The Biography of a Failed Venture: Decoding Success Secrets from the Blackbox of a Dead Startup

"In April 2017, Prashant Desai started a venture to build India’s first truly Indian sports brand D:FY (like Nike). In six months, Rajiv Mehta, who started Puma India and led it for seven years, joined him as a partner. In 30 months, the business lost Rs 30 crore, virtually wiping out all that Prashant had earned for nearly thirty years. The venture failed not because Prashant did not possess the necessary vision, determination, and courage; it failed because the number of things Prashant did wrong exceeded the number of things he did right. One could weep over the fuselage or decode the black box. So, when Prashant decided to decode it, new possibilities emerged, revealing a treasure trove of success secrets."

Prashant Desai a Senior Director at Everstone Group, a leading India-focused South East Asia investment firm with USD 5 billion in assets under management across private equity, real estate, green energy, and venture capital. He is seconded to Burger King as head of strategy and investor interface.