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Vishu Bheda
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Medial • 2m
Day 5 of The Startup Mafia Series: Inside the Indian Startup Mafia – The Exclusive Circles That Control the Industry Every industry has gatekeepers. People who decide who gets in, who gets funded, and who wins. The Indian startup ecosystem is no different. A small group of elite founders, investors, and operators control most of the opportunities. If you’ve ever wondered why some startups raise millions overnight while others struggle for years, this is why. Who Controls the Game? 1. The IIT & IIM Founders Club Most unicorn founders come from IITs or IIMs. They hire their own, fund their own, and back their own. 2. The YC & Global Accelerator Insiders Y Combinator, Sequoia Surge, and similar programs create a fast lane for certain founders. If you’re in, you get funded, mentored, and fast-tracked. If you’re out, you start from zero. 3. The Big VC Power Players India’s top VCs—Sequoia, Accel, Tiger, Lightspeed—don’t just invest. They decide which startups get media attention, talent, and scale. 4. The Media & Hype Machines Ever notice how some startups get covered in Economic Times and TechCrunch before they even do anything? That’s not luck. That’s network-driven PR. How the Game is Played If you’re from IIT/IIM, top VCs take you seriously. If you’re from YC, investors come to you. If you’re connected to a top founder, doors open faster. But if you’re an outsider, you have to fight for every single opportunity. The Harsh Reality The startup world isn’t just about ideas and execution. It’s about access and relationships. The right connections can turn a bad startup into a billion-dollar company. The wrong networks can keep even the best ideas stuck. But here’s the big question: Can outsiders break in? Tomorrow: The Hidden Playbook of Top Founders – How They Get Access to Investors First Follow Vishu Bheda now. The next post reveals what they don’t teach you.
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