Let me share my origin story — because understanding where I came from will show you why I’m so passionate about helping you, and why I know exactly how to fast-track your journey to becoming a founder.

As far back as I can remember, I’ve always dreamed of startups. The idea of creating something from scratch—my own vision, my own dream—was exciting, almost intoxicating. But there was just one problem: I didn’t know how to make it happen. I had plenty of ideas. I was imaginative, brimming with possibilities. But ideas alone don’t build startups. And like most people, I wasn’t born with a “how-to” manual for entrepreneurship. So, I took the path that made the most sense at the time. I decided to learn by immersing myself in the world of tech. I graduated from one of the top engineering schools in India - IIT Kharagpur. It gave me the foundation, but it didn’t teach me everything I needed to know to build a company from the ground up. So, I packed my bags and headed to Silicon Valley in California—the hub of startups—determined to learn the ropes. My first stop was Oracle, the world’s largest database company. I thought, “If databases are at the core of every product, this is where I’ll build the expertise I need.” And I did. But it didn’t take long to realize that knowing databases wasn’t enough. To build a product—and more importantly, a business—I needed to understand the entire tech stack, from top to bottom. So, I took on different roles, worked on varied projects including stints at Google, and moved across Silicon Valley. Bit by bit, I pieced together the skills I needed. Frontend, backend, infrastructure—you name it, I learned it. Eventually, I became a full-stack engineer.

I thought I was ready. I had the knowledge, the tools, and the drive. So, I decided to take the leap and start my own company. But the moment I started, I ran into my first big challenge: infrastructure costs.

This was before the days of cloud computing. Back then, if you wanted to build and launch a product, you needed significant upfront capital. You had to buy servers, pay for licenses, and make massive investments—before earning a single dollar in revenue. The financial risk was overwhelming, both for founders like me and for the investors we needed to convince. It was a daunting balancing act, and every decision felt like a gamble.

But I wasn’t about to give up. I started learning how to raise money. I dived headfirst into understanding investment term sheets, pitching to VCs, and the delicate art of securing funding. Along the way, I also had to learn marketing, sales, and business strategy. It wasn’t easy. Every step felt like climbing a mountain. But I kept going.

And it paid off. I managed to build my company, grow it to millions of dollars, and eventually earned recognition and an award from the Inc. 500.

And then, cloud computing arrived and changed everything.

Suddenly, the biggest hurdle to getting started—huge upfront costs—was gone.

It was a total game-changer. Platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud made it possible to rent infrastructure instead of buying it. Even better? Cloud vendors introduced free tiers, so founders could build a prototype without spending a dime.

For someone like me—who had struggled through the pre-cloud era—this wasn’t just an improvement. It was a miracle.

• The financial risk dropped dramatically.

• Investors became more willing to fund startups.

• Anyone who could code could now build a startup.

For nearly a decade, cloud computing ruled the startup world. I embraced this new world wholeheartedly, building my own startups on the cloud and consulting for others. I even became an AWS-authorized trainer, helping new founders navigate the cloud landscape. But while cloud computing solved the infrastructure problem, there was still one major bottleneck left - Software still had to be built the old way! You still had to write code, test it, debug it. The cloud made things faster—but building software still required time and effort.

And that’s when Generative AI came along. Just like cloud democratized infrastructure… Generative AI democratized software development.

• ChatGPT enabled people to generate human-like answers to almost any question.

• Tools like GitHub Copilot and Cursor started writing code for you.

• No-code and low-code tools made product development accessible to anyone.

• And then, AI Agents like Amazon Q Developer took it even further—it could not just write code but even test the code for you.

What once took months of engineering work could now be done in a short time. At this point, the last technical barrier to building a startup was gone.

Everyone started leveraging cloud and AI to launch their ideas. But then, I asked myself a question—

• Why were some startups taking off like rockets… while others fizzled out?

And that led me to my biggest realization.

The companies that truly dominated—Airbnb, Uber, Instagram, Pinterest, Dropbox, Reddit, DoorDash—they weren’t just riding the wave of cloud and AI. They were doing something fundamentally different.

• First, they designed their products for engagement—with built-in network effects where every new user made the platform more valuable for everyone else.

• Then, they nailed expectation—they got their positioning right first, and followed it up with smart marketing that made the product so clear and compelling, the right people couldn’t help but join… and spread the word.

• And they obsessed over experience—making their products effortless, delightful, and impossible to ignore.

And when those three things came together?

• Their startups didn’t just grow… they exploded.

At the time, I didn’t realize it… but this discovery changed everything for me. Because once you understand what truly makes startups succeed—engagement, expectation, and experience—everything about building a business gets easier.

And yet, I saw so many brilliant people—people with great ideas, talent, and drive—still struggling. Not because they weren’t capable, but because no one had ever shown them how to succeed.

That’s when it hit me.

• Most people don’t fail because they lack ideas or talent…

• They struggle because no one ever taught them the rules of the startup game.

And once I realized that, everything changed. Because when you truly understand what makes startups succeed—how they grow, how they engage users, and how they position themselves—everything about building a business becomes clearer, smoother, and far more achievable.

That’s why today, I coach founders on exactly how to go from:

• Idea → Product → Successful Startup

And it’s not just about building products. I teach how to design for network effects, create engaging user experiences, leverage powerful technologies like cloud and AI to scale fast and smart—and how to raise the funding you need to bring it all to life.