Niketa Malhotra

@niketa

What you think they need, what they say they want and what they finally pay for are three different things!

Submitted Feb 5, 2015

Startups design products with the best intentions.. They think about the customer’s perceived need. But more often than not, the end product is nowhere close to what a customer will use. And what started with great intentions spirals downwards. Some startups are quick to turnaround. However, in the process, they do end up losing valuable resources such as time, money, employees and sometimes, the customer itself.
My startup has also made this mistake in the past and it has cost us dearly in intangibles. Our problems were quadruple because we work with low income consumers who are equally demanding and much more sensitive to brands/ products that fail them. One bad experience and your products risks losing all good will and with it every hope to win their loyalty.
Thankfully, we worked at lightening speed to redesign the product and won their trust just in time!
This workshop will benefit a current or future startup entrepreneur who wants to build not only great but successful products! And will save them precious time and money and patience by learning from the mistakes we made on the way!

Outline

The session will talk about:

  1. Talking to customers intelligently. The smart way to get information
  2. Designing MVPs
  3. There is no such thing as a perfect product
  4. The importance of communication
  5. Failures and the importance of them

Requirements

An open mind and a great sense of humour.
A notebook and pencil would be an add-on!

Speaker bio

Entrepreneur and Intrapreneur for 8+ years with focus in social businesses, non-profits as well as Information Technology.
I am the founding member of Pulse Savings, a mobile-based commitment savings social enterprise, based in San Francisco and Pune, India where I led all aspects related to growth, operations and technology. Prior to Pulse, at Hult International Business School, San Francisco for my Master’s in Social Entrepreneurship. Concurrent with my Master’s at Hult, I interned with Shanti Microfinance and Kiva Microfunds.

Before Hult, I have managed ResQ Charitable Trust, a non-profit that provides free medical treatment to street dogs and cats where I was mainly responsible for fund-raising and streamlining operations. Prior to ResQ, I have held positions as a senior software developer and business development manager for KPIT Technologies, a leading provider of software solutions to the automotive and manufacturing industries.

I have completed the Management Program for Women Entrepreneurs, from IIM Bangalore and also hold a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Information Technology from the University of Pune, India.

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