E73 - Building the largest Auto Company of India w/Cars24's Vikram Chopra

In this Episode, I (@Jivraj Singh Sachar) speak with Vikram Chopra, Co-Founder & CEO of Cars24. 

Cars24 is India's largest used-car selling marketplace, marching towards becoming becoming the largest Auto Company of India. Valued at ~1.85 Bn Dollars, Cars24 has expanded its mission internationally making forays into Australia, UAE and other countries and has further started exploring the buy-side. Cars24 is an incredible testament to what a driven team can achieve. Their story is the epitome of entrepreneurial excellence for all future builders, and they are only just getting started!

Through the episode we discuss - 

1. (01:55) : Decoding Vikram's early career choices! From IIT-B to McKinsey to Sequoia India to Wharton & dropping in 6 months to Starting Up!

2. (06:03) : Shunning the noise & focusing on one's own choices

3. (08:01) : Recognising the need to go after large markets + managing ambition!

4. (10:43) : Tackling Supply-Side problems with FabFurnish & Cars24

5. (13:01) : Establishing a two-sided marketplace in a nascent industry! ~ The founding 0-1 journey of Cars24

6. (18:37) : Transforming the experience of selling cars ~ curating customer delight

7. (22:51) : Understanding the operational nuance of running a used-car selling marketplace 

8. (26:19) : What goes into Operational Brilliance? ~ Automating Early!!

9. (28:21) : Focus on Branding ~ Retaining recall in the mind of the Consumer ~ Evaluating RoI

10. (31:37) : Taking Cars24 international ~ Making bold choices!

11. (35:30) : Building a Happy Place ~ Org + Team Curation for Cars24

12. (39:50) : Prioritisation and  Decision making for Vikram ~ striving to achieve lesser decisions 

13. (43:03) : The importance of "Thinking" as a Founder

14. (45:41) : Dealing with Challenges ~ Embracing Vulnerability

15. (50:29) : The larger mission & vision for Cars24

16. (53:29) : Conclusion

Hope you liked the 73rd Episode of the Indian Silicon Valley Podcast - Building the largest Auto Company of India!

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