Big tech is transforming every aspect of our world. But how, and at what cost? This season of Land of the Giants – The Disney Dilemma – focuses on Disney’s ability to weather the ups and downs of the business cycle and changing tastes and explores what has kept it successful for over 100 years. The entertainment giant has leveraged nostalgia and its intellectual property to build a beloved brand, but after an acquisition spree that included Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Fox, can it sus ...
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Content provided by Akshay Datt. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Akshay Datt or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
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From Coffee Trader To $250M+ VC | Manav Garg (Together Fund)
Manage episode 483058615 series 2709643
Content provided by Akshay Datt. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Akshay Datt or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
"SaaS as we know it is DEAD."
This might sound controversial, but as Manav Garg explains, the old model of simple workflow automation is being rapidly superseded. AI agents are now capable of executing complex tasks based on simple commands, fundamentally changing how businesses operate and what they expect from technology.
Manav Garg is the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Together Fund, an operator-led VC firm managing over $250M AUM and backing ambitious early-stage Indian SaaS and AI startups. Before this, he founded Eka Software Solutions in 2004, building it over nearly two decades into a global leader in commodity management software. He scaled Eka to $34 million in revenue with $9 million in profit by 2014, raised over $55 million, navigated a complex pivot to the cloud, and ultimately exited the company. He is also a co-founder of SaaSBOOMi, Asia's largest SaaS community, and is passionate about building India as a Product Nation.
Key Insights from the Conversation:
👉The challenging journey of pivoting an already profitable company (Eka) to the cloud.
👉Learnings from bootstrapping, fundraising, M&A, and scaling enterprise SaaS globally.
👉The Operator-VC model: "Paying it forward" with capital plus know-how.
👉Why "People Buy From People": Building trust is paramount in enterprise sales.
👉The Founder Exit journey often involves an identity crisis, not just financial calculations.
Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:03:32 - Early Career: Commodity Trading & Learning Lateral Thinking
00:10:50 - Spotting the Gap: The Founding Idea for Eka Software
00:19:29 - Starting Eka: Solo Founder, Seed Funding & Early Choices
00:25:33 - Zero-to-One: Building Eka Profitably From Year 1
00:34:20 - Scaling Up: Raising VC & Growing Through M&A ($34mn ARR)
00:40:55 - Facing Crisis: The Commodity Crash & The Cloud Pivot Decision
00:48:58 - Navigating the Difficult 3-Year Cloud Transition
00:53:07 - The Exit Journey: Deciding to Sell Eka & The Process
01:05:04 - SaaSBOOMi & Founding Together Fund (The Operator-VC Model)
01:10:09 - Investing Thesis: AI Wave, Market Size & Evaluating Founders
01:19:34 - Key Lessons from 20 Years: Pricing, Sales, Product Love & Processes
01:33:11 - Why SaaS is Dead & The Future with AI Agents
#FounderThesis #SaaS #StartupIndia #IndianStartups #VentureCapital #OperatorVC #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #EnterpriseSoftware #CloudComputing #FounderJourney #StartupExit #Entrepreneurship #Bootstrapping #SalesStrategy #ProductManagement #TechIndia #MakeInIndia
Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the speaker, not necessarily the channel.
389 episodes
Share
Manage episode 483058615 series 2709643
Content provided by Akshay Datt. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Akshay Datt or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
"SaaS as we know it is DEAD."
This might sound controversial, but as Manav Garg explains, the old model of simple workflow automation is being rapidly superseded. AI agents are now capable of executing complex tasks based on simple commands, fundamentally changing how businesses operate and what they expect from technology.
Manav Garg is the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Together Fund, an operator-led VC firm managing over $250M AUM and backing ambitious early-stage Indian SaaS and AI startups. Before this, he founded Eka Software Solutions in 2004, building it over nearly two decades into a global leader in commodity management software. He scaled Eka to $34 million in revenue with $9 million in profit by 2014, raised over $55 million, navigated a complex pivot to the cloud, and ultimately exited the company. He is also a co-founder of SaaSBOOMi, Asia's largest SaaS community, and is passionate about building India as a Product Nation.
Key Insights from the Conversation:
👉The challenging journey of pivoting an already profitable company (Eka) to the cloud.
👉Learnings from bootstrapping, fundraising, M&A, and scaling enterprise SaaS globally.
👉The Operator-VC model: "Paying it forward" with capital plus know-how.
👉Why "People Buy From People": Building trust is paramount in enterprise sales.
👉The Founder Exit journey often involves an identity crisis, not just financial calculations.
Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:03:32 - Early Career: Commodity Trading & Learning Lateral Thinking
00:10:50 - Spotting the Gap: The Founding Idea for Eka Software
00:19:29 - Starting Eka: Solo Founder, Seed Funding & Early Choices
00:25:33 - Zero-to-One: Building Eka Profitably From Year 1
00:34:20 - Scaling Up: Raising VC & Growing Through M&A ($34mn ARR)
00:40:55 - Facing Crisis: The Commodity Crash & The Cloud Pivot Decision
00:48:58 - Navigating the Difficult 3-Year Cloud Transition
00:53:07 - The Exit Journey: Deciding to Sell Eka & The Process
01:05:04 - SaaSBOOMi & Founding Together Fund (The Operator-VC Model)
01:10:09 - Investing Thesis: AI Wave, Market Size & Evaluating Founders
01:19:34 - Key Lessons from 20 Years: Pricing, Sales, Product Love & Processes
01:33:11 - Why SaaS is Dead & The Future with AI Agents
#FounderThesis #SaaS #StartupIndia #IndianStartups #VentureCapital #OperatorVC #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #EnterpriseSoftware #CloudComputing #FounderJourney #StartupExit #Entrepreneurship #Bootstrapping #SalesStrategy #ProductManagement #TechIndia #MakeInIndia
Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the speaker, not necessarily the channel.
389 episodes
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Similar to Founder Thesis
Big tech is transforming every aspect of our world. But how, and at what cost? This season of Land of the Giants – The Disney Dilemma – focuses on Disney’s ability to weather the ups and downs of the business cycle and changing tastes and explores what has kept it successful for over 100 years. The entertainment giant has leveraged nostalgia and its intellectual property to build a beloved brand, but after an acquisition spree that included Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Fox, can it sus ...
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continue reading
Alessandro Bogliari, CEO and Co-Founder of The Influencer Marketing Factory, a global influencer marketing agency, talks with great guests about influencer marketing, social media, the creator economy, social commerce and much more.
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It didn’t all change in March 2020. Not really. The UK high street has been in the throes of a gradual revolution for decades. From the rise of ecommerce, to the birth of mobile, social commerce, and a growing emphasis on experience, change has been underway for a while. In fact for many, the pandemic has acted as a wake-up call. Digital transformation was no longer a ‘nice to have’ but a matter of survival. Necessity sparked innovation and customers are enjoying more flexibility and conveni ...
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continue reading
News and insight from the business world. Download the podcast via the BBC Sounds app.
…
continue reading
Call them changemakers. Call them rule breakers. We call them Redefiners. And in this provocative podcast, we explore how daring leaders from across industries and around the globe are redefining their organizations—and themselves—to create extraordinary impact in today’s rapidly changing world. In each episode, Russell Reynolds Associates Leadership Advisor Hoda Tahoun and former CEO Clarke Murphy host engaging, purposeful conversations with leaders in and out of the business world who shar ...
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continue reading
Wharton faculty and industry leaders discuss their latest research, books, and relevant business topics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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continue reading
Some Goodness is hosted by Richard Ellis, a seasoned sales leader passionate about inviting top business minds to share their wisdom. Each episode is only 15-20 minutes, perfect for your commute or workout.
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continue reading
The Partnership Economy explores the power of partnerships through candid conversations and stories with industry leaders. Our hosts, David A. Yovanno, CEO and Todd Crawford, Co-founder, of impact.com, unpack the future of partnerships as a lever for scale and an opportunity to put the consumer first.
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The fun email marketing podcast. Sell more of your online courses, grow your membership and bring in more coaching clients with email marketing that doesn't stink. Sound good? Then join your fellow Email Marketing Heroes for your weekly dose of fun, practical, yet brutally honest email marketing advice. You can listen in to a piping hot, fresh episode every 'Email Marketing Wednesday' or if you prefer learning with your eyes instead of your ears, we turn each episode into a full written blog ...
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In each episode of "Goldman Sachs Exchanges," people from the firm share their insights on developments shaping industries, markets and the global economy.
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continue reading
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