Tech Startups: Getting Funding, Women of Color + Competing with the Big Boys – with Aparna Srinivasan

What do you do when a passion and purpose that can’t be denied drives you to do something way out of line with what your family and your culture expect of you? Is it possible to overcome the cultural stigma and go beyond? My guest today proves that it is! She’s taking on the “big boys,” and doing it with remarkable success.

Aparna Srinivasan is CEO and founder of Spot On, a pet-centric, ride-hailing startup. Think of it as “Lyft for puppies.” Her startup matches passengers and their fluffy fur babies to the perfect, pet-friendly driver. In this episode, Aparna shares a super-hilarious story about how Spot On came to be, how she was able to become a CEO of a tech startup without a technical background, and some of the challenges and opportunities in fundraising for a woman of color.

Why Aparna started Spot On

Aparna tells the story of how she and her two dogs were rejected by several Uber drivers and Lyft drivers while waiting four hours for a four-mile ride home. They were rejected because none of the drivers wanted the two dogs in their cars. Aparna says it wasn’t so much the rejection that hurt as much as the way the whole situation made her feel. Finally, the first Uber driver came back, felt sorry for her, and gave her a ride, with several restrictions for the dogs. This was Aparna’s “lightbulb moment.” She realized the enormity and the power of the pet industry and pondered the potential as she asked, “Why can’t I get around with my dogs like everyone else?”

Turning an idea into a business

As the idea for a business germinated in Aparna’s mind, she went into a journalistic mode. She did research, talked to pet owners, and learned about founding a startup. She even went to LAX and interviewed travelers with pets about their experiences and their pain points. She talked to Uber and Lyft drivers about their experiences with pets and why they might choose or not choose to accept riders with pets. Aparna came up with solutions to pet owners’ problems on an ongoing basis and instituted a pilot program in LA, where she became Driver #1.

Establishing the infrastructure

Aparna was willing to go through the growing pains in establishing the infrastructure of her startup by making sure it became safe, affordable, and easy to access. It took longer to get up and running because they went through the legal steps of licensing and took the time to make sure their cars were safe and included back seat liners and pet harnesses, which Uber and Lyft don’t have. Aparna says they try to bridge the gap between pet transportation and ride-hailing services.

Being a non-tech person

Aparna didn’t embark on this journey intending to start a tech company. She met her co-founder, John, through an online freelancing website. John has handled all the technical aspects of the startup. Aparna says if you’re a nontechnical founder, it’s important to have someone on your team who has the best interests of the company at heart. Aparna and John have superpowers that aren’t the same but can balance each other out to help the company grow.

Finding partnerships

As Spot On inches closer to providing their 10,000th ride, word has been mostly shared through social media and grassroots efforts. Since they started in NYC, they have partnered with vet hospitals and rescue organizations for their “Take a ride, save a life” initiative. Users can use a code from a rescue partner which allows them to provide a free ride for an adoptive animal to a rescue event to find their forever home.

Resources for pet parents

In today’s society, pets are no longer just “pets,” but they are a part of their family Arpana refers to her dogs as her “boys.” Pet parents need the same resources that others have in getting around town. People with pets and babies have many businesses and products geared toward them, and they spend large amounts of money when they are out and about. Just think about the businesses and companies that allow pets in their stores and offices. Pets bring more joy and more productivity. Arpana says the goal at Spot On is to take care of the responsible pet owner. 

Arpana’s biggest challenge

Arpana looks at her lack of technical knowledge both as a disadvantage and an advantage. John, her business partner, has the technical knowledge and Arpana has the creative mind to make it all work together. If she were technical, she would run the risk of getting lost in the technology and not focus on making Spot On user-friendly. Arpana tries to learn more about the technical aspects, but she doesn’t expect to be coding by tomorrow.

Fundraising efforts

After exhausting bootstrapping resources, Spot On just finished their first round of fundraising. Arpana says the numbers are not in favor of women-led companies, even though they produce higher revenue and have stronger leadership. The biggest challenge in fundraising for Arpana is not being taken seriously in front of potential investors. If Arpana has her co-founder in the room, then she and Spot On are viewed differently and more favorably than if she appears alone. In planning expansions to other cities, the two big considerations are ride-share saturation and pet population. Arpana shares a specific story about these expansion plans and how investors reacted to her as a woman.

The Fourth Floor

Arpana’s newest endeavor is The Fourth Floor, which acts as a mentor for women founders, helping remedy the problem of lack of access for women. As a co-founder, Arpana helps Fourth Floor’s efforts to elevate companies co-founded or totally founded by women by helping them gain access to “the old boys’ club.” The goal is to help more women founders take their companies to the next level with strategic business advice and helping them connect with business-minded investors. They can help startup founders find investors, network, get help with issues, and advise them on the right deals to make. Female founders can best use The Fourth Floor by using the resource to make the connections they need. 

Challenges for Arpana and Spot On

The biggest challenge for Arpana is that she is an Indian woman doing something that Indian people just don’t do. She has great family support, but she’s busy forging a new path. Keeping a balance between how she was raised and what she’s doing now is a challenge. For Spot On, the challenge is that they are lumped together with the “big boys,” Uber and Lyft. They have to prove themselves every day and show how they are different. 

Highlights of this episode:

  • 7:00 – Why Arpana founded Spot On
  • 11:08 – Turning an idea into a business
  • 15:11 – The infrastructure of a startup
  • 17:00 – Starting a tech company without a tech background
  • 20:30 – The numbers of success
  • 25:28 – The need for those who travel with pets
  • 28:55 – The biggest challenge for Arpana
  • 34:05 – Fundraising
  • 36:50 – A specific story of expansion plans
  • 43:00 – The Fourth Floor and its mission
  • 47:55 – The next big challenge for Arpana and Spot On
  • 50:00 – Fem Five

Resources mentioned:

The Fem Five:

1. Favorite book to recommend for women?

  • Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

2. Favorite self-care hack?

  • “Looking in the mirror every morning and telling myself that I’m amazing.”

3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you?

  • “My mom said to make sure you do things for others and not yourself.”

4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now?

5. One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self?

  • “Take time to smell the roses.”

Last Time on The NextFem Podcast

Exploring the Brain Science of Bias in the Workplace – with Elaine Teo


Subscribe to the show on iTunes (Android here).

Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who took the time to write a review on iTunes! If you write a review this week, send a screenshot to [email protected] and we’ll give you a shout-out!

Comments are closed.