Ajay Y.

Simplified

Co-Founder

Investor

Forbes

30 under 30

Contributor

EvaBot Inc.

Advisor

Roomi

Founder

Executive Chairman

Roomi is a free website & app making it safer & easier to search for room rentals, sublets & roommates.

Chief Executive Officer

Forbes Real Estate Council

Founding Member

DADA Room

WEVE Acceleration (formerly NUMA New York)

Mentor

HuffPost

UPRISE Festival Europe

Lean Startup Machine

Ajay Yadav, a first-generation immigrant entrepreneur and angel investor, has received recognition from notable sources such as Forbes, CNN, HuffPost, and TechCrunch.

Born in India, Ajay relocated to suburban Pennsylvania when he was 17. He learned English and experienced a harsh winter in only a denim jacket. After hearing that success could be found in New York, he decided to move there just six months later, finding an apartment on Craigslist.

During college, Ajay pursued side projects and businesses instead of attending lectures like his peers. One of his ventures was a digital classifieds site called EzeeAdvertise, designed specifically for the Indian market. With no outside support, he managed to make the business financially viable.

Ajay's next project was an online roommate-finding app called Roomi. Venturing beyond the classroom, he led Roomi to raise over 20 million dollars and attract over 3 million users. Throughout this journey, Ajay gained valuable insights on leading teams, generating revenue, and learning from his experiences to become a well-rounded leader.

Dedicated to creating tools that connect people in today's remote-focused world, Ajay was honored in the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2017 for his achievements in consumer technology. Motivated by the determination of immigrant, women, and BIPOC entrepreneurs, he began investing in companies like Coffee Meets Bagel, Doorvest, Simplified, and Squire, while also advising minority-led startups.

Currently, Ajay has co-founded Simplified, a comprehensive marketing software that combines content creation, collaboration, and publishing tools into one application. As a content creator, he knows the effort required to create and publish content. Simplified, powered by AI, aims to help creators produce more content, reduce costs, and grow their businesses more efficiently.

ChatGPT has 1.8 billion visits every year.

And 99% of them don’t know how to use it.

Here’s how you can generate better results with GPT:


1/ Don’t be polite.

While using ChatGPT, be direct.
No need to be polite.
The less you write, the better results it will create.


2/ Use fancy words
Believe it or not, ChatGPT loves fancy stuff.

Instead of using “Don’t”,  Use “Exclude”.

Why?
Because it struggles with negations.

So don’t use words like “never”, “don’t”, “or no”.

3/ Add Expertise

Whenever I use ChatGPT, I always add “Act like” along with my expertise in all my prompts.

This will help you get the right answers from GPT.

Imagine you are the CEO, and getting answers like CEO too.

4/ Add brackets or line breaks

Whenever you add an example or a specific guideline, use:

### GUIDELINE ### or ### EXAMPLE ###

5/ Don’t use emojis

The algorithm hates emojis. So try avoiding that.

Instead, explain your emotions in one sentence.

6/ Be commanding

Always explain everything with authority.

Like “Explain it to me like I’m a …..”.

It always works.

7/ Give briefs

Instead of complex tasks, use simple steps.

Make step by step process.

Explain it like you are telling a brief. To the point.


All these points will help you improve your results 10x. 

Let me know which one is your favourite. 

#chatgpt #aitools 

I dropped out of college and yet built 3 successful businesses from scratch. 


Not praising myself. 

The point is you don't need degrees when it comes to building businesses. 

Yes, degrees help with the speed of your business. 

But a successful business is run by people with real experiences and failures. 

And you cannot get that from a business school. 

I failed multiple times. 
I even got rejected for my pitches. 
I dropped out. 

And that's where 99% of the people actually fail. By giving up. 

But did I ever stop? No. 

I knew my ideas were good and that the market needed them. 

So if you have an idea that you think is relevant and important in today's time. Share in the comment. 

And if you are looking for new opportunities, share in the comment. 

Let's network and find opportunities. 💪 


#opportunities #growth #LinkedIn

Ajay Yadav

Co-founder @Simplified | First-gen, immigrant entrepreneur & angel investor. Talks about AI, startups, business, & growth.

Simplified is a remote-first company. 

Work from home and Zoom meetings never impacted our work even once. 

In the last 3 years, I have seen so many amazing companies doing 10x from the WFH model in the US. 

At the end of the day, it's not about whether your employees are working from home or the office. It's about efficiency, effectiveness, and adaptation. 

What do you think about this statement from Nike's CEO? 

Can remote work impact innovation and slow down a company?

#remotework #workfromhome #aitools 

My first entrepreneurial lesson from a decade ago. 👇 


I never thought when I first moved to America that I’d be ever writing or working on startups. I was a shy kid or can define myself as a socially awkward kid who couldn’t really interact with anyone. 

One day, I was killing some time on meetup.com and found this startup rooftop event. I actually haven’t been to a rooftop before, I somehow made it and the view was worth it.

I stood in a corner so that I don’t talk to anyone, but since entrepreneurs love asking “what you do”, they had to find and ask me too.

It started with one person and just went on and on for the next 2–3 hours. I started feeling lighter and more relaxed. 

A few months after I started working on an idea and with each day I had more and more questions to be answered.

I couldn’t wait any further to ask people and see if it really works.

There were a few things I asked and a few amazing people who were generous enough to reply back. 

I learned, absorbed, and met more people, and it’s just a never-ending process.

I asked why all these people were doing this and why they wanna help me but since I didn’t know why, I made my own answer:
They are teaching me how to be generous to others, keep spreading knowledge, and value human connection.

All these things taught me a lesson to start sharing and be ready when there is someone out there looking to ask.

Read my latest newsletter to know the full story: 
https://lnkd.in/gZjYjKmd

#newsletter #entrepreneurship #startups

Meet Steven Montgomery, the man behind one of the fastest-growing home service franchises in the US.


1. Steven's entrepreneurial journey began in high school working alongside his dad in the painting business. But that chapter closed when his father switched careers. College wasn't quite the right fit either, leading Steven to drop out and get married.

2. Undeterred, he returned to painting during college breaks, leveraging his dad's old equipment for jobs with his mom's real estate clients. The taste of financial freedom fueled his desire to become his own boss.

3. Despite starting with just $12 in the bank, Steven built "That 1 Painter" from the ground up. His initial triumph, securing a $2,800 painting job, was quickly dashed when the customer canceled. 

But Steven wasn't fazed. He embraced a "whatever it takes" mentality, pounding the pavement to drum up business and building relationships with real estate agents.

4. Steven wasn't satisfied with just making ends meet. He craved growth and challenged himself to become a true entrepreneur. During a meeting with his paint supplier, he declared (somewhat jokingly) that he'd be the biggest painting company in Austin. The supplier laughed, but that only fueled Steven's fire.

5. Inspired by the book "The E-Myth," Steven discovered the power of franchising and set his sights on building a scalable system. He started with That 1 Painter, then expanded into Garage Up and Pink's window cleaning, all under the umbrella of ResiBrands.


Here are some key strategies Steven used to build his franchise empire:

✅ Setting Ridiculous Goals: Don't be afraid to dream big. Write down ambitious goals and track your progress. Even if you don't hit them all, they'll serve as stepping stones on your journey.

✅ The 5 R's of Revenue: This framework focuses on building a sustainable home service business by leveraging real estate agents, reputation, repeat business, referrals, and relationships.

✅ Playbooks for Every Department:  Having documented processes ensures consistency and simplifies training as your business scales.

ResiBrands offers a franchise opportunity with a relatively low barrier to entry compared to other franchises. It's ideal for those seeking financial freedom and a proven system, but not necessarily for those who crave complete control.


This is a story that proves you don't need a college degree or a hefty starting budget to achieve massive success.

#entrepreneur #founderstory #franchise 


I have seen many founders who cling to a business even when they know it's failing for years. 

They go till they lose all the money and energy to continue. 

I have failed many times, and it's no big deal, to be honest. 

Failing is a part of entrepreneurship. 

But knowing when to STOP and take a step back is very important as a founder. 

So, do it when you have the energy and BUILD IT AGAIN. 

Have you faced this position?

#entrepreneurship #startup 

If you are doing less than a million $$ of revenue and have <50 people in your startup, read this:


Ditch content-heavy docs, spreadsheets, OKRs, unnecessary data, and rules. Don’t overcomplicate the steps.

Create some solid rituals instead. Try this:

1.    Daily all hands – Have a quick 20-30-minute daily catch-up with your team.
2.    Weekly all hands – have a cross-functional meeting so that all the departments are on the same page.
3.    Monthly 1:1 stand-ups – Have all the contractors, freelancers, and team show up for a monthly meeting to review the strategies, product demos, and next month’s plan.
4.    Open Slack channels – Rather than WhatsApp DMs, have open Slack channels so everyone can chime in and give their input.

And watch your start-up grow smoothly.

What else would you add?

hashtag

#routine #startups

I never check how many hours my team is working or if they are always online. 

What matters is if the work is getting done or not. 

If yes, everything else is secondary. 

#workculture #remote #ai 

Most Often We Fail Because We Don't Say 'No' Often.


The biggest thing that separates experienced Ajay from rookie Ajay is having the courage to say “No”.

When I first came to New York, I was not an entrepreneur.

But I started connecting with startup founders here, and the first thing I noticed in my interactions was the sense of wonder and the sheer curiosity most of these people had.

They always had questions to ask, and a hunger to know more.

Most of them did not make me feel beneath them, even when I was nobody. They wanted to know who I was, and what I wanted to do.

Over the years, I’ve continued to be curious. I’ve loved meeting people, telling them about my work, and asking questions. I’ve loved hearing what they have to say.

But I’ve also learned to control what I do with their opinions and to balance my curiosity with my beliefs.

You can’t build everything for everyone. The moment you start indulging in every thought or opinion is the moment you decide to fail.

So for a founder, it means:
📌 Not diluting your efforts across too many ventures.
📌 Avoid distractions that divert your path.
📌 Prioritising what truly matters

If you’re a first-time founder, stick to your gut and data, and be as picky as possible about the people you choose to take advice from.

Don’t hesitate to say “no” if that is what you truly believe to be the best decision.

I have explained this in my latest newsletter. 

Read here: 
https://lnkd.in/gkEFGvHx?

#newsletter #entrepreneurship #marketing

I come to India often and every time I am surprised to see 15-18 y/olds making tons loads of money!


While it’s aspirational for many yet,

Here are the top 7 websites that can help you build and accelerate your earnings in 2024:

1. Crossover :

A talent marketplace that connects top talent with remote full-time positions in technology, sales, marketing, and customer support.

2. DesignCrowd:

A crowdsourcing platform connecting businesses with freelance designers for logo design, graphic design, and other creative projects.

3. CodePen:

An online community for front-end developers to showcase and share their code snippets, and projects, and find job opportunities.

4. Kaggle:

A platform for data scientists and machine learning enthusiasts to participate in competitions, collaborate on projects, and find job opportunities.

5. Catalant:

This platform connects businesses with on-demand experts, consultants, and project-based professionals across various industries.

6. SimplyHired:

A job search engine that aggregates job listings from various sources, covering a wide range of industries and professions.

7. Wellfound:

A platform connecting startups with talent, offering job opportunities in technology, marketing, design, and business development.

Comment below & share which platform helped you the most.


#ai #tools #careergrowth 

5 Hard Truths I Learned the Hard Way after moving to the US at 17:

(No.4 is my favorite) 


1️⃣ It always takes 2x amount of time and resources to realize your vision.
Startup founders usually have an 18-month vision they sell to their investors: “Whatever I am doing, I can get this done in 18 months.”

Absolutely f-ing wrong.

It always takes twice the amount of anticipated time and money to get to a decent MVP. 

2️⃣ Firing is as important as hiring and tougher.

Startups require everyone on the team to wear more than one hat. A product manager may take up marketing, and an engineer might be seen editing videos if needed.

If an individual fails to fulfill their responsibilities, you’ve gotta make that hard call to let them go, even if it breaks your heart.

3️⃣ Valuations don’t bring money back home, profits do.
Do you realize most startups never make money? I almost made this mistake before too.

It's not a business if it does not make money, it's an expensive hobby. In my previous company, for more than 4 years I had millions of users using my product but no guts to charge them for it.

You absolutely NEED to view profitability as a top priority from day one.

4️⃣ Stop trying to please everyone. You won’t.

Most often we fail because we don't say no often. 

You cannot build everything for everyone. The sooner you internalise this, the easier your journey will become.

Solve one problem, but be the best one to solve it.

5️⃣  It’s a long, long game. Be prepared, and enjoy.

I’ve learned that building a company is not a two-year stint, at least for me and the people I’ve met.

The reason we keep choosing to invest that kind of time is because we’d rather do this than slog at a 9–5 in an MNC.

Yes, the money is great when it’s there, but it’s because we don’t know anything better to put a part of us in. I always say founders are passionate people, and passion gives you the courage to go on. It has to


What are the hard truths that you learned in your entrepreneurial journey? 

#entrepreneur #hardtruths #founders

The best product doesn't always win. The best-known product does.


If you are not investing in marketing and building a personal brand audience, you are falling behind. 

Cracking your marketing strategy early on is imperative for a startup to grow. 

What would you choose?
Good product with good distribution or a great product but no audience.

This is the reason why 9 out of 10 businesses fail in the first few years. 

#marketing #product #distribution 

After building 3 successful million-dollar startups, here are some DON’T’s of hiring when you don’t have enough resources:


1. Investing over 50% in marketing
When you are in the initial stage, investing so much in marketing makes no sense.
I understand it can take you from 0 to 1, but you should fix a budget that leaves room for you to focus on your product.

2. Quantity over quality
Don’t focus on hiring the most convenient person who can get the job done for a hefty amount.
Someone who knows their job can get things done in less amount but they charge a lot.
So, hire someone mid-experienced who can do your work and doesn’t burn your pocket.

3. Hiring people who have worked in big companies
People who work at big companies might have credibility, but they also look for a stable environment with good pay.
And initially, for a startup that’s hard unless you are funded big.

4. Don’t pay with equity
Most of the start-ups I see in the US tend to pay with equity when they are trying to raise funds or are bootstrapped. But this is not good for the long run.
In the beginning, it's hard to evaluate the company and you might actually end up giving away a lot.
So do the math properly before offering equity.


I have made plenty of mistakes when it comes to hiring and I am sure you will do that too.

But if you have a bootstrapped company, sometimes caution is good.

Analyse your decisions once more before making them.

I hope it helps.

#bootstrapped #marketing #entrepreneur.

Should founders raise money or continue bootstrapping?


While many founders believe bootstrapping is the right way,

Here are 3 reasons why you need to assess your startup’s needs and make the right decision!

📌 Look at your business timelines.

Businesses do best when the right product hits the right audience at the right time and that means accelerating the journey to be on time!

So, go back to your timelines and see if the market’s upcycle resonates with it or not.

📌 Do you have the right team?

Tech developers, marketing heads, etc need competitive salaries!

And that means, opening your pockets and attracting top-tier talent as no founder should negotiate on the right team.

📌 Pay attention to your advisors/mentors

Founders often need a trusted mentor/advisor who can give time, energy, and effort to understand the business and guide them toward the best directions. 

I have often found experienced investors the right people for it as they want the business to flourish as much as the founder (but always choose the right investors)

While it doesn’t matter if you raise money or run it bootstrapped, what a founder needs is a proper assessment of their business, market, goals, and vision in order to make the right decision!

But eventually, the best way to run a business is to have a business that makes money.💰️

#startup #fundraise #growth

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