In 1999, when hardly anyone in India transacted on the Internet, K. Vaitheeswaran co-founded India’s first e-commerce company. Yet, years later, when e-commerce was exploding in India—despite enjoying first-mover advantage—Indiaplaza shut down. What went wrong? Lack of funding? Wrong strategies? Or was it ‘something else’?\nFor the first time ever, Vaitheeswaran reveals that it was indeed something else—a set of inexplicable events that destroyed what could have been a profitable business (an extreme rarity among technology start-ups). He bares his extraordinary trials and tribulations while dealing with business failure and the impossible pressures that can threaten entrepreneurs in India. Coming at the back of stories of young start-ups raising billions of dollars in funding and creating unicorns in just a few years, as well as the recent setbacks in the e-commerce industry, Failing to Succeed delves deep into the dark side of starting up and its myriad pitfalls.\nFilled with interesting anecdotes, tongue-in-cheek observations, amazing customer insights, hard-hitting predictions and behind-the-scenes industry happenings, this book is an extraordinary unravelling of the challenges facing technology start-ups in India. It is a must-read for aspiring entrepreneurs, investors, industry professionals or business school students, and anyone interested in India’s start-up ecosystem.\nA powerful narration, Failing to Succeed is eventually about finding ways to move forward and succeed despite failures.
About the Author
K. Vaitheeswaran, widely hailed as the ‘father of e-commerce in India’, co-founded India’s first e-commerce company Fabmart.com (later rebranded Indiaplaza.com) in 1999. In 2001, he co-founded the Fabmall supermarket chain which was subsequently acquired by the Aditya Birla Group and re-branded 'More'.\nVaitheeswaran has advised global brands, including Deloitte, Diageo and Tata, among others, in their digital initiatives; mentors several start-ups; and is well known in the Indian start-up scene. He is a popular speaker on entrepreneurship at industry forums and institutes, including IITs and IIMs.\nHe lives in Bengaluru with his wife and son, and tweets @vaitheek
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