From Pony To Unicorn: Scaling a Start-Up Sustainably

The journey of a business-from a small start-up to a large company ready for an initial public offering (IPO)-is fraught with pitfalls and landmines. To scale a company one needs to do more than just expand distribution and ramp up revenue. Scale entails a long-term vision that includes putting in place a timeline to achieve anticipated milestones hiring and managing the right talent sourcing capital to support expansion and building in simple yet effective processes as well as technology. Scaling requires the founders and the leadership team to understand the different pieces of the puzzle of scale and the components of organization-building.From Pony to Unicorn lucidly describes the X-to-10X journey that every start-up aspiring to become a unicorn has to go through. The book effortlessly narrates the fundamental principles behind scaling. Peppered with anecdotes insights and practical wisdom the book is a treasure trove of lessons derived from the authors' rich personal experiences in both building and guiding several start-ups that went on to attain the 'unicorn' status and became public-listed companies. Guaranteed to make for a very interesting read the book will be useful to entrepreneurs leaders and investors involved in scaling start-ups. Review Blitzscaling a start-up to a [sustainable] unicorn is a feat that very few have managed for good reason-it's like riding the proverbial tiger.From Pony to Unicorn is an engaging book filled with real-life stories that will be valuable to every entrepreneur who hopes to successfully do this. ―Ravi Venkatesan member of the board of trustees Rockefeller Foundation and founder Global Alliance for Mass EntrepreneurshipFrom Pony to Unicorn is a collection of insights on different aspects of scaling based on real-life experiences. Sanjeev and Hari have been through this journey multiple times and they have shared stories based on their own experiences as well as those of other entrepreneurs. This is a must-read for anyone trying to build and scale a business sustainably. ―Deep Kalra founder and CEO MakeMyTripFrom Pony to Unicorn is a fascinating read about a playbook for sustainable growth for any start-up. Hari and Sanjeev draw striking parallels between religion science humans and start-ups to chronicle the journey of scale. An insightful and important read for anyone thinking of resetting their business or life! ―Ashni biyani managing director Future ConsumerThe book illustrates the different components of scale and the levers available to founders with real examples and stories. Sanjeev and Hari have seen from close quarters several start-ups scale to become large companies. I would recommend the book as a must-read for entrepreneurs and investors. ―Sanjeev Bikhchandani founder and executive vice chairman NaukriThere is a lot of wisdom in this book that comes from being practitioners. A great book not just for founders and entrepreneurs but also for leaders in general. ―T.V. Narendran global ceo and managing director Tata SteelHari and Sanjeev have crunched multiple decades of experience learning and insights into a book that can act as a ready reckoner for all entrepreneurs. I wish I had access to this book during my scaling days! The book is a must-read for all the founders and leadership teams of start-ups who are on their scaling journey. ―Raghunandan G. co-founder TaxiForSureThe book brings out powerful insights on the principles behind scaling. Sanjeev and Hari have been through this journey several times. The Indian start-up and business ecosystem needed a book like this that brings out insights through real-life experiences anecdotes and events that shaped the scale journeys of start-ups. I would recommend this as a must-read for anyone involved in scaling a start-up. ―K. Ganesh serial entrepreneur and chairman GrowthStoryFrom Pony to Unicorn is a book about the x to 10x journey.