We invited Mitali Tripathi, Founder of K Store for an interview with Most Popular Stories to know more about her entrepreneurial journey.
Mitali Tripathi is the leader of eCommerce vertical at Knappily, India’s highest-rated news app which has been listed as one of only five Google Editors’ Choice global apps for 2018. In her role as the owner of all eCommerce categories and their daily metrics, she is developing the right mix of private labels and vendor-sourced brands, focusing especially on Indian handmade art and craftworks.
- Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey as an entrepreneur.
I grew up in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, and trained as an engineer. I have eight years of experience in both B2B and B2C sales and marketing, the bulk of which has been spent in e-commerce.
I have conceived, implemented, and nurtured to scale K Store, an online platform for the sales of artwork. My earlier work in the Oil and Gas sector prepared me to understand the intricacies of sales in a volatile business set up where prices fluctuate daily.
- Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?
I see entrepreneurship as a job too – the one you give to yourself. Indeed, the startup path needs some initial sacrifice, but, as they say, there is no price too high for the privilege of owning yourself.
For me, it was the opportunity to combine my passion with my profession that proved to be irresistible when I happened to meet a group of exceptionally talented artists struggling to make a living.
- What was the vision behind it?
In India, if you are not a celebrated artist, you have to book venues, travel extensively with your art work, and often exhibit to an audience who is not really interested in buying any work. An old man – probably in his 60s – had brought some of the most beautiful works I had seen in a long time to an exhibition I happened to attend. He was in tears after spending an entire day without any sales. The feedback he got was that his paintings were too expensive. This, I thought, is both cruel and unnecessary in this digital age.
So I started K Store, an eCommerce venture where the artists get to display their works digitally and are paid the price they set themselves. Soon, the venture expanded to include things made with hand, such as handmade candles and soaps, as well as bottle art.
- Describe the services that you offer to your customers and in whatway they are unique?
On K Store, we feature works of art and craft by some of India’s best-emerging artists. As a customer, you can browse the paintings and buy them as per your budget. Our paintings range from Rs 300 to Rs 5 lakh and each of it has been handpicked by a team of expert curators.
And that is what our customers love the most – the selection of artworks. Many of these, I am sure, will increase in value as time passes by. We have also onboarded some of the most talented folk artists in India. Each product on K Store is one of its kind – whether it is a chocolate-blended organic soap or a bottle that features Madhubani painting.
- What difficulties which you have faced or you are facing?
Logistics is sometimes an issue – and the delivery to international destinations is expensive, though we have seen a lot of our demand come from Europe and the Middle East.
- How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
The pressure is something one can use productively. I just focus on the task to be done, and I believe I have the ability to blur everything else out when I am focused on something. My dog, Dexter, is the best stress buster.
- What is one strategy that you believe has helped you grow as a person/startup?
Finish what you start is my mantra. Success in life is largely a matter of perseverance. So long as you can outwork everyone else, you can’t be defeated.
- How your company is helping India to grow?
- It is helping Indian artists, many from rural backgrounds, find a ready market for their works.
- I believe Indians by their nature seek products that are close to nature. We offer products that are made by hand, with love. When you own one of those, the satisfaction you get is far greater than buying a mass-produced item.
- It is also taking the best of Indian folk art to the rest of the world. People from Berlin have ordered works by Warli artists from the town of Dahanu in Maharashtra through our portal.
- In your opinion what are the keys to success?
Belief – in yourself, in your cause and in your destiny.
- What advice would you give to someone starting out as an aspiring entrepreneur?
Your ‘Why’ has to be stronger than your ‘What’.
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