In September 2026 I published a series of LinkedIn posts reflecting on my venture investing focus on Indian consumer businesses, covering metrics, founder signals, my firm’s barbell strategy, direct investing, emerging categories, and AI‑driven discovery.
- Return rates are an early indicator of product‑market fit; high returns often signal mis‑alignment between marketing promise and product reality.
- Emerging categories show strong opportunity: Gen Z beverage trends blend taste, function, customisation, low sugar, and experiential retail; protein‑centric snacks are valued by 86 % of consumers, with 62 % demanding transparent ingredient lists; pet‑care is maturing as giants (Godrej, Reliance, Wipro Consumer Care) enter the space; 92 % of urban Indian shoppers used at least one AI tool in their shopping journey last month.
These observations inform my investment decisions: I prioritize brands with low return rates, founders who discuss operational detail unprompted, allocate capital using the barbell model, focus on direct investments, and target emerging categories where penetration is low relative to global benchmarks.
- Subscription churn remains a concern: 17 % of Indian subscribers across four major categories have cancelled, often due to cost and lack of customisation.
- Founder conversation cues such as unprompted discussion of early distributors, past failures, or long‑tenured colleagues reveal true priorities beyond pitch decks.
- Sharrp Ventures’ “barbell” strategy (since 2025) allocates a small slice of capital to ultra‑conviction pre‑seed deals with strong founder‑need fit, and a larger slice to later‑stage companies with proven product‑market fit.
- I have shifted to deeper founder engagement, spending more time with teams to understand capital mindset, P&L, ambition, and motivations, aiming for decade‑scale relationships.
- Direct investing is now favoured over fund‑of‑funds for greater learning and impact.