Meet Sarthak Ahuja: The Indian Prodigy Helping Startups Grow Smarter

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“Humans don’t mind hardship; in fact, they thrive on it. What they mind is not feeling necessary. ” – Sarthak Ahuja.

Born and brought up in different parts of Delhi, no one could have guessed that a regular boy from St. Columba’s School would grow up to achieve so much so soon. By the age of just 23, Sarthak Ahuja had already earned four degrees.

He gives full credit for his success to his parents’ guidance and his grandmother’s blessings. At 23, he had cleared chartered accountancy, company secretary, and cost and management accountancy: all in his first attempt. Additionally, he completed his graduation in Finance and Investment Analysis from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, University of Delhi.

According to The Financial Express, Sarthak might be one of the youngest people to have cleared all these courses in one go.

He started working at his parents’ CA firm, but he soon realised it wasn’t what he wanted to do. He found the work too routine and wanted more excitement, more learning.

He had always wanted to experience an MBA: not just for the degree, but for the exposure, diverse perspectives, and the peer group. Since he planned to build something of his own in India, this kind of environment felt important.

He got into ISB (Indian School of Business) and was the gold medalist, but he didn’t even sit for placements. Instead, he came back home after completing his MBA and set up his consulting firm.

His firm started by offering financial services to MSMEs and startups. Over time, it also added a marketing wing. Thanks to the ISB network and connections, many startup founders began approaching him—not just for financial advice, but also for business plans and tech-related questions. 

credits: SOS India

The Author Journey Begins

Sarthak had always been curious about how things work in business and banking, especially in the Indian context. But when he went looking for resources, he found almost nothing that was relevant to Indian founders.

Most books were written by people in Silicon Valley, and even Indian authors were based abroad, mostly in Boston or Massachusetts.

He started asking questions to people working in top law and consulting firms, but many either didn’t know the answers or weren’t willing to share them openly. That’s when he decided that if he ever figured it out, he would share everything he learned.

He kept his word. Sarthak wrote Daily Coffee & Startup Fundraising, which became a bestseller on Amazon and “Founder’s Office” was Amazon’s Hottest Release in Entrepreneurship within its first week. His other books also rank among the top 10 books on entrepreneurship in India.

 

credits: WYZR Books

Founder’s Office

Sarthak Ahuja’s YouTube channel, Founder’s Office, is more than just a podcast: it’s a masterclass for Indian entrepreneurs. With over 1.5 lakh subscribers, the channel brings together India’s leading business minds to discuss real-world challenges, untold stories, and practical strategies across various industries.

Sarthak’s approach is simple yet impactful: he doesn’t just interview people; he learns from them and lets the audience in on the lessons.

In one episode, he sits down with Nikhil Sharma, the Managing Director of Perfetti Van Melle India—the company behind brands like Mentos and Center Fresh. Their discussion breaks down how brand building really works in the Indian FMCG space, touching on everything from product innovation to pricing strategies.

In another episode, he chats with Abhishek Ganguly, former MD & CEO of Puma India and now founder of Agilitas. They talk about the fashion and athleisure business and how Puma India built its team back in 2005, and how they aim to sell the product through storytelling. 

Sarthak doesn’t shy away from the hard conversations either. In one of his most compelling episodes, he talks with the BCG India chairman about how to manage internal conflict in a billion-rupee family business. 

credits: whosthat360

How did Ahuja start creating content? 

Sarthak Ahuja began his content journey in 2011 with a personal blog titled “My Life Is A Jalebi”, where he shared humorous, slice-of-life stories and observations about everyday happenings in New Delhi. Over the next several years, this blog developed a following for its witty style and relatable tone, earning him recognition such as the Best Humor & Satire Blog of India at the BlogAdda Awards in 2015.

At that time, content creation wasn’t about building a brand or an audience for him. It was more about expressing himself and overcoming the fear of putting his thoughts into the public eye. Sarthak has often spoken about how he used to hesitate writing even school editorials out of fear of judgment. Starting this blog helped him break that mental barrier. It gave him the confidence to share his ideas openly and showed him that his words could connect with others.

As the years went by, Sarthak’s writing matured and so did his interests. With his growing experience in the world of finance, entrepreneurship, and advisory, he slowly transitioned from personal blogging to sharing practical insights on business, finance, and startups. Platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram became his new canvas. Instead of long essays, he began writing short, sharp posts on topics that he dealt with every day—fundraising, cap tables, valuation models, investor conversations, and startup building. These posts were direct, helpful, and rooted in real-world scenarios, which made them stand out in a sea of abstract or Western-centric business advice.

The shift was not just in topics, but also in intent. His content was no longer about just expressing himself—it was about helping others solve problems. Young founders, business students, and aspiring entrepreneurs found massive value in the tools, templates, and mental models he shared

 

credits: Amazon.in

Ahuja’s thoughts on how Startups can achieve great funding 

Fundraising is not just about financial projections or spreadsheets. At its core, it is a form of sales. You are offering a part of your company in exchange for trust and belief. To succeed, you need to present a strong story. One that highlights your product, your team, and the market opportunity.

Investors are not only interested in numbers. They want to invest in people who show conviction and clarity.

As a founder, you must demonstrate a deep understanding of your industry. Explain how the market works, where it is heading, and how your product fits into that picture. Show how you plan to grow and how your team is uniquely positioned to win. Investors want to see that you are prepared, confident, and capable.

Sarthak Ahuja often says that fundraising is more about marketing than it is about finance. While data supports your pitch, it is the story and belief that truly persuade.

Data is essential. The more insights you have about your market and your consumers, especially information your competitors do not have, the stronger your position becomes. Smart data gives you an edge.

Most importantly, keep learning. Build habits and systems that help you improve every single day. Progress adds up, and growth makes your story even more compelling.

 

Ahuja’s differentiator and thoughts on family business 

Ahuja wrote about family businesses, especially those in India, where he talked about how the sons have a feeling that they want more self-autonomy and since everything is working on autopilot, their ideas of change are not highly accepted by parents who are already working on the business for a long period of time. There is a two-level breakdown of motivation: The kid not getting to have his say and getting demotivated, and the parents getting demotivated to work with their child because of the fact that the child wants to change the way they run the business. 

One way of dealing with this is to capture data points and bring concrete proof to the top management on what gaps they need to fulfil.

What sets Sarthak Ahuja apart is his focus on making business and finance knowledge simple, practical, and relevant for Indian founders. While many people create content based on global startup trends or theory-heavy material, Sarthak creates tools and lessons that apply to the Indian startup world. He talks about the real challenges that founders face while building their companies in India, such as how to raise funds, split equity among co-founders, manage legal risks, and build investor-ready businesses.

He does not try to sound overly technical or complicated. Instead, he explains difficult finance topics in clear language that anyone can understand, even if they do not have an MBA or a finance background. His experience as a chartered accountant and advisor gives him a strong foundation, but it is his ability to communicate clearly that truly makes a difference.

[Credit for header image: Indian Silicon Valley

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice. We do not assume any liability for actions taken based on this information]