In today’s startup culture, valuation dominates conversations. Funding is a hot topic, and bootstrapped ventures rarely inspire strong confidence. When Abhishek Vyas, a serial entrepreneur, influencer marketing leader and a podcaster, started his first business, he chose not to chase unicorn status or investor cheques. Instead, the Bengaluru entrepreneur bootstrapped—a disciplined, challenging route. Two years and five ventures on, Vyas stands out as the founder & CEO of My Haul Store, and one of India’s sharpest voices on sustainable entrepreneurship & the creator economy.
“Growing several ventures quickly taught me sustainability beats speed,” Vyas says. After building multiple businesses without external funding, he learned to prioritize unit economics, minimize burn, and design reliable revenue engines. “Hire for culture and teach skills on the job,” he adds, stressing the value of systems—playbooks, automation, and SOPs—that turn small wins into steady growth.
“This no-frills approach is what allows founders to survive downturns and adapt product–market fit without the constant pressure of chasing valuations,” he argues.
Launched as a platform connecting brands with influencers, My Haul Store boasts over 100,000 creators and 300 brands. But its growth story isn’t about sheer numbers—it’s about intelligent matchmaking.
“At My Haul Store, we built discovery and vetting layers—algorithms plus human checks—to ensure brands connect with creators whose audiences actually convert,” Vyas explains. “That data-driven matchmaking, along with a repeatable campaign engine, enabled us to scale efficiently.”
The result? A ₹200 crore turnover business built entirely on reinvested revenue. “Discipline, not outside money, made it happen,” he says.
As India’s creator economy explodes, Vyas warns against the easy trap of scale at the cost of trust. “Authenticity vs. scale is a design problem, not a trade-off,” he argues. For creators, this means accepting fewer, better-aligned deals and building their own IP—memberships, merchandise, or productised offers.
On the brand side, he insists outcomes should define partnerships: “Link fees to attention and conversions, not just vanity reach.” He believes new metrics—such as “skip rate”—will reshape how brands value creators. “The future is in long-term, transparent partnerships where both sides invest in trust.”
While many still view podcasting as a passion project, Vyas is betting on its commercial potential. His two shows—The Founder’s Dream and The Powerful Humans—have become top-ranked platforms for entrepreneurs and thought leaders.
“I absolutely see podcasting as a serious business in India,” he says. “It builds deep trust and becomes a packaging engine.” The monetisation playbook is broad: direct sponsorships, paid memberships, premium episodes, repurposed content, live events, and even offering podcast production as a service. For Vyas, The Founder’s Dream is not just a show—it’s a “content product” bundled with brand and founder promotion services.
Vyas credits his entrepreneurial clarity to meditation and daily discipline. “Mindset, discipline, and meditation are the operating system that keeps everything else working,” he says. His daily rituals—short meditation, focused morning work blocks, deliberate rest, and journaling—help him make calm decisions in high-stakes moments.
To young founders, his advice is simple: start small but stay consistent. “A 25–50 minute focused work block, a morning ritual, and a short meditation practice can massively improve resilience,” he notes.
Having mentored hundreds of Gen Z and millennial entrepreneurs, Vyas often repeats one mantra: “Ship, learn, repeat.” He urges young founders to sell early, treat feedback like currency, and build long-term assets instead of chasing quick wins.