Shirish Nadkarni, Author of From Startup to Exit | An Insider's Guide to Launching and Scaling Your Tech Business
Shirish Nadkarni, Author of From Startup to Exit | An Insider's Guide to Launching and Scaling Your Tech Business
References & Resources
Shirish Nadkarni
Serial Entrepreneur, Author of From Startup to Exit
Books Mentioned
From Startup to Exit: An Insider's Guide to Launching and Scaling Your Tech Business
by Shirish Nadkarni
Buy on Amazon →Key Topics
Companies & Organizations
Livemocha
Co-founder of the world's largest language learning site with 15+ million registered members, acquired by RosettaStone.
TeamOn Systems
Founder of a mobile wireless e-mail pioneer, acquired by Research in Motion (Blackberry) in 2002.
Acquired Livemocha.
Acquired TeamOn Systems, using its technology for Blackberry Internet E-mail.
Show Notes
Shirish Nadkarni is a serial entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience in creating consumer businesses that have scaled to tens of millions of users worldwide. He was the co-founder of Livemocha, the world's largest language learning site with 15+ million registered members. Livemocha pioneered the concept of social language learning and was later acquired by RosettaStone. Prior to Livemocha, Shirish was the founder of TeamOn Systems, a mobile wireless e-mail pioneer that was acquired by Research in Motion in 2002. The TeamOn technology served as the core foundation for Blackberry Internet E-mail, which had over 50 million users at its peak.
➡️ Talking Points
00:00 — Intro
04:30 — Shirish Nadkarni’s Origin Story
07:15 — What Was The Point Where Shirish Decided to Build His Own Company?
11:00 — How Does Shirish Research Market Fit Product?
14:08 — If Given The Chance, Would Shirish Have Started His Company Differently?
15:33 — Shirish’s Advice For People Who Are Doing Research On Product Market Fit
23:49 — How To Plan To Sell Your Company?
25:50 — Shirish’s Time At Blackberry.
27:19 — How Did Shirish Start His Second Company?
30:23 — Lessons Learned Starting Multiple Companies.
33:28 — What Are Some Strategies To Raise Funds For Startups?
36:19 — How Do Founders Reach More Investors For Fund Raising?
37:55 — How to Select A VC As A Partner?
39:17 — What Is The Standard Agreement With A Venture Firm?
40:03 — Why Is Strong Company Culture Important To Build Or Grow A Company?
44:47 — Who Should Read Shirish’s Book?
46:27 — How Can People Connect With Shirish Nadkarni?
47:16 — What Was The Biggest Challenge Of Shirish’s Career, And How Did He Overcome It?
47:50 — How Important Is Being Able To Pivot As An Entrepreneur?
48:31 — Who Was Shirish’s Mentor?
49:28 — A Book Or A Podcast Recommendation By Shirish
50:15 — What Is One Thing That Shirish Would Tell His 20-Year-Old Self?
51:01 — What Is One Big Misconception About Start-ups?