Founders are often seen as superhumans. In this new series, we look at the humans behind the superhuman journey. The thrill of building, the guilt of missing out, the learnings, the failures, and why they still do it and would do it all over again.

Arpita is a second-time founder, now building Mysa. Her first startup, Mech Mocha, was acquired by Flipkart. Ananda is the Co-Founder and CTO of Astra Security. They are building in two different spaces, finance and cybersecurity, but the journeys are similar, that of a founder.

This is an unfiltered conversation between two founders about what building a company really looks like: the choices they didn’t make, the people who bet on them early, and how their identities, relationships, and sense of self changed along the way.

This episode is for anyone who is building, thinking of building, or simply curious about what being a founder really feels like.

0:00 – Becoming a Founder in 20s
05:10 – The odd realities of being a founder young
07:51 – Placements we got, but never took
10:56 – Learning to ask for help as founders
16:39 – The people who bet on you early
23:05 – Co-founder dynamics as life partners
25:40 – Handling co-founder conflict
27:21 – Making it to Forbes 30 Under 30
31:54 – How the PM award helped during house-hunting
34:10 – Being a Topper is Not Important anymore
35:45 – How close should founders be to their teams?
37:40 – Why advice hasn’t worked much for me
39:27 – Getting addicted to the thrill of being a founder
41:27 – When a founder’s identity becomes tied to their company
43:18 – Setting boundaries as founders
43:40 – Why I don’t share my Instagram with my team
44:07 – Realising that your team may not be forever
49:10 – Startups are marathons, not sprints
50:24 – Why founders need to be humanized
53:43 – Living life in the limelight as a founder
57:55 – Why work friends often don’t exist for founders
59:09 – Would you do it all over again?
01:01:36 – How family react when one decides to be a founder?
01:02:32 – Is it easier the second time as a founder?
01:03:27 – Why not knowing was actually a gift

-------------
India’s talent has built the world’s tech—now it’s time to lead it.
This mission goes beyond startups. It’s about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.

What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.

Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.
-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww

Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7
-------------
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

Send us a text

What It Takes to Build a Company: Life, Risks, and Lessons From Two Founders | Arpita & Ananda

The Neon Show