“We enable companies to offer perks and privileges to their employees or clients. For brands, we are a customer segmentation platform where they can pick and choose the audience they want to run promotions for,” Sourabh Deorah, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Advantage Club
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(L to R) Smiti Deorah, Co-founder, Advantage Club & Sourabh Deorah, Co-Founder and CEO, Advantage Club |
ST
Bureau: When did you decide to take the path of โentrepreneurshipโ? Do you
remember any special incident?
Bureau: When did you decide to take the path of โentrepreneurshipโ? Do you
remember any special incident?
Sourabh
Deorah: When I was
pursuing my BE from Thapar, me and my friends co-founded Fundoori, which was a
local portal catering to Thapar students, helping them socialize among
themselves and also discover Patiala. Of course, as we graduated from
undergrad, the venture shut down as everyone went their separate paths, but
after that, I started seeing problems everywhere. Once you get into
entrepreneurship, you cannot undo it. I maintained a google sheet after that in
which I would keep writing ideas as they would come to me. Advantage Club was
the 109th idea in that sheet.
Deorah: When I was
pursuing my BE from Thapar, me and my friends co-founded Fundoori, which was a
local portal catering to Thapar students, helping them socialize among
themselves and also discover Patiala. Of course, as we graduated from
undergrad, the venture shut down as everyone went their separate paths, but
after that, I started seeing problems everywhere. Once you get into
entrepreneurship, you cannot undo it. I maintained a google sheet after that in
which I would keep writing ideas as they would come to me. Advantage Club was
the 109th idea in that sheet.
ST
Bureau: Can you briefly tell us more about your startup?
Bureau: Can you briefly tell us more about your startup?
Sourabh
Deorah: Advantage
Club is a mobile-first platform for employee and customer privileges. We enable
companies to offer perks and privileges to their employees or clients. For
brands, we are a customer segmentation platform where they can pick and choose
the audience they want to run promotions for. As of today, we have 2200+ brands
offering exclusive privileges to employees and customers of 150+ companies via
our platform.
Deorah: Advantage
Club is a mobile-first platform for employee and customer privileges. We enable
companies to offer perks and privileges to their employees or clients. For
brands, we are a customer segmentation platform where they can pick and choose
the audience they want to run promotions for. As of today, we have 2200+ brands
offering exclusive privileges to employees and customers of 150+ companies via
our platform.
ST
Bureau: Did you get any funding for your startup? Are you planning to attract
funding in the near future?
Bureau: Did you get any funding for your startup? Are you planning to attract
funding in the near future?
Sourabh
Deorah: We raised an
Angel round of $400k from Chicago based Purvi Ventures, Mumbai Angels and other
HNI’s.
Deorah: We raised an
Angel round of $400k from Chicago based Purvi Ventures, Mumbai Angels and other
HNI’s.
ST
Bureau: What challenges do you face in your daily professional life?
Bureau: What challenges do you face in your daily professional life?
Sourabh
Deorah: In the book
Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki says: โStarting a business is like jumping
out of an airplane without a parachute. In mid air, the entrepreneur begins
building a parachute and hopes it opens before hitting the ground.โ Every
business has challenges an entrepreneur aims to solve daily. I solve multiple
business problems everyday and also ensure that they are not repeated again.
But the biggest challenge I face is that sleep takes away a significant number
of hours from my day everyday, and I wish I could always do more.
Deorah: In the book
Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki says: โStarting a business is like jumping
out of an airplane without a parachute. In mid air, the entrepreneur begins
building a parachute and hopes it opens before hitting the ground.โ Every
business has challenges an entrepreneur aims to solve daily. I solve multiple
business problems everyday and also ensure that they are not repeated again.
But the biggest challenge I face is that sleep takes away a significant number
of hours from my day everyday, and I wish I could always do more.
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| Advantage Club Team |
ST
Bureau: How do you see yourself in next 2 years from now?
Bureau: How do you see yourself in next 2 years from now?
Sourabh
Deorah: In two years,
we will be solving the engagement and loyalty problem for not just India, but
also a big chunk of companies across the world.
Deorah: In two years,
we will be solving the engagement and loyalty problem for not just India, but
also a big chunk of companies across the world.
ST
Bureau: What are your hobbies in your personal life?
Bureau: What are your hobbies in your personal life?
Sourabh
Deorah: Playing Poker
and Adventure Sports (Specially, I love bungee and any sport with heights)
Deorah: Playing Poker
and Adventure Sports (Specially, I love bungee and any sport with heights)
ST
Bureau: Which is your favorite holiday destination?
Bureau: Which is your favorite holiday destination?
Sourabh
Deorah: New Zealand.
They rightly call it ‘God’s own country’.
Deorah: New Zealand.
They rightly call it ‘God’s own country’.
ST
Bureau: What is your most favorite gadget?
Bureau: What is your most favorite gadget?
Sourabh Deorah: My Alienware.
Interviewed by Startup Terminal Bureau
