Here’s a contrast I have seen as a VC analyst, vs. structuring debt finance for businesses at a bank.
🫂VCs hunt for your ceiling. They want the 100x dream, the massive TAM, the narrative. They accept the risk for a unicorn upside.
🏦 Banks underwrite your floor. They need to know your downside protection. Can your cash flow service this debt even if growth stalls?
Founders are realising that equity is too expensive to fund operational gaps. Debt is cheaper, but you have to stop selling the dream and start selling the math.
✅ Show the unit economics
+
✅ Prove the floor is solid
+
✅ Master your working capital
=
💰 Lenders will give you the leverage to build the ceiling without diluting your cap table.
गुरुवारी मिटिंग झाली आणि पायऱ्यांवरून खाली उतरत होतो. त्याचवेळी समोरं एक Product दिसलं, कॅमेरा Zoom करून पाहिलं तर ते @SagarAwatade यांच्या कंपनीचं होतं. पटकन खिशातून मोबाईल काढला आणि त्याचा फोटो काढला.
शेतात असताना घरी आलो आणि एक आंब्याची ऑ���्डर द्यायला लागलो. त्यावेळी जमिनीकडं पाहिल्यावर चप्पल दिसली आणि ती @ganeshsonawane यांच्या कंपनीची होती. सागर सर आणि गणेश सर ही दोन मराठी माणसं, पण यांनी असे ब्रँड उभे केले ज्यांनी लोकांचं आयुष्य सोपं केलं. आपला मराठी माणूस 100 कोटींची कंपनी उभी करतो, हे अभिमान वाटण्याजोगं आहे 🙏
Unpopular opinion: We should not discourage Indian brands from trying to charge a premium for their products, or we will never build anything even remotely close to Herman Miller (₹75k+) or Zegna shoes (₹2.5 lakh+) anytime soon.
Too many brands are already playing the commodity pricing game. Let premium brands experiment, take risks, and build as well.
It would be amazing to see Indian premium brands in luxury outlets across London, Dubai, or Tokyo a decade from now.
(P.S. This opinion applies only to non-medical, non-essential categories.)
@mishradidi@FreeMeGyanLo I have something similar, my college said I am useless and wasted one seat. Our convocation had 3 chief guests. The month leading up to it I had: Shared a whiskey with one, lunch with the 2nd and chai with the 3rd on three different occasions.
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