The LetsVenture-iStart Workshop Mixer, powered by LetsVenture and backed by iStart Rajasthan with YourStory as the media partner, on Friday was a hub for entrepreneurial enthusiasm, kindling a wave of innovation and connection at the Bhamashah Techno Hub, Jaipur. This dynamic collaboration served as a platform for founders and startup enthusiasts to immerse themselves in an ocean of transformative insights.
Established in 2013, LetsVenture aims to streamline fundraising for startups and investor engagement, with a global vision of building the largest ecosystem for founders and investors. On the other hand, iStart, an initiative by the Government of Rajasthan, fosters innovation and supports startups with various programs and services, playing a pivotal role in Rajasthan’s startup ecosystem.
The event featured masterclasses, led by Priyanka Madnani, the Founder of Easy To Pitch, delving into the art of pitching to investors, and Radhika Bajoria, founder of Radically Yours, who highlighted the power of authentic storytelling.
Cracking the code to investor’s hearts
Madnani spoke of her journey from a college student to a successful entrepreneur, a story of perseverance, highlighting how it can propel dreams into reality. For her masterclass, she focussed on demystifying the art of creating a winning pitch deck.
Madnani emphasised the need for creativity in a startup’s business model and urged founders to showcase traction through metrics such as revenue growth and customer feedback. “You need to show investors how you’re making money,” she pointed out.
She also discussed the importance of highlighting unique selling points (USPs) and competitive advantages in the pitch deck. She stressed the importance of differentiating a startup’s product or service from its competitors. She shared insights on fund allocation, recommending that 45% should go to product development, 20% to human resources, and 35% to marketing and sales.
Weaving stories to build a brand
The second masterclass, “How to weave a story around your business,” was conducted by Bajoria where she shared her expertise in helping early-stage founders, especially women to raise capital.
Bajoria emphasised the importance of authentic storytelling and being open to the possibility of failure. “Be open to failure, pick up a niche that you know about, or specialise in and not just because it is trendy,” she said.
She urged founders to focus on their audience’s demographics and understand how they would react to their content. She emphasised the significance of understanding the audience, pointing out, “How people will react to your post will matter, because they will make you grow on social platforms like LinkedIn.”
Bajoria shared a winning formula for LinkedIn content, which included an 80% focus on personal insights related to the company and sector. She also suggested collaborating with other experts and drawing inspiration from daily news stories to keep content fresh and relevant. Her advice was clear: “To maintain consistency, I check the newspaper and pick up one story from the news and write one content piece around that, once a day to maintain consistency.”
A day of inspiration and connection
In a captivating fireside chat, Rahul Prigawat, AVP at LetsVenture, engaged in a meaningful conversation with Madnani. Together, they delved into their entrepreneurial journeys and shared success mantras tailored for new-age founders, offering valuable insights and wisdom for all in attendance.
During the fireside chat, Priyanka emphasised the critical need for creativity in a startup’s business model and the significance of showcasing traction through metrics such as revenue growth and customer feedback. She also highlighted the importance of highlighting unique selling points (USPs) and competitive advantages in a pitch deck, underscoring the vital role of differentiation in the startup landscape.
The LetsVenture-iStart event was more than just a gathering, it was a day of transformation. The insights shared by Madnani and Bajoria served as guiding lights for budding entrepreneurs. The event was a reminder that knowledge is the key to success in the world of startups.
As the sun set on Jaipur, the city was left with a newfound zeal for innovation, entrepreneurship, and storytelling.
