The Big Picture by Iron Pillar

The Big Picture Conversation with Kumar Abhishek, Founder & CEO, ToneTag

Payments over sound waves!!!Yes, you read that right:) In the latest @iron pillar #BigPicture podcast, it was simply awesome to spend time with @Kumar Abhishek [abhishek@tonetag.com], founder and CEO of @tonetag, a company that has developed a proprietary protocol to enable secure transmission of data over sound waves for wireless payment applications, voice based authentication and much more. From humble beginnings in a steel town in North India to learning about banking systems at @infosys and @mindtree, to leveraging advisors and mentors along the way, Kumar and team have built one of the incredible #deeptech companies from #India. It took years of experimentation to perfect the technology and build an enviable global patent portfolio. With the combination of a superb product, brilliant product-market fit and a partner-led go to market motion with the likes of @google, @amazon and most recently @qualcomm, Kumar has built a cash generating rocket ship and innovation engine!I have said it before and I will keep saying it…@ToneTag is a true generational global company in the making and one of the best examples of @iron pillar’s thesis of investing in companies “building from India for the world”. This episode is a must listen!

The Big Picture conversation with Kunal Sharma, Cofounder & CEO, Flipspaces

Physical workplace helps define a company's culture!In the latest episode of the Big Picture Podcast by @IronPillar, I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with @kunalsharma, co-founder and CEO of @flipspaces, our portfolio company providing technology-led turnkey design and manufacturing of commercial real estate interiors. In this episode, I had the opportunity to dive into Kunal's journey from an early childhood influenced by a father in the Indian army, to formative years at IIT Bombay to eventually the serial entrepreneurship bug. The free flowing conversation took us through his passion for founding the company, opportunistic global expansion, forks on the road, focus on capital efficiency, lessons learned and eventually Kunal's passion for the arts. Yes, he is an artist and performer in addition to running a high growth startup! An ideal combination of right and left brained genius coming together:)The @ironpillar team is thrilled to be part of @flipspace journey. It has been just phenomenal to see the company's growth, and I can't wait to see what milestones @flipspaces hits next. By the way, @flipspaces is a prime example of laser focused execution delivering growth AND profitability!Kudos, @kunalsharma and team! Upward and onward!

🚀 The Big Picture Podcast: A Conversation with Anand Natampalli 🎙️

In the latest episode of The Big Picture Podcast by @Iron Pillar, I had the pleasure of speaking with @Anand Natampalli, a seasoned sales and business development leader at @sagility and a valued member of the Iron Pillar Network. With decades of experience in sales, strategy, and scaling businesses, Anand shared powerful insights on what it takes to build and grow companies in today's evolving landscape. 🔥 Key Takeaways from the Conversation: ✅ Sales is like dating & marriage – Anand draws an intriguing analogy, emphasizing that selling isn’t a transaction; it’s a relationship. Just like in dating, the early stages require trust-building, mutual understanding, and patience. And when done right, it evolves into a long-term partnership—much like a strong marriage. 💍 🤝 ✅ Entrepreneurship is climbing a mountain with sherpas – Founders don’t climb alone; they need trusted guides, experienced mentors, and the right partners to reach the summit. It’s about preparation, resilience, and the team you build around you. A key point is that it's not just about reaching the summit. It's about having the energy to make it back and enjoy the milestones! 🏔️🧗 ✅ I always learn something new about my guests on these episodes. Anand, for example, started his passion for sales at an early age through door to door selling of old wallpaper that had been converted into coasters. Sales was his destiny:) This episode is packed with wisdom, humor, and real-world lessons for founders, sales leaders, and anyone navigating the journey of business building. 🚀 The team at Iron Pillar is incredibly thankful for Anand's guidance and mentorship to our portfolio companies.  🎧 Tune in to the full conversation here #IronPillar #TheBigPicturePodcast #Entrepreneurship #Sales #BusinessGrowth #wisdom #community

The Big Picture Conversation with Ankur Shah, Investor, Advisor, Member-Iron Pillar Network

In the latest episode of the @IronPillar Big Picture Podcast, I had the pleasure of having a fascinating in-depth conversation with @AnkurShah, a prolific investor, startup advisor, company builder, former CFO at @careem and @weee, and esteemed member of the Iron Pillar Network.   Ankur and I focus on his philosophy of engaging with entrepreneurs and the role that impact plays in his decision making. While he is not a prototypical impact investor, his belief that every company can indeed “do good and do well” is insightful. Do have a listen. In the second part of this conversation, Ankur and I focus more on his role and journey at @careem from the early days as a new generation taxi company to eventually a super app with a global presence and the @Uber acquisition.   To build an institution like Careem in the Middle East was a non-trivial exercise on multiple levels – disrupting the status quo, dealing with governments and taxi unions, and of course constantly raising capital. Ironically, in a part of the world that has ample capital (think all the sovereign wealth funds), there simply wasn’t the appetite or comfort to invest in companies like Careem. As a result, each subsequent series of financing was just as difficult as the previous.  This is a fascinating, in the trenches, “play by play” of creation, challenges, eventual scale and exit of one of the most iconiq companies in the Middle East. Told, of course, from the vantage point of someone who was there spearheading much of the strategy and financing. I hope you all enjoy this interaction as much as I did. We, at Iron Pillar, are eternally grateful to Ankur for his mentorship and guidance. Thank you! #grit #persistence #leadership #thinkbig #innovation #growthcapital #venturecapital #VC #mentorship #community #Indiarising

The Big Picture conversation with Ashish Jain, CFO, Careem, Member, Iron Pillar Network

Building financial discipline matters!In the latest Big Picture podcast by @ironpillar, I had the pleasure of speaking with @ashish jain, a friend, LP, member of the Iron Pillar Network and currently the CFO of @careem, based out of #Dubai. His journey from product marketing in Silicon Valley to McKinsey, investment banking and eventually to senior finance roles at Unicorn companies has been full of ups and downs, lessons learned and milestones achieved. He shares his nuggets of wisdom around #focus, #resilience, understanding business fundamentals, unit economics, need for financial systems and processes, business expansion, fundraising and the power of company #culture.  By the way, every employee at Careem can recite the company’s mission on demand. The notion of simplifying and improving people’s lives is in the DNA of every member of the Careem family. That North Star has guided the company from a ride hailing giant to a super app with customer-centric business adjacencies. This is definitely worth a listen. We are honored and humbled to have Ashish as member of the Iron Pillar family. Thank you!