Startup Fridays Season 2, Episode 8: We like to engage founders right from their -1 to 0 stage — Rajiv Srivatsa

Startup Fridays Season 2, Episode 8: We like to engage founders right from their -1 to 0 stage — Rajiv Srivatsa

Author: Forbes India - The Startup Fridays Podcast April 22, 2022 Duration: 55:06

Our guest today is Rajiv Srivatsa, partner and investor at Antler India. Rajiv’s career spans going from software engineer at Infosys to product developer at Yahoo! to entrepreneur as co-founder of Urban Ladder to VC investor. In this episode, he talks about how each stage was the realisation of his overarching desire to always mentor people and take a deep passionate interest in helping them develop their careers. 

(00:40) Introduction to Startup Fridays

(01:00) Our guest today — Rajiv Srivatsa, partner and investor at Antler India

(02:22) A snapshot of Rajiv’s journey from software engineer at Infosys to VC investor at Antler

(08:31) More about Antler, and the philosophy at the VC firm

(13:09) Examples of startups that Antler India has invested in

(16:25) The most noteworthy changes in India’s startups and founders today

(19:38) Some info on the Antler Residency

(27:35) Some thoughts on the early stage scene in India and the challenges therein

(31:45) On incorporating startups in India

(34:15) Climate tech — an area of active interest

(34:38) Sources of optimism and concerns in the Indian startup scene

(37:41) How Rajiv looks at himself — a mix of three roles

(39:54) Low points and highs

(41:58) Earliest influences on Rajiv’s career — growing up in Chennai

(45:58) What keeps Rajiv getting up each day to attack the day ahead

(52:05) Rapid fire questions

More about Rajiv and Antler

https://www.antler.co/team

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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