Bombay Shaving Company CEO Compares Bengaluru's Start-up Scene To 2005 Of Kota; Here's What He Said

Deshpande suggested that, much like how only a tiny percentage of Kota students managed to crack the IIT-JEE, Bengaluru's startup ecosystem is plagued by what he calls an "ecosystem delusion"

Shantanu Deshpande, CEO of Bombay Shaving Company, compared Bengaluru's current startup scene to Kota's coaching environment from 2005 in a recent LinkedIn post. He outlined four critical similarities between the two, noting that "Bengaluru today reminds me of Kota in 2005." Deshpande suggested that, much like how only a tiny percentage of Kota students managed to crack the IIT-JEE, Bengaluru's startup ecosystem is plagued by what he calls an "ecosystem delusion."

He pointed out that while many entrepreneurs come to the city with high hopes, only a few achieve significant success. In his post, Deshpande referred to Kota as the "Mecca of IIT-JEE," noting that it provides an ecosystem specifically engineered for achieving success.

"Every year, 4-5 single-digit rankers from one coaching class alone. The best teachers, access to the best books, and from messes to stationery/xerox stores to rental PGs - an ecosystem designed for you to succeed," he wrote in his post.

However, he highlighted that among the 40,000 students arriving in Kota, only around 1,000 pass the exams. “The other 30-35k just assumed that being in Kota meant JEE rank was done. They believed that sitting in the same classes, eating at the same mess, and owning the same books as the top guys was enough. So padhai kam, baatein zyada. They fell for their own stories. They thought talking about solving Irodov = putting in the effort to solve each problem,” he wrote. Deshpande listed out reasons for his comparison.

He compared VC with Bansal Classes and wrote, “Everyone with a PowerPoint, some FOMO and a LinkedIn accept from a VC is already a founder (much like admission to Bansal Classes means JEE done).”

In the second point, he said, “They hang out at the same events as Bhavish or Mukesh or Kunal (JEE toppers of Kota) and feel they're half-way to unicorn by breathing the same air and talking the same language.”

Third reason: “Every coffee shop has only startup conversations. Much like the messes of Kota - the ones hanging out there discussing JEE were rarely the ones clearing it.”

In his fourth reason, he said, “VCs are like the teachers. Reputation is built on 2-3 lifetime investments (2-3 JEE rankers in a career of teaching) but influence hundreds a year. Most of them haven't been successful founders (JEE toppers). Leads to strange dynamic - listen to everything they say, chasing vanity milestones with hope of impressing them, but no tangible reason to.”

“And yes, Blore has created iconic cos like FK Ola and more. But today, the bulk reminds me of the 'all talk' gangs of Kota. And that never ended well. India needs founders and companies being built. All these founders who find their way to Bangalore with a hope to build are needed to be protected and supported. But this strange environment creates unhealthy belief of 'arriving before the fact'. It also creates entitlement in the ecosystem. It's insane how worried founders are about calling their employees back from WFH or attrition,” he added.

Deshpande concluded his post with, “These city debates (or any generalised debates) are never helpful. But the only So-What for me is - if you're a founder and starting up in Bangalore, distance yourself from ecosystem and stay closer to your business. And see if you can find mentors outside the city too.”