Why Quick Commerce Startups Are Running on a Ticking Time Bomb

The Startup Playbook: Behind the Scenes

Unfiltered conversations, hard truths, and real insights from the trenches—before the book launches.

🚨 The last few editions have been explosive.

We exposed how founders get wiped out in bad exits. We broke down the term sheet traps that silently steal companies. And the reaction? Loud.

💬 "I thought raising money was winning—now I realize how many founders actually lose."

💬 "More people need to understand that funding isn’t fuel—it’s control."

💬 "Exits don’t make you rich. Owning your company at exit does."

Now, it’s time to go even deeper.

Because there’s one industry where founders are playing a losing game—and don’t even realize it.

Why Quick Commerce Startups Are Running on a Ticking Time Bomb

HC: “You ever notice how all these 10-minute delivery startups have the same strategy?”

Cofounder: “What do you mean?”

HC: “They raise billions. Burn through cash. Expand aggressively. And then one day—poof—they shut down.”

Cofounder: “Like Blinkit, Dunzo, Zepto, Grofers?”

HC: “Exactly. And here’s the crazy part—none of them were ever designed to be sustainable.”

Cofounder: “Wait… what?”

HC: “These aren’t businesses. They’re financial vehicles. And the founders? Most of them don’t even realize they’re on a sinking ship until it’s too late.”

The Economics of Quick Commerce: Why It’s Broken

Let’s break this down.

🚲 A typical quick commerce order:

• Basket size: ₹250-₹500

• Logistics cost: ₹50-₹70

• Discount + marketing cost: ₹80-₹100

• Gross margin on goods: 10-15% (₹25-₹75)

Now, let’s do the math.

On every ₹500 order, the company makes ₹75 max but loses ₹150+.

Now multiply that by millions of orders per month.

💀 It’s not just unprofitable—it’s a financial black hole.

Cofounder: “But then why do VCs fund these companies in the first place?”

HC: “Because they’re not funding businesses. They’re funding hype cycles.”

The Real Strategy: Build Fast, Burn Fast, Exit Before the Crash

Here’s how the quick commerce game actually works:

1️⃣ Raise massive VC money.

2️⃣ Acquire customers at any cost.

3️⃣ Show insane order volumes, not profits.

4️⃣ Use those numbers to raise even more.

5️⃣ Sell the company or IPO before the market realizes the unit economics are broken.

It’s not a business model.

It’s a time bomb.

And the founders who don’t exit fast enough?

They get left holding the bag when the VCs cash out.

The Quick Commerce Graveyard: Who Really Won?

Look at the companies that went big in quick commerce.

🔴 Grofers → Blinkit → Acquired by Zomato for a fraction of its peak valuation.

🔴 Dunzo → Raised ₹2000+ crore. Now struggling to pay salaries.

🔴 Jokr (US) → Raised $430M, shut down in 2 years.

🔴 Getir (Europe) → Expanded aggressively, now laying off 2500 employees.

And who lost the most?

Not the VCs. The founders and employees.

They built companies that were never profitable, never sustainable, and never meant to last.

Cofounder: “So what should founders do instead?”

How to Build a Real Business (Not a Hype-Driven Disaster)

🔹 Focus on profit, not just growth. If your unit economics don’t work from Day 1, you’re just delaying the crash.

🔹 Raise money only if you have a path to sustainability. Not every company needs VC cash. Most startups die because they scale too fast, not too slow.

🔹 Think beyond exits. Build for control. The best businesses aren’t the ones that raise the most. They’re the ones that don’t need funding to survive.

Because at the end of the day, if your startup can’t survive without VC money—it’s not a business. It’s just a financial bet.

And most of those bets? They don’t pay off.

The Final Takeaway: Don’t Build a Time Bomb

❌ If your business only works because of VC cash—it’s not a business.

❌ If your strategy depends on IPO hype—it’s not a business.

❌ If you’re not profitable by design—you’re already on borrowed time.

The best founders? They don’t build for valuation.

They build for ownership, control, and long-term wealth.

So ask yourself—are you building a company that lasts? Or a company that just looks good on pitch decks?

What’s Next?

The truth about startups is getting uglier.

Next up:

• The Founder Who Made ₹100 Crore Without Ever Selling His Company

• The Business of Building Startups vs. The Business of Selling Startups

• The Illusion of Valuation: Why 90% of Unicorns Are Actually Worthless

New stories drop every Wednesday and Friday. Follow this newsletter to get the real startup playbook—before the book launches.

Meanwhile, The Marketing World Is On Fire

While we expose the funding traps killing startups, another storm is brewing.

Harshavardhan’s article on The Death of the 4Ps—published in ET Brand Equity—has gone viral.

And guess who’s taken notice?

Philip Kotler himself.

Yes, the man who literally wrote the book on marketing.

With that, Harshavardhan has officially challenged the old American marketing empire.

And it’s happening for real.

On March 31, 2025, Harshavardhan will release #NCAYB (Nobody Cares About Your Brand)—a direct challenge to Kotler’s outdated marketing playbook.

The old rules are dying. A new era is beginning.

And now, India is leading the charge.

Stay tuned.

#NCAYB #MarketingRevolution #TheStartupPlaybook #NewMarketingLanguage #KotlerVsFuture #MarketingDisruption #StartupTruths