Latest news with #Warikoo
Mint
6 days ago
- Business
- Mint
‘Zerodha is accurate, but not fun': Ankur Warikoo tells Nithin Kamath, shares 3 tips to attract young investors
Popular content creator and author Ankur Warikoo discusses brokerage firm Zerodha's appeal among young investors, noting that it feels serious but not fun. He suggests that the platform needs to connect better with the next generation through relatable content and improve its presence in popular culture to attract new users. In a post on the social media platform X, Warikoo wrote, 'Zerodha is accurate. But it's not fun. It's where the serious money goes to grow. But it's not where the cool kids start their journey. And that's, in my head, the issue." He stated that the emerging 100 million retail investors in India are predominantly young, eager to generate quick wealth, and inclined to share their investment experiences and portfolios with others. For beginners, purchasing stocks or mutual funds is consistent across platforms. Even though Zerodha has impressive features, they might not resonate with first-time retail investors. "But to this first-time retail investor, it's all vanity. The decision comes down to – Where do my friends go? Where does it feel cool to be?' Warikoo wrote. Highlighting issues with the firm's branding, the author said, "So something as seemingly banal as the name (please don't read this as as a suggestion to change the name).To most people, it sounds like 'zero-something.' He added, 'It doesn't signal money. It doesn't feel aspirational. And then you have kite and coin and console and varsity. Kids don't get it.' However, Warikoo commented on the platform's content and said, 'Smart, but not simple. Accurate, but not relatable." He further noted, 'So today, the real paradox is this: The same 23-year-old who wants to become Nikhil or Nithin Kamath……doesn't want to use Zerodha.' Lastly, Warikoo provided three recommendations for the brokerage firm, listed below: Don't advertise, but do show up. Find the places where the next-gen investors hang out. Not just finance podcasts but gaming streams, college fests, Shark Tank reactions, and Instagram memes. You don't have to run ads. But you have to show up in their world. Make content that's not just smart but useful. Include budget calculators, SIP goal planners, loan vs. rent tools, and credit score explainers. Redefine 'cool' in investing. Be the 'quiet rebel' brand, the one that says,'We don't bribe you. We don't push you. We just work.' Warikoo's comments are in response to Nithin Kamath's post on X, in which he asked founders, 'Can brands still rely on the same tactics and strategies that worked in the past, or do changing times demand new strategies?'
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Youngsters want to become Nikhil or Nithin Kamath but don't want to use Zerodha: Ankur Warikoo
23-year-olds in India want to become like brothers Nikhil Kamath and Nithin Kamath but do not want to use the stock trading app Zerodha they founded, said influencer Ankur Warikoo on his official X handle in response to a tweet from the founder and CEO of the discount broker lamenting the platform's shrinking demat market share. While he called Zerodha's services accurate, Warikoo said that it was not fun. He also called the app a "vanity", hinting that the name itself did not give the right vibes because of the initial "Zero". Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Others MCA Public Policy Product Management others Artificial Intelligence Technology Operations Management Leadership CXO healthcare Finance Healthcare Data Science Project Management PGDM Management Data Analytics Degree Data Science MBA Cybersecurity Design Thinking Digital Marketing Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Exec Cert Prog in AI for Biz India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 months IIM Lucknow SEPO - IIML CHRO India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 16 Weeks Indian School of Business CERT-ISB Transforming HR with Analytics & AI India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 28 Weeks MICA CERT-MICA SBMPR Async India Starts on undefined Get Details by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 most beautiful women in the world Undo "As a huge long time admirer of Zerodha and someone who has a ring side view of retail investors in the country - sharing some views, Nithin. If I were to sum it up: Zerodha is accurate. But it's not fun. It's where the serious money goes to grow. But it's not where the cool kids start their journey. And that's, in my head, the issue," the tweet said. "Reality: The next 100M retail investors in India share 3 things: > They're young (investing before they turn 25); > They're impatient (thanks to reels, they want wealth now); > And they share - not just their meals, but their portfolios too. Now, all this wouldn't matter if broking wasn't commoditized. But it is." the tweet said. "For someone just getting started buying a stock or mutual fund is the same across platforms. Zerodha's features? Great. But to this first time retail investor, it's all vanity. The decision comes down to: 'Where do my friends go?'. 'Where does it feel cool to be?'," Warikoo said. Live Events "So something as seemingly banal as the name (please don't read this as as a suggestion to change the name). To most people, it sounds like 'zero-something.' It doesn't signal money. It doesn't feel aspirational. And then you have kite and coin and console and varsity. Kids don't get it. Compare that with Groww, Upstox, Dhan - all positive connotations. Or HDFC/ICICI Sec. brand trust," he suggested. To Kamath's tweet where the Zerodha founder said that the company was addressing the issue by creating content, Warikoo said,"Zerodha has always led with great content but I have got a lot of feedback that it feels high-brow. Smart, but not simple. Accurate, but not relatable. Even the legendary Varsity is a textbook, not a storybook". Warikoo, who dons multiple halts as an entrepreneur, teacher and author, also commented on Zerodha's communications strategy. "Always precise, but rarely sticky. The Kite disclaimer is a classic example - it's the right thing, but packaged like a compliance doc, not a cultural insight. So today, the real paradox is this: The same 23-year-old who wants to become Nikhil or Nithin want to use Zerodha," he opined. Warikoo's suggestions "If I were in your shoes, I'd do 3 things: 1. Don't advertise. But do show up. Loudly. Relatably. Consistently. Find the places where the next-gen investors hang out. Not just finance podcasts - but gaming streams, college fests, Shark Tank reactions, Instagram memes. You don't have to run ads. But you have to show up in their world," he said. Secondly, he suggested making content that is not just smart but useful. "Make content that's not just smart but useful AF. Budget calculators. SIP goal planners. Loan vs rent tools. Credit score explainers. Content people bookmark, not just watch. Also please please make it short-formas well. And in Hinglish," the tweet said further. Thirdly, he pitched for redefining 'cool' in investing. "You don't have to do CRED-style storytelling. But you can be the 'quiet rebel' brand - the one that says: 'We don't bribe you. We don't push you. We just work.' Make that aspirational again," the tweet added. Tips on product "Product ideas that can help: > Kite + Coin = One app. One journey. Why split the user story? > Social: Let users optionally create 'investing squads' - goal-based investing with friends, or community SIPs," Warikoo said. The social media influence said that it was time for Zerodha to earn intention after gaining a truest among the investor community. "Zerodha has earned trust. Now it needs to earn attention. Not through noise. But through presence, relevance, and culture. The way that I see it. No one brags about using Excel. But they still use it. Zerodha feels like that. Always a fan ," he concluded. On Thursday, Kamath posed a question for founders and marketing professionals on his X handle if traditional strategies used in the past to acquire customers will be useful now. Kamath also explained how his company was coping up with the problem. Read more: Zerodha's demat market share shrinking, says founder Nithin Kamath. How is it coping?
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
She felt overburdened with work but undervalued by bosses. Ankur Warikoo's advice to 'quiet' employee is striking a nerve across LinkedIn
When a young woman struggling with self-worth in a hybrid workplace reached out to Ankur Warikoo , she probably expected some gentle career advice. Instead, she got a wake-up call—one that thousands are now applauding online for its honesty, empathy, and razor-sharp insight. Her email laid bare what many introverts silently battle at work: discomfort in social settings, fear of pushing back, and a deep-seated belief that being 'quiet' equals being overlooked. Warikoo's reply didn't sugarcoat it—and maybe that's exactly what the modern workforce needs. In her message, the woman explained how a shift from fully remote to hybrid work had rattled her confidence. Surrounded by colleagues, she began feeling overly conscious, especially when seniors started treating her like a pushover—assigning arbitrary deadlines and putting her under pressure. She described herself as introverted, often feeling inferior in meetings and hesitant to assert herself, all in the name of 'respect.' But Warikoo's response reframed her dilemma completely. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Cybersecurity Technology MCA Data Science Public Policy Management Finance Artificial Intelligence CXO healthcare Digital Marketing Healthcare MBA Data Analytics Data Science PGDM others Leadership Design Thinking Others Operations Management Project Management Degree Product Management Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months MIT xPRO CERT-MIT xPRO PGC in Cybersecurity Starts on undefined Get Details Warikoo's response 'You're not broken,' he wrote. 'But you are stuck in a story that no longer serves you.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Building Automation Systems Software Cost Might Surprise you Automation Systems | Search Ads Undo Warikoo clarified that introversion wasn't the real issue. What she was experiencing was avoidance, born from self-doubt masked as personality. She wasn't quiet by nature—she was holding back out of fear that she wasn't 'enough.' Using a powerful metaphor, he added, 'Nobody ever learned how to swim by standing on the shore and watching others talk about the ocean.' His point? Growth comes from engagement, not perfection. The only way to build confidence is by stepping into the discomfort and taking action—however small. You Might Also Like: Good salaries, flexible hours — yet employees kept quitting. Mumbai-based founder fired 3 people. Internet supports her decision In the workplace, her reluctance to challenge authority stemmed from a desire to remain polite. But Warikoo cut through that illusion too: 'Being assertive is not being disrespectful. And being silent is not being respectful—it's being invisible.' He urged her, and by extension, everyone struggling with this, to stop apologizing for not knowing enough. Instead, he encouraged scripting firm but respectful responses like, 'I understand the urgency, but I'll need until X to do this well.' Warikoo's message wasn't just advice—it was a blueprint to unlearn self-sabotaging behaviour. He closed with a powerful reminder: 'This version of you—the quiet one who makes herself smaller—is a story that needs to stop. Time to write a better one.' In a time where workplace culture is still learning how to accommodate different personalities, Warikoo's post is a timely reminder that change doesn't always start with the system. Sometimes, it starts with rewriting your own story.
India Today
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Is Ankur Warikoo's latest book also ghostwritten? Author reveals
Author-entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo made headlines earlier this year after he reacted to a viral LinkedIn post by a ghostwriter who claimed to have written his books. To everyone's surprise, Warikoo confirmed that she had not only written just his debut, but also his second the launch of his latest book, Build An Epic Career, Warikoo spoke to as addressed the elephant in the room: did he write this one himself? Well, you will soon figure this out along with several other anecdotes that the author shared regarding the art of articulation of words, the role of artificial intelligence in the writing landscape, and several other interesting are excerpts from Ankur Warikoo's interview: Q: Let's get straight to it: Is Build An Epic Career ghostwritten too?A: Yes, and no. I have been creating content now for 20+ years - in the written form on my blog, LinkedIn, Twitter, and in video form on Instagram and YouTube. So, the best use of my time is to find a curator, guide them through the journey of curating my content across years, compile and structure it, if needed, and stitch disconnected parts in my tone of voice. And that's what I have done for all of my books and will continue to do for all of my books.Q: In a recent podcast interview, you said, 'The world has no shortage of students, but a shortage of good teachers.' How do you think your upcoming book, Build an Epic Career, attempts to bridge that gap, especially since it's written with Gen Z in mind? What message would you like to give to the ed-tech or author community about embracing the mindset of this new generation?A: The problem isn't always what was being taught, but how it was delivered. When we remember our favourite teachers from school or college, it is rarely because of what they taught. Instead, because of how they taught. And I think that's what is missing, in classrooms when it comes to teachers, and in books when it comes to authors.I feel most authors write books to feed their egos, to project a certain self of theirs that they have fallen in love with, and to try and convince the world that they are super smart. And unfortunately, most people live with the belief that smartness equals complexity.I write for an audience that doesn't read as much or has never read. And if my attempt is to make them read, I cannot be sitting in my own head, looking at myself in the mirror, and patting myself on how awesome I am. Nobody cares. Instead, I need to step into the shoes of my reader and ask, how would they want their book to be?Which is why I will never, by design, win any literary award. Because the discerning reader would hate my books. They are disconcerting. Unstructured. Blasphemous, if you will, challenging every notion the book industry has held onto for decades. Which is also why I've been the most surprising bestseller in recent As someone who covers the trending section, my observation of you as a content creator is that you've always advocated a scientific use of analytics and content articulation to resonate with audiences online. What are some moments that made you realise your USP in the content creation space?A: I believe that the true strength of content creation today lies in data-backed empathy. We are blessed to be living in an era when human emotions can be read through bits and bytes. I have 16M+ followers across social media. Imagine if I had to sit down and understand them? It would be impossible. But it is possible today. I will admit that my training in science has helped me instance I can recall is early on when I saw that my YouTube videos on personal finance were shared a lot on WhatsApp. And a fair share of my viewers come from WhatsApp. Which told me that personal finance is not so personal for my audience. They don't just consume, nod, and do something about it. They actually share it with their friends and family, to tell them, look, this is something we all ought to that day, I started to treat every video on YouTube not as personal video consumption but instead as a shared surprisingly, as I grew bigger, people who met me IRL told me that they watch my videos on their TV while having dinner with their family. I had replaced the 9 pm news or KBC!Q: One of the most talked-about issues in the writing world today is AI usage. Many writers and freelancers have shared their frustrations about clients or editors rejecting their work due to AI detectors flagging it, often leaving them unpaid despite the effort. As a creator, author, and someone who works with a team of writers, what is your take on this?A: I tweeted about this sometime who use AI to create, will who use AI to elevate, will what I do, and that's what will separate the winners from everyone else in the future.Q: What would your advice be for young writers? How would you encourage them to build a brand, either of themselves or for themselves?advertisementA: When it comes to writing - my simple mantra is - write everyday. Do not set a goal to write a book. Set a habit of writing everyday and a book will emerge sooner than selling a book is much harder than writing don't just stop at writing. Publishing a book that no one reads is the most unfair treatment you can give to yourself as a writer. As a writer, you have a moral responsibility to ensure that your words reach your share your journey as you write. Not just the good parts and the wins. But the hard parts are as well. Be authentic. In this fake world, authenticity shines.Q: Is there any message you'd like to share with the readers of your new book? What should they expect from it, and in what major way do you think it might shift their career outlook? How is it relevant to them?A: It is the book that I wish I had read when I was 24, confused, insecure, ashamed, and dejected. I felt like I would never win, because the playbook of 'go to college, get a job, earn well, and die' had failed for me. And I didn't know of any other playbook. This book is not going to tell you what you should do next. This book will tell you how to think about your next move. It is a book about career mindset, not career options. Because in a rapidly changing world, what you want to do might soon be irrelevant. What you need then is a model on how to figure out what you could do Warikoo has written four books: Do Epic Shit (2021), Get Epic Shit Done (2022), Make Epic Money (2024), and Build An Epic Career (2025).- EndsMust Watch
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
How to go from Rs 3 to 33 LPA in 5 years? Ankur Warikoo shares how he increased his salary
Entrepreneur and author Ankur Warikoo recently shared a heartfelt post about his career journey, one that struck a chord with thousands online. In a now-viral LinkedIn update, Warikoo opened up about returning to India from the US at 24, jobless and unsure about the future, only to rise to become one of the top campus hires earning Rs 33 lakh per annum within five years. 'I got my first job at 24, earning Rs 14,746 per month. At 26, I was earning Rs 12 lakh per annum. At 29, Rs 33 lakh per annum,' he wrote. From PhD dropout to first job Warikoo had dropped out of a PhD programme in the US and came back to India without a plan. Needing financial stability, he spent 45 days applying everywhere, from newspaper ads to walk-in interviews. Finally, he got a job at NIS Sparta for Rs 15,000 per month. But he soon realised that many of his colleagues with MBAs were ahead in skills and understanding. That's when he discovered ISB's one-year MBA course. Despite the high cost and pressure of taking a loan, his family's first ever, he took the leap. Live Events Breaking into consulting Post-MBA, getting into top consulting firms wasn't easy. Warikoo failed his BCG interview and nearly missed his chance at ATKearney too. But someone took a chance on him. He grabbed the opportunity with both hands and went on to become the firm's fastest-promoted employee. By 2009, he was earning Rs 33 lakh a year. 'Double down on yourself' Warikoo ended his post with a powerful lesson, 'I reached where I did because people bet on me. I stayed grateful and worked hard. If someone takes a bet on you, double down. On yourself.' Many on social media were moved by his honesty and resilience. 'The humility, the grit, the way you respected every opportunity, it's the kind of story we don't hear enough,' one person wrote.
