Description

In this episode, Sudeep grills Sharan on a brutally honest question - why are so many emerging consumer brands getting steamrolled by Quick Commerce platforms?

Sharan shares firsthand founder conversations and hard-earned insights to make a bold claim: Q-Com isn’t the problem. You are, if you’re treating it like a business model instead of a channel. What follows is a fiery, insight-packed breakdown of how to engage with platforms like Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart without losing your brand, your margins, or your mind.

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

• Visibility ≠ Viability: Why being listed on Q-Com might be hurting more than helping.
• Modern Trade Déjà Vu: How today’s Q-Com behavior mirrors yesterday’s Modern Trade chaos.
• The Double Jeopardy Trap: Small brands pay more, get less, and stay stuck in the cycle.
• The Myth of D2C: Why most Indian brand websites are a disaster—and Q-Com feels like a savior.
• Real Moats Are Boring: How brands like Atomberg and Heads Up For Tails built strength through offline first.
• When to Use Q-Com: A framework to decide if you’re there for discovery, sampling, or convenience.
• Margins vs. Ambition: How pressure from investors leads to dangerous trade-offs.
• What Success Actually Looks Like: Building control, customer experience, and long-term equity.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Platforms Are Tools, Not Strategies: You’re not on Q-Com. Q-Com is on you, until you build your own roads.

Define the Role Before You Spend:

• Use Q-Com for trials? Great—treat the losses like a marketing budget.
• Driving repeat purchase? Then you have the leverage.
• Want visibility? Budget with ROI clarity.

Distribution Is the Ultimate Moat: You can’t build a brand without owning how it reaches customers.

D2C ≠ Selling on Shopify: If your logistics fail and you can’t control CX, it’s not D2C—it’s rented reach.

Sample, Don’t Sell at a Loss: In FMCG, CAC vs LTV is flawed. Give it for free rather than burn margins permanently.

Start Small, But Start Now: Even 100 offline stores in your city is a step toward real independence.

QUOTES

“Visibility cannot come at the cost of viability.”

“If Q-Com is your business model, go work there. You’re just a supplier.”

“Distribution is expensive, yes - but being dependent is far more costly.”

“There is no LTV in FMCG. You don’t acquire customers. You rent occasions.”

“The best brands aren’t avoiding Q-Com. They’re just not addicted to it.”

If you’re a founder, marketer, or investor in consumer brands, this episode is your wake-up call. Before you chase growth on platforms, make sure you actually own the business you’re building.

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CREDITS

Album Art & Design by ting.in

Voiceovers by Anjale Stephanos

Music from Zapsplat.com