Inside the Room: Hyderabad Founders on Building Without the Noise
This episode of the BharatCEOs Podcast brings together three Hyderabad-based founders for an off-the-record style conversation about building companies quietly—without chasing hype, visibility, or fashionable narratives.
Participants:
- Rohit Chennamaneni, Co-founder, Darwinbox
- Raghu Ravinutala, Co-founder, Yellow.ai
- Sai Krishna Meka, Founder, iHub-Data
Recorded in Hyderabad, the discussion unfolds around a simple table—no stage, no scripts, no pitches.
What They Talked About
On why Hyderabad works for serious builders
All three founders agree that Hyderabad offers something rare in today’s startup ecosystem: low distraction.
“You’re not constantly proving that you’re a founder,” one participant notes.
“You’re just expected to do the work.”
The city’s culture, they say, rewards delivery over declarations.
On resisting premature scale
The conversation turns candid when discussing growth pressure.
“Enterprise customers don’t forgive shortcuts,” says Rohit Chennamaneni.
“If you scale before your systems are ready, the damage is permanent.”
The founders describe turning down opportunities—clients, hires, even capital—because the organisation wasn’t prepared yet.
On AI, SaaS, and reality versus pitch decks
Sai Krishna Meka brings the discussion back to fundamentals.
“Most failures don’t come from bad intent,” he says.
“They come from overselling certainty.”
AI and SaaS, the group agrees, demand patience—especially when products are deployed inside large organisations or public systems.
On leadership away from the spotlight
Instead of celebrating hustle culture, the founders discuss mental load.
“The job is absorbing uncertainty,” Raghu Ravinutala says.
“If the team feels calm, leadership is working.”
There’s quiet agreement around the table.
Why This Episode Matters
This is not a debate and not a showcase.
It’s a rare recording of how founders actually talk to each other when no one is selling anything.
The conversation captures a Hyderabad ethos that is increasingly influential:
- build first
- speak later
- let systems, not slogans, prove value
Editor’s Note:
The BharatCEOs Podcast documents conversations usually lost to closed rooms and late evenings. This episode sets the tone: grounded, honest, and rooted in how companies are truly built.
