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Time of India
19 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Where CEOs share desks with furry colleagues and patients meet ‘Chief Cuddling Officers': Bengaluru's ‘paw-sitive' pet revolution redefines work, care, and human connection
Bengaluru's corporate scene is embracing pets, with companies like WeWork and Bold & Beyond welcoming furry friends into the workplace. DriveU even adopts strays, fostering a pet-friendly culture that boosts employee morale and reduces stress. In a world where presidents keep pet dogs and prime ministers have 'Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office', finding pawed friends at work cannot be a new trend. Not a city to fall behind on any wave, Bengaluru and its corporates too are increasingly easing rules around having furry stakeholders at work. Consider WeWork, a popular co-working space. The company says that since its inception in 2017, its workspaces have championed pet-friendly designs. 'We've purposefully designed our centres to welcome both work partners and their pets,' says Raghuvinder Singh Pathania, head of community and building operations, WeWork India Management. Its Bengaluru workspaces have implemented pet and stray friendly policies. INHOUSE MASCOTS You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Besides letting employees bring pets to work, many offices are now beginning to keep 'office pets'. Bold & Beyond is a Bengaluru-based integrated marketing and PR agency, which has Leo (a cocker spaniel) and Sushi (a shih tzu) as its resident pets. 'They are two dogs we adopted during the pandemic, in 2021, right around the time we started the venture. They've been our quiet cheerleaders through late nights, high-stress pitches, early-morning meetings, and every celebration in between. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Man Saves Pennies For 45 Years Despite Warning Undo They're more than pets — they're our ambassadors, our emotional anchors, and part of the soul of our workspace,' says Sonalika Pawar, the founder. The office also allows team members to bring in their pets — each with their quirks and charm, according to Sonalika. It's not unusual to hear the soft shuffle of paws during a brainstorm or spot a furry friend napping under someone's desk. STRAYS STAY PUT While a section of the city considers stray dogs a menace, there are some corporate offices that open doors for them. Founders of mobility firm DriveU are passionate animal lovers, and they have adopted Lily — a mix of mudhol hound and Indie — after rescuing her as a pup from the streets of JP Nagar. 'Since DriveU began, we've had around 13 dogs — most rescued from the streets — who've become permanent fixtures at our Koramangala office. A few got adopted while most continue to brighten our lives every day. I adopted two — Ashley and Brutus — and took them to the US, where they are enjoying an expat life. They even appeared in CNN's 'Pet of the Day' segment a couple of years ago,' says Rahm Shastry, co-founder & CEO of DriveU. W eWork allows staff to bring their pets to work every day, besides supporting community and adoption initiatives that sometimes lead to fostered or adopted animals becoming part of their workplace. Strays rescued by our team have also found loving homes within our community, says Raghuvinder. The Mavericks, a PR firm, credits its pet policy to Sherry, an Indie stray who wandered into their space one day, made herself at home, and quietly became the first team member with a tail. 'Thanks to her, we have been a pet-friendly workplace pretty much from the beginning,' says Chetan Mahajan, founder and CEO. BEING 'HOOMAN' Many say workspaces see a shift in energy when a pet enters the place. 'Sherry came in, and filled our workplace with energy, warmth, and everything that makes us more human. Pets became part of our everyday life most naturally. No policies, no memos, just a shared sense that this felt right. And that is how it has been ever since,' says Chetan. Akansha Sarma, a WeWork employee, says bringing her pet to work helped her cope with tough days in the office. 'It's helped me feel calmer and more present, even on the busiest days. For my dog Max, it's a win too; as an indoor dog, coming to work means more stimulation, new people, and constant affection.' The furry pack can also bring a sense of belonging at the workplace. Sunandita Supkar, associate director of HR at DriveU, says: 'When I walked into my office the first day, I was greeted by the most heartwarming bunch of four-legged colleagues. Lily, in particular, was incredibly welcoming. She stayed by my side for the longest time, and in that moment, I truly felt like I belonged here.' 'On stressful days, just being around these dogs at the office instantly lifts the mood. A simple belly rub or playtime can melt away stress and anxiety. Honestly, it's one of the best things about working at DriveU,' says Sunandita. Not only on rough days, but on a light day, a pet can fill the boring hall. 'Their little antics spark laughter and ease... A sandwich stolen here, a meeting interrupted by a well-timed tail wag. These moments may seem small, but they build something bigger, a culture of ease, empathy, and togetherness. The office no longer feels like just a workplace; it feels like a place where you're seen, supported, and allowed to pause when you need to,' says Sonalika. Tanya Bojamma, senior account executive of Bold and Beyond, shares that instead of leaving her dogs at home, she can take them to the office. This has made her days at office much easier. Vanshika Srivastava, a reputation analyst, finds solace with Tara , a labrador retriever. 'Some days in PR feel like a whirlwind — a hundred things to close, back-to-back meetings, constant calls. But then I catch a glimpse of Tara, and everything just slows down. Having pets around at work is such a blessing. Petting them during a meeting or between tasks makes such a difference,' says Vanshika. 'They have this quiet kind of magic that instantly makes everything feel a little lighter, like a star breaking through a cloudy sky,' she adds. RULES ARE SET While the majority may be pet-friendly, some employees might have concerns due to allergies or a fear of animals. WeWork has clear guidelines, such as keeping pets on a leash and under supervision, to minimise issues. 'We encourage open communication so employees with allergies or concerns can request pet-free zones or alternative workspaces as needed. For members, we ensure transparency by clearly stating our pet-friendly policy during the space booking process, allowing them to make informed choices that align with their preferences. ' Some companies have implemented other interesting pet policies. For example, Accenture has a pet parents' employee resource group, creating a supportive community where employees can share experiences and address common challenges. 'We also host expert-led sessions covering essential topics like pet nutrition, travelling with pets, and coping with pet loss, in collaboration with veterinarians, pet nutritionists, and animal behaviourists. The response from our growing community of pet parents has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants appreciating the practical insights and feeling more connected and supported,' says Panchhi Jyoti, a senior account executive. ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY Another space where pets are making a great impact is hospitals, bringing a smile on patients' face during hard times. Various scientific studies and randomised trials have already found that the presence of therapy dogs can help reduce pain, anxiety, and stress in patients recovering from illnesses. Manipal Hospital Old Airport Road is integrating this powerful therapeutic intervention through a carefully designed pilot programme. It provides Animal Assisted Therapy or Pet Assisted Therapy. 'Recognised widely by psychologists for their emotional, psychological and physiological benefits, the presence of pets represents a holistic approach that holds the potential to revolutionise the care environment in a hospital,' says Karthik Rajagopal, group chief operating officer of Manipal Hospitals. 'Now, we have introduced two canine members— Gopi and Simba—to our family. Their presence is already proving to be emotionally reassuring for patients by not only alleviating their pain but also offering a sense of relief and emotional clarity. This initiative has garnered substantial positive feedback from both our clinical and non-clinical staff,' he says. With trial runs currently underway, the hospital is confident that the project will evolve into an invaluable addition to patient care and engagement. Gopi and Simba, two labradors vetted and vaccinated, are ready to begin their journey as 'Chief Cuddling Officers'. They are stationed outside the main hospital area in a dedicated pawstation to limit any disturbance during crowded hours. They are managed by their handlers. By employing two furry buddies, the hospital aims to bridge the emotional gap between clinical care and human comfort. Talking about the initiative, KM Aishwarya Nair, a patient, says, 'Dogs are the purest souls. They give us unconditional love, much more than humans ever can. The love we give them comes back multiplied. When dogs are around, we feel stress-free, happier, and enjoy ourselves.' Dr Sunil Karanth says Pet Assisted Therapy has been tried globally in pediatric oncology, and the National Health Service of UK has come up with guidelines. 'We are mainly focusing on the psychological well-being, along with the medical care of the patients through pet therapy,' he says. In an Indian context, it is difficult to introduce pets in a hospital setup. So, Manipal is rolling it out in phases, as recommended by an expert panel. For example, the hospital zeroed in on the breed — two labradors — after looking at how friendly they are. They were first introduced to non-clinical areas, allowing families who were waiting to interact with them. They were introduced to OPD and common areas only later. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
From Side Hustles to Global Brands: How Entrepreneurs Scale Remotely
08/08/2025, New York City, New York // KISS PR Brand Story PressWire // The modern entrepreneur doesn't need an office in Manhattan or a WeWork subscription. All they need is a smart product, a Wi-Fi connection, and a plan. Scaling remotely isn't a backup strategy—it's how serious brands are being built right now. Every hour wasted in traffic or spent micromanaging in-house teams is a competitive edge handed over to someone sharper, faster, and already global. Remote operations eliminate borders, gatekeepers, and bloated overhead. That's why the most agile entrepreneurs today are running product launches, securing capital, and building six-figure teams without ever stepping into a boardroom. And here's the kicker: video conferencing allows even solo founders to pitch investors, build teams, and close international deals without leaving home. Platforms like AonMeetings give founders enterprise-grade tools at a fraction of the cost—no IT department, no nonsense. Just sharp, secure communication that gets things done. The Real Advantage? Global Reach Without Global Costs Remote-first businesses aren't just convenient—they're built to scale fast. A designer in Buenos Aires. A copywriter in Cape Town. A CTO in Singapore. You can hire talent where it's best and most affordable, not just where it's physically close. Forget overpriced office leases. Forget the talent shortage in your zip code. The best founders are cherry-picking top-tier talent across time zones—and they're doing it without blowing up the budget. Remote work also means you're not boxed into one market. A handmade soap brand from Cebu can break into the European skincare market without ever setting up a warehouse in Berlin. You test demand through digital ads, refine your funnel, scale your product, and ship globally. That's the edge remote founders have. They move lean, test fast, and grow smart. Your Tech Stack Is Your New Office Your office isn't a place—it's a system. If you don't have the right stack, you'll crumble at scale. But if your tools are airtight, you can handle growth without blinking. That starts with communication. Weekly sprints, performance check-ins, client pitches—they all happen online. That's where platforms like AonMeetings crush it. Crystal-clear video conferencing. Built-in scheduling. Secure sessions. No distractions. Just business. Next, you've got to automate. Use project management tools that sync across teams. CRMs that feed real-time customer data. Billing platforms that run 24/7. Your stack isn't a luxury—it's your infrastructure. Build it like you plan to scale. Remote Trust Is Earned, Not Assumed When you're not sitting next to your team, trust isn't a given—it's something you build through consistency, delivery, and clarity. Entrepreneurs who scale fast know this. They don't micromanage, but they don't wing it either. They run tight ships with clear expectations, KPIs that actually matter, and systems that keep everyone sharp. Communication isn't about small talk—it's about getting results. If you can't trust your team to work without hand-holding, you've hired wrong or you've led wrong. Fix it, or scaling will break you. Crypto Founders Knew This Before It Was Cool Crypto didn't invent remote scaling, but it perfected it. DAOs. Discord dev teams. Anonymous founders dropping million-dollar protocols from laptops in Lisbon. The crypto crowd runs lean, remote, and lightning fast. And guess what? They're thriving. Decentralized startups prove you can build trust, traction, and revenue with teams that never meet IRL. Video conferencing is the handshake. GitHub is the factory. And tokens are the currency. It's no surprise that the rest of the startup world is following their blueprint. If you're building in crypto or Web3, remote-first isn't a choice—it's survival. Yes, It Comes with Growing Pains—But They're Worth It Let's be real: remote scaling isn't all sunsets and Slack pings. It's timezone clashes, culture gaps, and the occasional Zoom fatigue. It's hiring someone who looks great on paper but flakes when no one's watching. But founders who know what they're doing get ahead of this. They don't just hire for skill—they hire for autonomy. They build in systems for accountability. They create rituals that keep remote teams aligned. Virtual stand-ups. Monthly retros. Onboarding that doesn't suck. The payoff? You're building a company that works even when you're not looking over everyone's shoulder. You create a culture where trust drives performance—and that's when real scale begins. Scaling Remotely Isn't Plan B—It's How You Win Too many people treat remote work like it's second-tier. Like it's only valid when you can't afford a 'real' setup. That mindset? Outdated. Dangerous, even. Remote is how you beat bigger companies at their own game. It's how you respond to market shifts overnight. It's how you build something global from day one. If you're still treating your side hustle like a weekend gig, this is your wake-up call. With the right tools, mindset, and systems, you can scale to six or seven figures without ever printing business cards. No gatekeepers. No glass ceilings. Just execution. Final Word Remote scaling isn't the future—it's the present. The solo founders and small teams embracing it now? They're the ones who'll dominate markets tomorrow. Not because they had the most funding or the fanciest address—but because they moved faster, hired smarter, and built globally from the start. And it all starts with one decision: stop thinking local. Start building for everywhere. Original Source of the original story >> From Side Hustles to Global Brands: How Entrepreneurs Scale Remotely
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How Scaling Deep Beats Scaling Up Fast — Lessons From Uber And Routematic
In a business world obsessed with blitzscaling, one CEO is advocating for a different approach. At a recent executive event hosted by venture capital firm Shift4Good, Sriram Kannan, CEO and cofounder of Routematic, told his peers that his company's growth has come not from chasing new markets, but first mastering a few. Routematic has deepened its service in just five Indian cities, building density, loyalty, and profitability before expanding further. The message surprised his peers who assumed growth is about expanding the customer base, not deepening the current base. Kannan's message jars in an era where the default playbook is Silicon Valley orthodoxy: raise capital, expand everywhere, dominate markets. Scaling deep doesn't mean slow growth; it means more measured and resilient growth. Kannan's argument warrants attention, especially given the mounting evidence that rapid expansion can destroy more value for companies and communities than it creates. The Allure of Scaling Up and Fast Almost every startup founder dreams of explosive growth and a lucrative exit. The formula is straightforward—raise capital, expand geographically, dominate markets. But fast geographic scaling multiplies complexity—regulatory environments, customer expectations, cultural norms—and often requires huge capital infusions before revenues catch up. Yet this approach regularly destroys companies. Consider WeWork's spectacular implosion in just nine years. The company expanded from one New York office to 528 locations across 29 countries. When it attempted to go public, investors discovered a company hemorrhaging cash with no path to profitability. Instead of a lucrative IPO, WeWork filed for bankruptcy. WeWork isn't an outlier. Rapid growth creates predictable problems: executives lose operational control, customer service deteriorates, and organizations become overextended and unstable. Companies get ahead of their skis, moving faster than their ability to manage effectively. The Alternative: Scaling Deep Some markets reward depth over breadth. Scaling deep means building stronger ties within existing communities rather than rushing to new geographies. Researchers Dr. Suntae Kim and Dr. Anna Kim examined this phenomenon through two Detroit-based business accelerators. One pursued rapid geographic expansion; the other focused on deepening local relationships. Their research, published in the Academy of Management Journal and the Harvard Business Review, revealed that ventures scaling deep created jobs, products, and spillover effects that stayed local and addressed community-specific problems. Deep scaling encourages companies to use resources efficiently—either by reaching full capacity or finding creative ways to repurpose existing assets. Deep scaling is often more cost-effective than geographic expansion, leaving more cash for reinvestment rather than requiring external funding. This approach can actually contribute more to sustainable competitive advantage than spreading thin across markets, as competitors find it more difficult to penetrate the market. Uber vs Routematic The contrast between Uber and Routematic reveals two fundamentally different approaches to growth—one focused on operational depth, the other on rapid geographic breadth. Uber is a consumer-facing platform that connects individual riders with drivers for on-demand travel. Its core business is a real-time marketplace, matching unpredictable demand (from airport trips to nightlife to daily commutes) with flexible supply. Uber does not serve enterprise clients with known scheduling needs, but rather operates in a volatile consumer space. Uber exemplifies the Silicon Valley scaling playbook. After launching in 2010 with $1.25 million in seed funding, Uber expanded to five U.S. cities within its first year. By 2014, it was launching in one new city every single day. This hypergrowth strategy required massive capital injections. Prior to its IPO in 2019, Uber had raised over $12 billion, although much of its capital injections are undisclosed. To put color on this number, Uber made a profit for the first time in 15 years in 2023. Uber CEO said in a 2023 earnings call that the first-ever profits proved 'that we can continue to generate strong profitable growth at scale.' Today, Uber operates in more than 71 countries in more than 15,000 cities, yet many markets remain unprofitable. Routematic, by contrast, is an AI-powered enterprise transportation services firm that partners with information technology companies to shuttle employees to and from work. Its clients, like Infosys, operate around the clock, with as many as 49 different shift start times in a single day. Routematic uses real-time traffic data and AI-driven routing to ensure employees arrive punctually and safely. It operates as a B2B service that companies purchase for their workforce—offering predictable demand patterns, recurring revenue, and optimized fleet management. Routematic's growth strategy was the opposite of Uber's. Routematic mastered local markets before expanding outward. Starting with just 10 cars and one client in Pune, the company spent two years optimizing fleet utilization across multiple corporate clients with different shift patterns. It expanded only after it was profitable in Pune by expanding next to Bangalore and then to other cities. Today, Routematic operates in just five Indian cities. Its measured growth to date has built a robust foundation for further expansion. As Routematic grows, it will continue to build its organizational assets, rather than scaling so quickly that it puts them at risk. The contrast between Routematic and Uber is stark: Even though Routematic operates in only 5 Indian cities for fleet services relative to Uber's 110+, Routematic has one-fifth of Uber's total Indian ride volume. Whereas Uber is unprofitable in many of the cities it operates, Routematic ensures profitability in every location it operates. Its deep understanding of local transportation patterns, consistent service delivery to corporate clients, and disciplined expansion strategy have enabled high asset utilization and strong margins. Two companies, two models. One is focused on transactions and scale; the other on relationships and resilience. The Architecture of Scaling Deep Routematic's success stems from three key innovations that would be impossible with rapid geographic expansion. These are systemic enablers of profitability for deep scaling. 1. Grow from profits, not investors' cash: Uber's approach to funding expansion relies on massive venture capital infusions, whereas Routematic operated profitably in Pune before expanding to Bangalore. As CEO Sriram Kannan explains: "You have to improve your the knife, then you can deploy it in any other city." This approach builds confidence among employees, customers, and investors while eliminating the financial risk of burning through investor capital across unproven markets. 2. Master one market before opening others: Uber's operational model prioritizes rapid market entry with standardized processes that can be quickly deployed across new cities, often learning and adapting on the fly while managing the complexity of hundreds of simultaneous markets. Routematic took the opposite approach: starting with just 10 cars and one client in Pune, the company faced a utilization challenge where corporate transportation demand is "lumpy"—many employees need rides simultaneously, leaving vehicles idle between peak periods. Kannan spent two years aggregating multiple corporate clients with different shift patterns, to achieve higher vehicle utilization rates throughout 12-hour shifts. This deep understanding of local transportation patterns would have been difficult with rapid multi-city expansion. 3. Focus on relationships, not transactions: Uber treats each ride as a separate transaction, with drivers competing for trips across multiple platforms and bearing the income uncertainty of gig work. Uber customers and drivers choose between multiple apps simultaneously, including Ola and Rapido, demonstrating little loyalty. Instead, Routematic focuses on relationships with businesses and drivers. It offers reliable transportation services to a business, so the business increasingly relies on Routematic as an increasingly sole provider. Routematic also guarantees drivers 12-hour shifts regardless of trip volume. This creates a stable income foundation that is a magnet for the best drivers, while enabling sophisticated route optimization across multiple clients. Routematic has built intimate understanding of local market conditions, while building strong driver loyalty. The Community-Wide Benefits of Scaling Deep The benefits to communities of scaling deep should not be underestimated. For drivers, Routematic offers a stable income, whereas Uber offers gig work. Routematic builds relationships and networks with its customers and drivers, offering stable service for businesses and stable income for drivers. This provides drivers a much better standard of living for a sustained period of time. Further, the Routematic approach opens up opportunities to reduce its environmental footprint. The efficient routing service means that cars are filled to capacity, both taking employees to their shift and taking them home. Efficient routing eliminates "dry runs" (empty vehicle travel), reducing both emissions and congestion. As well, the 12-hour shift has permitted rapid electric vehicle adoption. Routematic has adopted a fleet of EVs, which they are rolling out in the National Capital Region (Delhi). Routematic leases its EVs to drivers, absorbing higher upfront costs while benefiting from lower operating expenses. Scaling Deep Means Higher Margins--not Lower Profits It's easy to confuse a step-wise, measured growth with lower profits. In fact, it can be quite the opposite. Scaling deep challenges fundamental assumptions about speed and success. Instead of measuring progress as the number of customers or transactions, scaling deep measures success through operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and community impact. Routematic has achieved 8-10% month-over-month revenue growth while maintaining profitability. By scaling deep, Routematic has built a sustainable competitive advantage, while also contributing to stronger communities. This dual focus on corporate performance and community resilience creates a compelling strategic advantage for any firm. As venture capital grows scarcer and more expensive, scaling deep offers a compelling alternative to traditional expansion strategies. It delivers operational excellence, employee stability, customer loyalty, and market resilience. Sometimes the smartest path to growing the firm and its profits means going deeper, not wider. I developed this story, based on insights gained through a presentation to Shift4Good CEOs, a private interview with Routematic CEO Sriram Kannan, and additional desktop research. I chair Shift4Good's impact committee, but have no financial interests in its investments. Fact checking by Minali Giani.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The Layer 1 Fallacy: Chasing Premium Without Substance
In financial markets, startups have long sought to market themselves as "tech firms" hoping investors will value them with tech-company multiples. And often, they do — at least for a while. Traditional institutions learned this the hard way. Throughout the 2010s, many corporations scrambled to reposition themselves as technology companies. Banks, payment processors and retailers began calling themselves fintechs or data businesses. But few earned the valuation multiples of true tech firms — because the fundamentals rarely matched the narrative. WeWork was among the most infamous examples: a real estate company dressed up as a tech platform that eventually collapsed under the weight of its own illusion. In financial services, Goldman Sachs launched Marcus in 2016 as a digital-first platform to rival consumer fintechs. Despite early traction, the initiative was scaled back in 2023 after persistent profitability issues. JPMorgan famously declared itself 'a technology company with a banking license,' while BBVA and Wells Fargo invested heavily in digital transformation. Yet few of these efforts produced platform-level economics. Today, there's a graveyard of such corporate tech delusions — a clear reminder that no amount of branding can override the structural constraints of capital-intensive or regulated business models. Crypto is now confronting a similar identity crisis. DeFi protocols want to be valued like Layer 1s. Real-world asset (RWA) dApps are presenting themselves as sovereign networks. Everyone is chasing the Layer 1 'technology premium.' And to be fair — that premium is real. Layer 1 networks like Ethereum, Solana and BNB consistently command higher valuation multiples, relative to metrics like Total Value Locked (TVL) and fee generation. They benefit from a broader market narrative — one that rewards infrastructure over applications, and platforms over products. This premium holds even when controlling for fundamentals. Many DeFi protocols demonstrate strong TVL or fee generation, yet still struggle to achieve comparable market capitalizations. In contrast, Layer 1s attract early users through validator incentives and native token economics, then expand into developer ecosystems and composable applications. Ultimately, this premium reflects Layer 1s' capacity for broad native token utility, ecosystem coordination and long-term extensibility. Furthermore, as fee volume grows, these networks often see disproportionate increases in market capitalization — a sign that investors are pricing in not just current usage, but future potential and compounding network effects. This layered flywheel, moving from infrastructure adoption to ecosystem growth, helps explain why Layer 1s consistently command higher valuations than dApps, even when underlying performance metrics appear similar. This mirrors how equity markets distinguish platforms from products. Infrastructure companies like AWS, Microsoft Azure, Apple's App Store or Meta's developer ecosystem are more than service providers — they are ecosystems. They enable thousands of developers and businesses to build, scale and interact. Investors assign higher multiples not just for present revenues, but for the potential to support emergent use cases, network effects and economies of scale. By contrast, even highly profitable SaaS tools or niche services rarely attract the same valuation premium — their growth is constrained by limited API composability and narrow utility. The same pattern is now playing out among large language model (LLM) providers. Most are racing to position themselves not as chatbots, but as foundational infrastructure for AI applications. Everyone wants to be AWS — not Mailchimp. Layer 1s in crypto follow a similar logic. They're not just blockchains; they're coordination layers for decentralized computation and state synchronization. They support a wide range of composable applications and assets. Their native tokens accrue value through base-layer activity: gas fees, staking, MEV and more. Crucially, these tokens also serve as mechanisms to incentivize developers and users. Layer 1s benefit from self-reinforcing loops — between users, builders, liquidity and token demand — and they support both vertical and horizontal scaling across sectors. Read the full article here. Most protocols, by contrast, are not infrastructure. They are single-purpose products. So adding a validator set doesn't make them Layer 1s — it simply dresses up a product in infrastructure optics to justify a higher valuation. This is where the appchain trend enters the picture. Appchains combine application, protocol logic and a settlement layer into a vertically integrated stack. They promise better fee capture, user experience and 'sovereignty.' In a few cases — like Hyperliquid — they deliver. By controlling the full stack, Hyperliquid has achieved rapid execution, excellent UX and meaningful fee generation — all without relying on token incentives. Developers can even deploy dApps on its underlying Layer 1, leveraging its high-performance decentralized exchange infrastructure. While its scope remains narrow, it offers a glimpse of some level of broader scaling potential. But most appchains are simply protocols trying to rebrand, with little usage and no ecosystem depth. They're fighting a two-front war: trying to build both infrastructure and a product simultaneously, often without the capital or team to do either well. The result is a blurry hybrid — not quite a performant Layer 1, and not a category-defining dApp. We've seen this before. A robo-advisor with a slick UI was still a wealth manager. A bank with open APIs was still a balance-sheet business. A coworking company with a polished app was still just renting office space. Eventually, the hype wears off — and the market reprices accordingly. RWA protocols are now falling into the same trap. Many are positioning themselves as infrastructure for tokenized finance — but without meaningful differentiation from existing Layer 1s, or sustainable user adoption. At best, they are vertically integrated products with no compelling need for a sovereign settlement layer. Worse, most haven't achieved product-market fit in their core use case. They bolt on infrastructure and lean into inflated narratives, hoping to justify valuations their economics can't support. So what's the path forward? The answer isn't to fake infrastructure status. It's to own your role as a product or service — and execute it exceptionally well. If your protocol solves a real problem and drives meaningful TVL growth, that's a strong foundation. But TVL alone won't make you a successful appchain. What matters most is real economic activity: TVL that drives sustainable fee generation, user retention and clear value accrual to the native token. In addition, if developers build on your protocol because it's genuinely useful — not because it claims to be infrastructure — the market will reward you. Platform status is earned, not claimed. Some DeFi protocols — like Maker/Sky and Uniswap — are following this path. They're evolving toward appchain-style models that improve scalability and cross-network access. But they're doing so from a position of strength: with established ecosystems, clear monetization and product-market fit. In contrast, the emerging RWA space has yet to demonstrate durable traction. Nearly every RWA protocol or centralized service is rushing to launch an appchain — often backed by fragile or untested economics. As with leading DeFi protocols transitioning towards an appchain model, the best path forward for RWA protocols is to first leverage existing Layer 1 ecosystems, build user and developer traction that leads to TVL growth, demonstrate sustainable fee generation and only then evolve toward an appchain infrastructure model — with a clear purpose and strategy. Therefore, in the case of an appchain, the utility and economics of the underlying application must come first. Only once these are proven does a transition to a sovereign Layer 1 become viable. This stands in contrast to the growth trajectory of general-purpose Layer 1s, which can initially prioritize building a validator and trader ecosystem. Early fee generation is driven by native token transactions, and over time, cross market scaling broadens the network to include developers and end users — ultimately driving TVL growth and diversified fee streams. As crypto matures, the fog of storytelling is lifting, and investors are becoming more discerning. Buzzwords like 'appchain' and 'Layer 1' no longer command attention on their own. Without a clear value proposition, sustainable token economics and a well-defined strategic trajectory, protocols lack the foundational elements required for any credible transition to true infrastructure. What crypto needs — especially in the RWA sector — isn't more Layer 1s. It needs better products. And the market will reward those who focus on building exactly that. Figure 1. Market Cap vs TVL for DeFi and Layer 1s Figure 2. Layer 1s are clustered around higher fees and dApps around lower fees Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Motive enters UK market to enhance fleet management
AI-powered integrated operations platform Motive has expanded its reach to the UK with the opening of a new London office. The company also appointed Nyanya Joof as regional vice-president. The company, which has seen success in North America, is extending its offerings in driver safety, fleet management, and workforce management to sectors such as construction, energy, field services, food and beverage, transportation and utilities. Joof has more than 15 years in developing go-to-market teams in Europe and holding leadership roles at companies such as WeWork. Her role will involve leading the company's regional strategy and overseeing the implementation of Motive's solutions for UK customers. Motive's technology focuses on enhancing driver safety by using AI to identify and address risky driving behaviours. This includes real-time detection of actions such as mobile phone use and stop sign violations to prevent accidents and promote safe driving practices. In the realm of fleet management, Motive's solution offers insights into vehicle health, routing, and utilisation, which can assist businesses in making informed decisions for more efficient operations. For workforce management, the platform provides automation of routine tasks such as scheduling and payroll, aiming to reduce the administrative burden on businesses. The Motive Driver App is designed to streamline compliance processes and reduce the need for paper-based documentation. As the UK moves towards meeting environmental targets such as the 2030 Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, Motive's platform includes tools to support the shift to electric vehicles. The platform's capabilities for managing mixed-fleet environments are enhanced by the acquisition of InceptEV, a startup specialising in battery intelligence software. Motive CEO and co-founder Shoaib Makani said: 'We're excited to bring that mission to the UK at a time when AI can make a meaningful difference—helping businesses reduce road collisions, lower costs, automate manual work, and accelerate the transition to more sustainable operations. 'Our platform is already delivering measurable results around the world, and we look forward to unlocking that same value for businesses in the UK.' "Motive enters UK market to enhance fleet management" was originally created and published by Motor Finance Online, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
