Dhvaani's Journey: From Idea to Reality! ???

After handing over my baby, the Innovation-Technology Transfer Office Foundation for Innovation Technology Transfer , to a fantastic leader Reema Sahni Mediratta RTTP, Patent and Trademark Agent, Danida Fellow and team, I took a break.

But, my dear friends, I was bored out of my mind! What's next? Become an entrepreneur or find a job in Seattle while juggling my adorable 2-year-old Ira? I turned to my entrepreneur friends, and their stories sparked something within me. Why not share these inspiring tales? A podcast, perhaps?

Self-doubt creeped in. Will I be engaging enough? Will I be comfortable in front of a camera? Who will agree to be my guest?

Before addressing the first challenge I spoke with my friends to see if they are interested. Prompt came the reply Yes, Why Not!

I dedicated myself to finding the perfect name that resonated with our mission, crafting numerous logos, and collaborating with a supportive friend and well-wisher. She designed the logo, which I refined, and together we chose the color scheme and tagline. Thank you, dear friend, for your unwavering support during those early days. Without you, Dhvaani would not have come to life.

The next step was to create the backdrop and music. I took on the challenge of composing the Dhvaani music myself, and I'm proud to say that everything about Dhvaani was original and created from scratch. It took me a month to finalize the music and intro, and I must have recorded the intro till it was perfect.

It was time to focus on personal growth. I challenged myself to step out of my comfort zone and engage with strangers in my field and beyond. Before my first interview, I practiced public speaking in front of a mirror and later with a camera. Fortunately, my first guest was Pooja K. who put me at ease. Encouraged by this, I reached out to more people, and many were kind enough to oblige.

However, some respondents expressed hesitation, saying they weren't yet at the right stage, while others suggested maybe later. A few individuals repeatedly scheduled interviews but failed to show up, leaving me with a string of broken appointments.

I recall one specific instance where a speaker repeatedly booked dates and then rescheduled just 5 minutes before our scheduled meeting, citing urgent meetings. This pattern continued for 5-6 events, with no message or explanation after a certain point, only rescheduling through my calendar. One week, I assumed she wouldn't show up and, as it happened, my daughter was unwell. When the speaker unexpectedly arrived, I had to reschedule, explaining that I was busy that day. While this may have burned the bridge, I prefer not to work with individuals who exhibit such unreliable behavior. Perhaps there could have been a more tactful approach, but I prioritize working with people who demonstrate respect and professionalism.

Initially, I handled all the editing myself, which required me to learn the process. I experimented with various tools before settling on Veed. However, doing everything myself took a significant amount of time, and I struggled to complete tasks efficiently. Subtitling proved particularly challenging, as many words were not captured accurately, especially those in Hindi. This caused delays in releasing episodes and led to a decline in my motivation. Later, through a post, I discovered Subhrajit Kalita , co-founder of Media Groww, who offered a solution to my two main challenges: editing was managed, allowing me to focus on shooting, and I was supporting a student startup.

With Media Groww on board, I was able to get back on track and reassess my approach. I restrategized on the scope of coverage, the type of content, and undertook significant restructuring within Dhvaani. As a result, we now have the following series:

1. Womenia covering all women entrepreneurs, ecosystem enablers and innovators.
2. Memoria is to share insights of a career in IP and technology transfer and how India DST 's Scheme on Training Women in IPR has helped many.
3. Knowledge series which has interesting content on varied topics from hashtags to intellectual property to entrepreneurship.

I struck collaborations to get different content like with TeamStrategize - Investingintalent , Dhvaani is the content sharing partner and that way I am able to provide access to startup ecosystem content besides IP. As I collaborated to get content, I also collaborated to prompt my content.

I also implemented a strategy to repurpose my LinkedIn write-ups as newsletters or various posts. This decision was based on feedback that my write-ups were engaging, but some readers didn't have the time to read them in their entirety. By making the content available in different formats, I aimed to increase accessibility and reach a wider audience.

Exciting developments are in the pipeline and underway! Dhvaani has new and intriguing series on the horizon. ?? Spoiler alert: WATCH THE VIDEO TOM... ?? where I reveal what's coming up next! Keep an eye on Dhvaani's YouTube channel for the latest updates! ??

In addition to new series, I am planning to introduce more features and content for paid members, while maintaining a mix of free and paid content, staying true to the motto of inspiring and getting inspired. Some highlights of what paid members can expect include: the new Dhvaani-TS-IiT Expert Series, focusing on startups, experiences, and tips; a closed community to connect with peers; and access to audio versions of all my articles, known as "listenables".

Finally sharing my key learning points from Dhvaani's Journey as follows:

• Collaboration is essential for content creation and distribution.
• Partnering with experts can free up time and energy for other tasks.
• Persistence is key, even in the face of setbacks and people who may not support or respond positively.
• It's important to move out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself.
• Reusing writings in different formats can make them more accessible.
• Editing and subtitling can be challenging but can be managed with the right tools and support.
• Rescheduling and burning bridges can happen, but it's important to keep moving forward.
• Support from friends and mentors is crucial in starting a new venture.

Next Newsletter will share story of SAAply , why did I create SAAply and what I wish to achieve through it.

Reach out to Subhrajit Kalita in case you are looking for help with editing of videos, I can vouch for them for delivering quality work and on time. Check their website:mediagroww.com

Follow Dhvaani's youtube channel for updates! If you're interested in learning more about membership, get in touch or sign up to stay in the loop! ?? Stay informed and be part of the journey! ??