Venture Capitalist Vani Kola On What She Looks For In StartUps, Her Journey and The Indian Market

SparX by Mukesh Bansal

How crucial is a product-first approach in pitching, according to Vani Kola? What insights does Vani provide on India's growth trajectory through the India Alpha model? How does Vani emphasise the importance of physical wellness and conscientious investing in entrepreneurial success? In this episode, Mukesh Bansal (Founder Myntra and Cult.fit) is in conversation with Vani Kola, co-founder of Kalaari Capital, a prominent venture capital firm in India known for its strategic investments in high-potential startups across various sectors. Watch till the end to get the most out of this deeply insightful conversation. Chapters: 00:00 - 01:11 Episode Introduction 01:11 - 05:20 Vani shares how milestones in her life were never planned 05:20 - 10:48 Why did Vani look at India as a confident, aspirational nation 20 years ago? 10:48 - 13:03 Mukesh and Vani discuss how working in the US helped in becoming successful entrepreneurs in India 13:03 - 17:49 Vani talks about her experience transitioning from an entrepreneur to a venture capitalist 17:49 - 21:48 Mukesh and Vani share their experience working with each other and what made it possible 21:48 - 28:28 Vani’s journey with physical and mental wellness 28:28 - 36:08 According to Vani, what factors make a great pitch and a successful start-up? 36:08 - 37:21 Mukesh shares how technology and gadgets help regulate one’s health 37:21 - 43:47 The difference between USA Silicon Valley’s ecosystem and India’s start-up ecosystem 43:47 - 49:25 How should today’s investors and entrepreneurs approach opportunities in India? 49:25 - 54:15 How can we facilitate greater participation of women in entrepreneurship and venture capitalism? 54:15 - 59:55 What does the learning curve for a VC entail? Resource List: 1. The Rise and Fall of Nations, Book by Ruchir Sharma https://a.co/d/iBoGGgk 2. CXXO, a Kalaari Capital initiative https://cxxo.kalaari.com/ 3. What is capital efficiency? https://www.goldensection.com/capital-efficiency/ 4. More About India’s Future Market https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/india-the-unstoppable-investment-destination-of-next-decade/articleshow/101388101.cms 5. Women in the VC industry https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/wappp/research/past/venture-capital-entrepreneurship#:~:text=Data%20and%20research%20prove%20that,for%20mixed%2Dgender%20founding%20teams 6. Is India becoming the new Silicon Valley for start-ups? https://www.rockstudcap.com/stud-mag/is-india-becoming-the-new-silicon-valley-for-startups