That One Idea by WaterBridge Ventures

HomeLane is India’s premier end-to-end home interiors platform for Urban India, disrupting an $18B market using technology and predictable, cost-efficient execution. Buying a home is hard enough, but with HomeLane, setting that up wouldn’t be. 

So far, HomeLane has delivered 45K+ homes in 29 cities across India, working with 600+ in-house designers. With $114M raised in capital from marquee investors such as WestBridge Capital, Accel and Peak XV, HomeLane is on track to close ₹1400Cr in revenue in FY25, growing at a 50% CAGR over the last 5 years. 

Srikanth Iyer was born and brought up in Bangalore. He tried his hand at entrepreneurship after he quit his first job at Wipro in just 90 days. He founded Edurite (TutorVista), sold it to Pearson for $200M cash exit, and was appointed the CEO at Pearson. Now at his 4th stint as an entrepreneur, Srikanth co-founded HomeLane after discovering a deep problem plaguing the Indian home-buyers. 

Key Moments in the episode: 

(00:00) Namaskara to 4X entrepreneur Srikanth, co-founder & CEO of HomeLane 
(03:00) it’s not about right or wrong, it’s just about choosing the path that 
(7:35): Stint 1 – Making a quick buck assembling PCs imported from China & Taiwan 
(10:48): Lesson on evading bankruptcy by the skin of his teeth 
(12:53): Moonlighting as a cyber-cafe owner 
(14:04): Cutting through the Chakravyuh of debt 
(16:01): The accidental entrepreneur strikes again, with Edurite 
(20:52): Showing a new trick every few months 
(24:45): Extra dose of transparency sets the foundation for a stronger relationship 
(26:37): Starting up again, because elephants can’t dance 
(31:57): Everyone agreed that doing up your home is a pain 
(35:30): HomeLane getting rejected by 148 investors 
(39:30): Success in startups often boils down to just refusing to die 
(42:30): Advice for a 1X investor from a 4X entrepreneur 
(49:11): Homelane’s philosophy of org and culture building 

Relevant Links: 
WaterBridge Ventures: https://www.waterbridge.vc/ 
HomeLane: https://www.homelane.com/ 

LinkedIn Profiles: 

Srikanth Iyer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iyersrikanth/ 
Anjali Sosale: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pinkamma/ 
WaterBridge Ventures: www.linkedin.com/company/waterbridgeventures 

You can also listen to this podcast on 

YouTube: https://youtu.be/K4BmG4qQzaQ

Disclaimer: The information in this podcast (“Content”) is solely for educational and information purposes. The content does not reflect the views or opinions of WaterBridge Ventures and/or any of its members. The content is not intended to be legal or other expert advice or services and should not be used in place of consultation with appropriate professionals. The content shall not be reproduced, distributed, shared, or relied upon in any manner whatsoever, in whole or part, without prior written permission of WaterBridge Ventures. In no event shall WaterBridge Ventures and/or any of its members be liable for any liability, loss, injury or risk which is incurred or suffered as a direct or indirect result of the use of the contents.