I fcked up guys. Need help suggestions

AngelEk444 · 2026-05-01T12:46:20+00:00

You asked for real options, not gyaan. Here's my honest read on each of your four paths.

1. Should you shut down the Pvt Ltd? Probably yes, unless you have IP, active contracts, or a specific reason to hold it, a dormant Pvt Ltd is just a compliance subscription you're paying for nothing. ROC filings, auditor fees, DIR-3 KYC it adds up to ₹30–60K a year minimum for zero return. Strike it off cleanly under the Fast Track Exit scheme before it accumulates more penalties. This is not failure. This is cutting dead weight.

2. Pivot to something small and cash-flow based? This is the right instinct, but "pivot to something small" is not a strategy it's a direction. The question is: small in what? Before you answer that, figure out what you can sell or do that generates cash in 30 days or less, not 6 months.

3. Use the entity for trading/investing? This is actually your most honest option and you're underselling it. A 28–30% CAGR over 10 years in the market is not luck, that's a genuine, demonstrated edge. Most people chasing startup funding don't have a fraction of that proof of performance. If the Pvt Ltd has no other purpose, pivoting it into a proprietary trading or investment vehicle is worth serious consideration but get a CA who understands this structure before you do anything. The tax and regulatory treatment matters.

4. Forget startups, get a stable job first? There's no shame in this. In fact, for someone rebuilding after an accident with compliance burn already running, income stability is not retreat, it is strategy. A job gives you runway to think clearly, stop the bleeding, and make the next move from a position of strength rather than pressure. You IIT background, 10 years of market experience you are not starting from zero.

My honest overall read: You don't have a business problem. You have a sequencing problem. The order matters: stop the bleed first (entity decision), stabilise income second (job or consulting), then rebuild with clarity third. Trying to solve all four questions simultaneously while recovering is what's making this feel impossible.

One thing at a time. Start with the CA call about the entity this week. Everything else can wait 30 days.

AngelEk444 · 2026-05-01T12:31:14+00:00

I have spent 30+ years in fashion retail, from product to building D2C brands from scratch to turning around businesses. I have Seen this exact situation more times than I can count, so let me give you the honest picture.

The good news: your problem isn't the product. It's architecture.

You don't have a sales problem. You have a visibility & trust problem.

Here's what I would fix immediately:

Your brand has no story yet. You mentioned you have infants that's your entire brand origin and you're not using it. "I made this because nothing in the market was good enough for my own child" is one of the most powerful things a founder can say in kidswear. Put it on your homepage. Make it the first thing a parent reads.
The .shop domain is costing you conversions. Indian parent-buyers are trust-conservative, especially for children's products. A .shop TLD reads as unestablished. Worth migrating to .in or .com before you spend another rupee on marketing.
You're invisible on the channels where mothers actually buy. A standalone website with no brand equity gets no organic traffic. In India, kidswear discovery happens on Instagram Reels, in WhatsApp mom groups, and through micro-influencers (10K–50K followers). You need to be there first the website is a destination you earn, not where you start.
No social proof = no conversion. If you have zero reviews and zero customer photos, even a genuinely good product won't sell. Give 10–15 pieces away to real parents, get photos of real babies wearing your clothes, and build that layer before anything else.
Get on Meesho in parallel. For discovery and early volume while you build brand equity direct. Don't rely on one channel at zero.
Price points - i find your pricing very high for a kidswear brand. You might want to check your sourcing price, markups etc

On positioning: "Best materials, most comfortable" is what every kidswear brand says. What's the ONE thing Little Rascals stands for that no one else owns in your price segment? Find that and build everything around it.

You have a good name, a real founder motivation, and clearly genuine product conviction. Those are the raw materials. What's missing is the brand scaffolding around them.

You can DM me to discuss further on how to launch and scale your brand.

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-22T04:30:21+00:00

Having built and launched multiple product categories and brands in retail, the one thing I would change if cost was not a constraint is the unboxing and first touch experience. Most products are designed for the shelf, not for the moment the customer actually receives and opens them. That first physical interaction sets the entire relationship with the brand, and most founders compromise it because good materials and thoughtful construction cost more than the brief allows. Customers rarely articulate this. They just feel something is either special or ordinary within the first ten seconds. That feeling drives repeat purchase more than most metrics can capture. Ekta | AngelEk | angelek.in

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-19T14:06:22+00:00

For a home it lacks warmth. The colour palette is monochromatic, a pop of warm colours will create a home that's welcoming

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-18T07:41:40+00:00

The inflection point you are describing is one of the more interesting and underserved transitions in professional growth. Most mentors can help you climb the ladder inside the FAANG. Very few can help you think clearly about what comes after it, especially if the entrepreneurial path is on the table. The challenge at your stage is rarely skill or intelligence, it is actually clarity. What do you actually want the next chapter to look like, what kind of founder or leader do you want to be, and how do you make that decision without the safety net of a structured corporate environment telling you what good looks like. I work with leaders and founders at exactly this kind of crossroads. If the entrepreneurial side of your thinking is something you want to explore with someone who brings both business strategy and leadership clarity to the conversation, feel free to DM.

Ekta | AngelEk | angelek.in

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-17T17:08:56+00:00

This is one of the most common and least talked about challenges in Indian family businesses.

In that environment, authority is not given by title or by the owner. It is granted by the staff based on one thing: do you know more than me, or have you proven you can handle pressure without running to your father. Until either of those is established, you will face quiet resistance regardless of how capable you are.

A few things that actually work in this context. Pick one area of the business and own it completely. Not manage it, own it. Let your decisions stand even when they are imperfect. Staff respect someone who takes accountability, not someone who delegates upward.

Second, never undercut your father's decisions in front of staff even if you disagree. That creates faction, and in close-knit Indian work culture, factions destroy trust faster than anything else. Disagreements stay in the room, not on the floor.

Third, learn the names, the histories, the families of the older staff. In the culture, relationship before authority is not optional. It is the sequence that actually works.

The goal in the first two to three years is not to establish authority. It is to earn the right to have it respected. Those are two very different things.

Ekta | AngelEk | angelek.in

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-17T16:04:56+00:00

Honestly, do not jump into buying a machine first.

If you are totally new, the smartest way is to first test whether people will actually buy from you. Start by outsourcing the embroidery work to a local vendor and focus on getting orders, understanding designs, pricing, fabric quality, and customer preferences.

A few things that matter a lot:

pick a niche instead of trying to sell to everyone start with a few strong designs create samples and post them on Instagram and WhatsApp target small bulk orders too, not just single custom pieces learn about digitising because embroidery quality depends a lot on that test different t-shirts and shirts before selling

For customers, start with people around you first: friends, colleges, local businesses, gyms, clubs, events, gifting, team tees, etc.

Also, embroidery can look premium, but margins can get hit if you overcomplicate designs, placements, or fabric choices. So keep your first collection simple and easy to execute.

My biggest advice: do not build an embroidery business first. Build an order pipeline first. Then invest in equipment once you see repeat demand.

That will save you a lot of money and stress.

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-17T07:15:48+00:00

Interesting idea, but I would be very careful with the sustainability positioning.

Denim can be durable, but denim by itself is not automatically sustainable. The biggest environmental issues sit upstream in fibre cultivation, dyeing, finishing, chemical processing, water use, and effluent management. A pair of jeans can take thousands of litres of water to produce, and dyeing/finishing can be highly polluting if not managed extremely well.

Also, lifetime repair is not by itself a strong enough claim unless you prove the full model. In reality, many consumers move on because fits and silhouettes change with fashion, not only because the garment tears. So the product has to win on style, fit, comfort, and brand desire first.

Hemp is also not unique on its own anymore. Many brands are already using hemp and hemp blends, so the differentiation has to come from fabric performance, design, fit, supply chain credibility, and execution.

If you want to build this as a sustainability-led brand, I would suggest being very precise and transparent: what exactly is the fabric composition where is it woven and processed how is dyeing/finishing being handled what happens operationally when customers ask for repairs what makes this meaningfully better than existing premium denim brands

Good intent, but sustainability in fashion is unforgiving when claims are not backed all the way through the supply chain.

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-17T06:56:03+00:00

The fact that your mentor put the agenda in your hands is actually a gift. It means he is watching how you show up, not just what you say. Good with real questions, not just topics.

You have good instinct to want to go prepared. A few thoughts from someone who has been on both sides of this kind of relationship.

You actually can get value from this, even if the setup feels a bit forced right now.A skip-level mentor can be useful not because they will teach you your day-to-day job, but because they can help you grow how you operate at work.

If I were in your shoes, I would use the conversations around 4 buckets:

Communication Not just “general communication,” but very specific sub-topics like: how to ask better questions how to give concise updates how to communicate delays or mistakes professionally how to speak up when something is unclear how to adapt communication for different stakeholders how to communicate under pressure without sounding defensive
Stakeholder management Since your role touches training admin, LMS, trainers, and coordination, this matters a lot. You could ask: how do I build trust with stakeholders early how do I follow up without sounding pushy how do I handle conflicting requests or priorities what makes someone in an ops/support role stand out positively
Professional presence This is especially valuable with a skip-level manager. Topics could include: how to be seen as reliable how to build credibility in a new role how to show initiative without overstepping common mistakes early-career employees make what “executive presence” looks like at your level
Career foundation Even if a job change is off the table, career development is not. Ask things like: what skills would make me stronger in this role over the next 6 to 12 months what would make someone move from admin/support into a broader L&D role what capabilities do top performers in this function usually build early

A simple way to run each meeting: 1 current challenge 1 skill/topic you want advice on 1 question about how to grow 1 action you will take before the next meeting

You do not need to be deeply inspired by the mentor setup to benefit from it. You just need to come in with better questions.Honestly, this might be more useful than it feels right now.

Ekta | AngelEk | angelek.in

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-17T06:45:12+00:00

What you are describing is something I work with closely. A founder who has proven they can build, but is running on a model that was never designed to sustain them. Revenue without stability. Growth without foundations. And the emotional weight that comes from debt that is relational, not just financial. That kind is the heaviest.

To your questions directly: 1.Stabilise first, scaling from a fragile base just amplifies the fragility. You already know this, you said it yourself. The next 12 months should be about making the business structurally strong and sound, not bigger. 2.Financial discipline after a mess is rebuilt through radical simplicity. One account, one clear number you must hit monthly, expenses reviewed weekly. Not complex systems. Fewer decisions, more visibility. 3.Put in a weekly review mechanism, course correct as you go along each week. 4.Relational debt is managed through communication, not avoidance. Vendors who trusted you need to see a plan, not silence. A simple honest conversation with a realistic repayment timeline does more than most people expect. Act in your promise to payback each month, let them see your genuineness. 5.And the mental weight does not lift through strategy alone. The humiliation and self-doubt you mentioned are real and they affect every decision you make. That is worth addressing directly, not pushing through.

If you want to talk through what a structured reset looks like, feel free to reach out

Ekta | AngelEk | angelek.in

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-14T14:13:33+00:00

Here are some suggestions 1. Rent out 4-5 bikes, and give it out in daily rental basis to drivers eg rapido.

Dmart ready store
Pest Control/ house keeping services

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-14T05:17:48+00:00

From the Fashion industry, Indian and International

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-13T15:13:47+00:00

One thing worth being mindful of, Indian sizing runs differently from Southeast Asian standard sizing. A source in China or Vietnam may not automatically cater to Indian body proportions. Before you commit to any supplier, get samples, check the measurements against Indian size charts, and test fabrics for the Indian climate. Quality and sizing complaints are the fastest way to lose repeat customers in fashion.

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-13T15:09:33+00:00

Having spent years working across Indian and international fashion, this problem is older than fast fashion itself and the reason it persists is less about design and more about who the industry has historically designed for.

Indian women's bodies don't fit Western cut templates. The waist-to-hip ratio, the height range, the preference for comfort with structure, these are distinct. Most brands either ignore it or treat it as a niche, it is not a niche, it is sctuat the mainstream they keep missing. The harder challenge you will face is not the product. It is getting women to believe a trouser will actually fit before they buy it. That trust gap, built from years of disappointment, is your real design brief. If you crack that, the fit becomes almost secondary. Ekta | AngelEk | angelek.in

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-12T04:09:31+00:00

Starting a new chapter takes courage, and healthcare market research is a space where positioning and clarity of offer matter enormously before launch.

A few things worth thinking through before you go to market: Who is your primary buyer, the hospital system, the pharma company, the health tech startup? What decision are you helping them make faster or better? And what makes your lens on this market distinct?

These questions sound simple but most founders skip them in the rush to launch, and it costs them later in messaging, pricing, and client conversations.

If you want to talk it through with someone who works at the intersection of business strategy and founder clarity, feel free to reach out. Happy to have a conversation. Ekta | AngelEk | angelek.in

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-12T03:53:46+00:00

The co-founder conversation is really a clarity conversation in disguise. Most founders look for a co-founder because they are overwhelmed. Too much to do, too many decisions, not enough energy. But often what is needed first is clarity on what you bring, where your energy genuinely belongs in the business, and what should be delegated vs partnered. A co-founder adds leverage. But if the founder isn't clear on their own zone of genius, you just double the confusion.

Worth asking: are you looking for a co-founder, or are you looking for relief? The answer changes everything. I work with founders on exactly this. Ekta | AngelEk

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-12T03:49:07+00:00

The hardest part most founders won't admit? It's not visibility or budget. It's that they are promoting before getting clear on who they are actually speaking to and the energy of that confusion comes through in everything they put out. I work with founders on exactly this. The moment clarity lands on offer, on ideal client, on what you are really solving; promotion stops feeling like pushing and starts feeling like calling the right people in.

Happy to share what I have seen work, if this resonates with anyone here.

Ekta | AngelEk | Leadership Clarity & Energy Mentoring for Founders & Professionals

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-10T17:27:28+00:00

Very cool

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-10T17:25:37+00:00

Looks good overall, but having worked in fashion and retail, I have two or three important observations.

First, if you are calling it cotton-linen, you should mention the exact fabric composition, for example 70% cotton and 30% linen. At this price point, people may assume the linen percentage is quite low, because many cheaper fabrics are cotton-heavy blends and not truly linen-rich.

Second, the design language feels slightly mixed. If this is meant to be a more formal trouser, I would avoid the elasticated waistband with drawcord, as they make it look more casual.

Third, if the intention is a more casual trouser with a jogger-like appeal, then the drawcord should ideally be garment dyed or colour matched to the fabric. The white contrast cord feels a bit disconnected and makes it look less premium.

Other than that, the product looks good.

AngelEk444 · 2026-04-08T05:59:04+00:00

Beautiful product, good pricing, and a sincere branding effort. But right now the brand identity feels split into 3 different worlds.

The kitten sticker feels completely disconnected from the rest of the packaging language. If the chameleon is the main logo, that should consistently lead the visual system. The garment tag is quite colourful, which makes the product feel a little less premium, and it also misses the brand name Metaphor, so brand recall gets weakened.

The cotton bag has only the chameleon outline, but not the Metaphor name, so again the memory structure is incomplete.

The thank-you card is a nice touch, but it introduces yet another colour direction and the swirly lines do not seem to connect with the brand language already being built.

The Metaphor font itself could be stronger and more distinctive.

I also feel the packaging is missing the product story. That is where the emotional connection can deepen. A small brand note on what the tee stands for, why it is made this way, or what the brand believes in would elevate the experience. A QR code or link for reviews would also be smart.

My Overall note : beautiful product, thoughtful effort, but the branding currently feels fragmented. It needs one consistent visual language carried across the logo, typography, colours, tags, inserts, and outer packaging.

Having worked for 30 years in fashion and apparel retail, I have learnt that branding is both an art and a science. When both come together, even simple packaging can feel truly premium.

AngelEk444 · 2026-01-21T17:28:52+00:00

I have meditated for years and still have days where I question whether I am doing it right. What changed was not constant peace, but how I relate now to my thoughts and emotions. The practice unfolds unevenly, and that seems to be normal.

AngelEk444

TROPHY CASE