How much money do creators make? Ep09: The India Opportunity Podcast: Yash Saklecha, Wyld

Ft Wyld's co-founder Yash from Shark Tank fame, where 5 sharks competed against each other to make them an offer

9th episode of The India Opportunity Podcast is out now! You can watch it on Youtube or tune in on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Our guest today is Yash, co-founder of Wyld, a company which is building the world’s first social currency card. Yash may look very familiar to most of you because of his recent Shark Tank fame - they recently featured on the show and had all the 5 sharks compete with each other to make them an offer. To say the least, it was a ‘wild’ ride. Prior to building Wyld, Yash, an IIT-Bombay graduate,  built Influnite and Socialgram and was very deeply embedded in the creator economy and influencer marketing space before they became buzzwords and mainstream. 

Yash and I go back 3 years, where SSV had invested in Wyld in their pre-seed round. It’s really been amazing to see Wyld grow over the last few years, and today I’m excited to deep dive with him to understand the nuances of the creator economy, his journey of building a new category and the fintech play they identified before it became mainstream. He believes that the future is going to be creator led and today we’ll deconstruct what that really means.

Takeaways

• Yash's upbringing in a Marwari business family shaped his mindset and early interest in entrepreneurship.

• He had several ventures before Wyld, including a tech platform and an agency in the influencer marketing space.

• The size of the creator economy is growing rapidly, with influencers making significant amounts of money.

• Brand owners should define their influencer strategy by considering the authenticity and reach of influencers, as well as their target audience and goals. Becoming a successful influencer requires a lot of effort, hard work, and consistency.

• Brands can leverage different types of influencers for branding, content creation, and grassroots level conversations.

• Wyld's business model turns everyday customers into marketers by offering cashback and rewards for promoting partner brands on social media.

• Persistence is key in convincing investors and building a successful startup.

• Yash's personal ambition is to make Wyld a big success and be a part of the future fabric of social influence.

• Yash's life mantra is to not take life too seriously and focus on being happy.

• Autobiographies of successful entrepreneurs can provide valuable life wisdom and inspiration.

• Yash credits his father as the person who has had the most formative impact on his life.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

09:38 Marwari Conditioning and Choosing Marketing

14:02 Insights into the Creator Economy

25:20 Partnership with Visa and the Card Play

30:17 Size and Growth of the Creator Economy

34:58 Defining an Effective Influencer Strategy

38:19 Leveraging Different Types of Influencers for Branding and Conversations

44:53 Wild's Business Model: Turning Customers into Marketers

53:11 The Importance of Persistence in Building a Startup

56:52 Not Taking Life Too Seriously: The Key to Happiness

01:00:58 Learning from Autobiographies of Successful Entrepreneurs

01:06:11 The Formative Impact of Yash's Father

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Hello everyone, welcome to The India Opportunity Podcast where you get a front row seat to people building India’s future. We talk about unlocking the potential of the country with founders, investors, creators and successful leaders from different fields to bring to you real life stories and behind-the-scenes of what it takes to be at the forefront of building the India Story.

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Disclaimer: The content presented in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Viewers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.