Post by Akhil Varma Vegesna

A shop owner told us to leave. Not rudely. Just honestly. "Our customers are from villages. We don't need this. Please go." Yesterday my college NxtWave of Innovation in Advanced Technologies sent us to Lingampally as part of BRAVE — a challenge to earn ₹2 lakhs in 90 days. 5 shops. 3 hours. 2 numbers taken. Zero deals. Before we pitch , a senior and intern at NxtWave, Karthik Nimmanagoti gave us one piece of advice that actually stuck: "Don't pitch first. Introduce yourself like a human being. Ask what they do. Then listen." We tried it. Some people warmed up. Some didn't need what we were selling. One told us to leave. But here's what I learned: The product doesn't fail. The market fit fails. We were selling digital solutions to businesses whose customers don't use the internet to find them. That's not their problem. Finding the right room matters more than having the right pitch. Still figuring out the right room. ₹0 made. A lot learned. Thank you Karthik Nimmanagoti for the experience and the advice you gave — wouldn't have had the confidence to walk into those shops without it.