Continue to be fearless when you get bigger: Richa Kar

Richa Kar, founder & CEO, Zivame

Claim to fame

Pioneer in launching an online lingerie retail company in India. The company has raised $48 million from investors, including IDG Ventures and Kalaari Capital

The lesson

"I identify two kinds of competition: in the offline retail space and people in the horizontal segment, whatever they might be selling, because I look at how well they are selling," says Richa Kar, the founder of Zivame. Kar says it is important to treat competition with respect rather than get angry with them and she uses what she learns from them to critique herself. "What I've learnt from my competition in the horizontal segment is being courageous because they take a lot of risk. When you get bigger, you tend to become risk-averse and it's important for entrepreneurs to be fearless," she says, adding that she also observes the pace of execution of horizontal players. From the offline world, Kar looks at how her competition is building their brand and the way they understand the consumer.

(As told to Indulekha Aravind)