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November 8, 2024 45 mins

In this episode, of How I'm Building This, Prateek interviews Nayrhit Bhattacharya the Co-Founder of Gush who shares his entrepreneurial journey, the challenges of building Gush, a productized service business, and insights on funding, hiring, and mental health as a founder. He emphasizes the importance of adaptability, proactive hiring, and the role of founder-led branding in driving growth. Nayrhit also discusses strategies for customer acquisition and the future direction of Gush, including expanding service offerings and enhancing their software capabilities.

Takeaways:

  • Nayrhit's journey from corporate to entrepreneurship was gradual and influenced by his experiences in venture capital.
  • The launch of Gush was inspired by the potential of AI to transform service delivery.
  • Raising funds requires a probabilistic approach and having a plan B is crucial.
  • Maintaining growth in a venture-funded business is about compounding growth, not just absolute numbers.
  • Hiring in a startup requires looking for proactive talent who can thrive in ambiguity.
  • Productized services can democratize access to high-quality services for SMBs.
  • Founder-led branding can significantly enhance customer acquisition efforts.
  • Content creation for social media should be authentic and human-driven.
  • Outbound sales should be thoughtful and personalized, rather than brute force.
  • Mental health management is essential for founders, requiring support systems and professional help.

Sound Bites:

  • "Always have a plan B."
  • "We are not a pure SaaS play."
  • "You can’t be reactive anymore."

In this episode, we cover:

00:00 Introduction to Nayrhit and Gush

01:24 Nayrhit's Journey to Entrepreneurship

05:25 Navigating the Funding Landscape

08:58 Challenges of Venture-Funded Businesses

11:39 The Art of Hiring in Startups

16:42 Understanding Productized Service Businesses

21:49 Solving Problems for Small and Medium Businesses

23:25 Converting Traffic to Customers

24:10 Innovative Customer Acquisition Strategies

25:59 The Role of Founder-Led Branding

30:27 Balancing Outbound and Inbound Strategies

32:59 Navigating the VC Landscape

36:01 Debunking Common Startup Myths

37:56 Mental Health and Founder Challenges

42:50 Future Plans and Business Expansion

Where to find Nayrhit:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nayrhit/

Gush: https://www.gushwork.ai/

Where to find Prateek:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prateekmathur

Activated Scale: https://www.activatedscale.com

For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email prateek@activatedscale.com

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