‘Product-market fit is a lifelong journey for a startup’ – 35 quotes of the week from Indian startup journeys

Launched in 2014, StoryBites is a weekly feature from YourStory Media, featuring notable quotable quotes in our articles of this past week (see the previous post here). Share these 35 gems and insights from the week of March 15-21 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.

The only businesses that survive are the ones that can monetise demand. - Preeti Veenam, DcodeCare

If you do not have any significant entry barrier, you have no choice but to grow rapidly and build your brand. - Dhruv Nath, Lead Angels Network

Lead generation is almost always entirely focussed on obtaining contact information. In contrast, demand generation focuses on creating a relationship with the potential buyer by providing a clear sense of added value. - Sayantan Dasgupta, Gramener

Working should be about tracking results and not about where the work is being done. - Mahesh Vandi Chalil, BookMyShow

The right talent can be the force-multiplier to drive exponential growth. - Yasukane Matsumoto, Raksul

You have to hire when you want to effect some kind of a change. - Vivek Sunder, Swiggy

Knowledge grows exponentially when it is shared. – Balaji Iyer, Grant Thornton

Collaborate, the age of competition is over. - Vinay Prashant, Tamaala

Leave the world a better place. - Abhimanyu Saxena, Scaler

Today, most consumers do not have the required knowledge and expertise to buy renewable energy plants. - Anuvrat Saboo, SafEarth Clean Technologies

Change also brings opportunity and constraint breeds creativity. - Sequoia

Women still face lots of challenges at the workplace – from a high gender pay gap to under-representation in leadership. - Priya Mahajan, Verizon Business Group

Women need a management degree - the kind that shows them how to manage four things - their guilt, time, fear and biases. - Neha Bagaria, JobsForHer

There are five dimensions in which a woman should be empowered – legal, mental, physical, emotional, and digital. - Aparna Rajawat, Pink Belt

Women leaders in India are blazing a trail as changemakers, innovators, and successful entrepreneurs. - Nikhil Rungta, Verizon Media

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." - Mary Anne Radmacher

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Learn from everyone, and express it even if it may not seem ‘perfect.’ Uniqueness always belongs in the imperfections. - Naveen Appajigol, Chitra Santhe

Humility to accept you don’t know everything is most critical to surviving the struggle, the journey. - Nikkhil Advani, Emmay Entertainment and Motion Pictures

Every object and being around you is art. Every action and reaction is a design, and the functionality and simplicity of life stem from artistry. - Ishana Girish, Chitra Santhe

Storytelling isn’t about the gift of the gab; it is about believing in the story you tell. - Shan Kadavil, FreshToHome

India is in a unique position to build companies for the next billion users (NBU) that are also globally relevant. - Ritu Verma, Ankur Capital

Indigenous innovation from India will fast-forward the market transition to electric mobility, both in India and across the world. - Saurav Kumar, Euler Motors

India’s chronic and large-scale problems of health, education, environment, and social exclusion must be the focus of innovation in startups. - Ajay Batra, WVF

So far, we have only seen foreign pension funds investing capital into the startup ecosystem through AIFs or direct investments. - Anup Jain, Orios Venture Partners

Tier-II and III cities do not commute by cab. - Aravind Sanka, Rapidor

Almost 80 percent of people over 45 years of age are suffering from diabetes, and two out of three women have low haemoglobin. - Partha Pratim Das, Ezerx

Let us join hands to raise awareness of the impact that diabetes has on the family. - Dr M Wasim Ghori

About two-thirds of lower limb amputations are due to ulcerations on the foot that are not treated by the predominantly rural poor working-age group. - Geethanjali Radhakrishnan, Adiuvo Diagnostics

Regular exercise also helps to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by producing endorphins in our brains, which make us feel good and boost our moods. - Meenakshi Mohanty

Dance wellness targets the entire body — face, neck, hands, arms, back, legs, feet, as well as isolations, and breathing techniques. - Pulkit Sharma, You Can Dance

Our skin heals at night, and that is when it needs good quality skincare products that can deliver ‘skin food’ deep into its layers. - Sonia Sahni, Ethiko

There is nothing dreadful than a founder who is not monetising the fullest potential of the gold mine with him/her. - Manas Madhu, Beyond Snáck Kerala Banana Chips

We have seen founders today are spending a lot of time chasing angel investors and facilitating supporting paperwork. This time can be better utilised in focussing on product development and innovation. - Pearl Agarwal, Eximius

When building an MVP, it is quintessential to have clarity on the problem at hand, and not deviate from core features. - Santosh Desai, Blowhorn

PMF is a lifelong journey for a startup — you are constantly innovating, and you need to bring PMF at every stage. - Harsha Kumar, Lightspeed Venture Partners

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).