Strategy Learnings

  From Menus to Millions What started in 2008 as a small menu-scanning website called Foodiebay , founded by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah, has evolved into Zomato —a food delivery powerhouse with operations in over 1,000 Indian cities and a public listing on the NSE. Zomato didn’t just pivot—it reinvented itself multiple times , always staying close to what people truly crave: food, convenience, and trust. 🧠 5 Key Strategies That Drove Zomato’s Growth 1. Early-Mover Advantage in Restaurant Discovery Zomato built a massive database of restaurants long before anyone else did. Users loved the: Photos of menus and dishes Ratings and reviews Search filters by location, cuisine, budget 🔑 Strategy Lesson : First solve a real, everyday problem. Then own the category. 2. Smart Pivot to Delivery (2015–2018) When Swiggy entered the scene with aggressive delivery logistics, Zomato shifted gears from discovery to hyperlocal food delivery . It invested heavily in: ...

The Beginning: A Bold Vision In 2012, Falguni Nayar, a former investment banker with Kotak Mahindra, took a leap of faith. At age 50, she launched Nykaa , betting on the untapped online beauty and wellness space in India—a time when most consumers still preferred buying cosmetics in physical stores. The goal? Build India’s first true beauty e-commerce brand . Today, Nykaa is not just a success—it’s a blueprint for smart, scalable, and strategic growth in India’s digital economy. 🧠 Key Strategies Behind Nykaa’s Rise 1. Omnichannel Distribution While Nykaa started online, it didn’t stop there. Online : A sleek app and website with easy discovery, product reviews, and personalization. Offline : Launched physical stores (Nykaa Luxe & Nykaa On Trend) across metros and Tier 2 cities. 🔑 Strategy Lesson : Digital-first doesn’t mean digital-only. Meet your customers wherever they shop. 2. Content + Commerce = Power Nykaa mastered “influencer marketing” before it became a...