Radhika Gupta, CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Funds, is urging founders to look previous the shiny attract of startup life that’s been romanticized by coworking areas, viral social media posts, and rounds of celebratory funding bulletins.
“There’s now an elevated air of ‘startup romance’ that paints startup life as working in chiller apparel out of a elaborate co-working area, speaking concepts all day, elevating funding rounds, giving gyaan on social media, internet hosting Fri Eve drinks for colleagues,” Gupta stated. “Don’t fall for it.”
Her message is a stark actuality test. Actual startup journeys are paved with painful execution, razor-thin budgets, restricted sources, and the fixed wrestle to rent and retain expertise.
Founders face relentless rejection, unyielding stress to ship income at any price, and lengthy intervals of uncertainty.
For a lot of entrepreneurs, these challenges are exacerbated by biases. Dhruv Suyamprakasam, CEO of the telemedicine startup iCliniq, shared how his journey took surprising turns after going through discrimination from traders for not being an IIT alumnus or fluent in Hindi.
Coming from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Dhruv’s transfer to Bengaluru in 2010 appeared strategic—a leap towards the guts of India’s startup ecosystem. “It wasn’t the perfect place for us,” he later admitted, citing unrealistic progress pressures.
“In healthcare, you may’t afford to fail quick. Traders anticipated us to hit 100 paid consultations a day, which isn’t sensible in a trust-based trade.”
Dhruv described the biases he encountered: “I felt excluded for not talking Hindi, not learning at IIT, and coming from a small city many hadn’t heard of.”
Gupta and Dhruv’s experiences spotlight the hole between the phantasm of a vibrant, inclusive startup tradition and its gritty underbelly. For aspiring entrepreneurs, the message is evident—don’t mistake the sheen of the startup ecosystem for the grind it calls for.
