Business is a Marathon | Dheeraj Gupta | TEDxNM College

Business Strategy & Growth Stages - The speaker shares 22 years of experience building a business, focusing on avoiding mistakes to create scalable, global organizations from India [1] - The brand journey is broken down into three stages: formation (up to 1 crore revenue), concentration (10 crores to 100 crores revenue), and momentum (100 crores to 1000 crores revenue) [4][5][10][16] - In the concentration stage (10 crores to 100 crores), every 10 units of energy yields only one unit of output, making it the toughest stage [10] - In the momentum stage (100 crores to 1000 crores), one unit of energy yields 10 units of output, indicating rapid scaling [16] - The company aims to double in size every two to three years, emphasizing a paced approach to growth [18] Focus & Specialization - Brands should focus on one product they specialize in, becoming the best in the world at it [4] - The company initially experimented with diverse offerings but realized the importance of laser-sharp focus, drawing inspiration from brands like McDonald's and Domino's [4][5] - The company resisted pressure to expand the product portfolio and geographic reach prematurely, choosing to remain focused [9][13] Potential Pitfalls - Common pitfalls include the urge to expand geographically or the product portfolio too quickly, especially when pressured by investors [13][14] - Shifting focus from building the business to chasing valuations is a pitfall to avoid in the later stages [18] - Losing touch with the core business operations, even with senior management in place, can be detrimental [19][20] Market Presence & Future Expansion - The company is opening its 200th store in March and is currently present in five cities: Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hijab and Pune [15] - The company sees significant growth potential within these existing cities, estimating a market of about 700 stores [15]