'Not Building The Next Zerodha': Viral X Thread Challenges Who Really Watches Founder Podcasts
The core audience of podcasts by entrepreneurs like Nikhil Kamath comprises mid-senior level corporate professionals, claims a social media user.
Many Indian podcasters and startup founders, including entrepreneurs like Nikhil Kamath, often present their audiences as budding entrepreneurs and future unicorn creators. However, the reality is different for the vast majority of viewers, according to an X post.
According to Kavya (@motherofpathos), over 80% of listeners are mid- to senior-level corporate professionals based in cities like Bengaluru, Gurgaon, Hyderabad and Pune.
These individuals typically earn between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually. While they have dreams of launching their own ventures, most hesitate to leave their stable jobs, often waiting for the next salary band upgrade before making any leap, she said.
Kavya’s post follows Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath's latest podcast with Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The multi-billionaire recently appeared on the episode of Kamath’s ‘People by WTF’ podcast. From immigration issues in the United States to the Indian heritage of his partner, Musk touched upon a wide range of issues in the podcast.
“Nikhil Kamath (and a lot of Indian podcasters/founders) love projecting this image that their audience is full of future founders and unicorn builders. But let’s be honest: 80%+ of the people watching these podcasts are mid-senior level corporate professionals in Bangalore, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, and Pune who earn 20L - 1Cr, secretly want to ‘start something’ but won’t leave the job till the next band kicks in,” she said.
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Rather than building the next big startup, many are primarily navigating between multinational corporations and emerging startups, chasing salary increments. Their ultimate aim is often pragmatic: to afford comfortable homes, such as a 3-bedroom apartment in North Bangalore, without the burden of decades-long EMIs.
“They’re not building the next Zerodha. They’re just hopping between MNCs and startups for that extra hike so they can soon afford a 3BHK in North Bangalore without a 30-year EMI eating their sanity.”
“The entrepreneur cosplay is strong, but deep down we’re just highly educated, mildly burnt-out employees refreshing LinkedIn every 18 months,” she added.
She justified the cautious approach, saying it stemmed from a middle-class upbringing.
“And honestly, that’s fair. Most of us grew up middle-class in a developing country where uncertainty wasn’t a playground - it was pressure. You can’t expect the same risk appetite as someone who grew up in SF with safety nets baked into their life story,” she concluded.
The post has stirred an online discussion over the entrepreneurship ecosystem in India.
“True, but even if one person tries to take inspiration from his podcast and create something truly entrepreneurial, it was well worth it,” said a user.
Another comment read, “Absolutely agree. I love his podcast, I really do, but the kind of baseline, fundamental problems all folks should be looking at solving in India before building the next ‘SpaceX’ is clean air, clean water and clean food.”
