Ashwin Pandian

Growing up, I had a front-row seat watching my parents build their business from scratch - an experience that transformed abstract concepts like "courage" and "grit" into tangible reality for me.

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The venture capital industry fundamentally revolves around pattern recognition, and my most valuable patterns were established during those formative years. Today, when I engage with founders who are committing everything to their vision, I recognize that distinctive blend of conviction and resilience. 

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This connection makes my role particularly meaningful - it's about more than capital deployment; it's about partnering with entrepreneurs who embody the same unwavering commitment to building that I witnessed in my early years.

My approach to founder partnerships is built on two core principles: direct knowledge sharing and strategic network leverage. In areas where I have deep experience, I ensure founders get unfiltered access to every insight and learning. For challenges beyond my direct expertise, I tap into my carefully cultivated network of domain experts.

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The SaaS landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and rather than attempting to maintain expertise across every domain, I've invested in building relationships with exceptional founders and operators who are true leaders in their respective fields. This network-driven approach allows me to provide meaningful value to founders, whether through direct guidance or strategic connections. The most rewarding aspect is seeing these introductions evolve into lasting partnerships that drive real business value.

We're witnessing a fundamental transformation where AI is reshaping SaaS into what I call "Service as a Software." India is uniquely positioned to lead this evolution, leveraging our distinctive combination of assets: decades of expertise in service delivery through our outsourcing heritage, coupled with our demonstrated capability in building sophisticated workflow SaaS products.

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This convergence of engineering excellence and deep service-oriented understanding creates a significant competitive advantage for Indian entrepreneurs. The founders building in this space aren't simply participating in the AI revolution - they're positioned to actively shape its trajectory and define new paradigms in software delivery.

My evaluation framework centers on three critical elements that often predict long-term success. First, I look for founders who have developed an exceptionally precise understanding of their ideal customer profile. This goes beyond generic market segmentation - I'm looking for the ability to articulate customer needs so clearly that it naturally creates a focused go-to-market strategy.

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Second, I search for evidence of profound product impact. The most compelling signals come from customers who express genuine dependency on the solution - statements like "I would pay significantly more for this" or "This tool fundamentally changes how I work." When you find this level of product-market resonance, the conventional metrics tend to follow naturally.

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Third, I value founders who embrace a commercial mindset from inception. The most successful teams I've worked with often secure customer commitments before completing their product build, sometimes using just preliminary designs. While this approach may not suit every segment, it demonstrates the kind of market-driven thinking that often underlies successful ventures.

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When these three elements align, it typically signals the potential for something extraordinary.

• 20VC – For its comprehensive tactical insights from both the investment and operational perspectives
• BG2 Pod – Which offers sophisticated analysis of macro trends shaping our industry