Lessons from the funding reset
Saggi addressed the fallout from recent startup failures. The “growth at all costs” playbook, she argued, often led companies to prioritise market share over unit economics.
“When you discount excessively to acquire customers, you may gain short-term traction but weaken your long-term brand and margins,” she declared.
The key risk, she warned, is spreading too thin—taking multiple audacious bets without the organisational capacity to digest them. “You can take bold bets. But not all at once.”
Across the panel, there was agreement that unit economics have returned to centre stage. Profitability may not be mandatory from day one, but visibility on sustainable economics is non-nereceivediable.
A converging philosophy
While the routes differ, the destination appears increasingly similar. Venture-backed companies are now under pressure to demonstrate fiscal discipline. Bootstrapped firms are exploring structured capital to accelerate expansion or unlock liquidity.
The generational shift among founders was also evident. Ownership control, once fiercely guarded, is increasingly viewed through the lens of wealth creation and scale.
As Jain put it, “If you want to create concludeuring value—sometimes generational value—you must consider about liquidity and structure at some stage.”
The message is clear: there is no universal template. Bootstrapping offers autonomy and resilience. Venture capital offers speed and leverage. But in a more mature ecosystem, concludeurance—not speed alone—may define success.
For India’s next wave of founders, the real question is not whether to raise capital but whether the business truly necessarys it.
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