On Episode 40 of #LearningStories, we chat with Salil Bajaj about bootstrapping a small business in India from scratch.
Salil is an Entrepreneur, Engineer and Writer based in Gurgaon, India. He has over three years of experience in the entrepreneurial world. He previously built a hiring company that achieved a revenue of approximately INR 2 crore within 1/1.5 years, securing deals with notable brands such as Swiggy, Jupiter, Lenskart, and Giant Eagle. Currently, he is focused on becoming a creator, runs Badaam Lessons as growth newsletter and building a newsletter company, Epithymia Labs on the side. You can find him on Linkedin, Twitter and Substack.
Show Chapters
00:30 - Introduction and Background
01:30 - Boarding School Experience
03:00 - Childhood Memories and Stories
04:00 - Dream of being a cricketer
05:30 - What skills did I learn from sports?
08:00 - Why did you study Aeronautical Engineering at university?
08:50 - "My father really wanted me to take up Commerce"
09:40 - "I wanted to get into the defence services in India"
10:50 - "I would do things very differently today"
11:20 - "It is important to get clarity before you pursue something in university in India"
12:00 - What was my experience studying at an Engineering college in Chennai?
14:00 - Why I wanted to pursue civil services after university?
15:30 - "I was studying for UPSC exams for two years after my undergraduate degree"
17:20 - "I learned how to code, how to write and how to design in my free time"
18:30 - How did I get my first job?
21:30 - How to build a small business from scratch in India?
22:50 - How I used the Internet to acquire skills and knowledge quickly?
24:00 - "I realized how important content was for a small business"
25:00 - "I invested in a lot of online courses"
26:00 - How to build a client base as a small business in India?
29:00 - How do brands market their products and services to consumers in India today?
31:45 - What is the Creator Economy and why is it important?
36:50 - "The creator economy gives you a chance to impact at audience at scale"
38:30 - "Newsletters help you build an email list and organic audience"
38:50 - Who are some founders that have built powerful personal brands online?
42:30 - Why did I start a small business and what problem I want to solve?
46:00 - How I am building an audience for my newsletter, Badaam Lessons?
48:00 - Five Newsletter Recommendations
52:00 - How to develop a connection on Linkedin or X?
52:30 - Closing Notes and Thoughts
Show Notes
1) Newsletters are a great way to build an organic audience and community on the Internet.
2) Failure is an opportunity to learn and find new opportunities to add value to others in your life.
3) Tapping into the Creator Economy is a great way to build an additional income by sharing your knowledge on social media and the Internet.
4) Learning on the Internet is a great way to pick up skills and knowledge in fast growing ever evolving fields like technology, marketing and entrepreneurship.
5) Document your learning and build publicly on the Internet.
Salil's Work/Projects
1) Salil on Linkedin - www.linkedin.com/in/salilbajaj/
2) Salil on X - x.com/thatsalilbajaj
3) Badaam Lessons Newsletter - badaamlessons.substack.com/
4) Badaam Lessons Notes - badaamlessons.substack.com/notes
5) Tom Alder's journey to 55k+ Subscribers by Salil - badaamlessons.substack.com/p/issue-2-how-tom-alder-grew-to-55k
6) Marc Lou's journey to $1.5MN
badaamlessons.substack.com/p/how-marc-lou-turned-30-failed-startups
Show Description
This is a show where we interview a diverse set of learners from the 21st century. Each guest profiled here has a unique story to share about how they acquired a set of valuable skills and knowledge in a creative and innovative manner.