Look carefully at this man who is running India’s most profitable startup. Despite his success, he wears a lungi and rides a bicycle. His profit is Rs 2700 crores. In comparison, the most profitable judge on Shark Tank, Aman Gupta, has a profit of 68 crores. If we combine 38 Aman Guptas, it would still be less than Sridhar Vembu’s profit. Out of the 114 unicorns in India, 77 are in loss. This person, Sridhar Vembu, is doing business from a village and earning a significant amount of money. He has a business in more than 180 countries, over 6 crores customers, and more than 11,000 employees. He consults 300 companies out of the Fortune 500, including Apple, Netflix, Amazon, and Mahindra. His company, Zoho, has a revenue of 7000 crores and a valuation of 40000 crores. He achieved all this without any loans or investors.

Sridhar Vembu’s story is an example for the youth. He was born in a small village in Tamil Nadu and his family used to do farming. He was the first person in his family to graduate and went on to study electrical engineering at IIT Madras. However, he didn’t find the depth he was looking for in his studies, so he pursued a Ph.D. at Princeton University. Even after obtaining a Ph.D., he wasn’t satisfied and decided to continue learning on his own.

In 1994, Sridhar Vembu and his brother started their own company called AdventNet in a small room in Chennai. They initially planned to build hardware but had to change their plans due to lack of funding. They shifted their focus to software and started with just two computers. Sridhar Vembu, being a technical person, didn’t have much knowledge about business. He learned the importance of sales and finance through experience and hired professionals to handle those aspects of the company. They faced challenges along the way but eventually had a breakthrough when their software gained popularity among Japanese customers.

The lessons we can learn from Sridhar Vembu’s journey are:

• All knowledge is not available in books. Seek knowledge from different sources and gain exposure.
• A clear vision and understanding of business is crucial for success.
• Mastering your skill is not enough; you need to learn business skills or hire people who possess them.

Company Launch and Strategic Vision

Sridhar’s Dance Software started in 1996 with the goal of providing the same software solutions to small businesses that big companies were offering to larger clients. The company quickly gained success and reached a revenue of $1 million within two years. In 2000, the company had a team of 115 people and a turnover above $10 million.

Business Strategy

Sridhar’s Dance Software followed a strategic approach to grow its business. They focused on making profits, investing those profits back into the company, and expanding their offerings. This strategy helped them reach a valuation of $25 million.

Lesson Learned: Slow and Steady Growth

The company’s success was built on a strong foundation and slow, steady growth. They did not rush into taking loans or making big investments. Instead, they focused on understanding their business and strengthening its fundamentals before taking leaps forward.

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The Struggle and Turning Disasters into Opportunities

Sridhar’s Dance Software faced challenges when the dot com bubble burst in 2000. However, they turned this disaster into an opportunity by focusing on their cash reserves and using their research and development capabilities to create new products like the Manage Engine and cloud services.

Lesson Learned: Cash Rich and Flexible

The company believes in being cash-rich and flexible. They emphasize the importance of having cash reserves to survive and capture opportunities without relying on loans. They also highlight the need to be flexible and adapt to changing market conditions and client needs.

Marketing and Experimentation

Sridhar’s Dance Software does not rely on traditional marketing methods. They believe in experimenting and taking risks without fearing public failure or criticism. This approach gives them the freedom to innovate and find opportunities in unexpected places.

Lesson Learned: Find Opportunity in Disaster

The company’s ability to turn disasters into opportunities sets them apart. When faced with challenges, they use their time and resources to search for new opportunities and adapt their products and services accordingly.

Registration and Expansion

In 2009, the company registered as Joho India Corporation to further expand its operations. This move allowed them to continue their success and growth.