Madhav Kasturia, founder and CEO of Zippee, a fast-growing quick commerce (Q-commerce) platform, recently shared the challenging yet inspiring journey of building his company on LinkedIn. He reflected on the early struggles, scepticism, and rejection that shaped Zippee’s success.
Initial doubts and challenges
Zippee’s journey began on a tough note, with its first dark store sitting empty for 90 days. Kasturia faced constant doubts and criticism, with many dismissing Q-commerce as an unsustainable model. He recalled hearing comments like: “Customers don’t need speed”, “You’ll never make money”, “Q-commerce is just hype.”
With no traction for months and mounting financial pressure, the uncertainty was overwhelming. Was Zippee a mistake?
Turning point
Despite the setbacks, Kasturia refused to give up. Determined to prove Zippee’s potential, he cold-called 100 businesses every week, relentlessly pitching his vision. After weeks of rejection, a breakthrough finally came—Baskin Robbins agreed to partner with Zippee.
Kasturia described the moment as transformational: “It wasn’t just a partnership; it was validation. It proved we were onto something big.”
That first deal changed everything, setting Zippee on a growth trajectory.
Today, Zippee operates over 150 dark stores across 13 cities in India and has partnered with over 150 businesses. What once seemed like an impossible dream is now a thriving reality.
Kasturia’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is simple yet powerful: “A ‘no’ isn’t always final. It might take 100 rejections to get to your first ‘yes.’ If you truly believe in something transformational, stay persistent and tune out the noise.”
Ending on a lighter note, he joked: “There are always 100 ‘nos,’ even when you ask your crush!”