117: Why Resilience Pays Off in India & The Truth About Starting Up in India | Ashish of Fundamentum

Ashish Kumar is a co-founder and General Partner at Fundamentum Partnership, an early growth-stage fund launched in 2017 with Nandan Nilekani and Sanjeev Aggarwal. Fundamentum backs tech-driven startups with product-market fit, leading or co-leading $25M-$40M rounds. Its second fund closed in 2022 at $227M, with a portfolio including unicorns like Pharmeasy and Spinny. Collectively, its companies have raised over $1B in follow-on funding. 00:00 - Top moments 01:29 - Intro 03:20 - Key influences during Ashish's early years. 06:26 - Ashish's hometown and educational background. 08:38 - Ashish's journey from moving to the US to working at Microsoft. 11:16 - Ashish's self-discovery through professional experiences. 14:33 - Ashish's reasons for returning to India and initial experiences. 17:36 - Ashish's returning companionand starting the first business. 19:31 - Explanation of a trade fair. 23:32 - Origin and story behind TBO.com. 28:24 - Ashish's interest in venture capital and journey with Fundamentum. 35:25 - Overview of Fundamentum’s role and operations. 40:00 - Investment examples and insights into fund operations. 44:03 - Growth investing reaching critical mass and need for local understanding. 48:10 - Blurring lines between private equity and venture capital and its impact on non-linear bets in India. 54:11 - Explanation of "outlier" business models. 01:03:23 - Ashish's advice for those abroad considering opportunities in India. 01:10:02 - Ashish's daily routine and work-life structure. 01:12:18 - Ashish's personal obsessions outside of professional life. 01:15:26 - Ashish's strategies for achieving highest potential. 🔗 CONNECT WITH Ashish Kumar 👥 Linkedin -   / ashishk   🐦 Twitter- https://x.com/ashishkumar?lang=en 🔗 CONNECT WITH SHIVA 💌 Sign up to my weekly email newsletter - https://1947tech.substack.com/ 🎥 YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfiQ... 🐦 Twitter -   / shivassangwan   🐦 Twitter -   / 1947rise   👥 Linkedin -   / shiva-sin.  . 🎙 ABOUT THE PODCAST Our purpose is to help startups go mainstream in 🇮🇳! 1947 Rise Podcast is helping in accelerating the speed of reverse brain drain and 1947 Operators Podcast is helping in increasing the number of operator-angels in the startup ecosystem. 🎧 LISTEN FOR FREE Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/3KI3bZi Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3AEO5z5 🙏 LEAVE A REVIEW