WTF Ep# 16 | What character "flaws" make the best entrepreneurs? Nikhil ft.Ritesh, Ghazal and Manish

Virtues required to build a business today seem to have become a cliché. What often gets lost in the cracks are the subtle nuances that actually make or break a business. The importance of risk-taking and the power of a contrarian mindset in running a successful venture requires far more than mere intellect. Founders of OYO, Mama Earth, and Rare Rabbit open up about what makes them tick, from the impact of their upbringing on their ambition to the drive towards financial independence. Their experiences remind us that the real ‘secret’ to building a successful business is learning from every challenge and opportunity one encounters
We break down traits that seem to persist in high-performing individuals, not all of which come from a happy space. Financial insecurity and childhood traumas shape much of how we act and operate as adults. Watch this episode to learn about how when it is channeled the right way, it can prove to be the building blocks of the traits needed to build a successful business.

#nikhilkamath Co-founder of Zerodha, True Beacon and Gruhas
Twitter https://x.com/nikhilkamathcio/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhilkamathcio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikhilkamathcio/
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#RiteshAgarwal - CEO of OYO Rooms
Twitter: https://twitter.com/riteshagar
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riteshagar/?originalSubdomain=in
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riteshagar/?hl=en
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#GhazalAlagh - Co-Founder of Mamaearth
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GhazalAlagh
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghazal-alagh
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghazalalagh/?hl=en

#ManishPoddar - Founder & CEO of Rare Rabbit

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction and Objective of this Episode
1:54 Who is Ghazal Alagh? | Childhood Learnings and Struggle
5:24 School life and Insecurities
8:02 Ghazal's special relationship with her mother
12:50 How life changed for Ghazal in high school
18:50 Why is Loyalty important to Ghazal
20:40 The Drive for Financial Independence
27:50 What does art mean to Ghazal?
30:10 What was Ghazal doing before Mama Earth?
39:25 How did Ghazal Identify an Opportunity in Skin Care?
46:50 Mama Earth’s early days of Product Development and Marketing
55:40 Mama Earth’s Sales Techniques & Customer Engagement
1:09:12 Nikhil’s Summary of Ghazal’s Journey
1:13:50 Introduction to Rare Rabbit
1:15:14 Manish Poddar on Growing Up in Bombay
1:22:35 The Textile Industry in Bombay during the 1970s
1:28:15 Experience working with the Family Business
1:36:00 Entering the export business
1:38:50 Insights on the European Fashion Industry
1:44:17 Dealing with Early Failures and Learnings
1:48:36 Culture of European Fashion Companies
1:55:45 What does it take to build a Fashion Brand today?
2:03:35 Importance of Embracing Risk in Entrepreneurship
2:11:03 What is styling?
2:12:10 Story behind Rare Rabbit
2:17:30 Does getting influencers work for brands?
2:19:15 What worked for Rare Rabbit?
2:24:05 What was the breakthrough point in Rare Rabbit
02:26:51 Hacks to start a clothing brand
02:37:05 Nikhil Summarises Manish Poddar Journey
02:38:30 Ritesh Agarwal Introduction: Calmness and Belief in God
02:43:00 How does Ritiesh define spirituality?
2:48:00 - How was Ritesh's childhood like?
02:51:00 Why is India's Cost of borrowing higher than other developing countries?
02:53:30 How did Ritesh's equation with siblings change over time?
2:57:28 How important is clarity of thought and being contrarian in entrepreneurship?
03:01:30 Where did the rebelliousness come from?
03:03:54 - How does Ritesh give feedback and solve problems?
3:07:16 What are Ritesh's personality flaws?
03:08:20 - Does delay in gratification make one successful?
03:13:39 - What does a 21 year old lack today?
3:19:10 - Uday Kotak's humility
03:23:10 - How did the Thiel Fellowship change Ritesh’s life?
03:33:50 - Serendipity Moments in Ritiesh’s life?
03:40:35 - What helped Ritesh deal with low days?
03:46:10 - How did OYO scale up?
03:53:00 - How did Covid changed businesses?
03:57:45 - Relationship with Softbank CEO
04:03:00 - Advice to Entrepreneur to Find Right Opportunity
04:12:00 - WTF Fund