Introduction: 

Meesho, the e-commerce platform for fashion and beauty products, was not this famous from the start. The startup was founded by two IITians, Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, with the idea of doing business online through an online platform. Meesho revolutionized social commerce in India while becoming a symbol of grit and determination. The company is still growing and creating a strong social impact while redefining the country’s digital entrepreneurship landscape. 

The startup idea that investors first rejected is now valued at over Rs 100 crore. The reason Meesho succeeded is that instead of seeing rejection as failure, Vidit saw it as a lesson. He realized the flaws in the idea and how technical skills alone are not enough for conducting business, but also recognized the need for understanding how businesses value their customers. This article mentions Vidit Aatrey’s journey from struggles to massive success.

Early Life and Education: Who is Vidit Aatrey?

Vidit Aatrey is an IIT Delhi graduate who teamed up with his college friend Sanjeev Barnwal to enable sellers to start their online business through social networking. They launched Meesho in 2015 to allow anyone to run their business through an online platform without using money on physical infrastructure. Meesho acts as a bridge to connect suppliers with sellers who want to sell products through social networking sites like WhatsApp and Instagram.    

They realized that the e-commerce sector is flourishing, so small businesses also need a platform where they can sell their products. This simple yet unique idea from Vidit reshaped the digital landscape and changed the lives of millions of people. This also benefited small shop owners who lacked the resources to reach more customers. The road to success was not this easy. Vidit also faced rejections and challenges before becoming the founder of this leading social commerce platform. 

Facing rejection in the early times

No startup begins its journey with a flowery road. Meesho’s story is no different. Freshnear was the first business Vidit and Sanjeev started, to make a platform that connects local fashion retailers with customers. It was similar to food delivery apps but for the fashion world. However, due to a lack of customer support and retailers’ interest, it didn’t last long. 

After that, Vidit and Sanjeev pitched their ideas many times but faced multiple rejections, and investors were not impressed either. Normally, people in such a tough time would prefer going back to their previous jobs and settle for them, but this duo kept on giving their best. Instead of seeing failure, they saw it as a lesson for future business. This ability to use rejection as a stepping stone made them the successful business owners they are today. 

Birth of Meesho: Pivot with purpose

We have heard that failure is like a teacher, and in this case, it was indeed a great teacher that helped the duo think of game-changing ideas. Before coming together to run a business, both Vidit and Sanjeev were employees in other companies. Sanjeev Barnwal was working with Sony’s core Tech team in Japan, while Vidit Aatrey was working at InMobi. Sanjeev wanted to start his own business, and he contacted Vidit to discuss ideas. After they both quit their job, they started a fashion marketplace.   

After learning from their previous failures, they pivoted to social commerce. The duo noticed that small businesses, especially women, are selling their products online through social platforms like WhatsApp groups. These sellers lacked big stores or a budget to promote, but they still had customers and demand. The only thing they were lacking was a way to manage and grow their small business. That’s where Meesho came into play. The name Meesho came from “meri shop” (my shop), as it offers sellers with their own shop with zero investment. 

Meesho provides suppliers with an online platform where they can list their products, resellers pick products they want to sell and share them with their social networks, and earn commission on every sale. The pivot not only saved the startup from drowning, but it also offered a solution to real-world problems. By pivoting to social commerce, Vidit was able to grab the opportunity that traditional e-commerce didn’t pay attention to. 

Scaling slowly and carefully

Meesho started its operations from a small two-bedroom apartment in Bengaluru. In 2019, Meesho reached over 200,000 users with millions of orders per month, and in just one year, this number tripled, highlighting the fast-growing customer base. Everything was going smoothly until COVID-19 came with a strict lockdown, and Meesho had to pause operations. 

2020 was one of the scariest years for any startup. However, this was not the first time Vidit and Sanjeev had to face such a big challenge. Instead of panicking, they came up with a solution to keep the business running, like safety measures. They also received funding from Facebook and SoftBank, helping Meesho to go through tough times. In 2021, Meesho reached a valuation of over 5 billion USD, proving that a successful entrepreneur needs to stay calm even during tough times. 

Meesho’s Success Today

Meesho is already a known name in the startup and business world. The platform has over 120 million monthly active users, making it India’s biggest social commerce platform. The business that started from two rooms is now offering employment to millions of people while helping small businesses expand their customer reach. In 2023, Meesho reported a 33 percent increase in its revenue to Rs 7,615 crore, with losses declining by 97 percent to Rs 53 crore. 

This proved that Meesho is not just growing but also earning a lot of profit with minimal loss. The company is now going international with a planned IPO to go public. This is one of the most successful startup stories for the Indian startup scene teaching every entrepreneur how to stay flexible, keep going, pivot when needed, and not fear failures. The company is still growing and improving with new technology.