Elevate Your Business Game: Lessons from Successful Entrepreneurs in Strategy, Growth, and Innovation

In today’s hyper-competitive business landscape, standing out isn’t just desirable — it’s essential. What better way to do that than to take lessons from successful entrepreneurs. I’ve had the opportunity to work across industries like food-tech, fintech, media, and AI, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: strategy alone won’t win the game. It’s the combination of vision, execution, adaptability, and a relentless learning mindset that creates enduring businesses.

Whether you’re a startup founder, an operator scaling a traditional enterprise, or a corporate leader in transition, I hope sharing my journey and playbook helps you push your business to the next level.

My Journey So Far

I started out as a software developer at CSC, building insure-tech platforms for the US market. Over time, I moved into investment banking at Merrill Lynch in London, where I honed my understanding of structured finance and risk — an experience that taught me how systems scale and where they break.

Then came the leap into entrepreneurship. I co-founded Foodpanda, a food delivery business we scaled to 40+ countries across Asia, Europe, and Latin America. We raised over $300 million and built one of the largest food ordering platforms in the world. But it wasn’t just about building tech — it was about category creation, operational discipline, and winning consumer trust in a nascent market.

Later, I founded PayLo, a fintech startup that tackled digital payments in post-demonetisation India. We were among the first to build an interoperable QR solution and even launched a blockchain wallet when crypto was still early.

Most recently, I’ve led the digital business and AI transformation at Times Group, launching 11 products in 18 months, turning around legacy brands, and achieving 35%+ CAGR growth — all while embedding AI into our publishing, health-tech, and fintech verticals.

These experiences shaped my belief in a few core principles I now bring to every company I work with or invest in.

1. Strategic Planning Isn’t Optional — It’s Your Compass

Too many companies start with hustle but lose direction mid-flight. Strategic planning is where I begin every transformation — whether it’s scaling Foodpanda or restructuring media at Times Group.

Here’s what I focus on:

• Conducting Market Research: Before launching Health & Me, an AI-powered wellness platform, we studied behavioural health trends, digital engagement metrics, and market white spaces.

  
  

• Setting Clear Objectives: With Zee Digital, we aimed to reach 300M+ monthly users within 2 years — and hit it. Clear goals shaped content, product, and revenue strategy.

  
  

• Reviewing Progress Continuously: At PayLo, we ran bi-weekly reviews to iterate on product features, merchant acquisition, and compliance pivots in a fast-changing regulatory climate.

  
  

No matter the stage of your business, strategy isn’t a deck — it’s a discipline.

2. Build a Brand That People Believe In

Your brand is not your logo — it’s your promise.

When we launched ZEE5 globally, we weren’t just releasing an OTT app. We were defining what Indian content meant to 170+ countries. That meant getting the brand, language, and audience segments right — across platforms, regions, and formats.

Here’s how I approach brand-building:

• Know your audience: While expanding Times Now into six vernacular languages, we didn’t just translate content — we reimagined tone, news selection, and UI for each regional user.

  
  

• Be authentic: Foodpanda’s “BOGO” campaigns weren’t just offers — they introduced India to an e-commerce culture that rewarded digital ordering. That consistency built trust.

  
  

• Create consistent messaging: Across Times Network’s portfolio, from ET Now to Digit, brand voice and values are reinforced in every product and marketing narrative.

  
  

A powerful brand creates its own gravity — it attracts the right users, talent, and even capital.

3. Let Tech Be Your Multiplier, Not Just a Tool

Digital transformation without the right tech backbone is like driving a Ferrari with a 1.0L engine.

At Times Group, we didn’t just digitize — we embedded AI across the content lifecycle:

• AI-generated summaries for editorial speed

• ML-based content production strategy

• Predictive content recirculation to increase engagement

  
  

The result? 30% increase in user session time and a tech stack that could scale without linear cost.

Similarly, with PayLo, we built one of India’s first self-serve merchant onboarding platforms. That cut onboarding time from 3 days to 3 hours and allowed us to expand to 10,000+ merchants without expanding our sales team proportionately.

Lesson: Invest early in tech that solves your current bottlenecks but scales with future growth.

4. You Grow as Fast as Your Network

Every major shift in my career happened through people. Be it joining Rocket Internet to build Foodpanda or identifying media-tech talent to drive Times’ AI journey — relationships have been my superpower.

Here’s what’s worked for me:

• Be visible in your ecosystem: I’ve actively spoken at industry forums and mentored at accelerators.

  
  

• Invest in others: I’ve backed early-stage startups in AI, content-tech, and health D2C — and often learn as much from them as they do from me.

  
  

• Follow through: Every pitch, collaboration, or hire has turned into something meaningful because I followed up with intention.

  
  

You’re only one connection away from your next big opportunity.

5. Stay Curious, Stay Humble

Transformation is about learning faster than the world changes.

When I transitioned from banking to food-tech, from food-tech to fintech, and then to digital media — I was forced to unlearn and relearn.

Even now, I spend hours each week testing AI tools, studying new business models, or meeting younger founders.

• I failed fast at some pivots — like the crypto-based wallet at PayLo that ran into regulatory walls.

  
  

• I adapted faster in others — like rebuilding Zee’s digital business to hit EBITDA breakeven within a year.

  
  

Success isn’t static. The willingness to grow, adapt, and evolve is what keeps you relevant.

Final Thought: Your Playbook, Your Journey

You don’t need to be in Silicon Valley or have a billion-dollar budget to build a transformative business. You need:

• Clarity in strategy

• Consistency in brand

• Confidence in tech

• Community through networks

• Curiosity to keep learning

  
  

If there's one thing I’ve learned from working across four continents and multiple industries, it’s this: the game keeps changing — but the mindset required to win stays the same.

Let’s build that mindset. Let’s elevate the game!