lean Series A company with strong product-market fit and scalable AI infrastructure can attract acquisition offers faster than a Series C firm burning through cash. 2025 might just be remembered as the year. As someone who’s watched hundreds of startup deals evolve, one thing is clear: agility now beats scale. The future belongs to founders who can innovate fast — and exit smart. #Startups #Acquisitions #VentureCapital #TechTrends #AI #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #StartupEcosystem #CartaData #darshanamanikkuwadura Darshana Manikkuwadura (Dash) 🇬🇧 🇱🇰

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OpenAI's India office will change everything. But not how you think. Here's what the headlines missed... - India = OpenAI's 2nd largest market globally - ChatGPT users grew 4X in just 1 year - Largest student population using ChatGPT worldwide - Top 5 developer market for OpenAI - Government backing: $1.2 billion IndiaAI Mission But here's what they're NOT telling you... Most people see this as "another tech giant opens Indian office." WRONG. This is OpenAI's SURVIVAL strategy. While everyone's fighting for Silicon Valley talent, OpenAI just secured access to: - 1.4 billion potential users - World's largest English-speaking developer pool - Government that's throwing $1.2 billion at AI adoption That ₹399/month ChatGPT Go plan? Don't think discount. Think VOLUME PLAY. Here's the math, → US ChatGPT Plus: $20/month = ₹1,680 → India ChatGPT Go: ₹399/month → 4X cheaper = 10X more users potential PLUS, Economics are broken - Silicon Valley engineer: $200K+ - Delhi AI engineer: $20K-40K   - Same output, 5X lower costs Sam Altman isn't just opening an office. He's building the world's largest AI training ground. Indian students + developers + massive data = OpenAI's next competitive moat. Total addressable market: - China: Blocked - Europe: Regulated to death   - India: Open + Government backing + Massive scale The work has just begun!

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How Baaz Bikes is Leveraging AI Across Their Operations Recently I asked one of our portfolio companies, Baaz Bikes co founder Anubhav Sharma, about their AI adoption journey. The breadth and depth of implementation is impressive – here's what they're doing: Customer Intelligence & Retention Customer DNA & Churn Analysis Using ML classification models (Logistic Regression, XGBoost, Neural Nets) to predict churn, segment riders, and trigger personalized retention campaigns – directly optimizing marketing spend and improving customer lifetime value. Operational Excellence Swap Demand Prediction Time-series models (ARIMA, LSTM, Prophet) combined with AutoML platforms (Amazon SageMaker, Vertex AI) to forecast battery demand by location and time. This optimizes inventory allocation and minimizes downtime – critical for a battery-swapping business. Predictive Maintenance IoT sensors capturing motor, battery, and environmental data feed ML/Deep Learning models to predict breakdowns before they happen. The result: proactive maintenance, extended asset life, and reduced repair costs. Support & Communication Multilingual Customer & Ops Support Leveraging Rakuten Gist Genie, Rakuten Shoptimiser, and Conversational ML Models (NLP) for multilingual rider support, spell/grammar correction for staff, and SOP-driven training. This enables faster resolution across India's diverse linguistic landscape. Enhanced Collaboration Slack/Teams AI copilots, meeting summarizers (Otter, Fireflies), and multilingual bots to translate tickets, auto-summarize meetings, and surface relevant documentation in real-time. Analytics & Insights AI Business Analytics & RCA Data warehouses (Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift) combined with BI tools (Looker, Power BI, Tableau) and anomaly detection using Rakuten AI for real-time monitoring, root cause analysis, and actionable insights that drive profitability. Data Pipeline Optimization AI-powered data quality monitors, Rakuten SixthSense, and ETL optimization tools ensure clean, reliable data for ML models and faster analytics. Developer Productivity Code Assistance & Quality GitHub Copilot, AI linting tools, and auto test generators accelerate development, automate reviews, reduce bugs, and improve onboarding for new engineers. What stands out: This isn't just AI for the sake of AI. Every use case ties directly to unit economics, customer experience, or operational efficiency. They're building AI into the DNA of how they operate. AI adoption doesn't have to be all-or-nothing. Baaz Bikes shows how to systematically deploy AI across the value chain – from customer-facing applications to internal operations – while using best-in-class tools for each specific use case. #AI #MachineLearning #StartupOperations #EVRevolution #Portfolio #BaazBikes Kalaari Capital

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Yesterday I got asked the most popular question: What’s the fastest way to grow a SaaS startup? Answer, just 3 simple things. 1. Raise millions dollar Before writing a single line of code. 2. Hire a 20-member team Before getting your first customer. 3. Spend on billboards and fancy branding Before revenue. And congraculations, Your startup is selected for “How to go bankrupt faster then expected." With, 1. $00000 in depth 2. 25 employees salary to pay. 3. Great branding which noone like. Just kidding, 😂 Here’s my real answer Building a SaaS startup isn’t about shortcuts. It’s not about speed. And it’s definitely not about the destination. But it’s a journey Between the founder and the market. Which begins with identifying the problem. And ends with delivering the right solution. And everything in between? It’s just market testing the founder - For his vision. - For his purpose. - For his patience to build. So, SaaS founders remember. Don't look forward to destination, Before you have start enjoying The Journey of to be. (Other wise, you will be soon get, welcome to bankruptcy club of SaaS)... 😂 P.S. Would you like to get membership in Bankruptcy club ! If so, comment down to get added.... 😂

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What started as a side project between two cousins is now a $10M-backed AI company. Yes, it is now possible to scale a company without a big team Vatsal Rajgor and Poojan Ajani, two cousins who turned a marketing gap into a fast-growing AI platform used by brands worldwide. They didn’t start with a dev team or outside funding. Just years of agency experience and a problem worth solving. They built Strique AI to simplify performance marketing: The platform solves for the problems of disconnected data, scattered reports, or guesswork. And in just 2 years, the company achieved: → $10M Series A funding → 38% increase in client ROAS → 20% reduction in CAC → Integrations with Meta, Google & major ad platforms → 2 products launched: Strique Reporting & Catalog What makes it even more impressive → Started as a side gig while running another company (Digimaze) → Built by two cousins, 1 marketer, 1 coder → No prior product, no VC backing, no safety net This is what modern entrepreneurship looks like with AI. For anyone thinking they’re “too early,” “too small,” or “too late” this is the proof that vision + execution still wins. #AIEntrepreneurship #FounderStory #StartupJourney #FromAgencyToAI #AIStartups XdotO Consulting & Coaching, Gopika Misra, Ruben Hassid, Allie K. Miller, Tim • • Dickey, David Tyler

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