GV Ravishankar's advice helped Rebel Foods create Faasos, Behrouz for diverse palates

Too many cooks spoil the broth — be it on the shop floor, or in the boardroom. But as most chefs will testify, a word of friendly advice never goes amiss, especially when dealing with an untested recipe. “We don’t think of ourselves as just wanting to become a founder’s best friend,” GV Ravishankar, MD of Sequoia India Advisors, told a news magazine, adding that it gives honest counsel when called upon.

As example, he cites the strategic expansion of Rebel Foods, which runs brands like Faasos and Behrouz. In 2016, Rebel found that the average order value was stagnating around the Rs 200 mark as wraps — which were the main draw on the company’s app — were sufficient to drive volume, but not value. The menu was expanded to include pizza. But there were still few takers. At a subsequent board meeting, Ravishankar said, “I won’t think I will buy a pizza from Starbucks.” That’s when the company spun off new subbrands to cater to diverse palates.