My last day at McKinsey
The Early Seeds of Business Curiosity
My interest in business started long before my professional career. As an engineering student commuting 2 hours in metro to my college, I naturally gravitated towards business podcasts, founder biographies to pass time, always fascinated by the stories of how companies were built from the ground up. During my third year, an apprenticeship at Imperial College London confirmed my decision to pursue a non-technical career path.
When I learned about the Kalaari Fellowship Program, it presented the perfect opportunity to combine my analytical background with my passion for the startup ecosystem. The transition from consulting to VC has been both challenging and transformative, revealing stark differences between the two worlds.
From Structured Analysis to Investment Narratives
My First day at kalaari, talking about blockchain’s impact on the world
While I thrived in the structured environment of consulting, my fascination with startups and venture capital continued to grow. The predictability and well-defined processes of consulting stood in stark contrast to the ambiguity and rapid evolution I witnessed in the startup ecosystem.
Unlike consulting’s hierarchical structure, VC demands self-motivation and independent initiative. There’s no pre-defined path or playbook. In VC, the downsides are minimal but the upsides can be extreme – this asymmetric risk-reward structure naturally creates a self-driven ecosystem. When downsides are floored but there’s no ceiling to the upside, motivation ought to be intrinsic rather than extrinsic. This fundamental difference shapes everything from how we evaluate opportunities to how we support founders.
Ownership and Impact from Day One
What truly sets Kalaari apart is the freedom to drive deals when you build conviction. This isn’t just lip service – I’ve experienced firsthand how the firm empowers fellows to champion investments they believe in. This trust manifests in tangible ways: leading due diligence calls, presenting investment theses to partners, and being an integral part of the decision-making process. Your work here genuinely matters, and that responsibility is both exhilarating and humbling.
Life at Kalaari: Beyond the Boardroom
The Kalaari Capital Premier League (KCPL) 2024 rekindled my competitive spirit (which had been dormant since my IIT-JEE preparation days!). From the player auction to intense practice sessions and match days, KCPL demonstrated how seriously Kalaari takes both work and play. Within my first 20 days, I found myself trekking Nandi Hills with colleagues, followed by a delightful 6-course Karnataka lunch – experiences that showed me how #KalaariFamily builds bonds beyond investment discussions.
Competing with a colleague at KCPL 2024, in a wall climbing competition
Developing Sector thesis
My journey at Kalaari has been marked by deep immersion into the AgriTech and Blockchain landscape. This wasn’t just desk research – it involved extensive fieldwork that transformed my understanding of how businesses operate in these spaces. Over the year I’ve worked on Enterprise SaaS, Consumer Tech, and logistics as well
The most transformative experiences have been the on-site due diligence visits before bringing a company, to the partnership, for investment consideration. There’s something irreplaceable about spending 3-5 hours with founders in their office or factory floor. These visits go beyond spreadsheets and pitch decks. I’ve witnessed firsthand how founding teams interact, how they handle real-time challenges, and most importantly, how their company culture manifests in daily operations. The nuanced insights gathered from these visits become crucial when presenting to the Investment Committee (IC)
Due Diligence visit to a factory of a robotics startup (Left) and to a farm of an Agri-Biotech startup (right)
If you are building something exciting in the startup ecosystem? I’d love to hear about your journey and explore how we can work together. Feel free to reach out to me at sajal@kalaari.com to start a conversation!
