Library

As we wrap up another trip around the sun, we asked our Blume colleagues to share the content that moved them, taught them, and entertained them in 2024. From gripping books about technology’s geopolitical impact to heartwarming TV shows and thought-provoking…

You are a D2C brand with a fantastic product that’s different from anything else in the market. You know people will love it, if only you can get them to try it. But how do you reach them? It’s going to take a while to get listed on marketplaces and quick commerce apps,…

It was the week of Dreamforce 2018, the annual Salesforce mega-conference, and the Bay Area was buzzing. Salesforce was everywhere. Until people noticed a giant blimp over the imposing Salesforce tower. All it said was…

“Rashida, my house-help in Mumbai, lives in Dharavi, just one kilometer from the largest HDFC Bank branch. But it took Bajaj Finance and various other players like it to cater to her. Today, she can get many financial services without any credit history, including…

The B2B software landscape has evolved significantly over time. Initially, on-premises solutions dominated. Then, the tide shifted to horizontal cloud-based software built by Salesforce and Microsoft. As software use by businesses became more common, it gave rise to…

In India’s startup ecosystem, the path to success is often portrayed as a journey with just one end goal: achieving unicorn status and then maybe pursuing a multi-billion dollar IPO. This narrative, fueled by the allure of billion-dollar…

In the late 1980s, a small gardening and construction equipment manufacturer became frustrated with his Hoover Junior vacuum cleaner. The bag would clog, causing the suction to decrease dramatically. This annoyance led him on a five-year journey,…

Building a ConsumerTech business doesn’t have to be complicated! With this belief, Marmik Mankodi and Nachmmai Savithiri have created Blume’s ConsumerTech Playbook — a practical guide designed to help entrepreneurs and teams move from…

Imagine you’re pitching your cyber security software to a large Indian bank. You’ve prepared a detailed ROI analysis, cost-saving calculations, and competitive landscape. But the CIO barely glances at it. Instead, she asks about your educational background,…

India’s P2P lending ecosystem has come a long way, with estimates pointing at ~₹20,000 crore in disbursements. The country now has 26 licensed NBFC-P2Ps, with many raising significant capital to build offerings, such as Faircent, LenDenClub, Lendbox, and…

“Have you watched the web series Panchayat? I love it! That’s the core audience creators and educators on Classplus cater to. Almost 80% of our student base is from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.” — Mukul…

In recent years, the role of the Chief Financial Officer has undergone a dramatic transformation. No longer confined to the realms of bookkeeping and financial reporting, today’s CFOs are increasingly expected to act as strategic business partners, leveraging…

Originally shared as a part of the quarterly update with our Limited Partners, this analysis of exit patterns in the Indian startup ecosystem garnered significant interest and prompted thoughtful discussions in our networks. As a result, we decided to make our take…

Rahul Sasi, CEO of CloudSEK, a cybersecurity startup, is a trained magician. He learned a golden rule early in life: You must make the audience like you before showing a magic trick. Skilled illusionists spend considerable effort in building rapport…

“There were times when we didn’t have money for payroll. I staggered salaries. We operated like this for almost a year during the 2018 – 19 period,” recalls Avlesh Singh, co-founder and CEO of WebEngage. When life handed Avlesh…

Did you know that one of the earliest success stories of an Account-Based Marketing motion, or ABM motion, was so successful that it ended up in an antitrust lawsuit? In 1884, John Henry Patterson acquired a small cash register company in Dayton,…

Before joining the investment team at Blume Ventures, I worked on starting various platforms and brands. Some of these platforms/​brands have scaled up to become multi-million-dollar monthly revenue businesses. But how do you find that big idea and ensure it reaches your ideal…

“Fundraise announcement is a once-in-two-year opportunity to get all eyes on you. You’ll do other announcements as well, but they will not get the same interest as a funding announcement. So, why would you not put in every effort to get maximum attention and grab as…

For those of us who are in the business of observing the Indian consumer, Blume’s Indus Valley Report is the perfect starting point. The report splits the Indian consumer into three distinct sets — India 1, 2, and 3. The India 1 consumer set is the top ~120M consumers…

Reflections on Total Addressable Market (TAM); why TAM doesn’t matter but thinking about it matters. If you are a founder and get a pass from a VC who cites low TAM (Total Addressable Market) as a reason for passing, then rest assured that in nine out of ten…