{"id":5334,"date":"2023-01-06T10:44:35","date_gmt":"2023-01-06T10:44:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.matsio.com\/matsio\/saasboomi\/?p=5334"},"modified":"2024-05-23T13:38:11","modified_gmt":"2024-05-23T13:38:11","slug":"path-to-winning-product-lessons-by-shekhar-kirani","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.matsio.com\/matsio\/saasboomi\/saas\/product\/path-to-winning-product-lessons-by-shekhar-kirani\/","title":{"rendered":"A brick-by-brick path to a winning product \u2014 Founding lessons from Shekhar Kirani"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"\">\n<h3 id=\"d250\" class=\"pw-subtitle-paragraph iq hs ht bd b ir is it iu iv iw ix iy iz ja jb jc jd je jf jg jh dw\">Starting from scratch, the tech exec-turned-VC shares a tactical guide on how to think about founding, product, and funding<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"5d19\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">There are more questions than answers in the run-up to and during the early stages of founding a company. Founders have many ideas they could pursue and several different approaches they take. The only way to streamline your <a href=\"https:\/\/saasboomi.org\/saas\/marketing\/playbook-on-how-to-build-a-startup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">startup journey<\/a> is by talking to people who have had a ringside view of the process.<\/p>\n<p id=\"b7cd\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Shekhar Kirani, a partner at Accel, was among the first VCs to see <a href=\"https:\/\/saasboomi.org\/saas\/growth\/rise-of-indian-saas-wired-for-growth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Indian SaaS as a diamond in the rough<\/a>. He has written some of the earliest checks for record-making SaaS firms including Freshworks, Chargebee, BrowserStack, and Zenoti. He is known for having the Midas touch. We know him as the Don Valentine of Indian SaaS. His wisdom draws from his time working in tech companies.<\/p>\n<p id=\"0ec5\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">In a roundtable, he shared some insights around founding journey with fluent insight and characteristic wit.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"dd03\" class=\"ke kf ht bd kg kh ki kj kk kl km kn ko iz kp ja kq jc kr jd ks jf kt jg ku kv bi\"><strong class=\"ak\">1. Why do we start up? What is the end goal?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p id=\"b7b8\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl kw iu jn jo kx ix jq jr ky jt ju jv kz jx jy jz la kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">To solve a pain point. A problem that you have spotted and can relate to, which no one has solved for, or at least solved well for.<\/p>\n<p id=\"958c\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">What you absolutely need to have, in Shekhar\u2019s view, are a great idea, good unit economics, a good market, and the conviction to put in the time. How do you know if your idea is great? The VC says that has to do with product thinking: <strong>\u201cIt takes keen observation of what people struggle with and how.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p id=\"4c7c\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Your execution will be affected by unit economics and market conditions, he adds.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"lb\">\n<p id=\"4852\" class=\"lc ld ht bd le lf lg lh li lj lk kd dw\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u201cIf market conditions and unit economics are good, you can win even if you\u2019re an okay entrepreneur. If you are a great entrepreneur but in a niche market with enough fish in the pond, no matter how efficient you are, you will exhaust the market.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p id=\"b4a3\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl ll iu jn jo lm ix jq jr ln jt ju jv lo jx jy jz lp kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">He reminds founders that starting up is a long-haul journey. Typically, it means putting in one decade of work, says Shekhar. \u201cBy the time you hit 35, all your prime years will have gone towards solving this problem. So pick a problem that is worth spending 10 years solving.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"afa9\" class=\"ke kf ht bd kg kh ki kj kk kl km kn ko iz kp ja kq jc kr jd ks jf kt jg ku kv bi\"><strong class=\"ak\">2. How do you cultivate the entrepreneur mindset?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p id=\"d62b\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl kw iu jn jo kx ix jq jr ky jt ju jv kz jx jy jz la kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Once an entrepreneur decides to start up, it is hard to continue working for somebody else. Shekhar\u2019s advice is: <strong>Don\u2019t try to start up part-time and make it a success.<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"lb\">\n<p id=\"a457\" class=\"lc ld ht bd le lf lg lh li lj lk kd dw\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u201cBecause almost all fail even while doing it full time, so part time is impossible,\u201d he quips. \u201cDo the work, collect the data, meet people and talk, and once you have enough data, commit to it long term.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p id=\"b46f\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl ll iu jn jo lm ix jq jr ln jt ju jv lo jx jy jz lp kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Entrepreneurs who belong to families with very high regard for ownership-driven ventures benefit from already having that mindset. \u201cIf you come from traditional business families, there is the advantage of understanding unit economics \u2014 how do I buy, how do I sell, will I make money? If it does not pass the family sniff test or the\u00a0<em class=\"lq\">dhanda\u00a0<\/em>test, you know it is not a good idea.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"5b8a\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">In other cases, people have to learn how to make decisions. That is non-negotiable, particularly in India, where somebody else makes major decisions for us.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"lb\">\n<p id=\"8e8c\" class=\"lc ld ht bd le lf lg lh li lj lk kd dw\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u201cWe are not trained to make decisions but are suddenly <a href=\"https:\/\/saasboomi.org\/saas\/growth\/acceleration-a-virtue-of-entrepreneurship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">exposed to it as entrepreneurs<\/a>. So you have to learn the art and science of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p id=\"998c\" class=\"ji jj lq jk b jl ll iu jn jo lm ix jq lu ln jt ju lv lo jx jy lw lp kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Understand people. Without that, you can\u2019t run a big team and earn big revenue. Extend that learnability to other subjects too.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"ji jj lq jk b jl ll iu jn jo lm ix jq lu ln jt ju lv lo jx jy lw lp kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Your learnability index has to be high, according to Shekhar, and that only happens from meeting up, having discussions, and \u2014 importantly \u2014 reading books. \u201cAll the entrepreneurs who are successful read a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p id=\"9176\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Another skill Shekhar points to here is the ability to spot talent. There is no way for an entrepreneur to be successful without having a large and thoughtfully assembled team.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"lr ls lt\">\n<p id=\"e580\" class=\"ji jj lq jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq lu js jt ju lv jw jx jy lw ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u201cYou need to know who is the right person and how to recruit them. For me that is the sign of a good founder \u2014 knowing how to spot raw diamonds and rewarding them with salaries and ESOPs over time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 id=\"fa65\" class=\"ke kf ht bd kg kh ki kj kk kl km kn ko iz kp ja kq jc kr jd ks jf kt jg ku kv bi\"><strong class=\"ak\">3. How to prepare yourself for a life as an entrepreneur?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p id=\"02e2\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl kw iu jn jo kx ix jq jr ky jt ju jv kz jx jy jz la kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Clarity of thinking and focus will help with every action that is involved in entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n<p id=\"29c9\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Give yourself two to three years of runway to clear your mind and have a really good stab at the problem. Any less than that, and it is difficult to judge potential. Have that milestone and build the capacity to run your life for three years.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"lr ls lt\">\n<p id=\"fab3\" class=\"ji jj lq jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq lu js jt ju lv jw jx jy lw ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u201cThere will be a lot of pressure,\u201d warns Shekhar. \u201cColleagues will buy cars, go on international holidays. But you need to have the internal stamina to say it is okay.\u201d If you don\u2019t prepare yourself as such, you risk giving up too soon.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p id=\"bc8e\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">One hack is to keep your own lifestyle very simple and low maintenance.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"96c5\" class=\"ke kf ht bd kg kh ki kj kk kl km kn ko iz kp ja kq jc kr jd ks jf kt jg ku kv bi\"><strong class=\"ak\">4. How do you know whether enough people are affected by your particular pain point?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p id=\"e43e\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl kw iu jn jo kx ix jq jr ky jt ju jv kz jx jy jz la kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Identify whether what you have is a push idea or a pull idea.<\/p>\n<p id=\"d64e\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">There are multiple ways to know if people are looking for your solution, says Shekhar. Imagine that you are building a children\u2019s product. He suggests going to 20 houses in any metropolitan city and asking them what are the top five things they would want to change for their kids. They may talk about issues with lunch, homework, and illnesses.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"lr ls lt\">\n<p id=\"b583\" class=\"ji jj lq jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq lu js jt ju lv jw jx jy lw ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u201cIf you do 100 studies and no one mentions your problem, then I call it a \u2018push idea\u2019,\u201d Shekhar observes. \u201cThe push market is hard, you have to spend money to acquire customers. If there is no need for it, you have to evangelise it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p id=\"2ce0\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Another measure is whether many people are buying particular keywords on Google AdSense and if search volumes are going through the roof. If there is a lot of interest around your keywords already, the pain point you want to solve is in a pull market. Pull-market ideas are easier to work with. You can simply buy an ad and sell it.<\/p>\n<p id=\"0a8e\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">One of the risks to be wary of while talking to people about pain points is selective hearing. As a founder, you may be tempted to pay attention to things that are favorable to you rather than things that are not. Don\u2019t fall into that trap.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"d29f\" class=\"ke kf ht bd kg kh ki kj kk kl km kn ko iz kp ja kq jc kr jd ks jf kt jg ku kv bi\"><strong class=\"ak\">5. Is it possible to win with a push market idea?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p id=\"ef2a\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl kw iu jn jo kx ix jq jr ky jt ju jv kz jx jy jz la kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Shekhar shares the <a href=\"https:\/\/saasboomi.org\/saas\/growth\/zenotis-secret-sauce-for-expansion-and-scale\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">example of Zenoti<\/a>, a company he has backed for a long time. It makes cloud software for spas and salons. When the founders started out, they did not think that would be a very big market, they did not know if the idea was great but it was good enough. To evangelize, they started by doing demos.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"lr ls lt\">\n<p id=\"fa8e\" class=\"ji jj lq jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq lu js jt ju lv jw jx jy lw ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u201cEvery demo is converted into a customer. That means people did not know it but there was a latent need.\u201d The company got creative. It sent CEOs gift boxes \u2014 an iPad with a 4-min video specifically personalised for their business. The ROI on that was worthwhile for Zenoti, which hit a $1 billion valuation by 2020.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p id=\"ba87\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">With time, a push market can become a pull market. \u201cJust show clarity of thought in what you are doing,\u201d Shekhar advises.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"3f05\" class=\"ke kf ht bd kg kh ki kj kk kl km kn ko iz kp ja kq jc kr jd ks jf kt jg ku kv bi\"><strong class=\"ak\">6. How to take no for an answer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p id=\"5dc9\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl kw iu jn jo kx ix jq jr ky jt ju jv kz jx jy jz la kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">This is a tough one. You were probably finishing at the top of your class, always performing better than your friends, and accustomed to getting praised for your work. You have a specific picture of yourself and that can make any rejection feel more brutal. But that is all a part and parcel of starting up. \u201cYou will hear a lot of \u2018nos\u2019 before you hear any \u2018yesses\u2019,\u201d says Shekhar.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"lr ls lt\">\n<p id=\"b4b0\" class=\"ji jj lq jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq lu js jt ju lv jw jx jy lw ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">How you take that \u2018no\u2019 makes all the difference. Make sure all the basic factors are in place \u2014 unit economics, market conditions, the idea, and your 10-year commitment. Argue the \u2018no\u2019 with data.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 id=\"f327\" class=\"ke kf ht bd kg kh ki kj kk kl km kn ko iz kp ja kq jc kr jd ks jf kt jg ku kv bi\"><strong class=\"ak\">7. What makes a good co-founder?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p id=\"e4bb\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl kw iu jn jo kx ix jq jr ky jt ju jv kz jx jy jz la kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Most founders tend to go with their roommate, batchmate, hostel mate, colleague \u2014 someone they know. But making a decision based on familiarity alone can backfire.<\/p>\n<p id=\"684a\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Shekhar has a foolproof gauge. \u201cHave you seen elements of scale in this person? Do they figure out things on their own? If there is a problem given, are they resourceful? Do they go out of their way to find answers?\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"lr ls lt\">\n<p id=\"4631\" class=\"ji jj lq jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq lu js jt ju lv jw jx jy lw ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Transparency and resourcefulness are the co-founder qualities you cannot overlook. A co-founder should be able to speak their mind on what is and isn\u2019t working.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p id=\"1485\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">As a founder, you also need to learn the art of storytelling. \u201cWhen you don\u2019t practice your elevator pitch, potential co-founders won\u2019t reflect on it for two minutes. You have to repeat the message of what you\u2019re doing and why, otherwise, people will move to other options.\u201d If you can\u2019t articulate that story, you can\u2019t convince the cofounder.<\/p>\n<p id=\"5b8f\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Looking for a co-founder outside your circle requires influencing. You have to meet and exchange ideas, which can sometimes take six months or more. Shekhar brings up one of the companies he works with, where the founder roped in a co-founder she did not personally know. Her process was to meet with 6\u20137 people, zeroing in on one of them, and working together for six months before saying they are aligned. The founder was clear on exactly what she was looking for. She was focused on the business side, while the co-founder would work on the building.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"31bc\" class=\"ke kf ht bd kg kh ki kj kk kl km kn ko iz kp ja kq jc kr jd ks jf kt jg ku kv bi\"><strong class=\"ak\">8. What sort of equity should you offer a co-founder?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p id=\"75c4\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl kw iu jn jo kx ix jq jr ky jt ju jv kz jx jy jz la kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">This is a question of make-or-break significance. The way you structure ownership guides many considerations including <a href=\"https:\/\/saasboomi.org\/saas\/finance\/what-investors-look-out-for-by-dave-kellogg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">how VCs view you<\/a>. By default, people go with a 50\u201350 split. By the time they realize their mistake, it is too late. It is important to see who your co-founder is and what value they are bringing. \u201cIf I see that a company is diluted too much, I don\u2019t invest. The company is dead on arrival if it is split between five co-founders,\u201d Shekhar notes.<\/p>\n<p id=\"2a78\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">He stresses preserving ownership. In one instance, a company had given away 30\u201340 percent to a foreign investor despite having a great team, business model, and initial efforts. It took the team 12 months to negotiate with those investors and take back the equity.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"lr ls lt\">\n<p id=\"b153\" class=\"ji jj lq jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq lu js jt ju lv jw jx jy lw ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Here\u2019s how to look at splitting equity. \u201cIf you start out together even before having the idea, then you guys are equal partners. If not, then you do not need to break ownership equally.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 id=\"829a\" class=\"ke kf ht bd kg kh ki kj kk kl km kn ko iz kp ja kq jc kr jd ks jf kt jg ku kv bi\"><strong class=\"ak\">9. How to think about approaching investors?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p id=\"78df\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl kw iu jn jo kx ix jq jr ky jt ju jv kz jx jy jz la kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/saasboomi.org\/saas\/finance\/demystifying-evaluation-process-of-investors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Convincing an investor<\/a> has everything to do with your own conviction. Typically you want conviction in your mind first, which you should be able to clearly articulate. \u201cYour ability to convince me based on your data helps me convince those in my network,\u201d Shekhar shares.<\/p>\n<p id=\"fbe4\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">A lot of founders wonder what the benchmarks are for the first seed round. How much to give? Shekhar\u2019s suggestion is to be careful about the level of dilution in the early rounds. Around 15\u201320% is usually acceptable in the seed round, he says, since it is all about risk-reward then.<\/p>\n<p id=\"ed1d\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph ji jj ht jk b jl jm iu jn jo jp ix jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz ka kb kc kd hb bi\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Besides, the company has to fit into the categories the specific VC is interested in \u2014 say SaaS, B2B, or B2C marketplaces, etc. VCs can also be convinced if someone they trust tells them about the company.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"lb\">\n<p id=\"b7e5\" class=\"lc ld ht bd le lf lg lh li lj lk kd dw\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u201cIf you have all these things \u2014 unit economics, right market conditions, good ideas, and a dedicated team \u2014 VCs will approach you before you approach them,\u201d the investor concludes.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Starting from scratch, the tech exec-turned-VC shares a tactical guide on how to think about founding, product, and funding There are more questions than answers in the run-up to and during the early stages of founding a company. Founders have many ideas they could pursue and several different approaches they take. The only way to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":11983,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,94],"tags":[61,95],"chapters":[],"class_list":["post-5334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-product","category-leadership","tag-saas-india","tag-starting-up"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Charting your founding journey: Shekhar Kirani&#039;s path to success<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore Shekhar Kirani&#039;s valuable insights for charting your own founding journey. Discover key strategies for entrepreneurial success\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A brick-by-brick path to a winning product \u2014 Founding lessons from Shekhar Kirani\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Starting from scratch, the tech exec-turned-VC shares a tactical guide on how to think about founding, product, and funding.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dev.matsio.com\/matsio\/saasboomi\/saas\/product\/path-to-winning-product-lessons-by-shekhar-kirani\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BoomiAI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-01-06T10:44:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-05-23T13:38:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/stg-saasboomiorg-staging.kinsta.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shekhars-blog-post.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1100\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"469\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Avinash Raghava\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"A brick-by-brick path to a winning product \u2014 Founding lessons from Shekhar Kirani\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Starting from scratch, the tech exec-turned-VC shares a tactical guide on how to think about founding, product, and funding.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dev.matsio.com\/matsio\/saasboomi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shekhars-blog-post.webp\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.matsio.com\/matsio\/saasboomi\/saas\/product\/path-to-winning-product-lessons-by-shekhar-kirani\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dev.matsio.com\/matsio\/saasboomi\/saas\/product\/path-to-winning-product-lessons-by-shekhar-kirani\/\",\"name\":\"Charting your founding journey: Shekhar Kirani's path to success\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.matsio.com\/matsio\/saasboomi\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.matsio.com\/matsio\/saasboomi\/saas\/product\/path-to-winning-product-lessons-by-shekhar-kirani\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.matsio.com\/matsio\/saasboomi\/saas\/product\/path-to-winning-product-lessons-by-shekhar-kirani\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dev.matsio.com\/matsio\/saasboomi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Saasboomi-blog-edit-4.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-01-06T10:44:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-05-23T13:38:11+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dev.matsio.com\/matsio\/saasboomi\/#\/schema\/person\/a927a0457699c37f10e40e4d45aa47b6\"},\"description\":\"Explore Shekhar Kirani's valuable insights for charting your own founding journey. 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