From data to delight – 20 quotes on customer obsession from TechSparks 2021

Launched in 2014, StoryBites is a weekly feature from YourStory, featuring notable quotable quotes in our recent articles. Share these gems and insights from the TechSparks 2021 speakers with your colleagues and networks, and check back to the original articles for more insights.

In this special collection of quotes from YourStory’s TechSparks 2021 coverage, we present insights on empathy, data insights, and brand commitment by successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. See our earlier quotes compilations from conference editions in 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014.

Check out our profiles of the Tech50 startups of 2021, and Tech30 startups over the years: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011.

Find something better you can do than anybody else in the life of a customer. - Ashish Jhina, Jumbotail

Changing a habit is the hardest thing in the world. - Sumeet Mehta, LEAD

When a company launches new goods or services, to attract customers' attention in the market, partnerships are the hidden fuel for success at scale. - Gaurang Sinha, Nova

The journey of user experience needs to be taken care of while implementing any new technology. - Sapna Ahuja, MapmyIndia

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It is imperative that you think about the end-to-end journey as a customer progresses through the brand you are building because, most of the time, the weakest links will derail you. - Ajit Sivadasan, Lenovo

When you are working with customer data, it is important to remember that we are working with their data, not owning it. - Shrini Viswanath, Upstox

If you have figured your cohorts out, as to which channel, category and price points are giving you the best outcomes, this becomes an amazingly repeatable growth curve. - Ankur Gattani, WebEngage

The post-purchase journey has two aspects – elevating the customer experience and bringing efficiency in operations, which will help you achieve profit. - Prateek Mahajan, Unicommerce

No matter how hard you work at it, you’re still going to lose some customers. And if you want to succeed, you’ll need to learn how to leverage that churn into making your business better. - Minal Thukral, CoinDCX

Don’t haggle with influencers too much because if they’re not happy working with you, they’re not going to add those sweeteners that they might while working with a brand they truly like. - Viraj Sheth, Monk Entertainment

Everyone has started understanding that it is a consumer’s world. So much so that even an industrial goods company looks at it that way. - Saurabh Chandra, BCG

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Even with automation, we are seeing a rising volume in customer queries. This has also brought to the fore the importance of personalised, personal, human, fast, customer service. - Michiel Gaasterland, CM.com

While data is important, it's equally important for you to talk to your customer-facing staff and get some candid feedback from them. - Deepika Christina, CM.com

You need to work on thinking of a digital consumer, you need to think about remote. You need to think about customer service first. - Swapna Gupta, Qualcomm Ventures

From user acquisition to choosing UI elements and the central core where we do feed ranking and monetisation, everything is powered by AI. - Hastagiri Vanchinathan, ShareChat

Because technology can impact everyday lives, it can dramatically change consumer behaviour and habits. - Kabeer Biswas, Dunzo

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Women are not comfortable looking through hygiene-related products in physical stores whereas online purchases allow them to explore and ask any questions. - Deep Bajaj, PeeBuddy

Even if you are doing something amazing, you are not pitching to the actual users, so there need to be more women on the table deciding and investing and being the consumer. - Ankita Vashistha, Saha Fund

There is a level of activism brewing, and people want something good for their skin and the environment at the same time. - Priyanka Gill, PopXo

Protecting our future requires a collaborative approach to sustainability, as climate systems cover the entire planet and are interconnected. - Dejan Stancer, Global Chamber of Business Leaders

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).