hometechnology NewsMeet influencer Tech Burner — from zero to owning a multi crore mobile skins brand & more
Meet influencer Tech Burner — from zero to owning a multi-crore mobile skins brand & more
Last September, the Delhi-based influencer also launched his mobile skins brand ‘Layers’ in partnership with Neel Gogia the co-founder of influencer marketing agency IPLIX Media.
The company also recently launched the Official Marvel Inspired Designs — till March 2023 Layers has sold over 70,000 skins, with an average order value of Rs 700 each, as per Gogia.
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“So in six months, we have sold around 75,000 skins, which is an average order value of around Rs 700, that's roughly around Rs 4.5-5 crore as revenue so far. This is how the numbers look, but ... (in the) next six months we may have a different number because we are planning to launch new categories. We will be entering the mobile covers market and tempered glasses as well, which we feel will address a much wider audience. We are expecting a 4-5 times growth on a monthly run rate basis for the next six months once new categories are launched,” Gogia told CNBC-TV18.com.
From the introverted kid to now being a tech influencer and a tech entrepreneur
Srivastava often calls himself a creator by accident as his idea of content creation has always been about “using technology to make people creative."
From being an introvert in college to running a highly social business of his own, one element that has not changed in Srivastava’s life is his creative drive.
"The videos that I'm making right now are very much around the same technologies that I studied in college. I was always interested in technology. Further, I was always a creative person. I used to draw, paint and do graphic designing in college. It has stayed with me. I always looked at technology as a means of expression and as a means of allowing us to be more creative. The only thing that has changed is that I'm able to speak a lot more and more clearly ... I was a very introverted kid back in college,” said Srivastava.
In fact, Tech Burner, said in one of his videos, “Main Youtuber bhi tukke se ban gaya mai design company banana chahta tha woh chali nahi to YouTube karna pada, (I am a YouTuber by chance I wanted to have a design company from the start,)
The journey for Layers began three years ago, with Gogia and Srivastava jamming on the idea of making something in the tech accessories space.
They concluded that the mobile skins space is very new in India and can prove to be a creative and successful business, said Gogia. The duo travelled all over India to research the love of skins, designing and technology and even went to China to study how the world's largest smartphone and tech accessory market actually works.
And then they added the Indian touch to their accumulated wisdom.
“India is a very, very creative country and we have forgotten that. Even when I go to some other countries, I see a lot of Indian art. And people don't even know that their origin is Indian. All these saris and dresses that we see, the embroidery... in architecture, there's so much variety and creativity in any Indian temple. I feel we have forgotten that we are a creative nation and in the past few years, it has become more of a job-seeking nation and degree-seeking nation. We wanted to use the designs, the creativity, the textures, and the colours, that have been present throughout the country and put them into a new flavour and create something new. The whole point was about using a lot of Indian art, colours and textures,” said Srivastava.
Knowing the mantra and staying true
Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are abuzz with social media influencers. These influencers have an ever-widening reach, with events, brand deals, TV shows and magazines covering their playing fields. Where canny social influencers go, big bucks follow.
As per the Influencer Marketing Report, the Indian influencer industry is predicted to be valued at Rs 2,200 crore by 2025 and grow at a 25 percent CAGR, underscoring the fact that the influencer business is getting serious.
But the layperson may still wonder if social influencing can be a lucrative career option because after all, it’s just a hobby. Well, clearly, it’s not so. For those who master the art of influencing, incomes can go well beyond hard-earned corporate jobs leading them to form their own ventures.
As per Srivastava and Gogia, the key to success in any business lies in starting at the right time, the power of convincing and starting true to your vision.
‘As an entrepreneur, knowing how to handle your team and communicating with them is the best thing that I have learnt. Stick true to the values of your business or your passion and make it sustainable,” said Gogia.
Meanwhile, for Srivastava business is just like physics, where few elements are unchangeable. Similarly, in business staying true to the original vision brings clarity and helps to sustain it.
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
First Published: Apr 10, 2023 6:56 PM IST
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