Ashneer Grover's 'Doglapan' dives into the ups and downs of startup journeys
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'Doglapan: The Hard Truth about Life and Start-Ups' by Indian businessman Ashneer Grover dives into the life of the most controversial shark of Shark Tank India, who became famous for his frank and humorous verdicts.
The book was inaugurated by saying about his life in Malviya Nagar, where a young boy was given a refugee tag for his ancestors' linkage to the partition of India. The book narrates his journey from this refugee tag to the ultimate peak in the entrepreneurial world.
Throughout the book, Ashneer provides a candid glance into the startup world. He had delved into the pitfall and challenges that startups often deal with. This includes funding difficulties, team conflicts and the pressure to continual innovation and adaptation. He emphasised a constant need to understand the market and competition.
Ashneer has not forgotten to add his humorous appeal. The chapter 'Teri hawa kitni hai?' takes a dig at the stereotypical mindset where he was judged by his in-laws based on income status, not this qualification.
The story then trembles into the phase where the entrepreneurial bite is just evolving in his mind. He narrates his journey with 'Grofers' (which he joined as CFO), where within nine months, the company’s valuation extended from USD 35 million to USD 370 million. But the success soon took a bitter turn, and he left the company for being devalued by the founders.
The dark phase was prolonged, and he got constantly rejected by some of the giant companies of that time.
The story got more dramatic when he actually got an offer from a reputed firm. But within just 15 minutes of joining, he felt the urge to leave. This was the momentum when he realised that he was no longer suitable for the structural corporate world. He had the impulse to do something of his own, which chronologically developed BharatPe.
The prologue of the book unfolds the ongoing battle he is facing within his own company BharatPe. He giggles about his sudden fame from Shark Tank India and promises to come back with a new genesis.