Turning your Expertise into 4 and 5-figure deals on LinkedIn with my 3D Content Strategy

Most mid-stage B2B companies have secured deals, delivered results, and hired a team.

But now they face a constraint that comes from this success:

Their revenue plateaus. Sales cycles stretch. Pricing power erodes. Pipeline stalls. Teams revert to tactics under stress.

They try to throw volume to fix the issues:

- More content
- More DMs
- More ads

But the real constraint is that their positioning architecture is built for the early-stage and can’t scale with their growth.

By the time it shows up in content or sales, the damage is already compounding. 

I work with mid-stage B2B founders and leadership teams to diagnose and remove the structural constraints that quietly cap growth. At the level where positioning, buyer psychology, and belief formation intersect.

I help such companies:

- Compress sales cycles by building trust before conversations begin
- Escape comparisons by restructuring differentiation at the category level
- Restore pricing power by making belief unavoidable
- Build reputation in the right rooms

with my framework, The Conversion Architecture™. It happens in 3 layers:

1. Foundation Design: Strategic positioning that eliminates competitor comparison rather than inviting it.
2. Demand Design: Credibility systems that generate qualified leads systematically.
3. Conversion Design: Pre-conviction conversations. Buyers arrive already convinced.

This work sits upstream of content, sales, and hiring, because those downstream systems only work when the structure holding them is sound. 

When the framework is installed, these are the outcomes my clients see:

- A B2B consulting firm generated $5.5M in qualified pipeline in 14 weeks
- Their sales cycles compressed to 8 weeks from the industry average of 6 months
- VC groups and a multi-billion-dollar company entered conversations pre-convinced
- The founder rehired me to implement the system company-wide 

I don't deliver frameworks and leave.

I architect the system. Show you how to apply it. Analyse your implementation. Guide you through iterations. Refine based on your specific situation.

Until the number moves. That’s why I work for 12-15 months with my clients.

Not try. Not help. Solve.

This is for founders and leadership teams who:

- Already deliver real value
- Sense their growth is being capped by something harder to name
- Are done mistaking motion for progress
- Want calm, predictable expansion, not louder activity

If you’re ready to remove the constraint that’s quietly leaking value, DM me here on LinkedIn or send an email to hello@sayantagoswami.com. 

Let’s talk.

Sayanta Goswami

“We’ve done the positioning work.”

The most expensive misconception I see in mid-stage B2B companies.

I had a lovely conversation with Eloise Leeson-Smith, a Strategic Comms Consultant, and linguist who has worked with the likes of KPMG, Capgemini, and UN, yesterday. 

Apart from our shared love of language, we agreed on a shared observation:

Most B2B founders think they’ve “done” positioning. They’re clear on what their differentiation is. They know what kind of clients they want to attract.

But they’ve barely scratched the surface. Their ideal buyers box them with every other alternative. Their pricing power erodes every quarter.

And it’s because the founder has arrived at a tagline.
The team is copying the behaviour without understanding the principles.

So they fail to communicate it to the buyers. Revert back to the “numbers game” whenever they’re under pressure. Scale becomes fragile. 

Because they treated positioning like a coat of paint on a shaky house. Not like the foundation it actually is.

Lift Revenue, Compress Sales Cycles, Build Reputation in the Right Rooms with The Conversion Architecture™ | Positioning and Sales Advisor for B2B Mid-stage Companies | $5.5M in Qualified Pipeline Generated

Belief is a gating constraint.

And it’s why B2B companies plateau at $5M.

You have the capability. You have the expertise. You have documented client results.

Yet sales cycles still stretch to 6 months.
Conversations stall at pricing negotiations.
Buyers choose cheaper alternatives over you.

The underlying constraint isn’t that you can’t deliver.
It’s that the buyers don’t believe you can deliver.

Most mid-stage companies try to build belief during sales conversations. By then, it’s too late.

70% of B2B buying decisions happen before sales conversations begin. If you haven’t built belief during this phase, you’d start from zero trust every time.

If your positioning doesn’t establish category clarity,
If it invites comparison to 10 other options,
If it doesn’t demonstrate specific ROI,

Buyers question the investment.

That’s when your company have to tackle:

- Longer sales cycles
- Eroding pricing power
- Being boxed with every other ‘competitor’

Not because your ability to deliver is in question.

Because your positioning didn’t systematically build belief.

When you start with ZERO experience but unlimited hunger to grow, magic happens.

In January 2024, I had no writing experience. No portfolio. No clients. Just determination and a willingness to learn.

After seeing Unnati Bagga and Vedika Bhaia’s inspiring story about The Growth Square, I knew I had to be part of this culture. So I applied with a simple one minute video introduction.

That video transformed my career in a way I had not imagined yet.

Here's what happened next:

In less than 6 months, I went from being a content writer to leading a team of 17 professionals across many departments:

• 10 content writers
• 4 business development executives  
• 2 graphic designers
• 1 video editor
• 1 think tank

But this transformation wasn't just professional. I moved from Pune to Bangalore, where I learned that leading a team isn't about having all the answers.

It's about creating an environment where talented people can do their best work.

I believe every founder or CEO has a unique story worth telling. My role isn't just managing teams; it's ensuring every piece of content we create builds authentic connections that drive real business growth.

My goal is to continue building teams that don't just execute but also innovate and create measurable impact.

Also, I’m still figuring out life, surviving but also exploring Bangalore.

Drop me a message. I'd love to hear your story too.

Talk soon.

Ayaan Pathan

In 2016, PM Narendra Modi Ji asked: "Why didn't a chaiwala think of starting a hotel chain?"
A kid from Odisha was listening.

Ritesh Agarwal had already dropped out at 19. Started OYO with 5 hotels.

His mother thought startups were a terrible idea because of "the risk to the biodata."

But then Startup India launched that same year.. And the infrastructure changed:
→ India went from 500 startups to lakhs
→ Capital access opened up globally
→ Regulations simplified
→ Small-town founders got backing

OYO scaled hard. 50,000 hotels. 80 countries. $10B valuation.
Then it collapsed.

₹13,123 crore loss by 2020. Revenue per hotel dropped 60%. The Minimum Income Guarantee model was bleeding money.

Ritesh made the call nobody wanted: Delisted 10,000 hotels. Walked away from short-term revenue. Went back to sustainable revenue-sharing.

It resulted in 

+80% Revenue per hotel
First profitable month (₹229 Cr): May 2024
₹1,100 Cr profit target in FY26
1M+ rooms managed globally.

His mother changed her mind about startups.

Ritesh's journey lines up perfectly with India's startup decade.

Small-town kid.
Big dream.
Government backing the ecosystem.
Capital flowing in.

10 years ago the infrastructure wasn't there, the belief system wasn't there.

Hon’ble PM Modi remembered Ritesh at the 10-year Startup India anniversary. Called him out specifically. That recognition wasn't just for OYO. It was for every founder who took the risk.

Ritesh says he's still "the same small-town kid dreaming big. Just speaks and dresses better now."

That's not humble bragging. That's the India story.

Would OYO have survived without Startup India ecosystem support?

Ayaan  Pathan

LinkedIn Personal Branding for Founders and CEOs | Former Manager at The Growth Square | 27,177 Hours on LinkedIn and still learning every day

Deepinder Goyal stepped down as Group CEO after 17+ years. The person stepping in is someone who's been with him since 2011.

Albinder Dhindsa (Albi) is now Eternal's Group CEO.

Deepinder's legacy isn't just what he built, it's how he built it.

17 years ago, the idea that a menu scanning company could become a multi-billion dollar business serving millions daily seemed absurd.

He proved it was possible. Then kept building.

His move now is to step back from day-to-day execution, stay deeply involved in strategy, culture, and governance. Create space to explore high-risk ideas that don't fit a public company's risk profile.

That's the move of someone thinking in decades.

Albi isn't some external hire. This is someone Deepinder has worked with for 14 years.

Albi ran Zomato's international operations from 2011-2014. Saw the company scale across markets. Understood the operating rhythm.

Then he left to build Blinkit (originally Grofers) in 2014.
Built it from scratch. Team. Supply chain. Operating model. The whole thing.

Zomato acquired Blinkit. Albi took it from acquisition to breakeven. Built the culture. Built the execution muscle.

And now he is stepping in as Group CEO of the entire company.

That's not a succession plan. That's a case study in long-term relationship building and trust.

Deepinder's on Albi: He has the DNA of a battle-hardened founder and his ability to execute far exceeds mine.

Most founders can't say that about anyone. Even fewer mean it.

Albi's been building for 11 years. He's not learning on the job. He's taking over something he helped build.

This is what intentional succession looks like.

India's 12th largest pharma company. ₹7,960 crore revenue. One woman running it all.

Namita Thapar didn't inherit the Executive Director seat at Emcure Pharmaceuticals Limited.

She spent 19 years earning it.

In 2007, Namita joined as CFO after working 6 years at Guidant Corporation (US medical devices).

Could've stayed in corporate America but she came back to India instead.

Her first few years were pure financial discipline.
• Tightened operations.
• Built systems.
• Proved she wasn't just the founder's daughter.

Then came the real test.

Took over India's largest business unit. 5,000+ direct reports. If you've managed even 50 people, you know how rare it is to scale leadership like that.

The result was ₹7,960 Cr revenue in FY25 (19.5% growth YoY). 70+ countries. 11,000+ employees.

While revenue grew 19.5%, profit margins compressed from 12% to 7.9% in 3 years.

That's the reality of running a pharma company in India right now.

• Pricing pressure.
• Competition.
• Cost inflation.
• Government regulations limiting price increases.

Most execs would panic. Namita's playing a different game entirely.

She's doubling down on specialty pharma (higher margins). Expanding international footprint to escape domestic pricing pressure.

She also launched Arth, a wellness supplement brand, in 2024.

Appointed Dhoni as brand ambassador. Positioned it as a personal venture.

Her net worth is ₹600-650 Cr today. Not from daddy's money but from 19 years of corporate stewardship + strategic equity positioning + Shark Tank India investments.

What's tougher, scaling a family business or starting your own from scratch?

This guy shut down his first company, got rejected by Shark Tank India twice, kept building, and just closed a ₹2 crore deal.

Yash Kalra shut down his first startup in 2022.

WisEgg was a ready to drink egg white beverage. High protein drink for fitness people.

It failed because of shelf life issues. Egg based products are hard to preserve.

He learned one lesson: If you're building a food brand, own your manufacturing from day one.

Fast forward to July 2023.

He starts GOAT LIFE. High-protein instant oats. Same category (healthy food), different product.

This time, he builds a manufacturing facility in Kota. Vertically integrated from the start.

Here's what most people don't know:

Yash applied to Shark Tank India three times before he got on the show.
While waiting for Shark Tank callbacks, he was grinding offline.

85 pop-up events across India.
Met 2,000+ customers face-to-face.
85% conversion rate from tastings.

No hired salespeople. Just founder hustle.

He bootstrapped the entire thing with ₹5 lakh. ₹3L from personal savings, ₹2L from a Rajasthan government startup scheme.

Revenue in July 2023: ₹10 lakh/month.
Revenue by January 2026: ₹60 lakh/month.

That's 20X growth in 18 months.

When he finally got on Shark Tank Season 5, he wasn't pitching an idea anymore.
He was pitching traction.

Anupam Mittal and Aman Gupta invested ₹2 crore at a ₹25 crore valuation.

The playbook is clear:
-> Learn from the failure.
-> Stay in the category.
-> Own the hard parts.
-> Build without waiting for external validation.

If you've failed once and you're deciding whether to try again, what's stopping you?

Vineeta Singh's mother was "horrified" when she turned down a ₹1 crore job offer to start SUGAR Cosmetics.

In 2012, Vineeta had a offer from an investment bank.

She walked away to start SUGAR Cosmetics with her husband Kaushik Mukherjee.

Zero funding. Zero backup plan. Just a hypothesis about what Indian women actually wanted in makeup.

While competitors like Purplle.com and Nykaa were raising crores in VC money, Vineeta stayed bootstrapped for 5 years.

That constraint forced 3 decisions that became unfair advantages:

1. Customer obsession over investor storytelling

No pitch decks to perfect. Just products women would repurchase.

Sugar became known for transfer-proof lipsticks that actually lasted. Not because of marketing. Because the formulation worked.

2. Digital-first before it was obvious

No capital for retail meant going all-in on e-commerce and D2C.

Legacy brands were slow to adapt online. Sugar owned digital distribution before L'Oréal showed up.

3. Profitable unit economics from day one

Every rupee earned went back into product and performance marketing.

By 2017, when Sugar finally raised funding, they had product-market fit and 40,000+ repeat customers.

The VC money accelerated what was already working.

If you think about it

Bootstrapping forced Vineeta to figure out what actually drives revenue before she had money to mask mistakes.

That clarity became the foundation for everything that followed.

Today she is on Shark Tank India, writing checks to founders.

Her mother changed her mind about startups.

And Sugar Cosmetics is one of India's fastest-growing beauty brands with 1M+ loyal customers.

The lesson here is to build something that works without external validation first.
Then scale it.

Vineeta, If you could go back to 2015, what's the one decision you'd change?

Albinder Dhindsa is a better CEO for Eternal than Deepinder Goyal. There, I said it.

Deepinder Goyal built Zomato from scratch. Scaled it to a public company. Created the entire food delivery category in India.

He's a visionary. A category creator. A founder who defined a market.

But Eternal today isn't a startup anymore.

It's a multi-vertical consumer tech group running:

• Zomato (food delivery)
• Blinkit (quick commerce)
• Hyperpure by Zomato (B2B supplies)
• District (going-out vertical)

That's not a vision problem. That's an execution problem.

And execution is where Dhindsa shines.

Here's the timeline so far:

2011: Dhindsa joins Zomato.
2014: Leaves to build Grofers.
2018-2021: Grofers struggles. The model isn't working.
2021: Grofers becomes Blinkit. All-in on 10-minute delivery.
2022: Zomato acquires Blinkit.
2024: Blinkit becomes Eternal's most valuable asset.

Goyal himself said it in his resignation post:

"I've found myself drawn to higher-risk exploration and experimentation. These ideas are better pursued outside a public company."

Translation: Goyal wants to build new shit. Dhindsa wants to scale existing shit.

Quick commerce is hitting an inflection point. The unit economics are finally working. The playbook is proven.

Now it's about execution at scale.

That's Dhindsa's strength.

He's not the visionary who creates categories. He's the operator who makes them profitable.

And that's exactly what Eternal needs.

Goyal knew it. The board knew it.

This wasn't a replacement. It was a handoff to the right person for the next phase.

Goyal gets to explore. Dhindsa gets to execute.

Both win.

But more importantly, Eternal wins.

Do you agree, or am I completely off here?

I studied 100 LinkedIn creators who hit 100K+ followers in 2025.
The gap between them and smaller creators is shockingly simple.

Last month, I got tired of reading 50+ LinkedIn posts from LinkedIn creators below 20k followers saying "just post consistently."

So I spent 40+ hours analyzing 100 LinkedIn profiles.
>> Tracked engagement
>> Tracked patterns
The differences weren't what I expected.

The system they all used:

1. Content pillars work: They rotated 4-6 core topics. No random posting. Just consistency in their niche.
2. The 80/20 rule: 80% valuable content, 20% promotional. They taught more than they sold.
3. Engagement is a two-way street: They spent 20-30 mins daily commenting in their niche. Quality insights, not "great post!" spam.
4. They showed up 4-5x weekly: Just consistent enough to stay visible.
5. Grade 5-7 language: No corporate jargon. Just clear, simple writing anyone could understand.
6. Data + personal stories: They backed claims with numbers, then made it human with their experience

The smaller creators? They posted and disappeared.

The ones at 100K+ treated LinkedIn like a conversation, not a broadcast.

I think this is what takes someone from 10K → 100K+ and keeps their audience engaged day after day.

Growth isn't about posting more. It's about showing up smarter.

What's your biggest struggle with LinkedIn growth right now?

Myth: Bangalore is lonely if you're new.
Reality: You're just looking in the wrong places.

I moved to Bangalore with 2 bags and rent anxiety.

16 months later, here's what fear actually taught me.

So, it was August 2024 when I landed in Bangalore with 2 bags, a management position I had no idea how to handle, and a head full of questions.

Option A: Stay in Pune. Comfortable. Familiar. Predictable.

Option B: Move to Bangalore. Alone. Expensive. Non-negotiable.

I didn’t pick B. Life did.

When I landed here:

Rent: ₹11,000
Food: ₹18,000 (if I'm lucky)
Auto rides: ₹2,000
Groceries: ₹2,000
Netflix + WiFi: ₹1,500
Miscellaneous: ₹5,500
Savings: LOL

Not because I was brave. But because I was more scared of comfort than discomfort.

Failures?

Failed at budgeting. Spent ₹20,000 on food in month 1 alone.
Failed at navigation. Got lost going to the same place three times.

But each failure taught me something:

- How to laugh at myself
- How to be okay with being uncomfortable
- How to find strength in uncertainty

Really, fear isn't the enemy. Avoiding fear is.

And every successful thing I've done started with being out of my comfort zone:

- Moving to a new city (out of comfort zone)
- Living alone for the first time (out of comfort zone)
- Building a life from scratch (out of comfort zone)

Fear is human. But it's strength when given purpose.

I'm not the same person who stepped off that plane in August 2024.

That person avoided discomfort.
This person seeks it out.

Sometimes the biggest growth happens in the most uncomfortable situations.

#bangalore

Why every scaling founder needs a LinkedIn presence (even if they hate attention)

Most founders who avoid LinkedIn say the same things:
“I’d rather build than post.”
“I don’t want to become a content person.”
“I hate talking about myself.”

Fair.

But here’s the part they miss.

When you don’t show up, other people define you.

Your company still gets judged.
Your credibility still gets priced.
Your story still travels. Just without you in it.

At early stages, silence is survivable.

At scale, it becomes expensive.

Here’s what a LinkedIn presence actually does for a scaling founder:

• It pre-sells trust before sales calls, partnerships, and hiring conversations
• It compresses decision time. People already know how you think
• It attracts inbound. Talent, capital, customers
• It reduces repetition. You stop explaining the same context again and again

None of this requires performance.

You don’t need hot takes.
You don’t need daily posts.
You don’t need to be loud.

You need clarity.

Clarity on:
What you’re building
Why it exists
How you think about problems in your market

That’s not attention-seeking.
That’s leadership with leverage.

Irony is that founders who hate attention often communicate best.

They’re precise.
They’re grounded.
They’re signal-heavy.

LinkedIn rewards that when you stop treating it like a stage.

Treat it like a public notebook.

One idea at a time.
One decision explained.
One lesson documented.

That’s how you scale visibility without becoming someone you’re not.

If you’re scaling a company, you’re already in the spotlight.

LinkedIn just lets you aim it.

If you are a founder, comment one area where invisibility is hurting you most right now

Look at this Shark Tank judge carefully...

Because his story will make you question everything you thought about 'safe corporate jobs'

In 2016, Varun Alagh was living the dream.

He's a Senior Brand Manager at The Coca-Cola Company earning ₹50 lakh/year. Managing ₹800+ crore worth of brands.

2026: He's worth ₹2,722 CRORES.

But here's the moment that changed everything...

One night. At 3 AM. His newborn son wouldn't stop crying.
Rashes everywhere. Red, inflamed skin. Severe allergies.

Varun searched everywhere for safe, toxin-free baby products in India.

He found NOTHING.

Now, he has two choices:
CHOICE 1: Complain. Move on. Accept it. Keep the high-paying job.
CHOICE 2: Risk it all. Build what doesn't exist.

November 2016.
He walks into his boss's office at Coca-Cola.
And quits.

Everyone thinks he's insane.

Then launches Mamaearth along with Ghazal Alagh in November 2016 from his living room

Year 1: Few customers. Everyone is doubting.

But then...

2018: ₹20 crore (parents start trusting)
2020: ₹460 crore (Word spreads)
2022: ₹964 crore (109% growth - it's a MOVEMENT now)
2023: IPO at ₹10,000 crore (Unicorn!)
2025: ₹2,500+ crore revenue

Today, Varun owns:

✅ 32.45% stake = ₹2,722 crore
✅ 6 brands (Mamaearth, The Derma Co., BBLUNT, Dr. Sheth's ~ For Indian Skin...)
✅ 40+ startup investments

Also, he is a judge on Shark Tank India.

All because

He didn't solve a market problem.
He solved HIS problem.

That's the difference between a business and a MOVEMENT.

So here's my question for you:
What's keeping YOU up at 3 AM right now?

Two coaches. Same credentials. Same results for clients.
One charges $100/hour.
The other charges $400/hour.

The only difference: Personal Branding.

People love coaching.
99% say they’re satisfied.
96% would do it again.

Yet only 29% of coaches ever cross $100K a year

Most don’t even coach full-time.

That contradiction isn’t accidental. It’s the result of missing Personal branding.

The problem isn’t your ability to help people.
It’s that no one can see the value clearly enough to pay for it.

Let’s break down where the 90% go wrong.

Mistake 1: They talk about themselves, not outcomes

Most coaches post:
• Credentials
• Mission statements
• Inspirational quotes

Very few show:
• What actually changes when someone works with them
• Specific before-and-after transformations
• Tangible results clients achieve

Clients don’t buy “alignment” or “potential.”
They buy clear transformation.

Mistake 2: They hide behind service delivery

Many coaches say:
“I’m too busy serving clients to create content.”

What’s really happening:
• All energy goes into delivery
• No system for visibility
• No inbound demand being built

Great work doesn’t market itself.
Invisible excellence stays invisible.

The top 10% treat visibility as part of the job, not an extra task.

Mistake 3: Their positioning is vague

“I help people with clarity.”
“I coach professionals.”
“I support growth.”

That sounds safe.
It’s also forgettable.

The coaches who win define:
• Exactly who they help
• Exactly what pain they solve
• Exactly what life looks like after

Specificity creates trust.
Generalization kills it.

Now, here's what separates the top 10%:

• They make clients the hero of the story
• They niche down and own one problem
• They share real experiences, not polished theory
• They price for value, not validation
• They build systems that convert attention into income

Personal branding isn’t about ego.
It’s about clarity.

If people don’t understand:
• Who you help
• What you fix
• Why you’re different

They won’t buy.
No matter how good you are.

Which mistake do you see most often among coaches today?

I saw Aman Gupta's post about sitting in the front row with PM Modi.
What he didn't mention is what he gave up to get there.

In his recent post from the Startup India event, he's sitting front row with Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi Ji and Minister Piyush Goyal Ji. Hosting tables at the India-Germany CEO Forum. Explaining Gujarati food to global CEOs.

But here's what hit me.

14 years ago, he was a Chartered Accountant with a safe job. Good salary. Clear path ahead.

Then he spent 2 years at JBL where he noticed customers walk away because ₹15,000 headphones were out of reach.

He saw the gap nobody was filling: quality audio at ₹1,000-5,000.
He left. Put in ₹30 lakh. Started boAt Lifestyle from a spare room.

→ First 8 months: ₹5 lakh revenue
→ People said cheap audio = junk, premium audio = JBL
→ No middle ground existed because nobody believed it could

But Aman wasn't building just a product. He was proving that Indian brands could be quality without being expensive.

While competitors were copying Western brands, Aman was studying Indian markets.

While they were hiring expensive celebrities, he was building authentic connections.

By FY25, boAt hit ₹3,000 crore revenue. 44.4% market share. India's #1 audio brand.

But the real win was proving that he was right.

Right about the gap. Right about Indian consumers. Right about quality at accessible prices.

And somewhere between that spare room and sitting next to the PM, Aman became the proof point every Indian founder needed:

You need to see a gap nobody else sees, and execute until they can't ignore you anymore.

What's the one thing you're building that feels too small right now but won't be in coming years?

Everyone says IIT/Stanford degrees don't matter anymore
The data says something different
But it's not what you think

After researching a few Indian unicorns, I found something that contradicts everything VCs say about pedigree.

VCs show 2:1 bias for elite founders at seed.
Yet only 35% of unicorns have elite pedigree.

The advantage exists. But not where you think.

Here's what the data actually shows:

In 2015, 77% of India's unicorns came from IITs.
Global degree = guaranteed VC meetings.
Pedigree was the filter.

In 2025, 56% of unicorns now come from non-elite backgrounds.
Capital raised at seed: 45% to elite founders, 55% to non-elite (parity).

But there's a paradox here.

VCs still show 2:1 bias at seed stage.
They'll take 2x more meetings with IIT/Stanford grads.
Seed rounds close 3 months faster for elite founders.

Yet this bias isn't predictive of success.

Here's where the advantage actually exists:

1. Speed to first capital (not total capital raised)
Elite founders get meetings faster. They close seed in 4-5 months vs 7-8 months for non-elite. That's it. By Series B, your pedigree means nothing. Only your traction matters.

2. Network access (only if going global)
Stanford/MIT/IIT grads have Silicon Valley alumni networks. This matters if you're expanding to the US.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma built Paytm (non-IIT, India-focused).
Saket Modi built Safe Security (global degree, US expansion).

Different playbooks. Both worked.

3. Visa pathway (the invisible advantage)
Global degree holders can relocate to Palo Alto faster. This isn't about capability. It's about immigration freedom. For India-centric founders, this advantage doesn't exist.

The real shift happening in 2026:
● New sectors dominating: D2C, fintech, agritech, healthtech.
● In these sectors, technical pedigree is irrelevant.

Mamaearth founders: Non-IIT
CRED (Kunal Shah): Non-IIT
Meesho: Non-elite founders scaling faster than traditional tech

What this means for founders:

-> If you're non-elite: The ceiling isn't your degree. It's your first 6 months of traction.

-> If you're elite: Your degree buys you 3 months at seed stage. Then execution takes over.

What's your take? Does pedigree still matter in 2026?

#IndianStartups #FounderJourney

88% of AI tools you're downloading are either burning VC money or slowly dying.

So if you actually want to invest your time (or money) in AI apps that have real user value.

Start here👇

Productivity & Workflows

Notion AI 
Gamma App 
Perplexity 
Canva 
ClickUp Brain 
Fireflies.ai 

Creativity & Design

Midjourney 
Runway ML
Leonardo.Ai 
Pika Labs 
Ideogram 
Suno 
PixVerse v5 

Marketing & Growth

Jasper 
Copy.ai 
Murf AI 
OpusClip
Synthesia 
ElevenLabs 

Personal & Everyday Tools
Todoist 
Gemini 
Character.ai 
ChatGPT (obviously)
Claude 
Replika 
TickTick 

The pattern I've noticed is that the profitable AI apps solve one specific problem extremely well.

They don't try to be everything.
They don't promise magic.
They just work.

Stop downloading every shiny new AI tool (it gets super boring)

Start using the ones that actually move the needle (that’s where the real money is made)

♻️ Repost if you agree + follow me if you’re tired of hype and ready for ROI in AI.

A 35 year old minister just explained why uneducated people built billion dollar companies and we can't

I was watching Nikhil Kamath's podcast with H.E. Omar Sultan AlOlama. He runs UAE's AI strategy, he's 35.

He said something that's been sitting with me for days.

"The best generation isn't us. It's not Gen Z. It's people who are 40-60 right now."

I thought he was going to talk about wisdom or experience.

But no.

His point was way simpler:
That generation had to develop a breadth of intelligence to survive.

Before Google, before the internet, you had to understand:
• How your environment actually worked
• Multiple skills just to get by
• Technology without depending on it

They couldn't hyper-specialize because life didn't let them.

And that's how uneducated people built billion dollar companies.

They knew a little about a lot of things.

Meanwhile, we've been training people to go narrow.

Pick one thing. Get really good at it. Own your niche.

Except now AI is better than us at every specialized thing.

Omar's example stuck with me:
If you're the world's best accountant, you're more replaceable than someone who knows accounting, sales, ops, and a bit of design.

Not because accounting goes away.

Because only knowing accounting means AI replaces you first.

What's the one skill you're betting stays relevant?

Image Source: @nikhil.kamath on YouTube

I studied 923 viral LinkedIn formats over the past 10 months. Here’s what I found.

Posts using the "Cascading Reveal" format were getting 3x more engagement than traditional storytelling posts.

Research backs this up:
>> Multi-image posts drive 6.6% engagement on LinkedIn [Social Insider]
>> The algorithm now rewards relevant, expert content over viral fluff, making genuine interactions matter more. [Tinuiti]

Here's what the Cascading Reveal format looks like:
You start with a bold claim or number.
Then you reveal layers of context, each line building tension.
The reader can't stop scrolling because each line promises the "why" is coming.

Example structure:

→ Line 1: The shocking stat or claim

Example 1 - I’m getting pretty [emotion/adjective] with all the “[common narrative or trend]” narrative now.
Example 2 - My [loved one] said [short phrase/words] that completely changed how I see [specific topic]

→ Lines 2-4: Set up the stakes (what was at risk)

Example -

For the longest time, I thought I [Moral dilemma/internal hesitation].
But having been [Triggering event / external validation] with the same story
I’m [Decision/personal responsibility] to warn other Indian girls on here [Intended audience/group at risk]

→ Lines 5-8: The turning point or discovery

Example - 
They just [contrarian action].
Yet they STILL [surprising outcome].
This proves it's not about [common assumption].
It's about the [the actual thing that makes a difference].

→ Lines 9-12: The breakdown of what actually worked
Example - 

What [personal strategy breakdown]:
- - > [Signature approach] - [Outcome with stats/results]

→ Final line: The CTA
It’s [offer/resource characteristic] & [valuable resource/tool/opportunity] I wish I had access to before buying my [personal moment]

Studies show that story structure naturally pulls people in - first their minds, then their hearts, then their actions [Science direct].

This explains why the cascading format works so well. It builds engagement step by step.

Try this with your next 5 posts. Track what happens.
You'll either prove me right or find what works better for you.

Mohit Yadav mortgaged his house, failed twice before Minimalist, and just sold his company for ₹2,955 crore to HUL.

His first startup. Failed.
His second venture, Free Will. Failed harder.

Most founders would've called it quits. Mohit mortgaged his home, borrowed from family, and raised ₹1 crore to try again.

But that second failure taught him that pretty marketing doesn't fix broken unit economics.

Free Will burned money trying to scale. Years of work. Good traction. Dead anyway.

The lesson was you can't chase growth without understanding the math underneath.

October 2020: Minimalist launched with 200 Instagram followers.
His bet was to give ingredient-transparent, science-backed skincare at ₹300-700.

No BS marketing.
No discounting.

The Minimalist playbook:

● No flash sales (margins stay intact)
● Educated customers instead of pitching to them (trust > ads)
● Hired scientists, not influencers (credibility that compounds)
● Watched every rupee like it was the last one

Products sold out in days. 10,000 followers in 2 days. ₹100 crore revenue in 8 months.

Minimalist became profitable from Day 1.

While most D2C brands burn cash to grow, Mohit (a CA by training) spent ₹0.95 to earn ₹1. That discipline came from failure.

-> FY22: ₹108 crore revenue
-> FY24: ₹347 crore revenue, ₹10.83 crore profit
-> 220% growth in 2 years. Maintained profitability throughout.

In January 2025, HUL acquired 90.5% for ₹2,955 crore. That's 5.2x their Series A valuation.
Mohit's personal wealth reached ₹600+ crore.

Now he's judging Shark Tank India Season 5.

Two failures taught him consumer preferences, ingredient formulations, and what doesn't work.

His third attempt was a flawless execution.

Would you mortgage your house to go all in on a startup?

2024: Automation was an advantage
2025: Automation became baseline
2026: Automation is survival

Real automation works in layers.

I call it The Three-Layer Automation Stack.

Here’s how it actually works 👇

Layer 1: Creation

What gets automated:
● Ideas
● Hooks
● Drafts
● Visuals
● Emails

Result: Speed without burnout.

Layer 2: Distribution

What gets automated:
● Multi-platform posting
● Repurposing (1 → 10)
● Audience segmentation
● Performance tracking

Result: Reach without more work.

Layer 3: Engagement

What gets automated:
● Lead detection
● Follow-ups
● Scoring
● CRM sync

Result: Conversations without chasing.

Compounding Effect
Layer 1 only → 2× speed
Layer 1 + 2 → 5× reach
All 3 → 20× prospects

Automation doesn’t add.
It multiplies.

What I'm running in 2026:
Layer 1: AI drafts, I refine. 90 minutes per piece.
Layer 2: One post becomes 10 formats across 5 platforms. 15 minutes.
Layer 3: 500 prospects identified, top 50 contacted, all tracked automatically.

Not because it's trendy. Because the math makes ignoring it impossible.

Which layer are you still doing manually?
(⬇️ Comment 1, 2, or 3)

Three-Layer Automation Stack

I analyzed 768 founder posts. Here are the only 5 formats that matter.

Let's say Founder A posts an opinion piece about the future of SaaS.
Result: 200 likes, 50 comments, 30 shares.
Pipeline generated: $0

Founder B posts about a specific customer problem they solved.
Result: 40 likes, 8 comments, 5 saves.
Pipeline generated: $10K customer closed in 3 weeks.

Same audience size. Same industry. Different formats.

The 5 formats that consistently generate qualified DMs, customer conversations, and pipeline:

1. Specific Pain Point + Acknowledgment

Not: "Founders struggle with content."
Yes: "You're posting 3x per week. Getting decent engagement. But your DMs are empty and you don't know why."

Why it works: Makes the ideal customer feel understood. They comment to self-identify. You start conversations with pre-qualified leads.

2. Before/After + Methodology

Show transformation. Explain how.
Not: "We grew from 0 to 50K followers."
Yes: "6 months ago, my posts got 20 views. Today they average 5K. Here's the 3-change system that made the difference."

Why it works: People don't want inspiration. They want replicable process. Methodology posts attract action-takers, not scrollers.

3. Behind-the-Scenes Vulnerability

Show what's not working. Share real struggle.
Not: "Building a startup is hard."
Yes: "We burned $50K testing a pricing model that failed in 3 weeks. Here's what we learned and what we're trying next."

Why it works: Perfection repels. Vulnerability creates trust. Buyers want to work with founders who iterate, not founders who pretend they have all answers.

4. Carousel Storytelling (But Not What You Think)

Carousels get 24.42% engagement vs 6.67% for text-only.
That's 3.6x more likes and comments.
Use carousels for brand awareness and reach.
Use personal stories for trust and deals.

Why it works: Carousels are shareable. They expand your audience. But they don't close deals alone. Use them to get discovered. Use other formats to convert.

5. Live Expertise Demonstration

Show, don't tell.
Not: "I help founders grow on LinkedIn."
Yes: "Here's the exact 3-line hook structure I use. Copy it. Test it. Report results in comments."

Why it works: Giving away your best work builds credibility faster than talking about your work. People who use your free frameworks become buyers of your paid services.

Which format are you testing first?

Nikunj Biyani just launched the Mega Protein Wafer on Instamart.
20g protein. No palm oil. Made with atta and jowar. No added sugar.

I've tried way too many protein bars that taste like flavored chalk. This one actually looks promising.

What I love is that he said "our tastiest product yet" and coming from someone who's been in FMCG for years, that actually means something.

SuperYou's been crushing it. The exclusive Instamart launch is smart too. Gets it in front of people fast.

Anyway, I'll order a pack. Will report back.

If you're looking for a protein snack that doesn't suck, check it out.

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taplio

The Battle

Sayanta Goswami

Ayaan Pathan

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Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Sayanta Goswami's LinkedIn Performance

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