Saurav RathiFounder of Sartorial Rascal Published On: Tuesday, August 30, 2016 Views 3634

"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society."

Saurav Rathi is one of those people who belives that if you offer a consumer oriented service or product then you are bound to capture the attention of consumers. Belonging from Kolkatta, he has always been fascinated by entreprneurship and startup culture. This was the reason why he himself jumped on the startup bandwagon and launched his own venture called Sartorial Rascal. It is a personalized styling hub for men. They send hand-picked apparels best suited for your style, budget & preference. He is passionate about fashion and this is the core reason why he ventured into this sector.

Please provide a brief overview of your product/ service.

We are an online men’s personal styling fashion portal. We send a box full of hand-picked clothes and accessories best suited to our customer’s style, budget and schedule preference along with a hand-written thank you note and style tips.

What inspired you to build the above product/ service?

I started honing my fashion knowledge during the 2nd year of college. Once people started noticing and acknowledging my improved style sense they often called me for style advice. As the numbers started increasing, I thought it will be awesome if I could build a business around this. Hence, the idea of making personal styling accessible for men across India was born.

What is your life mantra?

I am sold on Steve Job’s concept of Stay Hungry Stay Foolish! Always be hungry for more and take risks that others consider foolish. That being said, enjoy the climb but don’t take your eyes off the summit.

What was the most challenging part of your journey till now?

People had a mindset that personal styling is a premium service which is offered by high end brands only. Conveying our message that personal styling can be provided to the masses at a negligible/no added cost was challenging.

How did you overcome those challenges?

Over the last two years I was determined to do something in the men’s fashion arena. So once I saw the potential in this idea I decided to quit my job and take the plunge. This has its inherent risks but I am willing to take that leap of faith.

Share some details about the investments that you have been able to fetch for the business till now.

We are a bootstrapped company and would be looking to raise fund as and when needed.

According to you, what are the three qualities an individual must have to achieve success?

Patience- Because good things take time.
Perseverance- Achieving success is like running a marathon not a sprint.
Confidence- Have faith in yourself and what you are doing.

Which online tools/ services/ apps do you use the most and would like to recommend as well?

Mailchimp; Dropbox; InShorts; news apps and a whole lot of Google apps- Analytics; Keep; Adwords etc. They have made it seamless.

Share any one habit which you think makes you more productive.

Having a daily to-do list sorted in terms of priority and trying to finish the list on the same day.

Share any one habit which you wish to change in yourself.

I have a very bad memory and often forget things. Hence the habit of a To-Do list.

Answer in less than 50 words

One tip to success:

Consistency- This is what separates the acheivers from the rest.

One mistake you believe every individual must avoid:

Over confidence- it not only drowns your ship but wrecks to the extent of no recovery.

One most important lesson that you have learnt till now:

Spend more time executing than planning. People see what you do and not what you think.

What are your plans for next 3 years?

We intend to become a one stop shop for all the fashion needs of men. Along with that we would be working on strengthening our back end infrastructure.

If you get a chance to start your career again what would you do differently this time?

Instead of opting for CA, I would study fashion designing and hone my skills all the better. Though, it is not off the cards even now.

What are your top three getaway destinations?

Goa; Shillong and Port Blair

Share a quote that inspires you the most.

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”- Mark Twain

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