Shubham Khoker on Scaling Startups, Growth Lessons, and the Future of AI Agents

Shubham Khoker was the Head of Growth at Topmate. Topmate.io is a fast-growing online platform that connects freelancers and clients, he used to lead the growth strategy and execution for the company. rifa.ai founder. IIT bombay In this episode, Shubham Khoker, former Head of Growth at Topmate and founder of Rifa AI, shares his unconventional journey from UPSC preparation to the startup world, insights from scaling Topmate in India and the US, lessons from failed experiments, and the evolution of the creator economy. He discusses the future of AI in growth and operations, the difference between growth sales and traditional sales, and how brands can drive user retention, and much more! Timestamps [09:00] Early days at Topmate – not a marketplace, but a tool for freelancers. [11:30] Topmate’s shift from tool to marketplace model. [13:00] Initial traction in India – focus on Bangalore and Mumbai. [15:00] Decision to expand internationally – choosing the US market over others. [18:00] Unique challenges in India: hesitation to pay for someone's time. [20:00] Lessons learned from experimenting with free incentives in the US. [22:00] How lack of pricing on Topmate's website hurt US expansion. [24:00] CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) vs LTV (Lifetime Value) differences between India and US. [26:30] Failed experiments: why cold outreach strategies in India didn’t work in the US. [29:00] Lessons from automation failures in early US outreach efforts. [31:00] Shubham's view on when startups should consider paid acquisition. [33:00] Key metrics Shubham used for growth and user acquisition. [36:00] Difference between traditional sales vs. growth sales mindset. [39:00] Importance of brand building even for small startups. [41:30] Driving user retention: why talking directly to customers matters. [44:00] Defining a retained and engaged user at Topmate. [46:00] Underappreciated growth channel: how LinkedIn worked for Topmate. [48:00] Creator economy trends in India vs. the US and sustainability challenges. [52:00] How Shubham sees AI impacting marketing and growth roles. [54:00] How Shubham uses AI tools like ChatGPT to support growth strategy. Shubham’s Links  LDN– https://www.linkedin.com/in/shubhamkhoker/ Website – Topmate.io, rifa.ai My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/ Agency: https://bit.ly/41YuNnx