Startup Fridays Season 2 Ep. 5: VC or entrepreneur, seek to be relevant, enjoy the journey, deliver results: Sateesh Andra of Endiya Partners

Startup Fridays Season 2 Ep. 5: VC or entrepreneur, seek to be relevant, enjoy the journey, deliver results: Sateesh Andra of Endiya Partners

Author: Forbes India - The Startup Fridays Podcast March 4, 2022 Duration: 53:45

Our guest today is Sateesh Andra, managing director at Endiya Partners, a VC firm that backs early-stage IP-led startups. Before Endiya, he was a partner at Ventureast and DFJ. Before turning to VC, Sateesh was a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, as founder and CEO of Euclid, in the IT management software space. Sateesh was also a top-ranked table tennis player representing Andhra Pradesh. 

(00:46) Introduction to Startup Fridays

(01:06) Our guest today — Sateesh Andra, Managing Director, Endiya Partners

(02:28) A snapshot of Sateesh’s career and journey to Endiya

(05:24) A few thoughts on what Endiya is about today

(07:56) India’s startup scene — more often, today, companies are being started by multiple founders on day one

(09:21) A quick recap of Endiya’s eventful last 12 months

(16:02) Noteworthy global changes from a tech VC investor’s perspective and thoughts on how to back emerging startups in that context

(20:53) Promising deep tech startups coming up in India — even a few in the hardware and related areas

(24:02) Are the ingredients there in the Indian startup ecosystem today to support hard engineering based ventures

(26:49) Endiya’s philosophy of being great sherpas to founders, and what it entails in practice

(28:39) What does Sateesh look for in an entrepreneur and a startup

(31:02) Money versus great investors — how should an entrepreneur choose

(34:44) Do VCs need to work harder today to get the best entrepreneurs on their portfolio

(37:18) For a VC fund that has given itself the mandate of backing deep intellectual property led companies, does that intensify the tension between a founder's vision to build his or her company in a certain way, and the constraints of returning money to LPs

(39:34) Biggest takeaways from Sateesh’s entrepreneurial stint

(42:52) The top challenges for entrepreneurs and VCs today

(47:15) Advice to anyone aspiring to a career in VC

(49:49) Rapid fire questions

About Sateesh Andra and Endiya

https://endiya.com/team/sateesh-andra/

Theme music courtesy Twisterium

https://shrtm.nu/Pxh9


Every Friday, Forbes India-The Startup Fridays Podcast offers a direct line to the minds building India's future. Guided by Forbes India's Technology Editor Harichandan Arakali, each episode is built around a substantive conversation with founders who see the world differently. You'll hear them unpack the real problems they're tackling, which span a remarkable range from ground-level agriculture and space-tech imagery to the complexities of digital finance and venture capital. These aren't abstract discussions; they're practical explorations of how opportunities are identified and seized. The dialogue goes beyond success stories to examine the challenges, pivots, and insights that define the entrepreneurial journey. This podcast provides a consistent, thoughtful look at innovation as it happens, making it a valuable resource for anyone curious about the forces reshaping industries. Tune in weekly for these unfiltered exchanges with the change agents who are not just participating in markets, but actively creating new ones.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 97

Forbes India - The Startup Fridays Podcast
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