‘Entrepreneurship is a constant rollercoaster’ – 35 quotes from Indian startup journeys

Launched in 2014, StoryBites is a weekly feature from YourStory, featuring notable quotable quotes in our articles of this past week (see the previous post here). Share these 30 gems and insights from the week of August 10-16 with your colleagues and networks, and check back to the original articles for more insights. See also our special compilation of quotes related to India’s coronavirus responses here.

A great product is nothing without a workable distribution channel. - Raghav Himatsingka, Raising Superstars

It has also become crucial to understand the importance of every single person who chooses your brand. - Farah Malik Bhanji, Metro Brands Ltd.

The best in the business will be the ones who will get the largest share of the pie. - Vijay Arisetty, MyGate

A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want. - Madonna

It’s brutally hard to tell people when they are screwing up. - Kim Scott, 'Radical Candor'

One must neither be overwhelmed by praise nor should one ignore feedback. It is important to constantly learn and improve. - Nanjunda Swamy

You need to be like a sponge, have a positive attitude, learn the right skills, and gain knowledge over the years. - Chef Ajay Chopra

Follow the principle of archery. If you want to aim at the bulls-eye, you actually need to aim slightly above it to neutralise gravity. - Vinayak Burman, Vertices Partners

Sleep is the missing piece in healthcare nowadays, for sure. It’s just not being given the attention that it needs. - Deepa Kannan, PFNR

Due to an unhealthy lifestyle, our body produces a lot of toxins. - Swati Sutaria Vakharia, Nabhi Sutra

Colours play a significant role in every space. It is a visual language that commands a certain vibe. - Ritam Ray Ray, Welspun Flooring

By 2022, we need 700 million skilled workers. However, only 10 percent of the total workforce receives any formal skill training. - Varun Chopra, Eduvanz

India is known to generate over 62 million tonnes of waste every year. And, since the trash is not segregated at source, the process of collection and disposal is an onerous task. - Abhishek Shelar, Spruce Up Industries  

The traditional agri-inputs supply-chain is a broken experience, causing financial distress for the farmer. - Sateesh Nukala, BigHaat

Climate change is such a ‘wicked’ problem because both the problems and solutions are so deeply interconnected. - Anshuman Bapna, Terra.do

India has less than 4,000 oncology specialists among a population of over 130 crores. - Niraj Bora, Universal Cancer Conquest

Poverty actually begins in the mind. It's a lack of hope. It's a lack of understanding of a pathway to pull oneself out of this situation. - Zarina Screwvala, Swades Foundation

The demographic dividends would accrue only when the overwhelmingly young population, providing the rich human capital, is empowered and cultivated appropriately. - Pranab K. Pani, Talendeate beyond Border

Out of the 25 lakh individuals who are HIV-positive in India, over 87,000 are below the age of 15 years. Many of them have to deal with a negative attitude, owing to the stigma surrounding the disease. - Kallol Ghosh, Café Positive

Economic empowerment of women is fundamental to achieving gender equality and inclusive growth. - Soumya Kapoor, IWWAGE

The industry has been highly supportive of men and women who are open-minded to the needs of feminine menstrual health, breaking all taboos associated with menstruation. - Deepika Sharma, Hempstrol

In rural areas, everyone knows that they do not have the luxury of a fancy pad. - Hemender Hoon, Noraa

MSMEs matter because they move India forward and are the backbone of the Indian economy. - Puneet Chandok, AWS

Even today, most financial services firms outsource their back office operations in India where thousands of people do mundane tasks of entering data and verifying documents. - Rushabh Sheth, DocSumo

One of the most important aspects of the flexible talent economy is the agility in hiring it enables. - Shreya Prakash, FlexiBees

While deals may be slowing currently, India is no longer seeing a dearth of capital. - Gautam Mago, A91 Partners

Early-stage VC investment volumes in India are markedly lower than VC volumes in countries like the US and China. - Jun Zhang, IFC

To invest and increase your wealth you have to have a clear investment plan and set milestones. You have to start by ensuring you are saving regularly. - Satyen Kothari, Cube Wealth

The Indian asset management landscape will see massive growth in the years to come. - Aditya Sood, Vishuddha

A CFO is the epicentre of a company’s business and financial data. - Rajmohan Krishnan, Entrust Family Office

No matter what industry you’re in, surplus and non-moving stock is a common pain-point that can adversely impact the financial health of the MSMEs and even large corporations. - Rushikesh Bhandari, The Purchase House

The Indian startup ecosystem is in a very vibrant phase of its evolution. - Ashish Gupta, Prime Venture Partners

Innovation is now about finding and solving the biggest, most crucial problems of the world. - Debjani Ghosh, NASSCOM

To be a changemaker, you need passion and perseverance. But, at the core, you also need to be compassionate. - Seva Kitchen, Khushroo Poacha

Entrepreneurship is a constant rollercoaster, whether it’s about designing the “perfect” product, finding the right market fit, procuring funds or managing teams. - Puroitree Majumdar, YourDOST

YourStory has also published the pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups’ as a creative and motivational guide for innovators (downloadable as apps here: Apple, Android).