Odisha man leaves IT job, becomes Rapido rider in Bengaluru to understand customer needs before starting his dairy business says "Paisa bhi milega aur feedback bhi"

An Odisha man who left his IT job at the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has taken up work as a Rapido bike rider in Bengaluru while exploring a dairy business idea based on his family’s farm back home. His unusual approach to understanding potential customers was highlighted in a LinkedIn post by Varun Raj, who said he met the rider during a Monday morning trip.

According to Raj’s account, the rider, identified as Dinesh, uses his interactions with passengers to learn about their dairy consumption and preferences. Rather than investing immediately in a business without first testing the idea, Dinesh reportedly plans to spend a year in Bengaluru speaking to potential customers before returning to Odisha to develop the venture.

From NPCI job to Rapido rides

Raj said Dinesh had previously worked at NPCI before deciding to leave his job and pursue a business idea connected to his family’s dairy farm in Odisha.


The decision was not initially welcomed by his parents, according to the LinkedIn post. Despite their concerns about him giving up a stable job, Dinesh chose to explore the market before committing significant money to the venture.

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During one of their conversations, Raj said Dinesh asked him about the dairy products he purchased apart from milk. The question prompted Raj to ask why a Rapido rider was taking such an interest in his dairy preferences.

Dinesh then explained that he was using his work as a way to interact directly with people who could potentially become customers of his future business.

‘Paisa bhi milega aur feedback bhi’

Dinesh reportedly chose Bengaluru because of its large population of IT professionals, whom he considers part of his potential customer base. By working as a Rapido rider, he can meet people from the sector while earning an income during the period in which he is researching the market.

Explaining his approach to Raj, Dinesh said, “Sir, like this, paisa bhi milega aur feedback bhi.”

Raj said Dinesh tries to speak to passengers who fit the profile of his prospective customers whenever an opportunity arises during a ride. The conversations are intended to help him understand what consumers might want from dairy products and what kind of offerings could work in the market.

According to Raj, Dinesh has given himself a year to work on the business model before returning to Odisha and developing the venture there.

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LinkedIn post draws attention

Raj described Dinesh’s approach as an example of direct customer discovery, highlighting the decision to speak to potential consumers instead of relying solely on conventional market research.

“It wasn't just the idea. It was the clarity. No MBA jargon, no pitch deck, no market research report. Just a guy asking his customers what they want. Rooting for this guy. Hope I'm having his dairy products someday,” Raj wrote.

The post subsequently attracted reactions from other LinkedIn users, several of whom praised Dinesh’s method of gathering feedback directly from potential customers.

One user described it as an example of customer discovery through conversations with the people a business intends to serve, while another called it “real marketscaping” and praised the idea of developing a product based on consumer preferences.

Other commenters described the approach as a way of obtaining direct feedback on customer expectations, with one simply calling the story “inspiring.”

The account of Dinesh’s plans and his conversations with passengers comes from Raj’s LinkedIn post. Details about the proposed dairy venture, including its eventual products, scale and commercial launch, have not been specified in the post.