Category: Startups

Uber to partner with Maruti Suzuki

Uber to partner with Maruti Suzuki

A very interesting move by Uber indeed. Very much inline with Modi’s push for creating local jobs and opportunities. 

Top sources in know of Uber’s plans told The Economic Times, “Uber has around 200,000 active driver partners on their platform currently and they want to increase this to a million by 2018. They are beginning with this pilot with Maruti Suzuki and will extend this going ahead”, said an executive in know of developments. 

Ola – what are you up to?

Picture Courtesy: financialexpress.com

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Flipkart and flipside

Flipkart and flipside

I congratulated Sachin Bansal on Twitter when it was announced that they have backed out of the deal. But here are some observations/questions I have, which others have also raised in the social media, about this whole turn of events surrounding this issue:

  • Were the founders really unaware of the implications of initiatives like Airtel Zero?
  • Was their primary motive behind this move, only to increase their reach to people who don’t/can’t afford an internet connection on their mobile phones (their prospective customers)?
  • Has their size, perceived dominance in the e-commerce market in India, and pursuit for growth, made them ignorant to the concept of #NetNeutrality?

Here is K. T. Jagannathan reflecting on similar thoughts for The Hindu Daily.

http://www.thehindu.com/business/flipkarts-stand-on-net-neutrality/article7106072.ece

Picture Courtesy: firstpost.com

Big Valuations Come With Dangerous Small Print

Big Valuations Come With Dangerous Small Print
It is high time that we, the tech community, push for  creating value over valuation, in the startup world.
Ben Narasin (@BNarasin) and Jeremy Abelson (@jeremyabelson) have captured some really interesting examples that demonstrate this, in their recent post on TechCrunch. These lines summarize this quite well:
…for founders and funders alike, it’s not just about the valuation, it’s about the whole deal. Focusing excessively on valuation risks losing focus, and negotiating leverage, in the rest of the deal terms. Valuation is a part of the picture, but dilution, all-in dilution, is another very important part. We often say the only “valuation” that matters is the last one, in that valuation and ownership at liquidity is the ultimate measure for any shareholder. It’s a long journey to get there, so pay attention along the way.
 
Read more here: http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/13/big-valuations-come-with-dangerous-small-print/
Picture courtesy: techcrunch.com

How SEBI rewrote its regulations for startups in 100 days

How SEBI rewrote its regulations for startups in 100 days
Its very interesting to see SEBI work closely with these startups to understand the way “Listing” has to evolve, on par with countries like the US, UK and Singapore. The key here is to understand the fact that, the way and the duration over which revenues and profits are made by most of the startups today (especially the technology ones), in India and around the world, is different than in conventional businesses. And so the Listing requirements and policies also need to change accordingly.
Some of the key updates made to the policy include:
  • A new Listing platform
  • No more small investors
  • Profits do not matter the most, anymore
  • “Promoter” vs “Founder”
Aparna Ghosh from Yourstory.com has summarised the changes here: http://yourstory.com/2015/04/sebi-regulations-for-startups/
Image courtesy: Yourstory.com

Book Review: The Intel Trinity

Book Review: The Intel Trinity

A concise review by Brad Feld about the book The Intel Trinity,The: How Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore, and Andy Grove Built the World’s Most Important Company.

“I work with many first time and young entrepreneurs who know the phrase “Moore’s Law” but know nothing about the origin story of Intel or the history of how Moore’s Law built the base of an industry that we continue to build on. I also know many experienced entrepreneurs who seem to have forgotten that the phenomenon we experience around innovation, disruption, innovators vs. incumbents, and radical shifts in the underlying dynamics of markets is nothing new. If you fall into this category, as hard as it may be to acknowledge, get a copy of The Intel Trinity and read it from cover to cover.”

Do checkout the full review here: http://www.feld.com/archives/2015/03/book-intel-trinity.html

Its a must read for all technology enthusiasts.