Author: dp
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How I Raised $120K Without a Network
I didn’t have investor connections. No warm intros. No VC meetings. No built-in network. Just a product that didn’t exist yet — and a story I believed in. That ended up being enough. When I first started building Jivati, I had no access to investors. Cold outreach went nowhere. VCs weren’t paying attention. And I…
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How Sanzo Won by Showing What Was Missing
Most brands try to create something new. Sanzo didn’t. They showed what was already missing. And that was enough to stand out. I remember the first time I saw Sanzo. It didn’t feel like another “better-for-you” drink chasing a trend. It felt familiar. Calamansi. Lychee. Yuzu. Flavors from Asian grocery stores and diaspora kitchens —…
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How Hims & Hers Turned Access Into the Product
Most companies compete on product. Hims & Hers competed on access. They didn’t just change what was being offered. They changed how it was experienced. I never used Hims & Hers. But I noticed them early. Before them, I noticed Ro. Same general idea — healthcare without the waiting room. But Hims & Hers scaled…
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How Olipop Built a Category Without Competing on Noise
Most brands try to win by being louder. Olipop didn’t. They won by being clearer. When I looked closer, it wasn’t just about what the product was — it was about what it replaced, and why that mattered. I was late to Olipop. The flavors looked artificial at first. Too many options that felt like…
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Why Narrowing Your Market Actually Drives Growth
Most founders think going bigger means growing faster. It usually does the opposite. The more you try to reach everyone, the harder it becomes for anyone to care. I learned this while refining Jivati. The shift wasn’t about expanding — it was about getting more specific. When I first started building Jivati, the Indian beverage…
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Why Execution Isn’t the Problem (And What Actually Is)
Most founders think they have an execution problem. They don’t. They have a signal interpretation problem. I learned this the hard way building Jivati. I kept pushing harder, doing more, staying busy — but nothing actually moved. When I started building Jivati, I had the standard startup roadmap. Brand vision, product concepts, financial model, advisors,…
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Why Your Pitch Changes Every Time (And What That Actually Means)
Your pitch shouldn’t change every time you say it. But if it does, it usually means something deeper is off. I ran into this early with Jivati. Every conversation felt slightly different. Same product, same intent — but the way I explained it kept shifting depending on who I was talking to. That wasn’t confidence.…
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How I Built the Brand I Couldn’t Find
Others Played It Safe. I Built What Was Missing. Real insight from building Jivati: Don’t ride waves—spot what’s missing.When the market heats up, it’s easy to follow the crowd. Everyone rushes to launch the next version of what’s already working—the same formula, different packaging. But the real opportunity usually lives outside that noise.In 2020, the…
