From Meta PM to Entrepreneur : A Product Journey | Everything Product Podcast. #entrepreneurship

Introduction

In a recent episode of the Everything Product Podcast, we were thrilled to host Nithan Hassan, the founder of My Garden Emporium and Career Kick Club, as well as a fractional CTO at Business Kickstart Club. Nithan's entrepreneurial journey from a corporate tech giant to starting his own green business is both inspiring and enlightening.

Transition from Corporate to Entrepreneurship

Nithan shared that his entrepreneurial mindset had been cultivated during his early days, dating back to his engineering studies. During that time, he launched his first startup—a computer assembly business—when entrepreneurship was not a well-understood concept, especially in India. After spending nearly two decades working for renowned companies like Meta and Microsoft, he decided to step away from the corporate world to pursue his dreams. This decision came after he reflected on what he would regret most if he didn’t take the leap into entrepreneurship.

Nithan emphasized the importance of understanding the risks, describing his time in the corporate sector as “golden handcuffs,” due to the comfort and pay it provided. He wanted to avoid the regret of always wanting to start a business and not doing so. Therefore, he created a framework for a minimal regret decision-making process, which allowed him to move forward confidently.

The Birth of My Garden Emporium

When it came to choosing what kind of business to start, Nithan's passion for sustainability and his observations of urban greenery loss in metropolitan areas played a crucial role. He recognized that cities around the world, including his hometown Bangalore, were gradually losing their greenery, which posed a sustainability challenge with relatively few players trying to address it.

He launched My Garden Emporium on June 1st, initially as an e-commerce platform focused on selling plants. Within a few short months, he witnessed tremendous traction, with many inquiries coming from customers asking for more than just plants. This feedback inspired him to branch out into related products, including landscaping, DIY products, and gifting.

Exploring the Gifting Segment

Nithan pointed out that corporate gifting represents a profitable sector in India, especially during festive seasons and weddings. Gifting plants offers dual benefits: planting awareness and contributing to sustainability. Nithan’s team views gifting not just as a single product sale but as an opportunity for bulk purchases, which deliver higher margins.

Overcoming Challenges in Logistics

One of the significant challenges facing My Garden Emporium is logistics. Nithan noted that shipping live plants isn’t straightforward, as a staggering 50% of plants can die during transit due to mishandling or improper care. To mitigate this, Nithan is focusing on developing a local supply chain with vendors close to the delivery points.

Quality control also remains a key concern, as the platform will source plants from various vendors. This will require ratings and reviews to ensure standards are maintained. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of educating consumers about plant care, citing that the complexity of caring for live plants demands attention that isn’t typically provided by existing vendors.

Technological Integration

Nithan is keen on integrating technology into the gardening space. This includes potentially leveraging IoT and AI to make recommendations on plant care, highlighting that technology can provide value by taking images of plants to diagnose issues and suggest solutions.

Recommendations and Insights

Nithan concluded the podcast with some personal reading recommendations, including "Ikigai" and "Rich Dad Poor Dad," emphasizing the different outlooks they provide toward happiness in life and a business mindset.

As My Garden Emporium grows, Nithan is focused on building a brand that provides education, sustainability, and green solutions for urban spaces.

Keywords

• Entrepreneurship
• My Garden Emporium
• Sustainability
• Urban greenery
• Corporate gifting
• E-commerce
• Logistics solutions
• Technology integration

FAQ

Q1: What motivated Nithan Hassan to leave the corporate world? A1: Nithan wanted to avoid future regrets about not pursuing his entrepreneurial dreams and sought a minimal regret decision-making process.

Q2: What is My Garden Emporium? A2: My Garden Emporium is an e-commerce platform focused initially on selling plants, aimed at promoting sustainability and greenery in urban spaces.

Q3: What challenges does My Garden Emporium face? A3: Major challenges include logistics for shipping live plants, maintaining quality control from various vendors, and educating customers on plant care.

Q4: How does Nithan view the gifting segment? A4: Nithan sees the gifting segment as a profitable opportunity, especially for corporate and festive occasions, that fosters awareness about sustainability.

Q5: What technological innovations is Nithan considering? A5: Nithan aims to integrate IoT and AI for plant care recommendations, enhancing customer interaction and education around gardening.

By providing insights into his journey and the challenges he faces, Nithan highlights the intricacies of transitioning from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship in the burgeoning sustainability sector.