LIFE’S A PITCH
Expresso – as the name suggests sounds like something zippy, rapid, need for speed related, on the move..Yes, it does. But it also stands for something deeper – to express, to share, to engage to showcase.
We recently concluded our EXPRESSO – EXTRA SHOTS FUNDING FEMALE FOUNDERS virtual event, which brought together investors and female founders, some of whom were prepared to pitch their dream ideas and throw them up for a candid discussion and question answer session, paving the way for comprehensive learning and a deep understanding of best practices from some of the best in the investor tank!
Founders who pitched:
Rakhee Vaswani, Chef & Founder, Palate Culinary Academy
Mansi Mahansaria, CEO & Founder, Just Deliveries
Akanksha Savanal, Founder & CEO, A Curve Story
Senior Founders:
Saroja Yeramilli, Co-Founder and CEO, Melorra
Nidhi Kumra, CEO, your-space
PreetaSukhtankar, Founder & CEO, The Label Life
Shashank Mehta, Founder & CEO, The Whole Truth
VivekNarain, Founder & CEO, The Quorum
Investors:
Sid Talwar, Partner, Lightbox
Aditya Ghosh, Chief Mentor, Ladies Who Lead
Archana Jahagirdar, Managing Partner, Rukam Capital
SuparnaDua, Founder, Serenity Capital Advisors, WICCI BCC: Funding Lead
Here are the 5 key takeaways from the event:
- The Buck Stops With The Entrepreneur:
More the questions, more the answers. And it is critical to ask questions and keep learning in the business world. It brings together knowledge and can make you a sharper cookie in your professional life. But something to take home is that eventually you yourself are the ultimate decision maker. You make the rules. And you bear the responsibility. Follow yourself as this journey is yours and that is where the buck stops.
- Online – The LittleGiant Vertical:
With the advent of the pandemic and two years already gone by, nobody would have thought that online meetings, zoom, google meets would substitute a normal work day. Work from home was always treated as almost a leave since nobody thought anything would get done. Wrong. As we have all been pushed, we have found productivity in the online model like never before. Today the online model needs to be treated and respected as a new vertical and this will set the precedent for businesses to come that may even solely find the sense in being online.
- Who’s Got The Crystal Ball?
We keep asking ourselves, what is the future? Modern day business tycoons take a hunch on what they feel. Experienced old school thinkers tend to be a tad conservative and follow a lot of guided research. And punters make a dash for it anyway. But as expressed in this exciting Expresso virtual meet, perhaps the best way to predict the future is to create it. In essence, instead of thinking what could be the next big thing, take a crack at making it and putting it out there – you never know!
- Can I Have Your Number Please?
While most pitchers, entrepreneurs and start-ups hold their number cards close to their chest and often choose not to divulge that information easily, a unique takeaway came in the form of the exact opposite. The number is just a number. You’re still the gatekeeper of the idea. You own it. And you know how to operate it. Look at numbers just like a configuration – the ideation is what you need to guard.
- The Fifth P:
Everyone knows the 4P’s mix of product, price, place and promotion. And then there is‘People’When you’re pitching your idea to a pool of investors, be acutely aware of your customer. Know the customer inside out. Your customer is the reason for your business idea, so while it is essential to know the product, its quintessential to know the people you’re addressing.
Adding to the takeaways we soaked in sparks of bright ideas, intellectual capital, seasoned experience and a whole lot of fun.
The essence and spirit of the virtual event, yet eventful evening was interactive, energetic and completely EXPRESSO!
Written By
Nikhil Sangha
(665 words)
Nikhil Sangha is a creative content writer, actor and voice over artist.
He has written social media content and shorts for brands like GQ, Coca Cola, MasterCard, Yes Bank Foundation, TLLLF – The Deepika Padukone Foundation, Bosch, Siemens, Škoda and HRX among others.
