Goa lacks ecosystem for start-ups: Chimulkar

HERALD: What is your field of specialty?

PRANAV CHIMULKAR: We are the ‘right’ bunch of people for handling a video project for a start-up brand primarily because of our entrepreneurial experiences and a deep understanding of technology. We love and excel at the art of storytelling through video and convey the true value of the product. We combine state-of-the-art video production techniques and every resource at our disposal to bake the perfect output with high-end visuals and a story that best represents the brand and is relatable for the audiences at large. Even our original content pieces such as our film, our YouTube shows and even our social media posts are enjoyed by our audiences.

HERALD: How can your company help Goans, especially start-ups?

PC: If you require a how-it-works explainer video for your product or a strong marketing campaign to spread the word or a video that you could share with potential investors to raise capital for your start-up or a crowd-funding video, or a video that showcases the organisational culture of your company or a commercial to launch your product nationally, Denture Capital is your partner of choice. We work with small developers to giant publicly traded companies and everything in between. Our favourite people to work with are risk takers who are confident in the value of product or brand they are building and people with a great story that needs to be told. Also, clients with money.

HERALD: What made you decide to launch your company outside Goa?

PC: Ever since I moved out of Goa for my graduation, I have resided in multiple geographies. My last previous undertaking brought me to Bengaluru and it did not take long to realise why it is a start-up hub and is aptly called the Silicon Valley of India. For us, it was a no-brainer. Denture Capital had to be where the start-up revolution is. What Bengaluru collectively offers is the clients, service providers, talent and all resources in near vicinity, just like how Mumbai attracts all the people inclined towards a career in the Hindi film industry. 

HERALD: Goans are setting up companies in cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune etc? Why is this happening? 

PC: Almost all technology start-ups shy away from Goa because of the lack of a lot of early adopters of technology in the State. A strong and supportive ecosystem is a primary need for new businesses and determines the easy of doing business along with other factors like government policies, availability of resources, talent, service providers etc. Goa has already started to see setting up of new age businesses and it is only a matter of time for the ecosystem and adoption of technology to mature. Nonetheless, who will not like having an office in Goa? There's no other place like this.

HERALD: How do you see the Goa market? 

PC: Emergence of fresh entrepreneurs and new businesses in Goa will ensure a company like ours and many others will find opportunities to acquire clients. That will in-turn attract best talent and everything else will follow. Nobody would want to miss out on an opportunity to work out of a heavenly place like Goa. It is a fantastic site for creative minds to work out of. But for now, we are looking to grow our business in Bangalore and also, cater to other start-up focused regions like Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Delhi etc. 

HERALD: Where do you see yourself in next five years?

PC: Avoiding this question at an interview is one of the main reasons I quit my corporate career. On a serious note, I think the right thing to do is do what seems best at the moment and then look back to join the dots. You cannot plan too much into the future. I think we have something awesome going with Denture Capital. We have a great team with even greater work ethics, a fun environment in our office that never makes us feel like we are working, interesting pipeline of projects, awesome people we get to meet and work with everyday and a steadily growing audience who looks forward to watching our content. These are the thing that keep me ticking everyday. I am sure there are many more good things that are yet to happen. 

HERALD: What's coming up from the Denture Capital camp?

PC: We are excited about our upcoming original show called "Silicon Valley Mindset" (we filmed during our recent visit to the bay area of California, USA for a client assignment) that will feature a distinct bunch of individuals from Silicon Valley - Alan Cooper, the father of visual basic (sold it to Microsoft), Orkut Buyukkokten (orkut.com founder), Jason Calacanis (angel investor in Uber, one of the first investors) Robert Scoble,(an authority when it comes to VR, AR, AI, evangelist of Microsoft in the 90s), JamisMacniven, (was great friends with Steve Jobs, also had a fallout with him), Saeed Amidi (early landlord to google, logitech, paypal, Dropbox) Charlie Ayers (first chef to have fed google) Michael Margolis (strategic advisor to Facebook, Google etc) Dr Adam Dorsay (psychotherapist for the rich from the silicon valley), visits to the important landmarks of the place and interesting stories of the place and silicon valley legends like Elon Musk, Steve Jobs. the google founders (Larry Page and Sergey Brin) etc.