The Startup Operator
Long-form interviews with the founders, investors, and operators building companies in India, from legacy brands to deep-tech startups.
An interview podcast focused on the 'how' of building a business in India. Host Roshan Cariappa talks to a mix of high-profile founders, seasoned operators, and venture capitalists, digging into their origin stories, strategic pivots, and operational playbooks. Episodes often follow a chronological arc, from a company's early struggles to its plans for future growth, with a recurring focus on the unique challenges and opportunities within the Indian market.
“Unlike many business podcasts that focus on high-level funding news, this show emphasizes the craft of company building. The guest list is notably diverse, placing founders of deep-tech startups like satellite manufacturing alongside the managing director of a 50-year-old Ayurvedic soap brand.”
Who hosts this show
Hosted by Roshan Cariappa, an engineer-turned-marketer, The Startup Operator features candid conversations with Indian entrepreneurs and investors. The podcast explores the operational details and strategic thinking behind building businesses in India, covering everything from FMCG and healthcare to SaaS and space-tech. Roshan has over 15 years of experience in early-stage tech startups and currently serves as the Regional CMO for Seclore. He also advises startups on growth strategies.
Credentials & credits
- Regional CMO, Asia & MEA at Seclore
- Former VP - Marketing at Vymo
- Founder of a consumer tech startup (VR games)
- Engineer-turned-founder-turned-marketer
Other ventures
- Bharatvaarta Podcast (co-run)
- Advises early-stage startups on growth
What kind of podcast
When new episodes drop
- 01
- 02🛰️ Coding & Photography… From Space! 🚀Aug 17, 2025 · 21s
- 03🚀 Mars by 2030? Humanity’s next giant leap awaits 🌍🪐Aug 16, 2025 · 38s
- 04
- 05From ₹2 Soaps to a National Brand: The Medimix StoryMay 29, 2025 · 47 min
- 06Why Healthcare Startups Fail in India | @theothersidewithdilip (Rainmatter)Apr 17, 2025 · 47 min
- 07
- 08
Notable episodes
- 01From ₹2 Soaps to a National Brand: The Medimix Story
A fascinating look into the 50+ year journey of a legacy Indian FMCG brand, detailing its unconventional, principles-first approach to distribution and scaling.
- 02Built a satellite in his living room?! 🤯 Ronak Kumar Samantray, Founder -Take Me 2 Space
Explores the deep-tech world of space startups in India, covering the founder's journey of self-learning and the mission to democratize access to space.
- 03Why Healthcare Startups Fail in India | @theothersidewithdilip (Rainmatter)
A nuanced discussion on the complexities of the Indian healthcare sector, arguing why tech-only solutions fail and what a first-principles approach looks like.
- 04100% Made-in-India Guns, The SSS Defence Story | Vivek & Dinesh (Founders, SSS Defence)
A rare conversation with founders building in the Indian private defense sector, covering the unique challenges of procurement and manufacturing small arms.
What you'll be asked on this show
Roshan Cariappa's interview style is methodical and empathetic. He often begins by establishing a personal connection or asking a broad question about the guest's origin story, such as how they entered their field or why they chose an entrepreneurial path over a stable job. He probes deeper by paraphrasing the guest's statements to confirm his understanding and then asking a logical follow-up question. This technique allows him to guide the narrative chronologically, from early market-entry challenges to scaling strategies. Towards the end of the conversation, he frequently asks guests to reflect on failures and the lessons they learned, aiming to extract resilient and practical wisdom.
This is a single-host interview show. Roshan Cariappa often opens with a personal anecdote related to the guest's brand or industry to build rapport. He guides the conversation by summarizing the guest's points to ensure clarity before moving on, frequently following a chronological path from the company's origin to its future.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
12 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
origin
1- Q.01
“How did you find your way into this industry or decide to join the business?”
This question is often used as an opener to establish the guest's personal backstory and motivations.
mindset
2- Q.01
“What did you have to unlearn when you switched from being a founder to an investor?”
Asked specifically to guests who have made this career pivot to understand their mindset shift.
- Q.02
“How do you develop the conviction to listen to your own voice instead of consultants?”
Probes the guest's internal decision-making process and leadership philosophy.
process
2- Q.01
“What was it like in the early days convincing customers or distributors?”
This question explores the initial go-to-market struggles and the tactics used to gain early traction.
- Q.02
“How does a local or regional brand scale to become a national one?”
Focuses on the specific, practical steps of scaling a business within the Indian market.
industry
2- Q.01
“How did you compete against larger, more established brands when you were starting out?”
Used to uncover the guest's early competitive strategy and differentiation.
- Q.02
“How is operating in [guest's industry] different from other sectors like SaaS or fintech?”
This customizes the conversation to the unique dynamics of the guest's specific field.
advice
2- Q.01
“How do you start learning about a complex field like this from scratch?”
Seeks actionable advice for listeners on how to self-learn and enter a difficult new domain.
- Q.02
“How should a founder think about building a viable business specifically for the Indian market?”
Highlights the need for a first-principles approach rather than copying models from other countries.
personal
1- Q.01
“Can you share some failures from your journey and the lessons you learned?”
A signature closing question used to surface stories of resilience and hard-won wisdom.
controversy
1- Q.01
“Why isn't technology alone enough to solve the core problems in your industry?”
Challenges a purely tech-centric viewpoint, especially in human-focused sectors like healthcare.
future
1- Q.01
“How are you thinking about expanding into other categories or what's the future of this space?”
Explores the company's or the industry's future roadmap and growth vectors.
Signature segments
- · Startup Operator Roundup
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show features Indian founders, managing directors, and investors with significant operational experience. Guests range from leaders of established national brands like Medimix to founders of venture-backed tech startups in sectors like space-tech, healthcare, and aerospace.
- Ronak Kumar Samantrayon Built a satellite in his living room?! 🤯 Ronak Kumar Samantray, Founder -Take Me 2 Space
- AV Anoopon From ₹2 Soaps to a National Brand: The Medimix Story
- Dilip Kumaron Why Healthcare Startups Fail in India | @theothersidewithdilip (Rainmatter)
- Venkatesh Mudragallaon Secrets Behind Building Planes in India – What You Didn't Know | Venkatesh Mudragalla(Jeh Aerospace)
- Ganesh Krishnanon The Winning Formula to Build Billion-Dollar Businesses | Ganesh Krishnan (Serial Entrepreneur)
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast appears to be primarily self-promoted, with mentions of "The Startup Operator Podcast" itself within episodes. The show is part of the Bingepods/Ideabrew Studios Network, which may handle ad sales.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- What is the host's real name?
- The host is Roshan Cariappa.
- Is The Startup Operator podcast still active?
- Yes, the podcast consistently releases new episodes, including interviews and weekly 'Roundup' segments.
- What is the format of the show?
- The primary format is a long-form, one-on-one interview with a founder, operator, or investor. There are also 'Roundup' episodes co-hosted with Gunjan Saha discussing recent startup news.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, and other major podcast platforms.
- Who is the podcast for?
- It's aimed at startup founders, operators, and investors, particularly those focused on the Indian market.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Seclore appoints Roshan Cariappa as Regional CMO for Asia and MEAindiantelevision.com
- [02]Redefining Sales Engagement in the AI Era with Roshan Cariappa of Vymoyoutube.com
- [03]Roshan Cariappa, VP-Marketing of Vymo, on Building a High Growth SaaS Marketing Teamblume.vc
- [04]The Startup Operator - Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [05]The Startup Operator - JioSaavnjiosaavn.com
- [06]Ep350: Roshan Cariappa – Being Pragmatic Will Save You From Startup Failureastartupstory.com
- [07]Roshan Cariappa - Swarajyaswarajyamag.com
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