Saksham Mendiratta’s Post

Being an entrepreneur is not fun. There is always somebody doing the same thing as you, increasing competition. This is also why most people end up working as a freelancer. An article by Manypixels says that 90% of designers find it easy to work as a freelancer. Building Lights Out Studio wasn’t an easy task for me either. And I have often been asked by young entrepreneurs about what exactly went behind in building it. Here is what helped me build my own business to where it is today: → Staying consistent - On days when my consistency slacked, it created a ripple effect with projects becoming stagnated and communication being affected the most. Consistency is mundane but it brings a difference. → Stay disciplined - Stay committed to following a daily routine to see better productivity and consistent progress. This will build trust, credibility and strong client relationships with higher reliability. → Building depth - A business cannot be grown with surface-level efforts. Focus on building depth in everything you do. Be it skills or communication, building depth is our moat and that has helped us grow to a great extent. These have helped me achieve success with my business and build a mindset for continuous improvement. This way we could also focus on improving our expertise, positioning us as a go-to for quality design solutions. Comment below what has helped you become a strong entrepreneur. #designer #entrepreneur

Indian users are selfish, lazy and status hungry 🤌 This is what I wrote an entire newsletter about. While starting out to build any product, we’ve usually seen product teams make the mistake of building products that cater to their own preferences and behaviours. Whereas in reality, the average Indian consumer is vastly different - they are: 1) Time-starved 2) status-conscious 3) only care about products that deliver clear, immediate benefits. Don't believe me? Read the full edition. Link in comments. #newsletter #productdesign

How do you bake consumer insights into your products? A lot of feedback comes from the user's interaction with your product: time spent on each fold, clicks, search / keywords, customer support, etc. That's a huge area for product teams to consider, to improve the retention of your product Munz TDT & Shreeya Malpani give their opinion on baking consumer insights into the product #InTheHaus Link to the full episode in comments. (Sponsored by WeWork India)

1st ventures are always very close to the heart. Even if you are not 100% ready for it, you are a completely different person once you are in it. Irrespective of whether it was successful or not, the learnings it leaves behind create the most difference. My 1st business was a coworking venture and here’s what it taught me, that I would never underestimate: → Your Network Isn't Who You Know, But Who Knows You -  If you are an entrepreneur, you can never underestimate the power of networking. It does not mean randomly having contacts but instead building genuine connections. Your network is not defined by the number of business cards you exchange but by those who recognize your expertise and credibility and are willing to vouch for your capabilities. → Execution beats strategy any day -  You can create the strongest strategy with the perfect plan but it is of no use if you are not working on it. Only your adaptability and agility can help you work on your goals. Your strategy lays the foundation but it is the execution that turns dreams into reality and vision into tangible outcomes. My first business made me aware of myself and helped me discover more about business that I would not have learned otherwise. Success is not defined by just the outcomes you bring to the table but by the lessons you learned and the relationships you built too. Comment below what your 1st business taught you. #entrepreneurship #execution

Founders, Designers, PM's 👇 The cumulative experience in this room is to witness. Finally made this one happen. Shreeya Malpani, Head of Design, Curefit - house of cult; Srinath Rangamani, Head of Design, Swiggy Munz TDT, Brand & Creative Design, ex. Dunzo & Adil Singh, Co-founder Lights Out Studio coming together for this Designers Round Table #InTheHaus Sharing the link in comments 👇👇 (Sponsored by WeWork India)

One question I get asked a lot is "How can I squeeze more value out of my existing website traffic?" 🤔 📈 And so I decided to talk about this in my newsletter this week 🛒 The truth is, even a 3% conversion rate is considered "healthy" these days. But the top ecommerce brands are converting at 8-11%. Here are my 3 favourite tactics to level up your game: 1. Optimise your data capture: Your email pop-up should be converting at 10%+ not 3-4%. Test different visuals, copy, offers, and add valuable digital lead magnets. 2. Stop leading with value props, focus on outcomes: Customers care about how your products will make them look and feel, not just the features. Craft your copy around the end-benefits. 3. Leverage social proof that builds trust: Short customer videos (or even whatsapp screenshots / Insta DM's from customers) have the highest trust factor over generic reviews or press mentions. A detailed step-by-step execution guide in my newsletter. Link in comments👇👇

Got a minute? 👇 We're hiring for a Product Manager at Lights Out Studio 📲 Anyone who's keen to: 1. Work on more than 1 project at a time (can multi-task); and enjoys the consulting life 2. Conceptualise product strategy & research across consumer products 3. Handle & work with an ace team of designers & developers 4. Join immediately If you know anyone with 2-3 years of work experience, please do send them our way. Location: Ideally Bangalore / Open to remote And don't forget to CFBR 🤌

Do the best founders build their own TAM? Or is TAM important while investing? Have you ever been rejected by an investor who said, "there's no TAM" Or do you agree that TAM is important to consider while starting up. Check this one where Arjun Vaidya gives his thesis on TAM, #InTheHaus And tell me what do you think? (PS: Contrary to what Arjun says, Saksham isn't wealthy) Sponsored by WeWork India | Full episode in comments👇👇

Is this India's decade? In my conversation with Arjun Vaidya #InTheHaus, he spoke about all the reasons that would make one bullish about building & investing in India. I'm curious to know your thoughts, why do YOU think this is India's decade? 👇👇 . . (Full Episode in comments | Podcast Sponsored by WeWork India)

Folks, did another edition this week, check it out and dont forget to subscribe 🤌