In India’s rapidly evolving startup ecosystem, some of the most impactful ideas are born not in boardrooms but on college campuses. For Saurabh Mangrulkar, the journey began with a simple yet powerful observation: students from tier-two and tier-three colleges often lack access to the same opportunities, mentorship, and exposure as their tier-one counterparts.
That insight laid the foundation for Beep a platform designed to bridge this gap and empower students through access, guidance, and opportunity.
The Beginning: Solving a Real Student Problem
Coming from an engineering background and early exposure to entrepreneurship, Saurabh always had a builder’s mindset. But it was during his college years that he noticed a deeper issue a clear divide in access to events, networks, and career guidance among students across different institutions.
This led to the creation of a college events ticketing platform, which initially aimed to simplify access to student events. But over time, it evolved into something much bigger a platform focused on enabling growth, learning, and career direction for students.
Growth Fueled by Users, Not Just Strategy
One of the most striking aspects of Beep’s journey has been its organic growth.
Within just six months, nearly 70% of new users were coming through referrals a strong signal that the product was resonating with its audience. Instead of aggressively chasing growth hacks, Saurabh focused on building something users genuinely found valuable.
This user-first approach didn’t just drive traction it also caught the attention of investors.
“When you focus on revenue and real value, funding starts following you,” Saurabh emphasized.
This mindset eventually helped the company raise close to $1 million, reinforcing the idea that strong fundamentals attract capital.
The Reality of Fundraising & Startup Challenges
Like most early-stage founders, Saurabh’s journey wasn’t without its challenges. Fundraising, especially in the early stages, required clarity, persistence, and a strong belief in the product.
But beyond funding, one of the most critical challenges he highlighted was building the right team early on.
“Team cohesion in the early days can make or break your startup.”
Rather than focusing solely on skills, Saurabh prioritized character, shared values, and long-term commitment when hiring an approach that helped him build a resilient foundation.
Growth Strategy: Product First, Always
When it comes to scaling, Saurabh keeps things simple but powerful:
- Build a product with a strong “wow factor”
- Focus on user experience and real value
- Leverage campus ambassadors for organic reach
Instead of over-relying on paid acquisition, Beep leaned heavily into community-driven growth, making users themselves the biggest advocates of the platform.
The Next Phase: AI-Driven Personalization
Looking ahead, Saurabh has a bold vision to scale the platform to 5 million users and expand globally into markets like the Middle East, the US, and Southeast Asia.
A key driver of this growth will be AI-powered personalization, especially in the domain of career guidance.
With hiring trends becoming increasingly uncertain, students today are more willing to invest in tools that provide clear, personalized direction and Beep aims to be at the forefront of that shift.
Founder Mindset: Ownership, Curiosity & Resilience
What sets Saurabh apart is not just his strategy but his mindset.
He strongly believes in:
- Intrinsic motivation over external validation
- Taking ownership rather than waiting for direction
- Keeping the journey fun and adventurous
Interestingly, he draws resilience not just from work, but also from adventure-driven activities, which help him stay mentally strong and adaptable.
“Challenges are just opportunities in disguise—if you choose to see them that way.”
Key Lessons for Aspiring Founders
Saurabh’s journey offers some sharp, actionable insights for early-stage entrepreneurs:
- Focus on users, not funding
- Build something people truly want before chasing capital
- Move fast execution matters more than overthinking
- Learn continuously, even from small insights
- Most importantly, don’t hire the wrong team early on
Interview by : Kashish Srivastava
