ChaiNet: The Agentic Commerce Podcast

Rachit Magon
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ChaiNet is a podcast where we talk about the future of AI and ecommerce with the founders, builders, experts and brands to understand how do agentic commerce services improve the shopping experience of tomorrow. chainet.substack.com

  1. 4H AGO

    Why 90% of Gyms Are Designed to Fail Their Members

    Most fitness brands make money when you quit. You sign up, stop showing up, and they keep charging. Anish Menon thinks that’s broken. He spent four years inside The OutFit Gym learning the business, watching what worked, what didn’t, and why most people never see results. Then he built LIFTR Strength and Conditioning on a simple bet: align the gym’s incentives with the members’ goals. Eight locations later across India, Sri Lanka, and Dubai, he’s proving it works. All without taking a rupee from investors. In this episode, we get into: * Why he left software engineering at Accenture to chase fitness. * The four years he spent learning before launching and why that mattered. * How traditional gyms are designed for member failure (and why they don’t even realize it). * The 6-week transformation model that flips the script. * Building community when most gyms feel like lonely treadmills in a row. * Expanding to three countries on zero funding and the partnership model that made it possible. * Competing against funded giants by being smaller, sharper, and more honest. If you’re building something, questioning your career, or just tired of paying for a membership you never use, this one’s for you. Listen to Anish Menon on ChaiNet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chainet.substack.com

    48 min

  2. 1D AGO

    From Zero Fashion Knowledge to Shark Tank: Building Guugly Wuugly

    On this episode of ChaiNet, we sit down with Ravi Gupta, founder of Guugly Wuugly, a father who turned a frustrating shopping trip for his daughter into a D2C kidswear brand. With no fashion background, he couldn’t even tell cotton grades apart. Ravi left his IT job at Wipro to build something meaningful. He traveled thousands of kilometers across India, visiting manufacturers and learning textiles from scratch. Then came the hardest decision, mortgaging his family home to fund the dream. In this conversation, Ravi breaks down: * Why does he spend nine months learning before launching an anti-MVP approach in a world obsessed with speed? * The conversation with his wife before putting their home on the line. * What it actually takes to get into Shark Tank India. * Walking into the tank, facing the sharks, and hearing “no” on national television. * What happened after the episode aired was the reality of life post-Shark Tank. * Serving thousands of customers while figuring out sustainability. If you’re a founder, dreaming of leaving corporate, or just love stories of pure conviction, this conversation will stay with you. Catch the full episode with Ravi Gupta on ChaiNet now. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chainet.substack.com

    43 min

  3. 2D AGO

    How Brands can Build a Hiring System Using AI - Bella, Jump Consulting

    On this episode of ChaiNet, we welcome Bella Vasta, a 20-year veteran of scaling service businesses, a former National Pet Sitting Business of the Year winner, and now an AI optimization strategist. Bella knows the struggle firsthand: the systems every growing business needs (hiring, onboarding, operations) rarely get built because creating them feels like work that pulls you away from the business. Her mission? To change that. We dive into: * Why operational systems are the missing piece in most service-based businesses. * How to build a hiring system using AI, not by replacing humans, but by creating structure. * The difference between using AI as a shortcut vs. using it as a foundation for scale. * What she learned from selling multiple businesses and how that shaped her AI philosophy. * A practical 101 on how AI systems actually get built by someone who’s done it. If you’re a founder, business owner, or operator stuck in hiring chaos or operational overwhelm, this episode gives you a blueprint for building systems that stick. Tune in to hear Bella Vasta on ChaiNet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chainet.substack.com

    46 min

  4. FEB 1

    She Built a Gourmet Brand When India Wasn’t Ready for It

    On this episode of ChaiNet, we sit down with Apeksha Jain, Founder & CEO of The Gourmet Jar. In 2012, long before clean labels and D2C food were mainstream, Apeksha launched a gourmet condiments brand in India with zero preservatives, small batches, and premium pricing. Growth was painfully slow for years, but she stayed committed to quality when shortcuts could have accelerated everything. Today, The Gourmet Jar has sold 2.5 million jars and helped redefine Indian gourmet proving that conviction and patience can build something lasting. We explore: * Why did she start when no one believed Indians would pay a premium for local gourmet products? * The reality of painfully slow growth and the moment she almost quit. * Staying stubborn on clean ingredients, even when it hurts financially. * What building a slow business teaches you that fast growth cannot. * Her advice for founders who feel too early, too small, or too niche. If you’re building with patience, betting on quality over quick wins, or simply need a reminder that meaningful brands are built over years not months this episode is for you. Listen to Apeksha’s journey of conviction on ChaiNet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chainet.substack.com

    43 min

  5. JAN 31

    The shark tank founder building a community first pet brand

    On this episode of ChaiNet, we sit down with Darshankaur Khalsa, co-founder of Pets of Paradise. After pitching dog ice cream brand Waggy Zone on Shark Tank India and receiving five “nos,” Darshankaur didn’t quit. Instead, she transformed her vision, merged into Pets of Paradise, and shifted focus to serving India’s massive first-time pet parent market. We dive into: * What she learned from scaling Waggy Zone to 200+ stores before Shark Tank * How hearing “no” on national television fueled a bigger, more resilient business model * Why an authentic, human-driven community beats AI-generated content even in a tech-first world * Competing as a bootstrapped brand in a category crowded with funded rivals * Building trust as a certified pet wellness coach in an industry driven by transactions * Her advice to women founders on resilience, category creation, and community as a core strategy If you’re building in D2C, pet care, community-led commerce, or navigating life after a “no,” this episode is packed with real, relatable founder wisdom. Tune in to hear Darshankaur’s unfiltered journey on ChaiNet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chainet.substack.com

    58 min

  6. JAN 30

    Shark Tank Woman Founder on Building India's Only Men's Rental Platform

    On this episode of ChaiNet, meet Shweta Poddar, founder of CandidMen India’s only men’s-only rental fashion platform. A woman founder in the world of men’s formalwear, she built a profitable, bootstrapped brand by ignoring conventional startup wisdom. Shweta’s journey began when her own data revealed a clear mismatch her inventory was women’s, but her customers were men. Instead of following the crowded women’s fashion market, she doubled down on men’s formalwear, renting premium sherwanis and tuxedos at a fraction of retail price. We explore: * Building a men’s-only brand as a woman founder and how it became her advantage. * Why she pivoted from online-only to opening six physical stores, and where most sales actually happen. * How CandidMen stays profitable in an industry where funded competitors burn cash. * Her real Shark Tank experience before, during, and after the tank. * The unglamorous truths of running a rental business: fraud, perception, and unit economics. If you’re building a brand, thinking about rental, or just tired of the same old D2C playbook, this conversation is a refreshing lesson in building differently. Tune into ChaiNet to hear Shweta Poddar’s unfiltered founder story. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chainet.substack.com

    43 min
  7. Our Shark Tank Episode Went Viral & then we got 16.4K orders in a week.

    JAN 28

    Our Shark Tank Episode Went Viral & then we got 16.4K orders in a week.

    On this episode of ChaiNet, we sit down with Aasis Katyal, founding member of GOAT Life, just seven days after their game-changing Shark Tank India appearance. While the spotlight showed five Sharks fighting to invest, the real story unfolded off-camera over 16,000 orders flooding in within a week, backend systems pushed to the limit, and a 15-person team operating under unprecedented pressure. In this raw, real-time conversation, Aasis pulls back the curtain on what viral growth truly looks like from the inside:✅ The first chaotic hour after the episode aired and the first order.✅ How “backend chaos” met “inside clarity” to keep operations running.✅ Why quick commerce (like Blinkit) drove nearly half of all sales.✅ The compressed lessons learned in 7 days that normally take startups years.✅ Managing team exhaustion while scaling production and maintaining quality.✅ The honest prep that worked, what didn’t, and what they wished they’d done. If you’re building a D2C brand, preparing for your own breakthrough moment, or simply want to understand the reality behind viral success, this episode is an unfiltered look at scaling under fire. Hear the full story with Aasis Katyal on ChaiNet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chainet.substack.com

    47 min

  8. JAN 26

    He Used NASA Tech to Sell 3M Indian Meals, Completely Bootstrapped

    On this episode of ChaiNet, we speak with Denil Dedhia, founder and CEO of Bowlful Foods, a bootstrapped D2C brand bringing authentic, convenient Indian meals to the world through freeze-drying technology. Tired of bland ready-to-eat options while studying abroad, Denil returned to India and bet on an overlooked food-tech method to preserve taste, nutrients, and authenticity. Without outside funding, he has since scaled Bowlful into a global brand, offering a wide range of dishes that rehydrate in minutes. We dive into:✅ Why he chose freeze-drying over conventional ready-to-eat methods.✅ How he built and scaled a capital-efficient food brand from the ground up.✅ The unique challenges of competing against established giants without VC backing.✅ Navigating price sensitivity while maintaining a premium positioning.✅ Why did he develop a specialized product line for niche dietary needs? If you’re building in D2C, foodtech, or are curious about bootstrapping with patience and product belief this episode offers honest, actionable insights from a founder who’s done it. Listen to Denil Dedhia’s story on ChaiNet. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chainet.substack.com

    56 min
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ChaiNet is a podcast where we talk about the future of AI and ecommerce with the founders, builders, experts and brands to understand how do agentic commerce services improve the shopping experience of tomorrow. chainet.substack.com

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