Rohan Parikh

NOVAK. DJOKOVIC.

How do you fight a price war? Some first hand learnings from the last 3 years which can be relevant for founders of new age brands Every major brand had their range of BLDC fans by 2019. And by 2022 when everyone realised that BLDC fans are the future, we started facing huge pricing pressure from one of the biggest fan brands. At the entry level, some of the products were priced 15-20 percent lower than Atomberg Whenever you see any pricing action, the first step is to diagnose the cause and find what is the source of this low price? Is it a structural advantage ( lower costs due to scale or design) or competition giving up short term margins for market share gain By doing a basic zero based costing analysis, We figured out that there was no big structural cost advantage. The design of our motors were the most efficient and since we manufacture our motors end to end, we had the cost advantage too. And wherever they had some cost advantage, those were trade offs with long term quality Now, we had 2 options at that point - Take pricing actions to match it. But it would have meant diluting our margins. And since it was a much bigger brand, there was no guarantee they won’t reduce further. Bldc fans as a percentage of revenue was very low for them so they would have managed it easily. In start up parlance, This is akin to fighting a price war with a competitor who raised 10x more than you - Take non pricing actions to fight a price war We decided to go the second route. So this is what we did - Increased marketing budget by couple of percentage points. Ramped up the awareness building journey. Did marquee impact properties including the BCCI sponsorship - Premiumized the portfolio at breakneck speed. Launched smart/iot versions of most fans. Launched super premium fans at 6000 Rs price points - Ramped up after sales service infra to make at home service within 24 hours a reality. And these value additions were communicated by trade - Communicated more around our quality and longevity of products. At ground level, apple to apple comparisons with cheaper products was done to all retailers - Ramped up BTL and display at counters All of this helped us keep growing at very high double digit numbers. And competition pricing intensity also reduced after a point when they realised we haven’t taken the pricing bait So, while from a cost point of view, we did incur some costs, but those helped bring long term benefits to the brand( better product, better service, more awareness) Much better than simply matching the price and go into a full blown price war Pricing pressure by competition will mean a short term hit on your P&L. But you can spend it on things that makes you a stronger business in the long run

Novak Djokovic saves three Championship points and breaks back to make it 5-5 🤯 #Wimbledon

A pivotal hold for Novak Djokovic, and look at what it means 💪 #Wimbledon

If you’re a founder in the footwear industry or work with the same, we would love to hear from you. Read our findings on the category in this extensive research report. Link to the report: matrixpartners.in/matrixmoments/… @chander1987 | @orhanparikh | @KishanKashyap22 | @DivyamDG17 #FoundersFirst #Footwear #Consumer (2/2)

The Indian footwear industry is going through a ‘one-time shift in the supply system’ led by ‘consumer demand’. Footwear has evolved from utility to identity, becoming as crucial to one's look as an outfit or makeup. Indians are expected to own 2.1 pairs per capita by FY25. India is also leaning towards sports and spending on sports gear is on the rise. There is a growing need for high-quality performance footwear which opens up an opportunity for Indian brands to introduce these shoes across price points. If you’re a founder exploring the footwear sector, you have an opportunity that comes once in decades - do reach out to us. More in the article penned by @chander1987 and @orhanparikh. Link to the article: shorturl.at/gt2uF @avnish | @RajatAgarwal167 | @VikramV23 | @tarun_davda | @KishanKashyap22 | @DivyamDG17 | @sid_agarwal_1 #FoundersFirst #IndianFootwearIndustry #AtmanirbharBharat

Excited to double down on our investment in the D2C skincare brand @FoxtaleSkin, as they secure Series B funding led by #PantheraGrowthPartners, with participation from existing investor @KaeCapital . (1/6)

Finally unveiling our investment in @emversity - founded by @viveksinhaisb & addressing key challenges in employability & skilling. At Matrix, we're committed to building Digital India & propelling our country towards a developed nation by 2047 - Emversity is at the heart of it!

I got this notif today and it is yet another piece of evidence for a pet theory of mine: that quiet, seemingly effortless popularity on the internet is the ultimate echelon of fame in a saturated world & will always be hierarchized over try-hard popularity. Quick theory thread:

In the second part of this three-part series “Mental models to imagine a New World Order,” @chander1987 (CV) explores how AI can impact everything from our buying behaviour to what the services platforms can offer us. For the deep dive: matrixpartners.in/matrixmoments/…… (3/5)

Excited to announce our partnership with @inrajatsingh, @manish_inprime, @snehkalro and the team at @InPrime_in, a technology-led NBFC. (1/6)

Appreciate Starbucks denying 2024 by continuing to play carols and serve coffee in their Archie’s themed cups like it’s still Christmas Eve and not the start of a long long year

Rent @ 25K.

Hey folks 👋🏼 my colleague @TahaTinwala1 is looking for a 3rd flatmate for a fully-furnished 3BHK in Indiranagar, near Bob’s. The house is newly done up and can be moved into immediately. Ping @deeepgandhi for details

For more, read full article here: matrixpartners.in/matrixmoments/… @tarun_davda | @chander1987 | @rahulchugh29 | @orhanparikh #FoundersFirst #AIatMatrix

At @matrixindiavc , we are bullish on the Indian IVF opportunity. While AI-first plays are poised to capture value, IVF treatment centres that leverage AI too can improve their existing capabilities and create outcomes while reducing costs.

Day 5 of our South Asia Field Trip, ft. Second Chance House, Darjeeling. Featuring drenched hikes, human Cluedo, misty morning & washed out days, an all day barbecue, local Phalle, Risk with IR students, and surprise last moment visitors.

he doesn’t know what an LLM is and he’s having the time of his life

Tweeps (X'ers?) - Who is building / looking into the AI in fertility space? Pls DM.

The first man not named Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray to win the #Wimbledon Gentlemen's Singles since 2002. @CarlosAlcaraz 🆕