Shradha Sharma Success Story: Redefining Digital Media and Inspiring Entrepreneurship
Shradha Sharma is a reputed Indian journalist who hails from Patna, Bihar. Being born and brought up in Bihar but later she shifted to New Delhi in the year 1997 when she was just 17 years old. She did her bachelor’s and as well as her master’s degree in history from St Stephen’s College, Delhi. She also completed another master’s degree from Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad.
Some of her notable works include founding YourStory. She is currently known for being the founder and as well as the CEO of the company. The company was founded back in the year 2008. YourStory is India’s foremost chronicler and enabler of positive change. The company, YourStory places great trust in the power of listening to people, and in the ability of stories to inspire and empower.
Shradha Sharma: A Journey from Bihar to Digital Media Pioneer
Shradha Sharma began her career being a brand advisor at the Times of India. Soon after that, she worked as an assistant vice president at the business channel CNBC TV18. It was in the year 2008 when she founded her news portal YourStory.
The 43-year-old always liked writing great stories about successful people and sharing them with the world. This is one of the reasons why she started her company YourStory.
It was during an interview with Femina she told people that there were many people who were doing good in life but were not able to receive proper recognition from the common people. Soon, her blogs had turned into a well-structured website and then people had soon started to notice her works there.
However, at the initial stages, her company did not have a business model but her exclusive range of content was one of the reasons for the growth of her website. Today, her venture is being backed by famous business personalities like Ratan Tata, Vani Kola, Mohandas Pai, and many more.
The Birth of YourStory: Redefining Indian Entrepreneurship
YourStory was founded back in 2008. Shradha Sharma was at the top of the tread during her career in CNBC. It was during her tenure in CNBC she had the chance to speak with a lot of entrepreneurs. While talking to them she soon realized that all of them had a story to tell but on the other hand no one was keen to take their story to the world. So, she quit her high-paying job to start her own venture as a storyteller.
It was a huge risk that Sharma had taken by quitting her job in the first place. She did not know what future she had in her new venture but she was sure that by being consistent one day her venture would be recognized by the majority of people around us. From the profound dark days to their first glimmer of hope and their voyage thereon to triumph, she had started sharing each of those. It was completely the entrepreneur’s story and thus her venture was named, YourStory.
Her success today in her venture has been backed by her unique storytelling and the persistence of hard work and determination of a woman from what was perhaps India’s most politically suppressed and negatively professed state, Bihar. YourStory today has become the leading media technology company for startups, entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, and change-makers.
Pioneering Digital Media and Entrepreneurship
Shradha Sharma always wanted to be the voice for the voiceless by telling the stories of the common person determined to lead change. This gave the birth of YourStory which embraced the bold new breed of entrepreneurs in New India. It became the only platform to celebrate entrepreneurship and innovation, nurturing and empowering India’s startup ecosystem.
Over the years the company has helped create a formidable category, fostering a collaborative environment for India’s burgeoning startup ecosystem with multiple stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, investors, and a very involved government. Without any doubt, the company has distinguished itself as the most influential, credible, loved, and sought-after voice in the Indian entrepreneurial space.
Breaking Barriers: YourStory's Rise in Digital Media
When it came to facing challenges then it was inevitable for Shradha’s company as well. The biggest risk was quitting her high-paying job which itself was a challenge because she needed a continuous flow of finance for keeping her venture stable for the first few months.
Her CNBC colleagues treated her differently as soon as she left the organization. No big names acknowledged what she was trying to do at that point in time. It was obvious that her morale would have gone down but she did her best during the initial days of the company because right from day one entrepreneurs had appreciated her work and YourStory as a company was being well-received.
She always made sure to deliver the best content to the common people. Her dedication to bringing positive change soon began to earn popularity among businessmen and startups. All of these together only contributed towards the success of the company to where it is today.
Even when her mother died she did not let her emotions stop her to do the work that always meant to do through storytelling. It was a long journey for her with extremely difficult challenges but she was able to overcome them and make her company successful.
YourStory: India's Leading Platform for Startup Stories
The purpose was clear for YourStory and for Shradha Sharma as well. She wanted to be the voice for the voiceless and spread the positivity of entrepreneurs' stories and startups to the world. For a decade and a half of being in this business, YourStory has provided the context to what’s possible.
Through the tales of thousands of change-makers who have braved multiple yet-unheralded entrepreneurs and other ordinary folks making a positive difference in society and that too all on the same platform. The company has listened to and stood by every voice no matter their standing because it is their stories that need to be told. The company believes that young startups need to access the same opportunities and chase their dreams as those who have made it.
The growth of the company in terms of revenues has been significant over the years. They have been recognized by several notable entrepreneurial minds in India. Their reach has been expanded as well and the company has been doing great business throughout by keeping quality and consistency. Shradha was bestowed with NASSCOM Ecosystem Evangelist Award in Sep 2010. She has even received the Vilgro Journalist of the Year Award in Sep 2010. Other recognition and accolades include the following:
- 2015 L’Oreal Paris Femina Award for online influence
- 2015 listed among 500 LinkedIn Influencers across the world
- 2015 LinkedIn’s most viewed CEOs under Internet category
- 2016 PAT Memorial Outstanding Alumnus Award.
Empowering Women In Entrepreneurship
Shradha Sharma has always supported young businesses and if it comes to empowering women then she will never hold back about it. She has launched the SheSparks event in New Delhi that focuses on women entrepreneurs as this event portrays that it is the women of our society too that has the ability to bring significant change just as equal as men entrepreneurs.
SheSparks 2023 had been a one-day event but a year-long commitment to empower, enable and encourage women, kicked off at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi with a keynote address by Shradha Sharma. Sharma addressed the people saying that it is important to celebrate events that help empower women as it will make a huge difference and even create a positive change.
Shradha Sharma’s Role As A Mentor and Speaker
Shradha Sharma has been doing innovative live shows with her venture every Saturday. Her ‘Startup Saturdays with Shradha Sharma’ is an innovative live show that offers an unparalleled platform for promising startups to showcase their ideas, products, and grit. Shradha Sharma is herself the host of this show. The show is exclusively available on YourStory’s LinkedIn page and airs every Saturday at 6 pm.
Every week she has a talk with a new startup entrepreneur most of which are youngsters. She helps them understand the entrepreneurial journey and thus acts as a mentor to them. It is one of the most beneficial factors for young entrepreneurs to make less mistakes in their business. Sharma has been helping them in a crucial way.
YourStory: India's Leading Platform for Startup Stories
YourStory has always provided the content for what’s possible. It has been serving as a catalyst for a better India thus helping startups in a crucial way possible. The company serves as the voice of multiple yet-unheralded entrepreneurs and other ordinary folks making a positive difference in society.
YourStory has featured many successful startups on its website which only gave higher visibility to the common people. All these startups receive a high chance of getting angel investors to be able to fund them. YourStory has created a massive impact on startups.
Shradha Sharma's Philanthropic Vision: Empowering Entrepreneurs
Shradha Sharma wants to bring positive change in the entrepreneurial world in India. She wants to share the stories of all young startups that have not received proper recognition from the common people yet.
All those who have got potential in their businesses can now have the opportunity to come forward and present themselves to YourStory and thus to the world as well. This was the main intention for YourStory to be born in the first place.
Mentorship and Innovation: Shradha Sharma's Role in Startup Ecosystem
YourStory is giving back to the community by encouraging startups to come forward and represent themselves on their platform. Shradha Sharma has taken the initiative to talk to the entrepreneurs on the show hosted by herself every Saturday. In a way, this can be a huge encouragement for startups, entrepreneurs, and investors to have a broader view of the entrepreneurial world.
Lessons from Shradha Sharma: Risks, Determination, and Purpose
Shradha Sharma’s story tells us that it is quite okay to take risks but that should be calculated. One should be determined to work hard on their goals and must have a purpose to what they are doing or else it may not end up well. The success of Sharma by founding YourStory has changed the lives of many entrepreneurs and has created a positive impact on society as well.
Her website features some of the successful startups that she has interacted with. If you wish to know more about them you can always visit the official website of YourStory and view them anytime you like.
Conclusion
The journey of Shradha Sharma’s success as an entrepreneur has been full of ups and downs. It was not an easy decision for her to quit a high-paying job to start up her own venture where she could help the voiceless and those who were not getting enough recognition in society.
Shradha Sharma has received many prestigious awards in her career because of her significant work and contribution. Her impact in the entrepreneurial landscape has been proven to be beneficial and crucial for startups and entrepreneurs. We can assume that her work will only prove to be beneficial to upcoming startups in the future as well.