Anupam Mittal: Multi Millionaire In 20s, Dating Apps, Shark Tank India | The 1% Club Show | Ep 21

Evolving Relationship Dynamics and Missed Opportunities Traditional relationship values are fading, especially in big cities. This shift raises questions about missed opportunities like launching a dating app before foreign companies entered India. The discussion highlights the importance of timing in capitalizing on societal trends.

Impressive Investment Returns Amid Financial Literacy Challenges A portfolio achieving 40-43% realized CAGR and potentially 50% unrealized growth showcases remarkable investment success. However, financial literacy remains a significant challenge despite such achievements, sparking debate over its role in economic progress.

The episode delves into the financial journeys and experiences of top earners in the country, featuring Anupam Mittal. Known as a prominent investor and Shark Tank personality, he has invested in over 300 startups. The discussion promises insights from one of India's most influential entrepreneurs.

Anupam balances three major roles: running Shaadi.com, managing a vast investment portfolio with numerous successful companies contributing significantly to his wealth, and participating in Shark Tank which occupies 20% of his life. He also embraces fatherhood amidst these responsibilities. Reflecting on his journey from humble beginnings—living in a small house shared by 20 people—to becoming a multi-millionaire in his early twenties, he credits hard work and family values instilled by witnessing the dedication of his father who supported their large family through sheer honesty.

From Humble Beginnings to Business Success Born into modest circumstances in a small house in Malad, the narrator grew up in a joint family. Over time, his father achieved significant success as a textile businessman of repute after starting with humble beginnings and working hard through various ventures. By the narrator's pre-teen years, their financial situation had improved considerably.

Education Abroad and Career Challenges Influenced by aspirations tied to America and supported by his father's willingness to finance education abroad, he secured a paid scholarship for studies. Despite facing challenges finding employment during an economic recession post-graduation in the late 1990s, perseverance led him to secure work at MicroStrategy—a pivotal step shaped by both luck and determination.

Starting with a modest salary of $55,000 at a company, within one year the individual moved to headquarters and became integral to its startup operations. By demonstrating exceptional ownership and treating the company as their own—questioning processes beyond their role—they quickly rose through ranks, becoming Director of Strategic Partnerships within another year. Their compensation increased significantly alongside stock options that skyrocketed due to the company's valuation growth from $100 million to $40 billion. This approach involved working hard without complaints, going above expectations like a "1% employee," making themselves indispensable while letting results speak for renegotiations.

Living as a multi-millionaire often involves indulging in luxurious experiences, such as extravagant vacations and hiring cruise ships. However, the reality for an all-in entrepreneur is different; their focus remains on relentless hard work to build successful ventures. While moments of indulgence occur occasionally, they are not everyday occurrences due to time constraints driven by business commitments.

During the dotcom bubble, a young investor experienced significant financial loss as stocks crashed by 90-95% in March 2000. Despite leveraging $5 million of equity with an additional $3 million loan to buy more stock, everything collapsed, leaving only $400k on paper while still owing millions. Surprisingly resilient at just 24 years old, he avoided devastation due to shared struggles among peers and his youthful optimism despite recognizing missed opportunities for smarter investments.

The journey began with the creation of a company in India, initially moonlighting for Western firms. A pivotal decision was investing $30,000 into acquiring a strong domain name for shadi.com despite its high cost, recognizing its potential to establish brand ubiquity and reduce future marketing expenses. Similarly, an initial hesitation to purchase "Finance with Sharon" led to paying significantly more later—a lesson on acting decisively in business investments. Subsequent ventures included founding India's largest digital ad agency through Interactive Avenues and making successful angel investments like Ola.

In 2008, just before the Lehman Brothers collapse, a mobile gaming company had secured documentation for $25 million funding at a valuation equivalent to today's billion-dollar standards. The plan was ambitious expansion across multiple businesses under one parent entity. However, when the financial crisis hit and funds failed to materialize, they faced severe setbacks—layoffs ensued, businesses were wound down or separated out with personal financing stepping in where investors withdrew support. This marked an intense cycle of building wealth only to lose it repeatedly but also fostered resilience and character growth through adversity.

Wealth creation, according to this perspective, requires taking concentrated risks and going all-in rather than relying on traditional financial management practices like budgeting or asset allocation. While these methods are useful for wealth preservation, they do not foster significant growth. The belief is that true financial success stems from bold decisions and a willingness to embrace uncertainty.

The speaker shares their approach to managing money, emphasizing a lack of investment in public markets like stocks or mutual funds. They recently started an SIP for their daughter but have no personal investments there. Their portfolio is divided into 40% invested in the business they run, another 30-40% spread across approximately 300 startups, and the remaining 15-20% allocated to real estate and other assets.

Real Estate as a Personal and Emotional Investment Investing in real estate, particularly in India, often revolves around emotional decisions rather than purely financial logic. While rental yields are low at 2-3%, capital appreciation can be significant over time if the property is well-chosen or inherited. Owning a primary residence provides peace of mind for many people despite its lower returns compared to market investments. Decisions about buying properties should acknowledge their emotional basis while being informed by financial literacy.

The Balance Between Financial Literacy and Emotional Choices Financial illiteracy leads some individuals to make uninformed investment choices; however, even emotionally-driven decisions like owning jewelry or homes have historically safeguarded families during crises. The key lies in recognizing whether an investment decision is intellectual or emotional without confusing the two. Market investments require discipline to avoid fear-based withdrawals that undermine compounding benefits—something not everyone possesses consistently.

Less than 2% of mutual fund SIP investors hold their investments for a full 20 years, which is crucial to making significant returns. The flexibility of mutual funds often leads to impulsive decisions driven by fear or greed, such as withdrawing during market downturns or chasing stock tips. This emotional decision-making undermines long-term wealth creation and highlights the importance of maintaining discipline in investment strategies.

Investing in the Indian market requires a disciplined and personalized approach. For most individuals, diversifying investments rather than putting all money into the market is advisable to safeguard against crises. Early-stage private investing involves spreading funds across multiple companies over time, accepting that many will fail but focusing on portfolio growth through consistent exits and liquidity events. Success often hinges on timing and luck; being at the right place at the right time can set a strong foundation for long-term returns.

The shift from traditional relationships to hookup culture among younger generations has not translated into a profitable dating app market in India. Despite the rise of platforms like Tinder and Bumble, revenues remain stagnant due to cultural dynamics where women have an overwhelming number of choices while many men struggle with communication, leading to user dissatisfaction. This imbalance discourages meaningful engagement on these apps, making it difficult for businesses to generate substantial revenue.

Marriage is a profound journey that pushes individuals to explore uncharted depths within themselves. It challenges comfort zones by requiring the sharing of space, life, and vulnerabilities with another person. This intimate partnership reveals hidden facets of one's personality and fosters significant personal growth through daily interactions.

The 1% Club is a platform dedicated to teaching essential financial skills often overlooked in traditional education. It offers resources on personal finance, stock market investing, credit card management, tax planning, and insurance strategies. With an impressive growth trajectory—boasting a team of 80 people and nearly 45,000 members—the company has tripled its revenues since raising ₹10 crores at a ₹100 crore valuation six months ago.

With 5 lakhs at hand, the best approach is to invest it passively through SIPs or the stock market and forget about it. The focus should shift entirely towards immersing oneself in artificial intelligence by learning its fundamentals, building applications hands-on, and gaining experience with top AI companies. This strategy builds capabilities that ensure dominance over two decades while wealth, fame, and impact naturally follow.