Brand Building, Creating Company Culture, & Managing Diverse Investors | Harsh Jain & Vani Kola

"If you're stepping on that treadmill of raising funding, then you're never going to go from a walk to a jog to a sprint and back down. You've just got to keep going."

With over 160M users, Dream11 is undoubtedly the leader in fantasy sports and fan engagement in India. Harsh Jain, co-founder and CEO of Dream Sports, knows what it takes to build a category-defining and enduring company from India.

At Kalaari’s Mumbai Mixer with Tech Entrepreneurs Association of Mumbai (TEAM), Harsh joined Vani Kola, MD of Kalaari Capital, for a candid fireside chat on how to make a startup brand relevant and loved, managing diverse investors, and retaining talent, among other topics.

Here are some of the takeaways that he shared:

Making a start-up brand that’s relevant and loved
Don't focus on brand marketing until you have enough money to make a dent.
Experiment with digital marketing to increase efficiency.
Find the right brand ambassador who customers trust and relate to for your brand.

Managing diverse investors - do's and don'ts of managing a fundraising process
Understand each investor's strengths and weaknesses.
Don't just focus on financials, ask for advice and input from investors.
Obligation to get returns for every new investor.

Compensation philosophy and how it is integral to the culture of the firm
Pay at 90th percentile to attract and retain top talent.
Dream11 offered ESOPs to every employee for keeping them engaged.
Company culture is built on retention, not acquisition.

At our Mumbai Mixer, the city’s leading founders, investors, and ecosystem enablers came together to share their thoughts on India’s buzzing startup ecosystem and emerging themes.