Shradha Sharma (YourStory.in) at Startup Grind Bangalore

TL;DR

Shradha Sharma founded YourStory.in to document and celebrate entrepreneurs before they became successful, addressing a media bias toward people who had already succeeded. She started the platform in October 2008 after her NGO, Times of India, and CNBC experiences showed her the importance of communication and early support. Read on to understand the observations, motivations, and initial uncertainty that shaped YourStory.

Transcript

so so I got good mascot expectation is that service politics I started working for one of the NGOs of John - yes Mike she was the chairman of UNICEF and then she used to run an NGO which was worth children and while studying in college I used to go in Islam even until birth in belly and then work with children teach them and then understood a lot o... Read More

Key Insights

• 🖐️ Effective communication plays a crucial role in the success or failure of projects and ventures.
• 🔉 There is a bias in media coverage towards successful individuals, often neglecting potential future successes.
• 😀 Startups and entrepreneurs face unique challenges in India's business ecosystem.
• 💁 Your Story has evolved its content format to include videos and is building a platform to further engage with its data and stories.
• ❓ The founder's passion and perseverance have been instrumental in the success of Your Story.
• 🥺 Encouraging and celebrating failure can lead to valuable learnings and growth.
• 🤦‍♀️ Women entrepreneurs often face additional challenges and biases in the startup ecosystem.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why did Shradha Sharma start YourStory.in?

Shradha Sharma started YourStory.in because she believed the media focused heavily on people who were already successful. She wanted to listen to, document, and celebrate entrepreneurs who were not yet successful but had the potential to succeed later.

Q: When did Shradha Sharma start YourStory?

Shradha Sharma says she started YourStory in October 2008. Its original premise was to write about entrepreneurs early so they could later remember the platform that first documented their stories.

Q: How did Shradha Sharma's NGO work influence YourStory?

While studying in college, Shradha Sharma worked with children through an NGO and learned how communication, or its absence, can determine whether efforts succeed. She described the work as demanding but satisfying and said it gave her meaningful experience related to people and the social sector.

Q: What did Shradha Sharma observe about media coverage?

During her media career, Sharma saw a strong preference for covering people who had already achieved success. She questioned why people with future potential received little attention, conversation, or early encouragement.

Q: What did Shradha Sharma learn from meeting entrepreneurs at CNBC?

Sharma realized that every entrepreneur had a story fundamental to what they were building, even if they were not yet successful. She was surprised that few people were writing about them, speaking with them, or listening to them.

Q: Why did Shradha Sharma believe early recognition mattered?

She believed it is difficult to become successful without support early in the journey. By documenting entrepreneurs before their success, YourStory could recognize their potential and help create a culture that valued more than proven achievement.

Q: Did YourStory have a clear business model when it began?

No, Sharma says the business model was not clearly defined or fully thought through at the beginning. The initial driving force was her determination to listen to entrepreneurs, document their stories, and celebrate people who had not yet succeeded.

Q: How did listening to entrepreneurs shape YourStory's direction?

Sharma found that listening closely revealed many challenges behind each entrepreneur's introduction and story. After noticing problems common among early-stage entrepreneurs, she began thinking about how YourStory could help address them and build a business model around solving those needs.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The founder of Your Story, Shradha Sharma, was inspired by her work with NGOs and her understanding of the importance of communication in making things work.

• She had a fulfilling experience working in media before starting Your Story, where she noticed a bias towards successful individuals and a lack of coverage for potential future successes.

• Your Story started as a platform to document and celebrate the stories of entrepreneurs who may not have achieved success yet, but have the potential to make a significant impact.