Saravana Kumar from Kovai on Bootstrapping Success and the Future of AI

Saravana Kumar is the founder of Kovai - to $10 million ARR. Kovai currently employs 160 people, with offices in India and the UK. In this episode, Saravana Kumar, founder of Kovai, shares his journey from IT consulting to building a bootstrapped SaaS business with over 200 employees. Saravana discusses identifying business gaps that led to products like BizTalk 360 and Document 360, scaling multiple SaaS products, and managing culture across global teams. He dives into the decision to bootstrap instead of seeking VC funding, the impact of AI on business operations, opportunities in India's growing tech ecosystem, and much more! Timestamps [00:04:00] Origin story of BizTalk 360 and how Saravana discovered a business gap. [00:08:45] Transition to creating multiple products under the umbrella brand, Kovai. [00:12:00] Saravana explains strategies for deciding when to build a second or third product. [00:16:30] Discussion on identity challenges of running a multi-product business. [00:19:00] Saravana explains why he chose to bootstrap his business instead of taking VC funding. [00:22:45] Saravana shares early customer success stories and revenue generation. [00:26:00] Saravana’s perspective on VC funding and managing business expenses efficiently. [00:30:15] Insights on the future of AI-driven billion-dollar companies with small teams. [00:33:30] Saravana discusses how AI tools are reshaping business operations. [00:36:45] Advice for graduates on staying relevant in the AI-driven job market. [00:40:00] The role of AI agents in decision-making processes for CEOs. [00:43:00] Saravana explains Document 360's roadmap adaptation due to AI advancements. [00:46:30] Benefits of integrating AI for enhancing customer support and technical writing. [00:50:00] Managing culture and accountability with remote and distributed teams. [00:53:30] Saravana shares experiences of maintaining company culture in different offices. [00:57:00] Saravana reflects on lifestyle differences between living in India and abroad. [01:00:45] Discussion on opportunities and technological advancements in Indian cities. [01:04:00] Saravana talks about his venture investments and supporting startup ecosystems. [01:07:30] Importance of founders maintaining focus on their primary business before investing. Saravana’s Links  LDN– ​​https://www.linkedin.com/in/saravanamv Website –  https://www.kovai.co/ My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/ Agency: https://bit.ly/41YuNnx