Core learning screen

Kavya Menon

From Commerce Undergraduate to Co-founder & CEO

Last updated: Feb 3, 2025

Founder in Startups & Venture · Delhi, India

Bootstrapped a SaaS from a one-bedroom flat to a small team. Sharing the real career journey including the months I almost shut it down. Career story for first-time founders who do not have an MBA or rich parents.

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Career Timeline

Education2016-2019
Commerce Undergraduate
IIM Ahmedabad
Failed Class 12 math by one mark, did B.Com, ran a tuition class on weekends. Discovered selling before I discovered building.
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ContextFailed Class 12 math by one mark, did B.Com, ran a tuition class on weekends. Discovered selling before I discovered building.
ChallengesNo technical foundation. Friends in engineering felt like the "serious" track.
LearningsSales is a craft, not a personality trait. You can learn it, badly first, then well.
Skills acquired
Accounting basicsbusiness communicationmarketing fundamentalsside hustles
First Job2019-2021
Business Development Executive
Freshworks
Joined Freshworks as employee 47. Got thrown into outbound sales with a list and a target.
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ContextJoined Freshworks as employee 47. Got thrown into outbound sales with a list and a target.
ChallengesFirst three months felt like rejection on tap. Quotas were ambitious; pipeline was sparse.
LearningsPersistence beats talent in sales until the cycle 30. After that, judgement beats persistence.
OutcomeBuilt a small enterprise pipeline that paid back salary 10x in year one.
Skills acquired
Cold outreachCRMdemosobjection handlingbuilding rapport
Career Break2021-2022
Career Break (Family Health)
On break
Father had a stroke. Took an unplanned eight-month break. Drew down savings, learned what runway feels like at a personal level.
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ContextFather had a stroke. Took an unplanned eight-month break. Drew down savings, learned what runway feels like at a personal level.
ChallengesFelt the career clock loudly. Watching peers post promotions while I was at hospitals.
LearningsA pause is not a failure. The year off was the year I clarified what kind of company I wanted to build.
Skills acquired
Patiencefinancial planningtime with parentslistening to people who were not customers
Startup Launch2022-2024
Co-founder
My SaaS Co.
Started with a college friend and ₹6 lakh in personal savings. Built a vertical SaaS for D2C brands managing inventory across marketplaces.
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ContextStarted with a college friend and ₹6 lakh in personal savings. Built a vertical SaaS for D2C brands managing inventory across marketplaces.
ChallengesFirst eight months: no revenue, daily doubts, a co-founder argument we still laugh about. Almost closed when a single customer paid annually upfront.
LearningsDistribution is the bottleneck for 90% of B2B SaaS. "Build it and they will come" is a lie. Your first 20 customers are interviews, not just revenue.
OutcomeReached ₹1.2 crore ARR. 11 customers, all profitable. Hired the first three teammates.
Skills acquired
No-code prototypingproduct pricinghiringfundraising basicscustomer interviews
AdviceIf you cannot sell it cold to a stranger, do not raise money to scale a thing nobody wants.
Achievement2024-Present
Co-founder & CEO
My SaaS Co.
Raised a small seed round to extend distribution into Southeast Asia. Team of 14 now; ARR crossed ₹6 crore.
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ContextRaised a small seed round to extend distribution into Southeast Asia. Team of 14 now; ARR crossed ₹6 crore.
ChallengesBecoming the person the team needs rather than the engineer-salesperson-everything I was at start.
LearningsFounders graduate roles every 18 months. Comfort means you stopped growing.
OutcomeDefault-alive for three quarters running. First international customer signed last quarter.
Skills acquired
Team leadershipboard managementcash flowhiring senior leaders

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Kavya Menon

Career Timeline

Commerce Undergraduate

Business Development Executive

Career Break (Family Health)

Co-founder

Co-founder & CEO

Reflections & Questions from Readers