In India, financial security often seemed just out of reach, especially when it came to insurance. For many, insurance was complex, filled with hidden terms, and often mis-sold.

That’s exactly what happened when an engineer-turned-consultant discovered that his father had been duped by insurance agents into purchasing a policy that was both confusing and overpriced.

Instead of just shrugging it off, this experience sparked an idea: why not create a platform where people could get straightforward, honest information about insurance?

So in 2008, Yashish Dahiya, along with co-founders Alok Bansal and Avaneesh Nirjar, launched Policy Bazaar. 

Today, Policy Bazaar has grown into India’s largest insurance aggregator, with an annual run rate of 100 million visitors. 

In 2022, The platform accounted for 93% of online insurance sales in India, holding 25% of the country’s life insurance cover and 7% of retail health insurance cover. 

In this episode of The Neon Show, Yashish Dahiya, co-founder and Chairman of Policy Bazaar, shares his journey of building India’s leading online insurance platform. 

Drawing from personal experiences, including his family’s army background, Yashish explores the challenges of creating financial security for India’s middle class, when not taking risk is the biggest risk and the HUGE India opportunity.

Timestamps
00:00 - Trailer
01:18 - introducing Yashish Dahiya
02:18 - Policy Bazaar’s rise as India’s top online insurance platform
03:26 - India’s rising costs and financial aspirations
05:11 - Sanjeev Bikhchandani’s early investments in Policy Bazaar
06:43 - India’s economy as a mix of Bahrain, UK, Brazil, and Africa
07:49 - Financial inclusion across India’s diverse social structure
11:53 - Why does mass class movement happen
16:20 - Institutional strengths drive GDP
19:38 - Why Policy Bazaar outperformed its competitors
25:22 - Daily discipline and the importance of consistent execution
28:36 - How Yashish built team trust and values at Policy Bazaar
31:38 - Things changed when I got married
33:40 - Managing family life across India and the UK
36:36 - Why the value system is important
41:48 - What is stress exactly for an entrepreneur
46:18 - Sanjeev view on Policy Bazaar
49:40 - Policy Bazaar’s vision for social impact
53:58 - Consistent values pre-and post-IPO
57:33 - Why did Policy Bazaar go public
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Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. 

Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.

We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
-------------
Check us out on:

Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7
-------------
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the in

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Ever heard of the M Document?

Montek Singh Ahluwalia, an economist in govt of India, saw that India needed to make some big changes to keep up. So, he started working on what would become the M Document. 

The M Document suggested bold reforms. Many government officials thought these ideas were too radical. 

Then, something unexpected happened: the M Document got into the hands of journalist Ashok Desai, who saw its potential, and gave it the now-famous name, the M Document.

Even though the document was just meant for internal review, the leak sparked public debate on how India’s economy could be modernized.

Though it didn’t lead to immediate changes, the M Document planted seeds that grew in a few years.

In this episode of the NEON Show, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, a renowned economist and former Deputy Chairman of India's Planning Commission, shares insights from his pivotal role in shaping the 1991 economic reforms and reveals the behind-the-scenes story of the influential "M document" and how it ultimately shaped India’s approach to liberalisation.

Check out Montek Singh Ahluwalia’s book, BACKSTAGE: The Story behind India’s High Growth Years, https://www.amazon.in/BACKSTAGE-Story-behind-Indias-Growth-ebook/dp/B084P4Y3VW/

Time stamps 

00:00 - Introduction to Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia
01:04 - Early life and family’s experience post-partition
05:11 - Winning the Rhodes Scholarship
06:14 - Early career at the World Bank
07:15 - Returning to India as an economic advisor
09:02 - Washington invitation and Planning Commission role
13:02- 1991 economic reforms
18:40 - Committees for economic reform
22:00 - High import controls as an economic issue
26:34 - Challenges in policy reform
28:38 - V.P. Singh asks Montek to write the document”?
31:36 - How did the “M document" leak
38:40 - Maruthi engine block story
48:35 - SEBI and financial system reforms
58:25 - Moving past the “Tonga mindset.”​
1:01:20- Why controlled imports are tax on exports
1:09:00 - How do exchange rates impact imports and exports?
1:12:04 - Discovery of Roman gold coins in South India
1:16:50 - Narayana Murthy’s import struggles
1:22:25 - Politicians should openly support beneficial policies
1:32:55 - Montek’s vision for India’s next decade
1:39:58 - Final thoughts on India’s future
-------------
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. 

Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.

We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
-------------
Check us out on:

Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7
-------------
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

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After India’s big economic shift in 1991, each state grew at different rates—but they didn’t all get there at the same speed.

Western and southern states saw major benefits, while many in the east and north struggled to keep up. In fact, by 2021-22, the per capita income in the top five states was 3.3 times higher than in the bottom five—a clear sign of the widening divide.

So, what does this uneven growth look like?

In the 1960s, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal were leading India's economy with contributions of 14.4%, 12.5%, and 10.5% of GDP, respectively.  Today, Uttar Pradesh's share has fallen to 8.4%, and West Bengal's to 5.6%, but Maharashtra remains a top contributor.

Gujarat's share grew from 6.4% in 2000-01 to 8.1% in 2022-23, driven by strong industry and urban centres. Southern states like Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala now make up about 30% of India's GDP, boosted by cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

In this NEON Show episode, economist and policy advisor Sanjeev Sanyal discusses India’s economic journey and why growth has been so uneven across states. He explains why some regions have surged ahead while others have lagged behind, touching on the role of anchor cities and old policies like the Freight Equalization Policy that held back Eastern states.

Time stamps
00:00 - Trailer
02:40 - Banking Reforms and Creative Destruction
03:20 - Process vs. Structural Reforms
05:33 - Bureaucratic Challenges Affect Efficiency
14:09 - Autonomous Bodies and Obsolete Institutions
16:02 - Is it time to rethink outdated National Monuments?
26:06 - What Does Data Reveal About Indian States
35:03 - Did “Freight equalization” Rob Kolkata of its Competitive edge?
36:25 - East vs. West: Is this India’s true economic divide?
37:32 - Southern and Western India's Success
42:42 - High Growth States Rely on Anchor Cities
44:01 - Reviving Kolkata and Eastern India
45:12 - Local policies that can make or break state economies.
49:11 - Tourism Has Made Sikkim and Goa Economic Stars.
53:35 - India Needs to Modernize the Shipping Sector
01:00:36 - India Needs a Healthy Clash of Ideas
------------
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. 

Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.

We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7
-------------
Sponsor shout out
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies. To know more, visit https://primevp.in/
-------------
This video is for informational

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The breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 was a game-changer for India, shaking up its economy, defence strategy, and foreign relations. 

For years, the USSR had been India’s largest trading partner, pumping in vital support through the rupee-ruble trade agreement.  But then, December 25, 1991, arrived, and the Soviet Union collapsed. 

While the Soviet Union’s collapse seemed like a disaster at first, it actually pushed India to evolve—fast. 

In this episode of The NEON Show, a former diplomat with a 36-year career in the Indian Foreign Service, Rajiv Sikri examines India’s complex ties with neighbouring countries exploring issues like Kashmir, economic interdependence, and political dynamics. He also sheds light on the impact of global powers, especially the US and China, on India’s strategic choices.

Check out Rajiv Sikri’s book Strategic Conundrums: Reshaping India's Foreign Policy: https://www.amazon.in/Strategic-Conundrums-Reshaping-Indias-Foreign/dp/0143464574
-------------
Timestamps
00:00 -Host Siddharth Ahluwalia introduces The Neon Show.
00:43 - Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan.
01:04 - Pakistan’s economic/political issues.
05:06 -Pakistan's ties with the West, China, and the military's role.
08:40 -Kashmir conflict and India-Pakistan relations.
12:06 - Pakistan's internal political dynamics.
15:24 - Bangladesh's identity and India relations.
18:00 - India-Bangladesh economic interdependence.
26:06 - India’s strategic geographic position.
29:52 - India’s foreign policy after the Berlin Wall’s fall.
33:40 - Economic impacts and India-US relations.
37:52 - US-Russia relations and the Ukraine conflict.
42:12 - Russia-Ukraine war’s effect on India.
48:16 - US dominance and unilateral actions post-1989.
52:04 - Challenges to US hegemony.
56:00 - India-US relations amidst strategic concerns.
1:01:20 - BRICS and global multipolarity.
1:04:40 - Dollar dependency and US financial power.
1:08:20 - Concluding thoughts on India’s foreign policy.
-------------
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. 

Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.

We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7
-------------
Sponsor shout out
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies. To know more, visit https://primevp.in/
-------------
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

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From Baker's Son to Global Investment Legend.

Mark Mobius is known as a foundational figure in emerging markets investing. He is the chairman of Mobius Emerging Opportunities Fund. Before that, he led the Templeton Emerging Markets Group for over 30 years, during which the group's assets under management grew from $100 million to over $50 billion.

In this episode of The NEON Show, Mark shares his rules for wealth creation, why India is his top investment pick, his reasons for pulling investments out of China, what keeps him at the top of his game at the young age of 87, two ways to lose money fast, and why understanding art and creativity is more important than finance when it comes to making money.

Connect with Mark Mobius
LinkedIn | Twitter

To learn more from Mark check out his The Book Of Wealth
-------------
Timestamps
00:00 - Trailer
00:00 - Early Lessons in Money & Creativity
04:13 - Becoming a Professional Student
05:43 - The Road to Mark’s First Million
08:04 - The First Emerging Markets Fund
11:03 - To Make Money Don’t Focus on It
12:38 - Making 10 Million Dollars
14:20 - Mark’s Early Investment Assets
15:56 - Power of Compounding: Reaching $100 Million
16:51 - Mark’s Success with Investing in Asia
19:22 - Why Mark is Not Bullish on China
22:44 - How Mark Invests in India
25:01 - Why Mark is Bullish on Taiwan
25:56 - Mark’s 3 Reasons to Invest in India
28:19 - When will India Surpass China?
30:51 - From Emerging Markets to Emerging Opportunities
32:37 - It’s All About Liquidity
34:27 - Mark’s Principles of Wealth Creation
35:49 - How Mark Invests in Startups
37:33 - How Not to Lose Money
38:43 - Make Friends & Learn From Them
39:38 - What Mark Learned From John Templeton
40:54 - Why Invest in Emerging Markets
42:10 - Who are the Best Political Leaders
42:50 - Why Mark Shifted to Dubai
44:02 - No Recession Anytime Soon
-------------
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys.

Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.

We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
-------------
Check us out on:
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn | Twitter
-------------
Sponsor shout out
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies. To know more, visit https://primevp.in/
-------------
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In 1947, India gained independence with a per capita of around $2000(adjusted with inflation).

But over the next few decades, the govt adopted socialist policies, emphasising self-sufficiency and state-led development. As a result, India’s economy grew at a slower pace of 3.5% per year.

In 1991, India introduced a series of reforms— liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation. India’s growth rate picked up, and by 2023, India’s per capita GDP was back to $2,600, driven by market-friendly policies and increased global trade.

In this episode of the NEON Show, Krishnamurthy Subramanian, Executive Director at the IMF, explains how India can become a $55 trillion economy by 2047.

To learn more read India @100 : Envisioning Tomorrow’s Economic Powerhouse 

Connect with Krishnamurthy Subramanian
Linkedin |  Twitter
---------
Timestamp
01:20 – The power of compounding in GDP
04:55 – Chess game story that explains the power of compounding
06:19 – Rule of 72 to understand how money doubles
09:06 – How India will become a $55 trillion economy by 2047
12:33 – Thalinomics to understand inflation
14:20 – What is money in economic terms?
17:22 – Why was the inflation-targeting regime introduced post-1991?
20:30 – Inflation's effects on currency
26:42 – How does a currency react to economic shocks?
30:34 – India’s GDP in 1947 vs today
31:28 – How socialist policies potentially held India back
34:40 – Capitalism has always been in India's DNA
44:31 – How socialist policies have hurt Indian farmers
57:22 – Is agriculture a state subject?
59:59 – How India's growth is linked to productivity
01:09:30 – China’s GDP vs India’s GDP
01:16:48 – Why India is a top investment destination
01:26:10 – Indian startups should innovate differently
-------------
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys.

Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.

We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
-------------
Follow Neon:
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter

Connect with Siddhartha:
LinkedIn | Twitter
------------
Sponsor shout out
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit primevp.in
------------
This episode is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the

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How the 1991 crisis got India to rethink its economic approach.

By early 1991, India’s reserves were nearly gone.

The government took a desperate step—it sent 67,000Kg  of gold abroad to secure a loan from the IMF.

This was a last-ditch effort to avoid default, but it only bought a little time. But soon, the govt collapsed again, leading to a new election.

In June 1991, P.V. Narasimha Rao became Prime Minister, and he chose Manmohan Singh as his Finance Minister— and things changed.

Rao and Singh quickly implemented reforms: they removed restrictive licensing, welcomed foreign investment, and eased machinery imports.

The 1991 crisis forced India to rethink its economic approach—it highlighted the risks of heavy borrowing and too much government control. But it also showed that when things get tough, bold decisions can turn a bad situation into an opportunity.

In this episode of the NEON Show, Rajrishi Singhal, a senior journalist, banker, shares his deep insights into India's economic reforms and financial sector. Singhal offers a nuanced perspective on why India's economic progress hasn't met expectations, touching on issues from private sector investment to the success of reforms during coalition governments.
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Timestamp 

00:00 - Introduction to the podcast and guest, Rajrishi Singhal.
01:23 - Corruption in India and its impact on the economy
05:30 - how demonetization was not to take out corruption
07:06 - Rajiv Gandhi was the original ‘Accidental Prime Minister’
12:29 - What pushed us into the 1991 crisis
14:45 - Raids on reliance industries 
18:57 - How India almost went bankrupt
21:45 - Complexities of India’s banking system
19:15 - What are regional rural banks (RRBs)
25:26 - Corruption's impact on investments.
28:41 - Why doesn't India have more new banks
32:00 - Why private sector investments in India have been limited
34:25 - Success of reforms during coalition governments
40:26 - Foreign investors' concerns about sudden policy changes in India
41:26 - Impact of demonetization on the Indian economy
-------------
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. 

Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.

We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
-------------
Check us out on:

Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww
-------------
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/
-------------
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

Send us a text

In the competitive world of online grocery shopping, BigBasket is a name that stands out.

But how did they get here?

By 2011, smartphones were everywhere, and you could buy almost anything online—except groceries. The co-founders decided to try the grocery game online again, leading to the birth of BigBasket.

In 2015, BigBasket pioneered the dark store model, using small, strategically placed warehouses to speed up deliveries and roll out express delivery services. 

In May 2021, Tata Digital, a subsidiary of Tata Sons, acquired a  64% stake in stake in BigBasket for about $1.5-2 billion from major shareholders, including Alibaba and Actis.

In this episode of Neon Show, Vipul Parekh, the visionary co-founder of BigBasket, shares his invaluable insights and experiences from his entrepreneurial journey. Vipul shares candid insights on the recent disruption in the online grocery space with the rise of quick commerce.
----------------
Timestamp
00:00 Introduction
01:14 Reflections on building BigBasket for 13 years
02:21 Admitting wrong predictions about online grocers
03:25 Analysis of online grocery delivery changes in India
05:30 Factors behind quick commerce success in India
07:45 Quick Commerce's success in India vs. other countries
09:22 Profitability challenges for dark stores
11:52 BigBasket's market share and transition plans
13:06 Leveraging Tata Group synergies in retail
15:36 Shift in household behaviour towards quick commerce
21:53  Why India doesn't have its own Walmart-equivalent
23:15 Learnings from Big Basket
28:22 Tata's long-term approach to business
30:04 BigBasket founders' future involvement
31:47  Lessons from Tata
33:00 Implementing financial governance at BigBasket
36:08 Trillion-dollar question
39:49 Potential for $100B Indian Startups
45:18 Building financial independence through startups
49:15 Hard work Vs Luck
52:20 Vipul's background 
55:40 Time in Wipro and meeting VS Sudhakar
-------------
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. 

Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.

We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww
-------------
Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.
To know more, visit https://primevp.in/
-------------
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

Send us a text

Every entrepreneur dreams of turning a small startup into a global powerhouse. But how do you do it without following the typical "build a product, get funding, scale it, and exit" playbook? Luca Ferrari, founder and CEO of Bending Spoons, did just that— their journey is anything but conventional.

It started in 2013, when their first-ever startup Evertale flopped and left them with just $40,000. After Evertale missed PMF, they pivoted, bootstrapping Bending Spoons by focusing on acquiring digital products with solid market fit but untapped potential.

Bending Spoons has mastered the art of turning underperforming digital businesses into powerhouses using operational tweaks, AI, and machine learning.

In this episode of Neon Show, we sit down with Luca Ferrari in the heart of Milan, at the headquarters of a tech company that's rewriting the rules of how digital businesses scale.

Discover their bold acquisition strategy behind major deals like Evernote and Splice, and how they’ve managed to serve 150 million monthly active users with just 400 employees!

Timestamp:
00:00 Introduction
00:37 Who is Luca and what's Bending Spoons?
02:32 Bending Spoons by the numbers: Users and revenue
03:05 Recent funding rounds: 2023 and 2024
04:59 Profitability and use of debt
07:27 Luca's previous startup experience
10:17 The birth of Bending Spoons in 2013
13:35 The secret sauce: Product-market fit and talent
15:29 First acquisition: iPhone keyboard app
18:28 Top revenue generators: Remind, Evernote, Splice
20:26 Future acquisition strategy debate
24:24 Price range for acquisitions
33:29 Transforming acquired products like Evernote
37:00 Competing with giants: Evernote vs. Notion
42:32 Plans to enter enterprise software
45:07 Luca's take on product-market fit
47:58 Luck vs. skill in Bending Spoons' success
51:30 AI's Impact on Bending Spoons
54:42 Why Italy for Bending Spoons?
59:08 Going public: Future plans
1:00:32 Luca's journey: From small town to tech CEO
1:04:27 Why aren't more tech companies starting in Europe?
1:10:54 Bending Spoons' unique hiring approach
1:14:35 Future growth areas for Bending Spoons
1:16:47 The art of pricing in acquisitions
1:21:49 How accurate are Bending Spoons' acquisition predictions?
-----------------------
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. 

Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes.

We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings.
—---------------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
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To say that India needs to create more jobs, is a downplay - what we need are 20 million jobs every year. But jobs can’t be created out of the wishing well.

We have resources, but not proper skills. We have opportunities, but not proper initiatives to boost on the employment elasticity. We need a shift from Tier 1 to Tier 2 cities. We need a shift of capitals. We need immigration-based jobs for our youths, and we definitely need the women workforce landscape to improve at the earliest. But, will this be enough?

Check out our latest podcast where we are in a conversation with Sridhar Krishna, a senior scholar at the Takshashila Institution, to know more!  

Timestamps
00:00 - 
00:47 - The Karnataka Job Reservation Bill
04:19 - The impact on the recruiters/builders
07:00 - Public Transport and Women in Karnataka 
09:16 - Bangalore is not just for startups!
09:27 - Government’s performance: what we have done well & where can we improve? 
11:19 - India needs 20 million jobs each year 
12:00 - How to create jobs in India?
13:16 - Annual PLF data on unemployment - truth or facade?
14:12 - Have “100 million people joined the workforce” truly?
14:52 - Labor productivity in India vs in the US 
15:22 - Statistics on how to grow employment elasticity 
16:25 - 1800 people apply for 10 vacancies in Gujarat - why? 
17:23 - ILO reports on job skills and job vacancy mismatch 
18:56 - Is manufacturing & services good options to transition from agriculture?
20:32 - Shridhar talks about his take on Raghuram Rajan’s book “Breaking the Mould”
21:26 - Are PLIs unable to craft job growth?
22:30 - Rebuilding big cities - a solution for employment growth?
23:22 - Lavasa, Maharshtra failed - why?
25:02 - Utlising AI to analyse the nature of jobs in other countries
27:08 - Career Impact Bonds - What’s that?
33:14 - 6 pillars as proposed by the recent Eonomic Survey
33:49 - Focus needs to shift from Tier 1 to Tier 2 cities 
34:40 - Women workforce participation better in Bangladesh than India?
39:57 - India losing significant GDP due to fewer women in the workplace

Follow Sridhar Krishna - 
Linkedin -   / sridharkrishna  
X - https://x.com/sridhar_kri?
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Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. 

Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. 

We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. 
__________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
__________________________________
Sponsor Shout Out

Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.

To know more, visit https://primevp.in/

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Over the last decade, we have been getting news updates, social media highlights, and WhatsApp forwards about India being the “fastest growing economy” in the world. IMF, World Bank, and ADB have confirmed this. The question is, in the face of demonetisation, GST, and the drastic shift of focus to the organised sector from the unorganised one, is this data a true reflection of India’s economic reality? 
 
Today, Neon talks about these facts with Professor Arun Kumar, a renowned author of economic titles and an Economic Professor at JNU.

Watch the episode to know more!

Timestamps
0:00 - Introduction
0:14 - Introducing Economist Arun Kumar
0:40 - Current scenario of India’s Economy
1:25 - South East Asian countries' growth from 1947 as compared to India?
3:31 - Proof of India’s failure in education system 
5:20 - How can India develop education & health?
8:48 - Does India really have “TOO MANY” billionaires & why is it a concern? 
 9:24 - The journey from becoming a “developing” nation to a “developed nation.”
10:51 - The “Bottom-Up Approach” - What’s that? 
14:00 - Growing chasm between high-earning & low-earning category?
15:22 - Is the current budget failing to fund labour-intensive sectors?
17:03 - What’s the unorganised sector in India?
17:47 - What are the Micro, Small & Medium Sectors in India?
18:33 - Robot uprising vs human employment! 
21:03 - What are the 4 types of unemployment in India?
23:27 - 60k jobs and 47 lakhs applicants ?
27:20 - Is GDP a proxy of the organised sector for the unorganised sector?
30:03 - Demonetisations hits the unorganised sector
32:12 - Is IMF, World Bank & ADB’s version of India’s fastest economic growth true?
34:25 - Black economy = Digging holes & filing holes
40:40 - India should have been 8X its current economy - how & why did we fail?
42:31 - Are we really a 3.6 trillion dollar economy?
51:11 - How can we help the unorganised sector generate more income? 
1:01:48 - Bottom economy = 40% of the Goverment’s vote bank & yet not the focus of development & growth? Why?
1:05:26 - Why does the government want to help the organised sector?
1:11:38 - How will India transform into a “developed” nation or double the GDP per capita?

___________________________________
Hi, I am your host Siddhartha! I have been an entrepreneur from 2012-2017 building two products AddoDoc and Babygogo. After selling my company to SHEROES, I and my partner Nansi decided to start up again. But we felt unequipped in our skillset in 2018 to build a large company. We had known 0-1 journeys from our startups but lacked the experience of building 1-10 journeys. 

Hence was born The Neon Show (Earlier 100x Entrepreneur) to learn from founders and investors, the mindset to scale yourself and your company. This quest still keeps us excited even after 5 years and doing 200+ episodes. 

We welcome you to our journey to understand what goes behind building a super successful company. Every episode is done with a very selfish motive, that I and Nansi should come out as a better entrepreneur and professional after absorbing the learnings. 
__________________________________
Visit our Website: https://neon.fund/

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheNeonShoww
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
__________________________________
Sponsor Shout Out

Looking to build a differentiated tech startup with a 10X better solution? Prime is the high conviction, high support investor you need. With its fourth fund of $120M, Prime actively works with star teams to accelerate building great companies.

To know more, visit https:

Send us a text