The Fastest Indian Unicorn Ever, Untold Story of Mensa | Ft. Ananth Narayanan

About Guest:Ananth Narayanan is the founder of Mensa Brands, a company building India’s largest digital-first brand house across fashion, beauty, home, and FMCG. He was earlier the CEO of Myntra, where he led 6x growth, and co-founder of Medlife, which merged with Pharmeasy. A former senior partner at McKinsey, Ananth also serves on the boards of Marico, Arghyam, and is part of Niti Aayog’s Champions of Change initiative.In this podcast, Ananth Narayanan, shares how he built India’s fastest unicorn, scaling to a $1.2 billion valuation in record time. He opens up about learnings from Myntra, Medlife, building brands, switching roles, performance marketing flaws, and the mindset every founder needs. From handling co-founder conflicts to using data for brand growth, this episode is packed with real, raw, and powerful startup insights.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:42 Skills for Founders01:50 Resilience and Energy in Entrepreneurship02:36 Problem Solving and Team Building03:14 Judgment in Hiring04:14 Challenges in Medlife06:23 Keeping Energized and Balanced07:25 Fears and Relevance08:42 Bucket List and Personal Goals09:46 Contrarian Views and Fashion Insights10:38 Favorite Brands and Inspirations11:59 Learning from Mentors and Role Models38:18 Favorite Engine Discussion38:44 Need for Elderly Care Services40:15 Book Recommendations41:14 Recent Movie Experience41:38 Solutions to Complex Problems42:32 Future Predictions and Trends45:13 Impact of Social Media on Politics48:01 Teaching and Learning from Kids51:05 Sources of Happiness52:29 Building Institutions54:45 Creating a Purpose-Driven Organization57:10 Achieving Longevity in Business57:58 Importance of Unit Economics59:16 Fostering a Meritocratic Culture01:05:23 Giving and Receiving Feedback01:07:33 Meeting the Most Important Person01:08:20 Skincare Routine and Brand Promotion01:09:09 Wine Preferences and Experiences01:11:55 Wine Collecting as a Hobby01:13:00 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsCredits: Host: Shivank Joshi - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivankjoshi-2001/Thumbnail: YaaSPost Production: YaaSSupport: Zerodha ( https://zero1byzerodha.com/network )Disclaimer:The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by the speaker and host are their own and do not represent those of the Exploring Minds platform. The information provided in this podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. All products and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners, and their use does not imply any endorsement or opposition.#MensaBrands, #AnanthNarayanan, #StartupIndia, #IndianUnicorn, #D2Cbrands, #Entrepreneurship, #BusinessGrowth, #BrandBuilding, #FoundersLife, #StartupLessons, #UnicornStartup, #ECommerceIndia, #Myntra, #Medlife, #PerformanceMarketing, #FounderMindset, #StartupJourney, #ScaleUp, #BusinessPodcast, #StartupInsights