Part 2 of Episode 3 of The Teaser with Varun Sheth!

Notes:

1. 00:26 - NOTO's current consumers and who they will be 15 years down the line
2. 05:55 - How Varun plans to maximise the brand's potential
3. 07:45 - Varun's proudest invention at NOTO
4. 11:42 - Some operational and financial metrics that NOTO tracks and its uniqueness to the brand
5. 16:27 - NOTO's expansion strategy going forward from a three-pronged approach to Product, Geography, and Channel
6. 19:45 - Chances of seeing NOTO in brick-and-mortar outlets
7. 22:38 - What has driven NOTO's phenomenal revenue growth
8. 24:45 - Varun's take on Product-Market Fit and Brand-Market Fit
9. 28:00 - The values that NOTO abides by
10. 32:58 - The Teaser Special

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Oscar Wilde once said, 'The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.’ He implies that temptation is inherently evil. This implication has been challenged by certain change-makers who aim to embark people on a journey where every spoon and every bite is a tantalizing fusion of taste and goodness.

In the third episode of 'The Teaser', we host Mr Varun Sheth, Founder of NOTO Ice-Creams, one of India’s leading healthy dessert brands. A visionary by heart, Varun has led an extraordinary endeavour driven by an unwavering passion for combining indulgence with well-being. He founded NOTO with his wife Ashni, and together they revolutionized the ice cream industry with a belief that people shouldn't have to sacrifice taste and pleasure to lead a healthier lifestyle.

At the intersection of health and indulgence, where flavour meets nourishment, lies the foundation of NOTO, a groundbreaking ice cream brand that re-defines the boundaries of guilt-free pleasure.

Notes:

1. 01:40 - How Varun made a 180° shift in his career which laid the foundation for NOTO
2. 07:10 - What motivated Varun and his wife, Ashni, to start NOTO
3. 10:30 - What drives innovation in the Industry
4. 15:10 - What kind of ingredients really make an ice-cream healthy
5. 20:20 - Varun's take on the evolution of the space
6. 23:05 - NOTO's Fundraising story
7. 26:30 - What PE and VC investors are on the look-out for
8. 29:20 - The Burn-rate Scenarios

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If you have any feedback, questions, or suggestions for future topics, I'd love to hear from you.

Just drop a message here, on the website, or on social media.

Pioneers are the ones who dare to dream, defy the odds, and carve a new path where others see only obstacles. They are the architects of progress, pushing the boundaries of what is known and shaping the future with their bold ideas and unwavering determination. The Belgian Waffle Company is a trailblazer in the Waffles space in India. Their delectable desserts took the country by storm and gave the palettes of the young Indian diaspora a taste of Blissful Belgium. In the second episode of 'The Teaser', we host Mr Vishwesh Nair, Head of Operations and Supply Chain at The Belgian Waffle Company. A man enriched by a multitude of experiences, he brought about a method to the madness at the company when he joined in 2018. Since then, the company has grown from 200 to nearly 450 outlets in India and Nepal, and has introduced many new additions such as the Waffwich, the Waffle Crisps, and the DIY Pancake and Waffle Premixes. Besides this, Vishwesh has also founded his own oat milk brand - Milkin’ Oats, a highly sustainable and healthy alternative to dairy, which is also a cause that is close to his heart.

Notes:

1. 01:52 - Vishwesh's prior experiences at Pizza Express, Domino’s, Nature’s Basket, and Essar
2. 05:55 - Size of the waffles space, potential for growth, and the pillars that it can build upon
3. 08:43 - Key success factors to superior performance in this Industry
4. 11:08 - How Belgian Waffle led the change in consumption habits from Indian Sweets to waffles in India
5. 14:14 - Reasons why pan-India brands for specific Indian Sweets don't exist
6. 15:48 - Importance of Brick and Mortar stores in this Industry
7. 17:48 - Role of Swiggy and Zomato and the Double-Edged Sword Theory
8. 19:28 - How Vishwesh looks at Belgian Waffle’s growth story
9. 20:56 - Vishwesh's vision for geographical expansion
10. 22:22 - Consumption patterns of waffles in India
11. 24:00 - The NPD Journey and Product Innovation
12. 26:18 - How Belgian Waffle goes about entering a new city
13. 28:34 - What moats make Belgian Waffle a winner
14. 30:13 - Learnings from failures
15. 33:16 - How running a pizza business differs from running a waffle business
16. 36:23 - Vishwesh's Oat Milk Brand - Milkin' Oats

In the world of start-ups where innovation takes the limelight, category creating start-ups have caused an uproar. And as fascinating and thrilling as they are, they are riddled with challenges fit just for the strongest to take on. One such category creator is iD Fresh, one of the largest Indian fresh food companies, who has been on a war footing to organise an inordinately unorganised fresh food market consisting of Indian breads and batters.

In the pilot episode of 'The Teaser', we host Mr Rahul Gandhi, Chief Marketing Officer of iD Fresh. Rahul’s stellar career spans the much-coveted IIM-Kozhikode, and over a decade at ITC before changing gears and leading Marketing at iD Fresh. Since he has taken over the reins, he has revolutionised marketing at iD and has led a fast-paced growth for the company from the front.

Notes:

1. 01:38 - Why marketing caught Rahul’s eye
2. 04:51 - Analysis of consumer behaviour, understanding of consumer psyche and how they drive a brand
3. 06:54 - Shifting preferences of consumers towards healthier food options
4. 09:04 - Role of Packaging
5. 12:10 - How the Tier-I audience differs from Tier-II and Tier-III audiences and how brands strategize around it
6. 14:02 - How E-Commerce and Quick Commerce have changed the game
7. 15:55 - Trends & predictions about the F&B Industry
8. 18:54 - ITC vs iD Fresh
9. 20:50 - Thesis behind marketing strategies
10. 23:55 - Challenges that iD Fresh and similar category creators in the F&B Industry face
11. 25:45 - Importance of brand love and customer involvement
12. 28:24 - Rahul's favourite marketing campaign
13. 29:32 - Overcoming a diverse set of challenges since 2020
14. 32:06 - Strategies that didn’t work at iD and what Rahul learnt from them
15. 33:44 - How F&B companies can create marketing moats
16. 35:30 - How ESG and Sustainability have taken the forefront in recent times, and will change things in the long-run