"You cannot allot a set time in start-ups; you have to be available all the time," founder and CEO of Shaadi.com and People Group Anupam Mittal told social media influencer and entrepreneur Gaurav Taneja — popularly known as Flying Beast — while choosing not to invest in the latter's fitness brand Beast Life on Shark Tank India Season 4. During the episode, Taneja valued his company at Rs 100 crore and sought Rs 1 crore for a 1 per cent equity stake. However, none of the sharks were convinced by his pitch due to concerns over his lack of full-time commitment to the business, especially given that it was still in its infancy stage, within its first year of operations. The judges also found the equity distribution problematic as Raj Vikram, a key partner, holds only an 11 per cent stake, while Taneja and Varun Alagh, both engaged in other ventures, control 40 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively. Following the episode, Taneja reflected on his experience, while also highlighting the importance of breaking conventional norms and redefining entrepreneurship. Recalling being asked by the sharks if he would continue with his YouTube channel even after the success of Beast Life, Taneja shared that he replied with a "yes" without hesitation. "Aap ka focus nahi hoga, aap waha se paisa bana loge (You will not have any focus, you will make money from there)," he quoted them as saying. While he didn't name Anupam Mittal, the comment was made by Shaadi.com founder. Also Read | Salman Khan accepts Aamir Khan vowed to never work with him after Andaz Apna Apna: ‘Iske saath life mein kabhi kaam nahi karunga’ "But to me, that felt like a risky move — one that could hurt more than help. With over 8 years of digital marketing experience, I understand the power of organic reach and audience trust. We're already EBIDTA positive, and because of the distribution we've built, we save nearly 90% of our total expenditure on marketing. That's a huge advantage," Taneja shared. He further compared Beast Life and Shaadi.com's social media presence, noting that while Shaadi.com amassed 125K Instagram followers since April 2015, Beast Life, within just eight months, has surpassed 127K and continues to grow. "Shaadi.com might have spent millions to create this distribution. The rules of entrepreneurship are evolving. Maybe it's time to explore and break traditional moulds," he mentioned. ICYMI | Junaid Khan says, ‘Do ex-wives ki galiyaan padhoge,’ as Salman Khan quizzes Aamir Khan about his new girlfriend Taneja also shared an insightful observation by Snapdeal co-founder Kunal Bahl, which apparently did not make it to the final cut of the episode: "Har cheez ka pattern hota hai. Sab us set pattern mein comfortable hote hai. But kabhi kabhi time hota hai us pattern se nikalne ka (Everything has a pattern. Everyone is comfortable in that set pattern. But sometimes it is time to break out of that pattern)." Mentioning that he is still new to the entrepreneurial journey, Taneja acknowledged that bold moves might lead to failures, but they also pave the way for valuable learning experiences. He concluded by asking, "What are your thoughts on breaking patterns and redefining entrepreneurship?"
