Naresh Bhat | ನರೇಶ್ ಭಟ್

We had a fantastic, highly engaged conversation at the 4th @mundhebanni meetup in Bengaluru yesterday. When we locked March 1 as the date, we honestly did not realize there was a T20 world cup match the same day. But registrations were done a week in advance. We had 100 sign ups. Even after 8 to 10 dropouts, there were 15 plus people constantly checking if they could still join. And when we got there, the house was full. We started at 4 and the conversations went on till 8.30. 99% people stayed till the very end. That energy, that intent to learn and engage, is what makes this community special. A big thank you to @Vrallnanda for being at his candid best while breaking down how fundraising actually works in the real world. What VCs truly look for. The common mistakes founders make. The way he calls things out directly, without any sugar coating, was honestly refreshing. This is the kind of reality based conversation founders need, not generic gyan. We then had an equally engaging session by @jyothirmayee. Everyone talks about building a product. But when it comes to getting the first 10 customers, most founders fall into the same traps. Spend on performance marketing. Post online and hope customers show up. She took the discussion in a different direction. Product can come later. Market readiness comes first. What does real customer segmentation look like. Is the need functional, emotional, or impulse driven. What truly increases the probability of your idea working. It was intense and extremely practical. We then had 5 amazing founders from our community pitch their ideas in a 5 minute contest. What made me happy was the diversity. One from Ed-tech SaaS. One from automotive. One from food tech. One from a travel marketplace. And one building a SaaS product for the interior design space. The feedback they received from the guests was pretty sharp and actionable. Special thanks to @Kailash_nath, our chief judge, who was not keeping well but still made time to travel and join us, listen to every pitch, and offer thoughtful feedback. And congratulations to Sripad, founder of rentontrip from Mysuru for winning the best pitch of the day. Overall, the feeling of community was overwhelming. This truly feels like the beginning. We will take this across the state. We will hit more cities and build more conversations. A stronger entrepreneurial network from Karnataka that believes it can shape its own future. In an age of AI disruption, optimism alone is not enough. Founders need real knowledge, real do’s and don’ts, and access to honest conversations early in their journey. If we keep doing this consistently, I genuinely believe we will see many more successful entrepreneurs emerge from Karnataka over the next 10 years. A big thank you to @supreetkashyap from Wellbi, World of MysorePak, Serene Candle Studio, Malgudi Amruth Chaha and BrewLife for sponsoring goodies and beverages. Next stop could be Mysuru, Kalburgi, or Shivamogga.