Dallas, Texas, United States
I have spent 22 years building, launching, and growing new initiatives: as an investor, as an entrepreneur, and as a chief executive. I solve tough problems, am always open to hearing about new ideas (however outlandish), and love reading. I’m a general partner in a pre-seed fund (Shift Left Ventures). My brief stint at a $120 million PE fund as a Principal gave me a ringside view into the world of investing. As a serial entrepreneur and investor, I’ve had one successful exit (YASU to SAP AG), one failed startup (ICUMI), as an early engineer of billion $ bootstrapped SaaS firm (Zoho) and a thriving third firm (Zemoso Labs) that has helped 50+ startups and several Fortune 500 firms in their journey from concept to commercialization. My experiences in these various initiatives have armed me to help entrepreneurs/enterprise executives wade through the risks associated with new business/product launches. Zemoso Labs is an innovation as a service design, AI and engineering studio that works with corporate incubators, enterprises (especially ones grappling with innovator's dilemma) and early stage startups to bring do-or-die ownership with an eye-on-the-outcome focus to all new initiatives: new products, modernization efforts, DevOps, CloudOps, and digital transformation initiatives. I love sharing notes on and learning about lean methodologies, design thinking, and building learning-led companies.
Shift Left Ventures, a pre-seed, idea-stage venture capital fund, that empowers B2B entrepreneurs on their startup journey. Our unique 777 strategy accelerates the transit from idea to paying customers: 7 Days: Market analysis, buyer problem identification, and competitive landscape understanding 7 Weeks: Buyer acceptance testing through prototypes, and value proposition refinement to get to product market fit contour 7 Months: Product launch to paying customers with our guidance My mission: Champion wealth creation through disruptive innovation and supporting visionary entrepreneurs. If you would like to learn more: https://shiftleft.ventures
Zemoso Labs is your go-to partner to help visionary leaders take their ideas from napkin to scalable solutions. We specialize in executing complex new initiatives, providing end-to-end design, engineering, and go-to-market solutions. When you think of ambiguity and risk, you need to Zemoso it! We have helped develop 100+ new products and complete transformation initiatives for our enterprise and startup customers. Our "Brick in the Wall" contribution to enterprise innovation and startup success: Supporting corporate innovation in 10+ Fortune 500 firms, enabling over $8 billion value creation Startup Funding Success: Nearly $1.5 billion in capital has been raised by startups post-engagement with Zemoso Labs. My Involvement: I am personally involved in dozens of Design Sprints, validations, and building an organizational culture that prioritizes customer responsiveness and learning. How can we help you? Design Sprints to deliver prototypes rapidly for market testing Product engineering to launch functional MVPs and scale with new features with ownership and accountability Go-to-market (GTM) services that enable the Marketing Pirate Metrics journey to find Product-Market Fit You can reach me here, and my team at www.zemosolabs.com
ICUMI Technologies (Dealivore.com) was a group buying company for India. My B2C startup ultimately failed. Our Softbank-funded competitor outmaneuvered us, and we weren't able to keep up. It was a tough lesson, but it taught me the importance of resilience and resourcefulness. Looking back, I recognize that we could have done things differently. If you're going into the B2C space, raising more money and raising it fast is critical. It's a winner-takes-all market, and only the companies with diamond hands survived. While my startup didn't succeed, I'm grateful for the experience and the lessons I learned along the way.
TVS Capital Funds or TCF is one of the leading growth PE funds in India. Since its beginning in 2007, TVS Capital has been anchored on the philosophy of partnering “next-gen” entrepreneurs, building scalable and successful businesses. As Principal at TVS Capital Funds, a consumer consumption-focused PE Fund, I gained invaluable experience in the world of finance, investments, and private equity. However, my time at a $150 million PE fund also taught me that my true strengths lie in building and operating companies, rather than analyzing financials. During my tenure, I saw firsthand the challenges of fundraising and challenges in PE. While I have deep respect for the world of PE and the many talented professionals who excel in this space, I realized that it's not my natural calling. I am incredibly more fulfilled and happier in the VC and growing and building new companies space.