‘Start selling early, learn the numbers’: Anupam Mittal’s advice on building real 'Dhandha' goes viral
The post quickly went viral, drawing reactions from numerous netizens who praised Mittal’s advice and shared their own experiences.
- Oct 9, 2025,
- Updated Oct 9, 2025 7:15 PM IST
Anupam Mittal, founder of Shaadi.com and Shark Tank India judge, recently said in a LinkedIn post that building a successful business or “Dhandha” requires both practical experience and a clear understanding of numbers.
Reflecting on his own early ventures, he said that he rented books at the age of 13, started a sports club at 16 and launched several hustles in college. “Most failed. All taught me one thing — selling,” he wrote.
He said selling anything, be it books or even oneself for a job, teaches skills such as persuasion, negotiation, and influence that are extremely crucial for business. He, however, added that selling alone is not enough.
Mittal recommended gaining experience in finance, especially equity analysis or investment banking, to understand how industries make money. “Because finacne strips away the romance of 'disruption' and shows you the raw truth — where margins lie, where capital flows, and where profit polls actually sit,” he wrote.
Advising young professionals, he said that the key is to sell something and spend a year or two learning how industries really make money. “Because 'dhandha is not taught in classrooms. It's forged in the trenches of selling and sharpened by the discipline of numbers," he said towards the end of his post.
The post quickly went viral, drawing reactions from numerous netizens who praised Mittal’s advice and shared their own experiences. One reader wrote, “Great post! Businesses are built through failure, learning from it, and keeping ego aside. Business is trial and error.”
Another said, “Coming from finance, this hits home. Selling teaches you to chase opportunity; finance teaches you to respect gravity. That’s when business stops being theory and starts becoming judgment.”
Others highlighted the value of mindset and strategy. “The best founders start in the trenches but rise to the balcony,” a user said.
Another user wrote: “‘Dhandha’ isn’t just business, it’s a mindset. Those who sell learn to survive; those who understand numbers learn to win. Massive respect!”
Anupam Mittal, founder of Shaadi.com and Shark Tank India judge, recently said in a LinkedIn post that building a successful business or “Dhandha” requires both practical experience and a clear understanding of numbers.
Reflecting on his own early ventures, he said that he rented books at the age of 13, started a sports club at 16 and launched several hustles in college. “Most failed. All taught me one thing — selling,” he wrote.
He said selling anything, be it books or even oneself for a job, teaches skills such as persuasion, negotiation, and influence that are extremely crucial for business. He, however, added that selling alone is not enough.
Mittal recommended gaining experience in finance, especially equity analysis or investment banking, to understand how industries make money. “Because finacne strips away the romance of 'disruption' and shows you the raw truth — where margins lie, where capital flows, and where profit polls actually sit,” he wrote.
Advising young professionals, he said that the key is to sell something and spend a year or two learning how industries really make money. “Because 'dhandha is not taught in classrooms. It's forged in the trenches of selling and sharpened by the discipline of numbers," he said towards the end of his post.
The post quickly went viral, drawing reactions from numerous netizens who praised Mittal’s advice and shared their own experiences. One reader wrote, “Great post! Businesses are built through failure, learning from it, and keeping ego aside. Business is trial and error.”
Another said, “Coming from finance, this hits home. Selling teaches you to chase opportunity; finance teaches you to respect gravity. That’s when business stops being theory and starts becoming judgment.”
Others highlighted the value of mindset and strategy. “The best founders start in the trenches but rise to the balcony,” a user said.
Another user wrote: “‘Dhandha’ isn’t just business, it’s a mindset. Those who sell learn to survive; those who understand numbers learn to win. Massive respect!”