Travails of Returns - Part 6

Continuing the series on starting business in India. So far, covered the business model, initial team, functions, values and how to handle mistakes culturally.

Now, we go to marriage.

Many say that getting the first (or the first set of) investor(s) is like marriage in life. You are a ruler of your own life until you get someone from outside. It can be the biggest force multiplier, also sometimes just the reverse. In thinking and planning, each has to carry the other along. You survive because of compromising but thrive because of commonality in values and respect for each other. And those maybe tough to tough as you build for legacy, while they for a horizon of 5-6 years. And many more such.

When we started, we had a very simple belief to begin with. That they and us had to be friends to begin with. And the simple definition of friends was that our bond went beyond the professional.

They knew us well, likely for a few years. So, they sometimes questioned action, but never intention.

Being friends was being a part of a wider network. And it’s easy to get references and continuous information as the network is shared. So, when they bet, they bet big. I think in half our investors, we are their biggest $s in.

Being friends also meant that they cared for you and your team as people. Hence, no business remorse was long drawn. For they knew that it would affect us more.

Being friends meant that each one of us went a little bit more out of the way for each other. Most people in matrimony would agree, it’s a time tested USP.

And I must say that the friendship, thus, has continued, well post marriage.

(In pic: Two events with our early investors, both dated this month, February ’23).

We have carried this belief into our later investor relationships also, today we have 8.

Each well entwined in our lives, beyond just the professional.

Also Read:- Travails of returns – Part 5