Shradha Sharma: The Visionary Behind YourStory, Giving Entrepreneurs a Voice
Who is Shradha Sharma?
Shraddha Sharma is an Indian journalist and entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of Your Story. It is India's biggest platform dedicated to fostering the startup ecosystem via entrepreneurship-related stories, resources and products. Shradha’s journey from a small-town girl to the founder and CEO of YourStory is nothing short of extraordinary. She has emerged as one of India's most influential voices in the startup ecosystem. Shradha’s journey was as personal as it was professional.
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Early days and Education
Shraddha was born in Patna, Bihar, in a lower-middle-class family, she was raised with humble means but big dreams. Shradha's early life in Patna was marked by both limitations and dreams. Despite coming from a lower-middle-class family, her parents emphasised the importance of education and ambition. In 1997, she moved to New Delhi to pursue her higher education at St. Stephen’s College, where she majored in History. Later, she went on to complete her Master’s in the same subject. However, her academic pursuits didn’t stop there. Shradha also studied design management and digital creative management (DCM) at the prestigious MICA in Ahmedabad.
From Corporate Ladder to Entrepreneurial Leap
Shraddha had a stellar career in media and branding. She worked as a brand advisor at The Times of India from 2006 to 2007 and then as an Assistant Vice President at CNBC TV18 from 2007 to 2009. During her stint in media, she realised that while mainstream news channels and publications covered large corporations and established figures, the stories of aspiring young entrepreneurs often went unnoticed. Shradha felt there was a void, a space that could be filled by the compelling stories of everyday dreamers who were building businesses from scratch.
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Story of Yourstory
In 2008, YourStory was born. YourStory was not started to build a business; it was born from the heart. The heart of a 3rd-grade child who experienced pain and rejection. This platform is the result of that child's deep desire to give a voice to those who, like her, have stories that deserve to be heard. The stories of resilience, dreams, and triumph over adversity. At its core, YourStory is fueled by a passion to illuminate the extraordinary in everyday lives. But the path to creating India’s biggest platform for startups and innovators wasn’t an easy one. With the help of two IITian students, she made a website and turned a simple idea into a digital empire, but only after battling scepticism and numerous challenges.
A year later in 2009, she quit her high-profile secure job to focus entirely on her new venture. She called her mother for support but her mother started crying. She was worried about her daughter. It made Shradha feel responsible like she had to make sure she didn’t let her mother down. Her mother remained her pillar of strength until her passing in 2010. She promised herself that she would make her mother’s dream come true, to see her daughter successful.
In the early days, YourStory struggled to gain traction. Shradha used to approach entrepreneurs, eager to share their inspiring journeys but was often met with indifference. People used to refuse her because her website wasn’t generating much traffic and was not popular then. Some even refused to give her interviews and dismissed her platform as insignificant. “No one took me seriously in the beginning,” Shradha recalls, “but I believed in the power of stories and kept going.”
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Hardships and Resilience
Shradha Sharma’s journey is a story of resilience. Behind her success lies a deep well of hardships and moments that tested her strength. One such incident occurred during her childhood when she was in the 3rd grade. Excited about a dance competition at her school, Shradha teamed up with a friend for a duet performance. Her partner appeared glamorous in a beautiful outfit, while Shradha, due to her family’s financial struggles, had to borrow her sister’s old uniform to participate. After the performance, a teacher humiliated her in front of the entire class. She felt very bad and cried a lot. This incident followed her and helped her achieve the success she has now.
Yourstory and Money-making
Shradha’s entrepreneurial journey was fueled more by passion than profit. When she first started YourStory, she wasn’t focused on making money. One day, an entrepreneur who admired her work asked her a simple but crucial question: “How are you making money?” Shradha responded, “I’m not. I’m just telling stories.” Understanding the importance of financial sustainability, this entrepreneur connected Shradha with Bakshish Dutta, a businessman who believed in her vision.
Bakshish generously provided her with ₹1 lakh to run a campaign and offered much-needed financial support to keep her dream alive. Despite the backing, YourStory remained a profitable startup, even during the pandemic. Shradha recalls that except for a brief period between 2015 and 2017, when the company was expanding, the venture always operated with the challenges and uncertainties that come with a startup.
Shradha's belief that “people are just as extraordinary as they believe themselves to be” has shaped the very essence of YourStory. What started as a passion for sharing unheard stories of entrepreneurs has become one of the biggest digital platforms for startup stories, showcasing over 100,000 stories of entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers.
Today, YourStory has grown beyond anyone’s imagination. With over 10 million monthly readers and 5 million subscribers. Her journey from a small town in Bihar to the helm of Yourstory is a story of triumph over adversity. Later to become a figurehead in the startup world wasn’t easy, but it was marked by an unwavering passion for storytelling and entrepreneurship. She is a true inspiration for aspiring people.
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Written by Manvi