Karthik K Bhandary and Rashika Jain started off as marketing professionals and have worked for companies like Al-Zoba Co. W.L.L. and Bharti Airtel Ltd respectively.
Their passion for startups brought them together, which enabled them to conceptualize Weblistr, which is India’s one and only ecommerce aggregator and review platform that aims to solve common problems within the ecommerce ecosystem.
What inspired you to build the above product/ service?
Customer service is the most important part of a business and yet it is one of most ignored! I have been a firm believer that it is the moral responsibility of a company to ensure their customer is satisfied! Internet commerce is still at its nascent stage and with so many players mushrooming specially because of the phenomenal growth rates in the industry, customer service & discovery are the areas to be affected. Hence the inspiration of creating something that could solve the issues of discovering trustworthy online companies!
What was the most challenging part of your journey till now?
Most challenging part of the journey was initial few steps! I had a well-paying job and a laid back life in Kuwait, leaving all of that for something uncertain was surely in the back of my head though that wasn’t as bad as the influence of my unhappy parents. Even though I & my dad would have conversations of starting a business, we have always been a job oriented South Indian family. Taking this move felt right the moment I sat on that flight to India!
Please provide a brief overview of your product / service?
Today everyone & everything is going online. Buying any product or service is just a click away but unfortunately, the visibility of the various companies that provide this product or service is poor. Trust and credibility are even bigger problems since the industry is still at its nascent stage. Customer service has taken a back seat since there has been extraordinary growth in the industry. Weblistr, India’s one and only ecommerce aggregator and review platform, aims to solve these problems. We help users provide feedback & discover websites/apps but most importantly we allow companies to collect, analyze and act on user reviews.
What is your life mantra?
Don’t follow the herd!
Share some details about the investments that you have been able to fetch for the business till now.
Bootstrapped
How did you overcome initial mindset challenges?
I initially asked myself ‘what is the worst that can happen by starting up?’ and the answer made me feel that it’s not so bad at all and it’s worth the risk!
According to you, what are the three qualities an individual must have to achieve success?
Determination, passion, and empathy
Which online tools/ services/ apps do you use the most and would like to recommend as well?
Google analytics, Hootsuite, Alexa
Share any one habit which you think makes you more productive.
Regularly exercising
Share any one habit which you wish to change in yourself.
Unhealthy eating since it affects the productivity at work.
Answer in less than 50 words
One tip to success:
Always get out of your comfort zone and take risks!
One mistake you believe every individual must avoid:
Mistakes are good but not learning from them is harmful!
One most important lesson that you have learnt till now:
That education is a never-ending process and one should keep learning new things to cope up to the pace at which this world is running.
What are your plans for next 3 years?
My partner, Rashika Jain, and I plan to make Weblistr into a high profitable & sustainable business catering to at least 1million ecommerce customers from all over urban India. We also aim to catering at least 2000 ecommerce/mcommerce players in the market within a span of 18 months.
What are your top three getaway destinations?
Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim & Udupi (hometown)