Tuning in to profitable growth

FROM DAY ONE, THE BROTHERS WERE VERY CLEAR ABOUT DESIGN BEING THE FIRM'S MOAT

- S SHANTHI

BEFORE LAUNCHING BOULT Audio (now GOBOULT) in 2017, co-founder Varun Gupta had launched three startups and worked for three companies, including Snapdeal, each of which, he says, guided him to the right path.

The first was an 'advertising in notebooks' business, which he launched in 2012 while pursuing MBA from the International Management Institute, New Delhi.

The second was a classifieds for smaller communities and the third an e-commerce consulting firm.

"Through all this, I learnt the nuances of running a business. Particularly, during my third startup stint, I used to work with many audio companies that took music online. This helped me acquire expertise in the e-commerce and audio space," Varun, 36, says.

This experience, combined with his deep passion for music, helped him identify a white space and convert it into a winning business model the fourth time around with a smart wearables and hearables manufacturing company.

His brother and co-founder, Tarun Gupta, 39, who was working in the US at that time, also decided to join. For one year, before launching the startup, Varun frequently travelled to China and spent a lot of time on product development in the Shenzhen Guangzhou Belt, which is like the electronic manufacturing hub of China.