The greatest ideas always render unique ideals with a possibility of innovation within society. Here is the story of Abhishek Kashyap who peculiarly had different ideas about how a dating app should function. Kashyap is the founder of Rekindle, a dating app for the married, where their core aim focuses much on emotions and mature relationships, which is not seen eloquently in any so-called dating apps that are there today.
Abhishek is your typical start-up Founder - An Engineer with a Chemical Engineering degree and then a Management Course from the Asian Institute of Management. Having worked for 13 years across Marketing and Customer acquisition roles, Abhishek had had his fair share of corporate ups and downs.
He had tasted success early going from Territory Manager roles to Chief Growth Officer and Head of Sales within a few years of starting out. During rollercoaster traditional 9-to-5 stints with MNCs like Maersk and Akzo Nobel, he ventured through a couple of start-ups as well. The direction he always landed up being in was Marketing and sales - he was used to a life filled to the brim with more rejection than success.
Starting out on his own? Nah! That thought was not even remotely there. Abhishek was a happy man. A supportive family, a loving wife and an ever-encouraging mother and brothers. There was no need to go through the hardships of starting out and facing yet another round of recession. That too, on his personal account.
But then who can throttle creativity when it comes knocking at the door? His workaholism was paying the bills but thoughts were running in a different direction. New approaches in life bring us back to a functional mindset. And this mindset wants to give back wholly to the society that raised us and made us who we are.
He felt motivated to give back and this very foundational thought brought through the idea of Rekindle. Rekindle is a curated and exclusive dating platform for having-been-Marrieds (Divorced/Separated humans). Ask Abhishek and he fondly introduces his platform, "We believe that existing dating platforms are generic and do not understand the real need of such users. The maturity, emotions, career goals and expectations that these users seek, are lost in flings and casual hookups. Rekindle is like a global movement of making things simpler for people who are divorced, widowed and separated. We are the cupid that restarts your love, for the second time.”
And thus began the journey to make something for those who have experienced love once but have lost that special someone along the way. But they haven't given up yet. And are out on a journey to look for that same emotion again - this time on a platform that understands them better.
Abhishek put together a team in Mumbai consisting of six members - all core and important to the existence and development of the platform and its success.
When Abhishek was asked about the tips and tricks he had for all who are seeking to do start-ups as a way of their life forward, he says that “Always start after you have planned for the next 3 years. Financially, Emotionally. Forecast all the pros and cons that might affect your life before starting out. You need to know how to sell your product. Early traction sometimes doesn't mean great PMF."
When he was asked about the challenges and pressures he had faced during the initial stages, he replies to that “Hands are full, new challenges every day. Multiple tech issues, Social media rules etc. I just love the difference I have made with ReKindle initiative”.
Always innovate, pivot and test.
Abhishek Kashyap, Founder, Rekindle
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