D S Aman

If you told me 3 months ago that a brand-new AI tool would hit $15M ARR in 90 days… I would’ve laughed and moved on. But here we are. Emergent just raised $23M after becoming one of India’s fastest-growing startups. And the numbers don’t even sound real: -1M+ people building already -25,000 paying customers -1.5M+ apps live across 180 countries It’s simple → people don’t want another “AI demo” that looks fancy but dies in drafts. They want apps they can actually use, launch, and scale. That’s what Emergent does. You chat, it builds, and what comes out is production-ready from day one. It’s not a toy, it’s a launchpad. And here’s the bigger truth → in 2025, you don’t need to be a coder, you just need to be a builder. The excuse of “I don’t know how to code” is dead. Because while you’re still waiting to start…someone else is already shipping on Emergent. And tomorrow, you’ll be their user, not their competitor. PS: If you want to try Emergent, here’s the link (30% off for the next 48 hours): https://lnkd.in/gR8ANYMZ

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Blinkit is asking ₹25K per product listing. Yes… you heard that right :) ₹25,000 per product just to get it listed and gain some visibility. This money is credited to your ad wallet. For early-stage founders, this is a big deal. Here’s why👇🏻 → High upfront cost: Listing 4 products? That’s ₹1 lakh just to get started. For bootstrapped startups, this is a serious capital decision. → Marketing exposure, not guaranteed sales: The fee goes toward driving traffic via ads, not giving you direct access to buyers. Without proven demand, ROI is uncertain. → Risk vs. reward: Unlike commission-based models, you pay before seeing sales.If your product-market fit isn’t strong, you may burn cash without returns. → Platform fit matters: Quick commerce platforms like Blinkit work best for impulse buys or daily essentials. Niche or high-consideration products may struggle to see meaningful ROI. → Hidden costs: Remember, Blinkit also charges commissions (10–25%) on sales. Factor this into your pricing strategy to avoid surprises. Think before you list. Upfront fees matter, but product-market fit matters even more. What do you think about this fee? Is it too much or normal? ****** P.S. At @AY Ventures, we have helped founders raise over 85.2 Cr. Fill this form to get a free consultation call with our funding experts👇🏻 https://lnkd.in/gjqKsyb8

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🚨 PhysicsWallah has filed an updated DRHP for an Rs 3,820 crore IPO. And its filing gives clear numbers on why ed-tech companies have been pushing for an offline presence. PhysicsWallah's offline business accounts for nearly half of the revenues now. Its online transacting users increased from 1.68 million in FY23 to 4.13 million in FY25, a 2.5-fold rise. But the average collection per online user remained modest, from Rs 3,107 to Rs 3,683. Offline enrolments rose faster, from 80,000 in FY23 to 330,000 in FY25, up more than 4 times. But more importantly, the average revenue per offline user is 10x as compared to online. It increased from Rs 34,467 in FY23 to Rs 40,405 in FY25. PhysicsWallah’s offline average revenue per user far outpaces online, even as online scale drives rapid volume expansion.

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Zomato / Swiggy are building what Paytm tried to build 5 yrs ago - but better. For anyone who thinks Zomato and Swiggy are still food delivery apps has been living under a rock. Food delivery (yes at high burn rates) was simply CAC. Now comes the monetization. Like everyone had / used paytm almost everyday, multiple times a day a few yrs ago and “Paytm karo” became synonymous with UPI payments. But with payment monetization getting regulated and Paytm unable to effectively become a “superapp” when venturing into ticketing, entertainment, mutual fund investments etc., the CAC never translated into monetization. Hard luck + not as sharp execution. Then came other innovations like the sound box, BFSI like longer-time taking monetization strategies. Might work but take time. Zomato / Swiggy on the other hand - move fast. Zomato bought Paytm’s ticketing business and “District” was born. Blinkit. Instamart. Now Scenes by Swiggy. In the future, flying buses by Zomato (if one can dream). Private labeled groceries (Noice by Swiggy) - the customer is here, now sell the high margin products. The monetization is kicking in thick and fast. You’re a captive customer and will remain so with the food delivery, and everything else will bring in the margins and the monetization. A Superapp without being labeled a superapp. That was always the plan. It is just playing out now, and how!

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Stop judging startups, judge the founder product combo. Sandeep Balaji’s 2×2 kills the noise: Good founder + good product - write the cheque Good founder + bad product - cut the product, keep the founder. Bad founder + good product - keep the product, change the driver. Bad founder + bad product - walk away. Why this matters: early metrics lie, pitch decks flatter, syndicates inflate valuations. But the founder’s awareness of the problem and the product’s real pull with paying customers don’t lie. In D2C, that means 250 - 500 customers before ads, ruthless feedback loops, and 20–40% repeats. Investing isn’t about being smart on Twitter; it’s about being decisive with the quadrant you’re actually in.

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