Zepto Founders: Stanford Dropouts, Entrepreneurs & Teen Billionaires | Karishma Mehta | Realign Ep 3

“The chance of getting into a world class university like Stanford is 1% but the chance of building a generational company is 0.001%...It became a no-brainer. Witnessing the start of a Reliance or a Tata or an ITC, it’s a privilege that only a few people get. It’s not for everyone, and it’s not meant for everyone, but if you want to achieve serious greatness- you have to be obsessed.”

Meet Kaivalya Vohra and Aadit Palicha, the founders of Zepto; Best friends who dropped out of Stanford at 19 and started a business that grew to a $1.4 billion valuation in just 2 years - becoming India’s first unicorn of 2023.

Is it just business acumen or does the grind have to become a lifestyle? How do you know when to take a chance on yourself? How do you walk through fire and survive?

This episode of Realign takes us into the mindset of the founders of Zepto to learn about the struggle, mental health implications and whether it's all really worth it to become a successful entrepreneur.

We talked about:
. The mindset of an entrepreneur
. How childhood shapes work ethic
. International vs. Indian Schooling Systems
. Hobbies and projects outside work
. The impact of schooling on Mindset
. How the pandemic helped form Zepto
. Choosing to drop out of stanford
. Building Zepto
. How to tell your parents you’re dropping out
. Taking the next steps
. Dealing with stress as an entrepreneur
. The Zepto founder’s spiritual beliefs
. How obsession leads to success
. Relationship with money
. Balancing work with life
. Book recommendations to budding entrepreneurs
. Mentorship
. Realigning your mindset

#zepto #realignpodcast #humansofbombay

Time Stamps
00:00 - Precap
00:41 - Introduction
01:18 - Welcome to the podcast
01:52 - Mindset when starting Zepto
05:16 - The impact of childhood on mindset
07:31 - KV’s first app
10:11 - Difference between Indian & International Schools
15:33 - Why start Zepto?
19:30 - Karishma’s Schooling
21:19 - Deciding to drop out of Stanford
32:11 - Knowing when to give up
34:49 - Learning from failure
39:16 - What “one quality” made you succeed?
41:25 - Telling the Parents about dropping out
51:34 - Was Zepto destiny?
55:09 - Spiritual outlook
58:01 - Typical day in the life
01:03:15 - Balancing obsession with life
01:06:34 - Relationship with money
01:11:30 - Book recommendations for Entrepreneurs
01:13:01 - Building generational wealth
01:15:38 - Final Advice

Links:
Realign Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realignpod?...
Humans of Bombay Instagram:   / officialhum.  .
Uncovered by Humans of Bombay:    / @humansofbombayuncovered  
LinkedIn:   / huma.  .

Aadit Palecha - LinkedIn:   / aadit-palicha  
Kaivalya Vohra - LinkedIn:   / kaivalya-vohra  

Karishma Mehta
Instagram:   / karimehta05  
LinkedIn:   / karishma-.  .

About Realign –
Explore the confluence of science, spirituality, and wellness and get empowered to navigate the complexities of modern life. 'Realign' isn’t just a podcast; it's a deep breath, a moment of clarity…an oasis of mindful living.
With every episode, delve into mind-expanding conversations with experts, thought leaders, and visionaries who challenge the way w e approach growth. And through these conversations, create a blueprint for mindful living.
If you're seeking clarity, purpose, or simply looking to realign your life, this podcast is your North Star.
It's time to realign – mind, body, and soul!

Listen to the Realign podcast in Hindi & Tamil, exclusively on KukuFM - https://kukufm.page.link/9tEfiaTwBeps...

About Humans of Bombay –
Humans of Bombay is a movement that started 10 years ago. We believe that every person has a story to tell and we want to help them tell these stories. In these years we’ve published stories across genres – stories of love, hope, faith and courage. And through our storytelling, we’ve built an engaged community of over 5M!
Our idea is simple – to strike a chord with our community and catalogue the beat of humanity, one story at a time.