Need help with your early stage startup? Try Startup Cluster
Of the many thousand entrepreneurs that we've covered so far, one thing is very apparent; getting things done as an entrepreneur in India is not easy. Whether it's hiring their first employee or finding their business process, the Indian startup ecosystem lacks defined channels where the process of going about doing startup activities is less painstaking. We at YourStory.in have made an earnest attempt to address this problem through our events and engagements with the startup ecosystem in India.
Of course, we cannot have enough of these initiatives, and that's why Startup Cluster comes as good news. Chaitanya Nijhara, a doctor, passionate about entrepreneurship technology and his team are trying to build a platform for Indian entrepreneurs. The platform would host a series of tools, each trying to solve one or the other pain point of Indian entrepreneurs.
Reach out
The first tool, available on Startup Cluster is Reach Out. Chaitanya says, "Reaching Out to the startup community hasn't been more simple and direct. You just need to press the button ReachOut! and write a compelling post stating your needs whatever those may be. It will help you if you're looking for that killer developer or looking to join a startup or just want to reach out to the community for anything else."
Chaitanya believes that this system has some advantages as it ensures anonymity for the sender. It also messages straight to your email, which you're more likely to check, as opposed to visiting the Startup Cluster site, which is still developing. Chaitanya further shared that they will be adding more features in the coming days.
A lack of a common platform
Chaitanya believes that the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem needs a system like this. He says, "
Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem is broken! Where is that place where you find rockstar employees to collaborate with or the 'next big thing' to work at? Where is that place where you find mentors, investors and incubators to help you catapult your startup? Some may argue that it's Bangalore, some say Delhi, or Mumbai or Pune. The mere fact there is no consensus proves the lack of such a place. All the activities happening in these 'silos' is great. But it is not enough." He also believes that the lack of a vibrant ecosystem is one of the biggest reasons why India hasn't produced the next Google, Facebook or Instagram.
However, different startups have different needs according to the stage they're in. Currently, the reach out tool caters for early stage entrepreneurs and so will some of tools which are coming our in the near future. It will be interesting to see how Startup Cluster accommodates features aimed at startups of different stages, all under one platform. Also, the platform currently has 89 members, so the effectiveness of the platform still needs to be seen.
It is a commendable initiative, which will face a few tests in the coming days. It will be interesting to see how the Startup Cluster team takes it forward from here. We'll keep you posted.
Are you an early stage startup looking for help? Try Startup Cluster.
