TIGHTROPE TO THE MOON – HOW THE MEGA FOUNDERS WIN THE STARTUP WAR By RAHUL CHANDRA

They are full of energy, industrious and patient, and display qualities such as perseverance and resilience. On top of these, they share some important traits that, as an investor, one should look for while backing an early-stage start-up founder. These traits include ambition, the need to prove, the need for speed, vision, the ability to manage stress and focus on winning. This book takes readers into the fascinating mind of the ‘mega founder’ and decodes how they think, work and successfully navigate the complex world of start-ups.

The Tightrope to the Moon unequivocally articulates that the journey of a start-up to a billion-dollar company is largely the outcome of the founder’s resolve and ability to achieve success against countless odds.

About The Author

Rahul Chandra is one of the earliest venture capitalists in India. He started his journey in 1998 at Walden International’s India-focused fund. He later moved to Palo Alto, California, to invest in Silicon Valley start-ups. In 2005, he co-founded Helion Ventures and relocated to India. At Helion, he invested more than $100 million in start-ups, including SMS Gupshup, Equitas Small Finance Bank (IPO), Spandana (IPO), Shubham Housing Finance, UnitedLex, Toppr (acquired by Byju’s), RailYatri and MoEngage. Arkam Ventures is his new $100-million fund that invests in companies using technology to disrupt and create new markets for middle-India consumers. Some of the companies he has invested in at Arkam include smallcase, Jar, Invact Metaversity and Jai Kisan. Rahul lives in Bangalore, Karnataka. Apart from deep dives with founders and cooking meals, he spends his time solving crosswords, reading history books and learning to breathe consciously. Rahul has an undergraduate degree from BITS Pilani and an MBA degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

The official release for the book is in September 2024.