The Biography of a Failed Venture: Decoding Success Secrets from the Blackbox of a Dead Start-Up

Prashant Desai

ISBN 10: 9354229298 / ISBN 13: 9789354229299

Published by HarperBusiness, 2021

About this Item

THE STORY OF A TRULY INDIAN SPORTS BRAND THAT COULD GO PLACES BUT FAILED Prashant Desai was seven when he lost his father. Growing up in poverty, his single-minded focus was to become wealthy and successful. Ranking fourth on the all-India Cost and Works Accountants exam at the age of twenty-one, joining the corporate world and working with leaders such as Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Kishore Biyani and Jignesh Shah was a dream run that Prashant enjoyed, one that very few could even imagine and achieve. In April 2017, Prashant Desai founded a venture to build the first truly Indian sports brand - D:FY. In six months, Rajiv Mehta, who started Puma India and led it for seven years, joined him as a partner. They opened seventeen stores in seven cities, riding on great aspirations and confidence. The business lost Rs 30 crore in thirty months, 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. The Biography of a Failed Venture provides a brutally honest account of why D:FY failed and how entrepreneurs can avoid these pitfalls to make their business ventures successful.

Seller Inventory # 141971

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Biography of a Failed Venture: Decoding Success Secrets from the Blackbox of a Dead Start-Up
• Publisher: HarperBusiness
• Publication Date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9354229298
• ISBN 13: 9789354229299
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

"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."

About the Author

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.