With the vision of highlighting all the untold stories of startups and entrepreneurship in India. Shradha Sharma launched YourStory, a digital media platform for stories of startups and entrepreneurs. Shradha’s ambition for YourStory is to create a platform that shares every story honestly and passionately. In this article, we’ll deep dive into the inspiring story of Shradha Sharma and understand how she converted a blog into a successful startup.
What is YourStory.com?
YourStory is a digital media platform for stories related to startups. Shradha Sharma is the founder and CEO of YourStory, which was launched in the year 2008. It was created from that child’s deep desire to give a voice to others with stories like hers that deserve to be heard. It is declared India’s most popular platform for startup-related stories, resources, and news.
Over 72,000 stories about startups and entrepreneurship have been published on YourStory and they reach to over 10 million niche readers every month. YourStory has a team of 100 people who publish content in 12 Indian languages.
Early Life of Shradha Sharma
Shradha Sharma was born in the small town of Patna, Bihar. Shradha’s childhood in Patna was defined by both challenges and aspirations. Even though she came from a lower-middle-class family, her parents stressed the value of education and having big goals. She pursues her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in history from St. Stephen’s College of Delhi. Then, she went to MICA in Ahmedabad to study Design Management (DCM). Shradha worked as the Brand Advisor at The Times of India and was later assigned as the Assistant Vice President at CNBC TV18.
The idea of YourStory.com
During her Journey as a journalist, she realizes her interest in startup stories. She believes that people around the world are doing amazing work but the media hardly cover their stories. This ignited her to share stories of such people through her blog.
Obstacles Are Not the End
Like any entrepreneur, Shradha faced struggles at the start, but she understood the challenges ahead and remained confident. Her biggest hurdle was finding entrepreneurs willing to share their struggles. While a few supported her during her time at CNBC, they backed out after her resignation.
With no celebrities or noticeable figures to help promote her blog, Shradha didn’t rely on anyone else. Instead of being discouraged, she overcame this challenge by eventually finding entrepreneurs who were eager to share their stories on her platform, YourStory.
The Success Story of Shradha Sharma
Shradha started to write great stories of successful startups and entrepreneurs, share them through her blog, and eventually convert her blog into a website. At first, the startup struggled to gain attention. There were even time when she was asked to leave pre-booked interviews, just because her site was not popular enough. Every day, she felt society trying to silence her, but no one could stop the truth from being heard. Her work provided a platform for those who were unheard.Though she faced financial problems, these challenges pushed her to build a successful.
At the same time, her personal life was going through a difficult time. In 2010, Shradha lost her mother, who had always been there for her. She was heartbroken, especially since she was unemployed and struggling with YourStory. Losing her mother hit her hard and led to depression. But her unwavering faith and determination make it possible to overcome obstacles and make a long-lasting impact in the world of startups.
Today, Yourstory has received investments from renowned business persons including, Ratan Tata, T.V. Mohandas Pai, Karthee Madasamy, and Vani Kola.
Her ambition, determination, and positive outlook helped turn YourStory into what it is today. Like a true warrior, she faced all challenges head-on, whether personal, professional, or socio-cultural and overcame them.
Despite coming from a small town in Bihar, she dared to dream big and fought persistently until her dreams were realized. Now, she is the founder of a well-known and highly interactive platform for entrepreneur’s stories.
Achievements
Shradha earned numerous awards including the Vilgro Journalist of the Year Award and PAT Memorial Outstanding Alumnus Award. She was also listed among the 500 LinkedIn Influencers in the world. Her book became an Amazon Bestseller. She was named in the Fortune Magazine list of Fortune 40 under 40.
In addition to these, Shradha was honored with the NASSCOM Ecosystem Evangelist Award in September 2010 for her dedication to promoting an inclusive startup ecosystem. In the same year, she was honored with the Villgro Journalist of the Year Award for her ongoing coverage of startups. In 2015, she was recognized with the ET Promising Entrepreneurs of India Award by The Economic Times.
Key Lessons from Shradha Sharma’s Business Approach
- Use storytelling: Shradha believes stories have the power to connect, inspire, and drive change. Make storytelling a key part of your brand to engage your audience.
- Stay determined: Success often comes from persistence. Keep pushing through challenges and obstacles.
- Adapt quickly: The business world is always changing. Therefore, you need to be ready to shift your approach whenever necessary.
- Build a strong network: Cultivate relationships and connections that can offer support, resources, and opportunities.
- Create a positive work environment: A healthy company culture encourages creativity and employee commitment.
- Lift others up: Use your influence to help those who might not have the same opportunities.
- Value diversity: Diverse teams bring different viewpoints, leading to better ideas and solutions.
- Be resourceful: Use the resources, skills, and connections you have to overcome obstacles and achieve goals.
- Learn from mistakes: See failure as a chance to learn and grow.
- Keep learning: It is always best to expand your knowledge and skills.
- Take smart risks: Take bold actions but ensure they are well thought out and in line with your goals.
- Work together: Collaboration leads to greater achievements. Support your team and work with partners.
- Communicate clearly: Transparent communication builds trust and helps teams work effectively.
- Be proactive: Seek out opportunities and take action to make them happen.
- Find mentors: Learn from people who have succeeded in your field.
- Stay strong: Build resilience to recover from setbacks and keep pushing forward.
- Celebrate progress: stay motivated by acknowledging even a small win.
- Be patient: Success doesn’t happen overnight. Focus on long-term goals and stay patient.
- Act with integrity: Treat others with respect and run your business ethically.
- Balance work and life: Take time for yourself to avoid burnout and maintain well-being.
- Stay curious: Be open to new ideas and constantly seek to learn more.
- Listen attentively: Pay attention to what your team and others are saying to understand their needs.
Encourage innovation: Support new ideas and use new technologies to stay ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1- Who is the founder of YourStory
Shradha Sharma is the founder of YourStory.
2- What does YourStory.com platform do?
YourStory platform shares success stories of entrepreneurs and startups.
3- When was the YourStory.com platform founded?
YourStory platform was founded in 2008.
Conclusion
Shradha faces many challenges in her journey but it was her faith, hard work, and determination that helped her to become successful. She dared to dream big and fought to achieve them. Every woman has the same potential within her. She just needs to recognize it. No matter how much society tries to confine women, they always emerge stronger, more resilient, and more confident. This is the story of a girl from a small town, overcoming the challenges imposed by society, and rising to become the founder of reputable platform known for the stories of startups.
