UVC: Rajesh Sawhney from GSF Accelerator - Do IITians have unfair advantage in tech startups? Should founders be money-magnets or talent magnets? How to crack the love-code with your customers?
Understanding VC is a deep dive on how Venture Capitalists work. In this episode, I talk to Rajesh Sawhney, founder and CEO of GSF Accelerator about the ins and outs of early-stage tech investing, and why a whopping 80% of GSF’s portfolio founders are IITians. He also talks about his journey towards becoming one of India’s biggest angel investors with a record of investing in over 100 startups. He divulges some basic precepts that founders should follow in order to build a successful team and company, and how GSF Accelerator aids them in doing that.
This episode will answer:
- What does Rajesh mean by “build a company, not a startup”?
- What are Rajesh’s thoughts on GSF India’s 80% portfolio founders being IITians? Is this a result of unequal opportunities?
- What are the three green-flags that investors look for in founders?
- What are the dos and don’ts of making a startup pitch? How can you optimize your pitch by employing both facts and emotions?
- In what ways does GSF India support its portfolio companies apart from monetary investment? How involved should the investors be in a company’s administration?
- Why is creating market disruption an important element for generating profits?
- What are the non-commercial problems that plague startups during the early stages? How to deal with them?
- What’s the right way to build your core team? Why is it preferable for founders to scout employees from their immediate network?
- What is the reason behind Rajesh’s intensive interest in early-stage and Series A investing?
About
Rajesh Sawhney is one of the leading angel investors in India, with an impressive record of nurturing over 100 startups. He is the founder of GSF, India’s leading tech startup accelerator which provides initial capital, mentorship, and global exposure to entrepreneurs and founders.
His current portfolio consists of successes like Whatfix, Quizizz, Slintel, FlintoClass, Citymall, and more. Rajesh serves on multiple boards, including that of Indiamart (India's target B2B marketplace) and Ixigo. Previously, he was on the boards of Microland and Nielsoft on behalf of Trident Capital, a prominent venture firm based in Palo Alto, California. Rajesh is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School (AMP), and has a fellowship from the London School of Economics.
Rajesh Sawhney
Founder and CEO at GSF Accelerator
Rajesh Sawhney is one of the leading angel investors in India, with an impressive record of nurturing over 100 startups. He is the founder of GSF, India’s leading tech startup accelerator which provides initial capital, mentorship, and global exposure to entrepreneurs and founders.
His current portfolio consists of successes like Whatfix, Quizizz, Slintel, FlintoClass, Citymall, and more. Rajesh serves on multiple boards, including that of Indiamart (India's target B2B marketplace) and Ixigo. Previously, he was on the boards of Microland and Nielsoft on behalf of Trident Capital, a prominent venture firm based in Palo Alto, California. Rajesh is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School (AMP), and has a fellowship from the London School of Economics.
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