If there is a startup award for a company in the last decade that has made the most bets with a small team and a large dream, Zerodha stands as a front-runner. 

The stockbroking platform which was bootstrapped from the get-go, has not only dominated the start-up field in terms of profits but also led the way for founders to do the best they can without hedging their dreams on investor money.

With the coming of shows like ‘Shark Tank’, the startup lexicon has become drawing room conversation. Whether it's terms like equity or valuation, the Indian startup ecosystem is seeing the rise of young entrepreneurs. The Kamath Brothers, are the flag bearers of this space.

So when, the younger one of the two, decided to air his penchant for deep conversations on mainstream topics spanning three to four hours, it was bound to become a success. Kamath is, after all, the hero of the Indian dream. From a high school dropout to a millionaire, sounds like the story of a 70’s Bollywood rags to riches movie, minus the flair for dramatic dialogues (Recall Bachchan in Deewar saying ‘Mere paas Maa hain’)

But there is more to the success of the podcast. What does it have that the Joe Rogan-watching, protein-sipping and shop-talking metro city crowd loves?

Let’s take a look.

Surprise, Surprise……there are Celebrities

A panel on climate change that features Bhoomi Pednekar? We are here for it. Who would have thought that inviting celebrities to a podcast would create a buzz? Kamath is famously friends with them all. From Tanmay Bhatt to Nusseir Yasin of ‘Nas Daily’, he seems to know a lot of people who also, know a lot of people.

 There is little left to imagination. Celebrities get you the views. Their audience is already well-established. Driving their audience to a newly started podcast platform is easier said than done. Not only is this a strategic masterstroke but ideal for a founder who is infamously a recluse. 

Playing the ‘Long’ Game

Tanmay Bhatt said on one of the episodes featuring the country’s media and content giants, that long-form content is a game changer. Short-form content platforms have reached saturation. From shallow one-minute snippets to basic information bytes, those who sought in-depth analysis were left to the side.

 Again, Kamath knows that his audience is mostly well-educated, young aspirants living across the country. From the motley Bangalore crowd to the garage businessman in Indore, he has something for all. The idea behind hosting three-hour-long podcasts is to offer food for thought. Guess knowing your audience can help shape the content format one wants to dominate.

 Keeping Quiet

In an episode featuring Gen Z founders and actors, Kamath brought together a diverse group. The idea was to understand how the technologically smart generation looks at the world. As an older adult in this group, this conversation would have pandered to his cause.

 Except, he let his guests take the lead. Giving them space to control the narrative and offer insights, he only interrupted to ask deeper questions. YouTube comments are full of praise for Nikhil’s demeanour to not drive the conversations towards his detriment.

Takes a conversation genius to know how to say the most even while speaking the least.

Bangalore's Brand Ambassador? 

Nikhil is a certified Bangalorean. And he never fails to mention that in any of his episodes. Such is his love for the city that he even did an episode in his car, exploring the locales. The brand identification with a city only makes the podcast listeners attach to his cause. So to say, that he wears the identity well. The mainstream startup ecosystem knows who to call if they need a brand ambassador for Bangalore.

All of the reasons above and being quirkily titled 'WTF', are what made Nikhil Kamath's podcast the success that it is. 

With more episodes in the pipeline and with equally interesting topics of discussion, we can't wait to see his journey from a stockbroker to a podcast host!