The years 2015 and 2016 were watershed years in the history of the Indian start-up ecosystem. Not only did the word ‘start-up’ enter common parlance as large sums of money were poured in, several firms also achieved the fabled ‘unicorn’ status of billion-dollar valuation. However, immediately afterwards, the exuberance disappeared as the bubble burst and the very viability of these celebrated ventures came into question. And with it, began a new era.
In Flight of the Unicorns, Soum Paul takes a deep dive into the trajectory of Indian start-ups in the recent past and explores the trials and tribulations of starting up. Through the voices of many innovators, entrepreneurs and investors, he studies the patterns in successes and parallels from other emerging markets. He builds on theories around what works and what doesn’t and paints a vision for the future of start-ups in this part of the world.
Soum Paul is an entrepreneur, filmmaker and a writer who has been part of several high growth startups (Mixer cast, State, Knowlarity) in India and UK. He is currently working on a stealth media startup. An alumnus of IIT Kanpur, his first book The Topper Prepares: True Stories of Those Who Cracked the JEE was published by HarperCollins India.
