In India’s booming startup ecosystem, growth is often glorified — but without context. According to Kaustubh Mishra, Founder of Shail Advisors, flashy funding rounds, viral reels, and rapid hiring can create the illusion of progress. Anyone can become a founder, but being a true entrepreneur requires the right mindset — one that embraces perseverance and optimism.
Mishra notes that the biggest reason startups fail isn’t lack of ideas — it’s lack of execution clarity. Many founders thrive on chaos, mistaking frenetic activity for real value. But dopamine doesn’t distinguish between what’s urgent and what’s important — and that’s often where startups derail.
From Chaos to Clarity
Founders are rarely short on ambition — what they lack is focus. With packed calendars, stretched teams, and shifting strategies each quarter, growth can start to feel like running on a treadmill rather than achieving milestones. Mishra highlights that without a deliberate path toward profitability and systematic planning, chaos reigns.
While many founders are experts in their product or service, growth, sales, and scaling require a different skill set — what Mishra calls Growth Hacking skills. At Shail Advisors, they help founders break the chaotic cycle and grow profitably and sustainably.
The 4-Part Growth Engine
To scale startups without chaos, Shail Advisors applies a four-step framework:
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Clarity – Define positioning, ideal customer profile (ICP), and value proposition.
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Cadence – Establish weekly execution rhythms, check-ins, and dashboards.
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Compounding – Focus on small wins that scale across sales, operations, and hiring.
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Coaching – Provide founders with mentoring, advisors, and feedback loops.
This approach isn’t theoretical — Mishra calls it field-tested.
Real Growth, Real Results
Case Study 1: FitFormance (Fitness-Tech Brand)
When FitFormance engaged Shail Advisors, they were scaling rapidly but with scattered sales efforts. Within 90 days, they built a centralized sales engine, tracked weekly KPIs, and set structured founder check-ins. This also involved expanding offerings using existing strengths.
Result:
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3× increase in monthly revenue
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30% reduction in Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
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A clear roadmap to ₹10 crore Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)
Case Study 2: Emerging FMCG Brand (Madhya Pradesh)
An FMCG startup with strong product traction but weak distributor engagement received a revamped channel strategy, performance-linked sales playbook, and data-driven dashboards. A new B2B division was launched — profits from which were reinvested into direct-to-consumer sales.
Result:
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Retail footprint doubled across two states
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Monthly order volume up by 70% within four months
Founder Recommendations
Mishra suggests three practical exercises every founder should adopt:
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Audit Your Sales Funnel: Identify where real drop-offs occur — often follow-ups, not lead generation, is the bottleneck.
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Track Your Energy, Not Just Tasks: Founders need energy management more than simple time management.
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Design a 90-Day Survival-to-Growth Plan: Set three clear outcomes, review them weekly, and establish external accountability.
Beyond Execution
While execution and systematic progress are core strengths, Shail Advisors also supports portfolio companies with fundraising, hiring, digital marketing, and other growth necessities. Their mission is to help founders grow profitably and without burning out.
Kaustubh Mishra is the founder of Shail Advisors, a growth consulting firm helping startups scale 10× profitably. An alumnus of IIM Lucknow, he has worked with companies like Paytm, IndiaMART, and RBL Finserve, and advises founders across sectors including Fitness Tech, FMCG, EVs, SaaS, and D2C.
Read more: The 10x Startup Growth Blueprint: How Founders Can Scale Profitably Without Burnout