Bold truth: building a coffee brand in India is a demanding, isolating grind that tests you in every way. That’s the core message Bengaluru founder Vardhman Jain is sharing as he nears five years with Drickle, the Bengaluru-based coffee label formerly known as BONOMI. In a candid post on X, Jain opens up about the mental and financial endurance required to grow a startup in this market.
Jain describes the five-year journey as the most exhausting experience he’s ever undertaken. He notes that entrepreneurship gradually reshapes a person, forcing founders to develop resilience and to brace for relentless scrutiny and critique.
Reality check on what it takes to build a business: Jain emphasizes that founders must become adept at handling rejection and accepting that some will tear their product apart. Over time, ego has to take a back seat. Emotional attachment to the venture tends to fade as founders start to treat the enterprise as what it really is: a business.
His lessons include a clear warning: don’t start a company without solid financial backing. He also cautions against getting emotionally married to a single product, warning that such attachment can cloud judgment and hinder difficult decision-making.
Describing the path as long and solitary, Jain urges aspiring entrepreneurs to reflect deeply before committing. While a brand’s outward sheen—its design, its vibe—can look thrilling from the outside, the underlying grind is far more taxing.
HT.com has reached out to Jain for more details and will update the report as new information comes in.
In reaction to the post, many X users expressed alignment with Jain’s honest perspective. One reader said, “Respect this honesty. People see the cafe, not the cash flow sheet. They see the brand, but not the burn.” Another observed, “Building isn’t just about execution; it’s about identity work. The product evolves, but the founder must be rebuilt first.” Others weighed in on the broader reality: “The grind of entrepreneurship may be tougher than most jobs, but it carries a sense of dignity,” and, “Five years is a serious commitment, and the transformation is real.” A final comment captured the sentiment: “Entrepreneurship doesn’t just build character—it reveals it, year by brutal year.”
