SunoG! AG is the real OG!
Image-building lessons from Ashneer Grover, my favorite brand of Shark Tank S2 AND a favor (in the end)...
Happy Saturday everyone!
Thank you for your appreciation and feedback on the Biryani post. It was overwhelming!
If you are sipping chaai and reading this then you are doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing. But if all you did this week was spend hours on doom-scrolling, then there’s only one thing that I have to say-
Listen to Ashneer Grover and get a hold of your life!
Speaking of which, have you noticed that people only talk about the successful unicorns this man has built, but nobody is talking about his most successful brand- his personal brand!
It took him less than 12 months since the Bharat Pe controversy to drastically transform his image and he’s slaying it! Let’s see how this magic happened and what we can learn from it.
Prequel
Shark Tank season 1 took India by storm. It was full of inspiration and nail-biting drama! Be it any part of India, the words Dhanda and doglapan are now a part of almost every Indian citizen- like it’s etched in the brain (what do you mean I’m exaggerating?)! Ashneer has always been a meme-worthy material, indeed!
But because he never sugar-coated anything and rejected the founders point-blank, he was disliked. Because entrepreneurship is not easy, and being kind to founders doesn’t cost a dime! But sometimes “We’re the nicest to people by not being nice to them“ is something that most people agree with.
The Bharat Pe controversy deprived Ashneer of his company and Shark Tank. But did this mark the end of Ashneer Grover?
Trajectory
This is what Ashneer Grover’s trajectory of staying relevant looks like-
(P.S.- Totally my observation)
I think that creating a killer personal brand in under 12 months was the smartest and the most successfully executed idea of Ashneer Grover to date! Because now, he’s the unfair advantage, the bragworthy proposition and the UVP of the speculative decacorn that he’s building- he is the MOAT!
This is how he did it-
Keep quiet when nobody is willing to listen
Think about it, after the Bharat Pe controversy, he was nowhere on social media or news after a point, because he understood that nobody would listen. Even though nobody gave him a chance to defend himself, he created that opportunity for himself; because everybody deserves a second chance- which is why he wrote his book Doglapan- to justify why he is the way he is (the flat part of the graph).
After his book was published, it was ACTION TIME!
When the dust has settled, ACT!
Ashneer was everywhere ! On the most famous Indian podcasts, collaborating with influencers and he even made an appearance on TVF pitchers. But , was that enough?
He understood that he had to connect with his audience on a personal level, not just through screens- so he appeared in various talk shows at IIT Delhi, Masters Union, etc.
Be funny and/or controversial
We Indians love drama!
And what’s better than drama? Gallons of humor added to it!
And that’s how Ashneer has always been- funny and dramatic! He knew this would work, so he doubled down on this. This made him a meme-worthy material, so much so, that people are not really liking Shark Tank season 2 because of his absence.
Not just that, his facial expressions are mind-blowing meme-materials!
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The roast master
Talk about amazing comebacks (literally and figuratively)- Ashneer is the best at it! Roasting is a part of his personality.
But what’s commendable is how gracefully he replies to negative comments about him.
Be Original
Above all, Ashneer never showcased the desperation of pleasing people, nor did he change himself. He put himself out there to give people a chance to know him, the liking or disliking that follows is something he cannot control. So he is not wasting his energy controlling what cannot be controlled.
Chaai Biscuit is on Twitter!
FLHEXIBLE
This is what shifting furniture looks like- it’s an onerous task!
But not in case of Flhexible- they make sure that we get sturdy yet lightweight furniture that can be easily moved and carried.
But, but, but…
First things first, I love the name!
If you love the name too, wait for the central idea.
We live in a world, where sustainability is an overused term. But, in a world of reduce, reuse , recycle; merely recycling paper isn’t really sustainable - recycled paper is thick and expensive.
Here’s where 2 very talented architects Abhimanyu and Shilpi step in- they have gone a step further by upcycling recycled paper into furniture that’s functionally aesthetic! (Too many terms, I know- refer to the graphic). It’s light and modular! They are truly saving the earth and helping us get rid of the pain of moving excessively heavy furniture.
In a consumer-centric economy where convenience is the top most priority, I’d definitely pick Flhexible’s minimalistic and modular furniture that reduces the burden on our planet.. What would you pick?
Check out their minimalistic designs here!
Want to listen to their whole story? Tune in to this episode of Shark tank S2.
Meanwhile, I’d like to ask you for some suggestions-
Alright then!
Thanks for reading! Write to me in case of any feedbacks, suggestions and/or appreciations- I’ll be looking forward to it!
See you next week! Toodeloo!
👍I'd forgotten all.about Grover till you reminded me of him! ;D