Scaling at Lightspeed - A Startup Story from the Operations Side

What does it take to scale a consumer brand from ₹50 crore to ₹500 crore in two years - in a country where the consumer changes every 50 kilometers? 🇮🇳Karan Singla, COO of Sleep Company - one of India's fastest-growing physical consumer product companies - sits down with Rohit Yadav in this special India Series episode to break down the raw, unfiltered operational reality of building a premium brand across 45 cities, 175 company-owned stores, and 15,000 pin codes.From opening a new store every 5 days to running 50 logistics vehicles to deliver 50-kilo mattresses next day - and dealing with customers who lock mechanics in rooms, exploit buy-now-pay-later loopholes, and go incognito after receiving replacement products - this conversation is a masterclass in what it really means to operate at scale in India.Whether you're a founder, operator, investor, or just India-curious - this one will change how you think about building in Bharat.Chapters:01:00 — Introduction: What is Sleep Company & the India Series02:30 — The origin story: Smart Grid technology, Amazon launch & early PMF06:00 — From online-only to 175 company-owned stores in 2 years09:30 — The operational reality: Delivering 50-kilo mattresses across 15,000 pin codes13:00 — Opening a store every 5 days: How the process was built16:00 — India One vs India Two vs India Three: Who is Sleep Company solving for?20:00 — Bangalore vs Jaipur: Why consumer behavior changes every 50 kilometers25:00 — Why Sleep Company rejected the entire dealer-distributor model29:00 — Trust deficit: How consumer brands in India actually build trust33:00 — Narrative vs product: Why storytelling-only brands don't survive in India37:00 — India is not for beginners: The mechanic hostage, the BNPL scam & the incognito mattress42:00 — Learnings from Audi, Volkswagen & Rebel Foods46:00 — Talent in India: The grocery incentive hack that outperformed cash bonuses50:00 — Why industry hires fail in startups & what to look for instead53:00 — Can Indian brands go global? The perception problem56:00 — Why this is the best time to build in India59:00 — What excites Karan most about India's next 15 years🔑 Key Insights You'll Walk Away With:➡️ Why a store in Guwahati delivers the same unit economics as a store in Bombay➡️ The Bangalore vs Jaipur consumer contrast -and what it teaches you about scaling in India➡️ How Sleep Company built a full logistics company inside a mattress startup➡️ Why every dealer asked "what's my margin?" and nobody asked "what does the consumer want?"➡️ The grocery incentive that cost less than cash but retained more talent➡️ Why building processes at ₹10 crore is the only way to survive at ₹200 crore➡️ How quick commerce has spoiled India - and why even mattresses now need next-day deliveryLinks:Karan Singla:   / karan-singla-399a7920  Sleep Company: https://www.thesleepcompany.in/Rohit Yadav:   / rohityadav23  Newsletter: https://yadavrohit.substack.com/