Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

I write, I invest, and occasionally roast startup logic ||| Consumer brands | Venture capital || Also here to think out loud. Loudly. thehungrypig.substack.com Bangalore, India Joined January 2009

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

4 weeks ago

Been to 2 weddings recently. Everyone wore their best clothes. But you know what else they wore? Intent. Intent to network, matchmake, job-hunt, bond, show up, re-enter orbit. Indian weddings are bootcamps for community building.

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

4 weeks ago

What do Indian weddings teach you if you watch closely? Everyone’s selling something (ideas, kids, dreams) The true value lies in attention Social capital = leverage And that love is great but logistics are what actually make it all happen.

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

4 weeks ago

Indian weddings aren’t weddings. They’re startup demo days + mini fashion weeks + family AGMs + matchmaking expos. One cousin lands a job. Another gets funded. A chaachi rekindles a friendship. Community is the real product. The shaadi is just the hook.

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

a month ago

Indian weddings aren't just about the couple. They're capital-efficient social infrastructure. A wedding helps one person build reputation, another broker a job, someone else pitch a startup, and a few fall in love. ROI? Wild.

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

a month ago

Listening to @kunalb11 on @rajshamani's podcast reminded me: The best thinkers aren’t contrarian for the sake of it. They just refuse to outsource their thinking.

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

a month ago

Most of us don’t need more hours in the day. We need a ruthless audit of where our current hours are going.

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

a month ago

The first AI that learns how I handle my inbox (what I actually read vs. delete vs. archive) will save me more time than any productivity hack.

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

a month ago

Indian intercity travel isn’t just inconvenient. It’s an economic brake. Udupi–Bangalore: 10 hours by bus. Flight? Saves little after airport commutes. Trains? Rarely aligned with real schedules. Want Tier-2 startup ecosystems to grow? Fix connectivity first.

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

a month ago

You don’t need to be loud. You don’t need to be the most confident in the room. But you do need founder energy: ⁍ Coachable but not spineless ⁍ Relentless curiosity ⁍ A clear sense of why you need to build this It’s not taught. But it can be sharpened.

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

a month ago

VCs don’t invest in your deck. They invest in the belief that you can turn a messy, early idea into something inevitable. The slides just back that belief. Build the belief first.

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

a month ago

Could you make an investor curious in 3 minutes - without a deck? No slides. No demo day polish. Just you & a coffee. That’s the real fundraising test. Here’s how to pass it: thehungrypig.substack.com/p/the-3-minute…

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

a month ago

Here’s a brutal exercise: Pitch your startup without a deck. 3 minutes. No slides. No screen. If you can’t make them curious with just your words & presence, your deck won’t save you.

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

a month ago

Founders fail the 3-Minute VC Test bcoz they Talk about features, not the problem they’re obsessed with Use buzzwords no one remembers Confuse confidence with arrogance Fundraising isn’t about theatrics. It’s about making them say: “There’s something about this founder…”

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

a month ago

Warm Intros Still Win Here’s the unfair truth: Social capital shortcuts fundraising. Warm intros still open doors faster than cold decks. If you don’t have the network yet? Build presence. Show up in rooms, online. You don’t need pedigree. But you do need to be seen.

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

a month ago

“AI-powered” is the new “Blockchain-enabled.” Every cycle has its buzzword. Don’t wrap your product in trends. Wrap it around real problems.

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

a month ago

3-2-1 Test for founders chasing trends: 3 paying customers who’d still buy if the hype died. 2-year relevance horizon. 1 honest reason you’re building (not “because everyone else is”). Pass this before your next pivot

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

a month ago

The most dangerous cost of chasing hype? Not wasted runway. Not team churn. It’s when you stop trusting your own judgment. That’s when founders lose everything.

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

a month ago

Hype is a sugar high. Substance is protein. One burns fast. The other builds muscle. Choose wisely.

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Manish Dsouza @manishdsouza

a month ago

“AI for dogs. Blockchain for loyalty. Web3 fashion.” Every hype cycle leaves a graveyard of startups. My latest Hungry Pig piece breaks down why chasing trends kills more startups than bad execution and how to stay grounded in substance. Read here: thehungrypig.substack.com