Insight
Founders should reject brand-name angel investors who won't spend time helping
“There's no point bringing onboard an angel who is just there for a brand value sake. But does not end up spending that time you need to be able to grow and nurture, right?”
Prediction Didn’t hold up
Singla predicts Pepper Content will hit $100 million ARR by December 2024
“December, 2024.”
Insight
India's last major talent export wave was tech via Infosys and TCS
“The last talent revolution that came out of India was probably Infosys TCS, which was Indian tech talent for the world. And I realized that there's a massive, you know, populace of creative population of creative people that could be harnessed into, you know a…”
Disclosure
Pepper Content grew from $500k to $8M ARR in just 14 months
“We went from, you know, doing about 500,000 dollars of annual run rate. To now we're close to touching about eight million dollars of run rate just in the last 14 months.”
Insight
Top managed marketplaces will build software stacks to create retention moats
“You see, every verticalized SaaS opportunity has a marketplace component to it, and some of the best managed marketplaces will end up building software stacks that allow both user acquisition as well as drive long-term product retention modes in the business.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
CMOs at L'Oreal, Unilever, Walmart, and Macy's use Peppertype
“So we are seeing CMOs of large companies like L'Oreal, Unilever, Walmart, Macy's use Pepper type.”
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Tech market correction has begun and will significantly impact 2022 compensation
“When market correction always comes, technically it's already started to come in. So we're going to see this year a lot of that coming into place. And when the music stops running is when all things come down.”
Assertion Not publicly verifiable
Pepper Content reached 1.75 crore INR in bootstrapped revenue by May 2019
“By the time we had completed our third year of college, which was May, 2019, we had done 1.75 crores of revenue till date all bootstrapped. Didn't take money from anyone else. Everything was profitable and revenue driven.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Pepper Content's 2.2 crore INR seed round was oversubscribed to 5 crore
“It took us about three months to get everyone in place. We were raising 2.2 crores. Just 300 K that time. And I think by the time we were almost nearing closure of the round, we were oversubscribed up to five crores.”
Assertion Supported
YourStory founder Shraddha Sharma wrote the first check into Pepper Content
“In fact so Shadda Sharma from your story. I, we convinced your story to put in money. So Shadda was the first check.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
An angel investor introduction led to Lightspeed investing in Pepper Content
“In fact, Kunal introduced me to Dave from Lightspeed. And that's how Lightspeed finally came in, and I think your initial supporters are extremely important towards your next leg of journey.”
Disclosure
Pepper Content had 35-40 Lakhs MRR when Lightspeed invested
“We went from doing five, six lakhs of monthly revenue to, I think, 35, 40 lakhs of revenue when Lightspeed came in, right?”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Toptal generates $450 million in annual recurring revenue
“Top tile, which does four, fifty million ARR where they're basically peppers model, but for product engineering folks.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Turing grew from $8M to nearly $100M ARR in two years
“Turing, which is growing crazy and about touching hundred million dollars ARR from eight in two years.”
Disclosure
20% of Pepper Content's revenue is global, spanning 145 countries
“In fact, today itself, 20% of our business is already global. There were three 50,000 plus users using pepper marketplace and a software business across one 45 countries already.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Pepper Content works with 70 of India's 85 unicorn startups
“See till date, we work with some 2500 plus brands so far on an active basis. We engage with five 50 to 600 customers at this point of time. Just to give you a sense in the last, we work with over 70 out of 85 unicorns in the country. We work with over a hundre…”
Disclosure
Pepper Content recently closed a multi-million dollar contract with a major enterprise
“We recently just Closed a late seven figure multimillion dollar deal with one of India's largest enterprises.”
Disclosure
SaaS products account for 15% to 20% of Pepper Content's overall revenue
“I think SAS is still early on about 15, 20% and growing on really fast in the overall side of scheme of things.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Pepper Content interviewed 8,000 candidates to hire 90 employees in six months
“Our team in pepper over the last six months has interviewed 8000 people. Right. And that's when we went from about 60 people to one 50 people in the last six months.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Pepper Content's AI tool Peppertype has reached 200,000 users
“Now that alone has some 200,000 users today.”
