Utpatang – Making Start-up Spaces Interesting!

By Tarun on February 27, 2015 16 Comments / 3747 views

WE WANT TO LAUNCH WITH A DRUM ROLL, BUT NOT WITH EYES CLOSED. THIS IS WHERE YOU COME INTO THE PICTURE.

Dear Rodinhooders,

READ THIS PARA CAREFULLY: If you have ever launched an idea and decided to ask people before putting all your money into it, you would know the butterflies you feel in your stomach, thinking of what it might lead you to. This is exactly what I am currently experiencing. I have reached half way through in executing the idea, and here I am requesting you to validate it!

Steps to follow: [request 🙂]

1) Read About the idea with no distractions around.

2) TAKE THE SURVEY (link towards the end) – AN INTERESTING ONE – WILL TAKE JUST 2 MINUTES!(Maggie actually takes more than 2 minutes :p)

3) Think About it for good few minutes

4) Comment with your honest/brutal feedback

Being an entrepreneur for over 5 years, the need for positive-happy reminders is well understood. This is what we are planning to do this time. Under the brand name UTPATANG (ऊटपटाँग), we are coming up with creative merchandise specifically targeted at Entrepreneurs and Startups.

We are new into merchandising and need advice on certain points.

Idea: Creative/Motivational/Quirky merchandise for Entrepreneurs and Start ups.

Idea Extension: Customized merchandising for entrepreneurs/start-ups, Collaboration with start-up communities and sponsoring entrepreneur conferences and meet-ups, taking it to the next level of validating an office space in terms of its interior with regard to how an employee would perceive the space and offering services to help you plan and set-up the space in a quirky and viable manner.

Product: t-shirts, Metal signage boards, Metal posters, 3D product based posters, Metal calendar, Mugs, Cups, tea glasses, Door stoppers, etc.

Statutory Warning: Our products are not like Happily Unmarried or Chumbak. Even mug, cup or t-shirts are unique in terms of messaging, shape, stuff, etc.

USP: Our merchandise is specifically targeted at Entrepreneurs.

Competition: There is no dearth of people doing really interesting stuffs which you could buy, but there is really no particular company in India doing it solely for entrepreneurs and start-ups at a large scale.

Money in Hand: 2 lacs

Looking for Funding: 5-10 lacs

Team: 4 core members (Including two co-founders) and in process of extending it with more talent including designers, illustrators, copy writers, an industry expert and a VM (Visual Merchandising) expert. Also keen to have a mentor who can guide us through this.

Planning to launch it by March Mid.

Website & Logistics: Powered by Zepo

SURVEY LINK: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QT5DCP5

Entrepreneurs and Start ups like you are our potential TG. So there are no better people than you who could validate the idea for us. Kindly give it a thought for good few minutes and help us guide in the right direction.

If you wish to mail me, kindly connect at tarun@nailbites.in or call me at 9911965296

@jangidtarun

Thanks!

Comments

Tarun

16 Comments

Puneet Nirogam Aggarwal February 27, 2015, 12:54 pm

Go for it Tarun, Aaj Kal Product Design ka hi paisa hai, bech to sab lete hain.

And here is my “UtPatang” which I got made from a “Dokra” Artist – A Meditating Frog !
Anamika Joshi February 27, 2015, 1:23 pm

This is really cool! Thanks Puneet ji for that “Go for it” thing! Sounds like music to the ears 🙂 🙂
Tarun February 27, 2015, 1:26 pm

🙂 🙂 Thanks for the kind words, it’s boosting.

The frog is really cool…
asha chaudhry February 28, 2015, 10:18 am

hey both of you – i’ve filled the form. was just going through some of my junk and came across my mini magic lamp 🙂 it’s made of glass. but i think startup folks need to believe in luck and magic so you should think of a magic lamp and carpet and….. the works!!
asha chaudhry February 28, 2015, 10:19 am

ps: “junk” in the most awesome sense of course!
asha chaudhry February 28, 2015, 6:02 pm

hey check out tappu ki dukkan – https://www.facebook.com/tappukidukaan
Tarun February 28, 2015, 6:53 pm

Thanks Asha ji for wonderful suggestions in the survey. someone also told me earlier to link products to magic or luck as it’s something badly needed by entrepreneurs. Will try our best to create the lucky magic with our products 🙂

yup, got to know this site (tappukidukaan) after this survey only. someone else also suggested this site. It’s like a marketplace for creative stuff…
Abhik Prasad March 3, 2015, 6:02 am

Hey Guys,

I have a slightly contrarian view about this idea (though I hope I am wrong )

Firstly, the product – stuff to motivate entrepreneurs. Not sure if merchandise will motivate entrepreneurs or employees and how much a startup will be willing to spend on them (especially unfunded ones)

Secondly – target market of entrepreneurs and startups. Why are you targetting just entrepreneurs and startups – one of the largest group of cash strapped entities

Also, how big a market will just entrepreneurs or startups be ?

Thirdly, is this a need or a want for a startup and how would you do it at scale (Especially since you are offering customized and quirky office interiors)

Just some questions you might want to think about and have clarity on before you jump in full time 🙂

Have also filled in the survey form. All the best 🙂
asha chaudhry March 3, 2015, 6:26 am

okay – i want to join in on abhik’s perspective. been meaning to ping you on the positioning….

so while doing something in this space is always interesting, your positioning doesn’t seem right.

why limit yourselves to “making startup spaces interesting” ?

check roti kapda aur makaan and the likes. they all are doing well. but they aren’t targetting only one segment.

so perhaps initially your msgs on your products could be around “starting up” – but imho you shouldn’t limit yourself by saying it’s only for startups. get into generic msgs also. and re-think the positioning. you both have an advertising background so i need not explain how critical that is!

and like abhik says i don’t think “team motivation” will be the pull – i think

i) creative/interesting people like quirky stuff

and

ii) many folks like to add colour to the otherwise dull/mundane office desk/routine life…

it’s as simple as that!
Tarun March 3, 2015, 8:12 am
Hi Abhik, thanks for putting forward some really insightful questions. And I am glad that we have addressed internally all of them while we were working out the plan.

First, our products will be very unique in terms of design, stuff, shape, etc. These won’t be regular motivational products with some quotes or like that. The motivation will be via addressing the pain point of entrepreneurs with a tinge of humour. Humour plus creativity will be the core of all products. It would be more about understanding an entrepreneur’s lifestyle and then coming out with products that complement it the best.

Regarding money crunch with spenders; Most of the products will be below thousand bucks and I think sparing six-seven hundred bucks to look cool and creative won’t be a big deal. Even entrepreneurship in itself is evolving as a lifestyle career choice.

Secondly, we could be another chumbak, happily unmarried or tappu ki dukaan… we could very well end up being one among them if we are not able to classify our market segment and stick to it, no matter what. It would be more about creating the market and working around it, rather than entering into an ‘already stuffed segment’ where everyone is striving for space.

As we said, we would be working around creating the market, still the market size could be well assessed by the fact that every day 2 new companies are registered in India (The unregistered ones will be many fold more). I am pretty sure, double the no. of companies shut down too, but that’s where the game is. Motivating our dear entrepreneurs enough with our ideas to keep them going. 🙂

Lastly, we are planning to scale the following way:
- Start collaborating with start-up communities to promote & reward entrepreneurship to work as a booster in the eco-system.
- Have a team of VM experts and interior consultants that help start-ups set up their work space effectively.
- Start taking customized orders from corporate/companies that promote entrepreneurship within their work culture. There are already many prominent companies carrying out activities in this regard.
Pls let me know if there are still some points which you think we need to consider.
Tarun March 3, 2015, 10:03 am
Hi Asha ji, In addition to what I said to Abhik, I would like to add that content on our products won’t use words like startups, entrepreneurs only. Employees or a common corporate person will be also able to relate to it. They will be our secondary TG but to differentiate or create a niche for us, we will always keep entrepreneurs as our primary TG.

Majority of our stuff is going to be quirky only. Following is a snapshot from our official document which validates the need of Utpatang for entrepreneurs.
- Start-ups/Entrepreneurs/Employers often look for interesting stuffs to make the office space exciting and attractive in terms of content and design.
- Good Messaging, innovative items, quirky products often find a space at work places due to their positive presence and because of adding an element of interest and thoughtfulness to the work environment.
- Quirky products help start-ups flaunt their work culture of being cool and a happy place to work at.
- Carrying impactful messages along, in the form of tee-shirts, luggage tags, etc. add to your company value and presents you in a different frame.
I hope, I was able to answer your concerns. Your suggestions will help us improve further 🙂
Shravan April 15, 2015, 1:11 pm

Hi Tarun,

Any updates about Utpatang? Have you launched the online store?

Just asking out of curiosity 🙂

Regards,

Shravan
Amit Khandelwal April 15, 2015, 6:03 pm

Hi Tarun, have filled the survey for you, and I second Abhik, I think you may want to look at your target segment..

My two cents,
Think about chumbak… I guess their target is youth/ teens … Poor entrepreneurs don’t have money and time… Forget about buying they might not be able to view your all your offerrings….

Hope helps… ATB
Tarun April 18, 2015, 5:33 am

Hi Shravan Thanks for your continued curiosity 🙂

We are not officially up yet. Right now sampling the products, moulding and upgrading the business plan constantly. Working hard to be up soon…
Tarun April 18, 2015, 9:54 am

Hi Amit

Thanks for filling up the survey.

Amit, the start up segment is a very interesting one. They may be bootstrapped but they are so much looking forward to position themselves as an exciting place. They are carrying iPhone because it adds to their brand value. And in case of Utpatang we are talking about approx expenditure of Rs.1000/-
Mrinal K Banerjee April 18, 2015, 3:29 pm

Hii, if you have started up…to be a startup, then it’s ok. the idea is good. But if you have started a business to migrate from a swift to a BMW, then I don’t think the market is so much fruit bearing.
Don’t mind but this is my personal opinion.