Kuntal Shah, Co-founder of CricHeroes, and Darshan Shah, Co-founder of NewsReach, said their journeys underline the importance of disciplined growth, clear monetisation and focus on underserved markets
A shift toward disciplined and sustainable entrepreneurship is becoming more visible across India’s startup ecosystem, as discussed at the first ASCENT Ahmedabad Huddle.
The session featured Kuntal Shah, Co-founder of CricHeroes, and Darshan Shah, Co-founder of NewsReach, who shared insights from their entrepreneurial journeys, including failed ideas, course corrections and decisions that shaped their businesses.
The Huddle was organised by ASCENT Foundation, founded by Harsh Mariwala, Chairman of Marico Limited and Founder of Kaya, bringing together entrepreneurs to exchange experiences across sectors.
Kuntal Shah spoke about his transition from running a services business to building a consumer platform. CricHeroes was built around a gap in amateur cricket, where structured data was largely absent. “Funding new ideas through an existing core business dilutes attention and hampers growth. Separating the new venture with independent funding helped us scale with clarity,” he said.
Darshan Shah shared his journey from law to entrepreneurship, including the failure of his first startup. “Clarity of problem solving and the ability to sell the idea are more critical than building complex infrastructure in the early stages. Technology should follow once the business shows it can scale,” he said.
Both founders highlighted that opportunities often lie in segments that are overlooked. CricHeroes focused on grassroots cricket, while NewsReach built its business by serving smaller companies outside major metropolitan markets.
On monetisation, Kuntal Shah said the company has moved away from discount driven growth. “We have taken firm steps towards a sustainable revenue model by charging users. Excessive discounting creates dependency rather than long term value,” he said.
Darshan Shah emphasised that scaling does not always require large teams. “Advancements in technology and the role of AI have enabled startups to achieve scale without proportionate increases in headcount. Growth does not necessarily require large teams,” he said.
The discussion reflected a broader shift among founders, where the focus is moving away from rapid expansion toward clarity, sustainability and long term thinking.
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