The story of India’s first super app – Abhisyant Anasapurapu (BBA 2020)
In a world driven by innovation and fueled by passion, Abhisyant Anasapurapu (BBA 2020) emerges as a beacon of modern entrepreneurship. His journey from a cricket and music lover to the co-founder of MYn, a groundbreaking super app, paints a vivid picture of ambition, perseverance, and the power of transformation.
In this interview, we delve into Abhisyant’s entrepreneurial journey, exploring the pivotal role of his education, experiences, and unyielding determination.
Q: Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi! I am Abhisyant Anasapurapu, and I have an unending passion for entrepreneurship which stems from my desire for creation. I have found myself to always be in a position of leadership, be it sports or within friend circles. I have cricket fever (who in India does not?) and love music. My interest in music led me to create Pumproom, an artist management, record label and nightlife company based in Bangalore, one of the biggest brands in the nightlife scene in the city today. Funnily enough, I started it in college as a frat; we are all amazed to see what’s come of it.
After my BBA (Entrepreneurship) from SP Jain Global, I pursued a SaaS sales role with NxtGen Datacenter & Cloud Technologies, selling futuristic software solutions from ISVs bundled with NxtGen’s cloud infrastructure. After this, the Idea for MYn was born. I Co-founded MYn with my father and currently manage all operations and marketing.
Q: How did your time at SP Jain Global help you gain job opportunities with global companies?
The SP Jain Global BBA stands out as the most distinctive and culturally enriching bachelor’s program. The idea of spanning a course across three countries over four years is inherently thrilling. Personally, I found the key takeaways to be centred around management and exposure, as these are crucial for effectively steering a business. Embracing the experience of living independently in three different countries has imparted a wealth of insights into the unique challenges life presents.
Navigating diverse contexts and circumstances has significantly expanded my life perspective. I stablished a strong rapport with the professors, who brought substantial practical expertise to their respective instruction fields. This ensured that our classes were far from textbook-based; they were, in fact, simulations of real-world scenarios. Notably, the specialisation in entrepreneurship relied heavily on case studies. One semester was dedicated to crafting our business ventures from the ground up. The culminating assessment was a mock “shark tank,” akin to an investor pitch in real-world settings.
Upon completing my studies, I felt equipped not only with a degree, but also with a profound
comprehension of the essential components that drive a genuine business in reality. The investment appears to have yielded positive results, as I am currently successfully managing two enterprises.
Q: What was your inspiration behind MYn? How does MYn’s unique system link consumers to
service providers?
The inspiration behind MYn emerged from a desire to contribute more effectively and enhance the prospects within our profoundly technological world. During my tenure at NxtGen, where my father serves as the founder (and NxtGen stands as India’s preeminent CSP today), both he and I concurred on
a pivotal notion: the optimal application of expertise in the IAAS industry lay in creating our app that
harnessed the foundational infrastructure.
This approach stemmed from the understanding that crafting software is comparatively less intricate than managing extensive applications at scale, necessitating substantial computation and petabytes of storage.
At the outset of our journey, my father’s vision was to address three paramount challenges in technology and applications. Firstly, data privacy: most presently free-to-use apps compromise user privacy by extracting significant user data to monetise through targeted advertisements. This approach predominantly serves as the primary revenue stream for free apps. Secondly, the issue of influence:
today, most, if not all, decisions made in social media and e-commerce are heavily swayed by targeted advertising or content. These platforms significantly influence user actions, promoting purchases and creation to boost their service consumption or product sales. Regrettably, this dynamic has dramatically
diminished user autonomy and individual perception. Lastly, commissions: a substantial proportion of contemporary businesses function as intermediaries, facilitating connections. However, it is unreasonable for brokers to retain exorbitant commissions, often 30% or more, for such facilitation.
Technological overheads do not justify these high costs. We contend that this is often spurred by the
avarice stemming from the duopolistic or monopolistic control certain industries exert.
Thus, we envisaged a digital sphere wherein users could interact, discover, and transact while upholding
100% privacy and zero influence. Concurrently, providers could earn revenue for their offerings without
being subjected to any commission. Swiftly, we recognised that an all-encompassing app, functioning
as a super ecosystem housing many use cases, was requisite to address this challenge. This unified
application would facilitate a conscious shift for users, service providers, and businesses, enabling them
to reap the rewards.
Embarking on the path towards this vision, we endeavoured to create a singular app that encapsulated
our aspirations. Fast forward a year, and we now present an app that offers a plethora of features,
including commission-free cab and auto rides, guaranteed scheduled cab services, bus bookings, a
decentralised OTT platform, social media integration, a music player akin to Spotify, robust chat and call
functions with uncompromised privacy, security measures, a storage suite comparable to Google Drive
integrated with the chat feature for seamless file backup, synchronisation, and sharing. We’ve developed
a comprehensive workplace communication and collaboration tool encompassing departmentalised,
team-centric feeds (akin to internal social media), unlimited video conferencing, email services, and
work chat with an organisation-wide directory. Additionally, each employee has 100 GB of storage.
We’re also on the cusp of introducing India’s sovereign and private alternative to Gmail, a constituent
of the MYn app.
In essence, MYn is an ecosystem encompassing the whole gamut of smartphone activities, all underpinned
by unwavering privacy, devoid of advertisements (culminating in an enhanced user experience), and
bereft of commissions levied on businesses and service providers. Our revenue model relies on minimal
technology fees, assessed on a flat consumption basis, spanning various activities, including rides and
accessing premium content.
Q: What challenges did you encounter while developing MYn, and how did you overcome them
to create a successful platform for users and service providers?
There were two significant challenges in the development of MYn.
1) Technological complexity: Describing the intricate technical hurdles we encountered while integrating numerous groundup use cases into a single app is no small feat. Our strategy to overcome this hurdle hinged on persistence. Essentially, we found ourselves simultaneously competing with leaders in various technology-based industries, each with its distinct demands. To achieve parity with our competitors across the board, we meticulously refined the user experience. This was a gradual process; we embarked on our journey by incorporating a modest number of use cases and gradually expanded as the stability of our app builds improved.
Employing a blend of native and web components within our codebase ensured that our app maintained its lightweight nature, despite accommodating many use cases. Our commitment to continually adding features remains unwavering, driven by a team that shares our ambitious vision. Persistence has proven to be our guiding principle, as evidenced by the year-long development journey that led us to our current stage. The journey to create an app of this nature was replete with formidable technical challenges and a chorus of sceptics. However, unwavering belief in our vision and an unrelenting desire to realise our goals have propelled us forward.
2) Communication: How does one effectively market a super app? The average user seeks apps for
either entertainment or convenience, and the prospect of a conglomerate of apps can be overwhelming.
Effectively conveying that we offer features akin to a taxi app but with additional functionalities presents
a unique communication quandary. We adopted an innovative approach to our business model to
tackle this challenge. For instance, we refrained from imposing surge pricing on users or commission
on drivers for rides. This strategic disruption, seemingly paradoxical, results in a scenario where users
pay less while drivers earn more—an equitable outcome for all parties involved. We also devised
consumption-based pricing models that remain consistent and affordable regardless of usage volume.
These models apply uniformly to various aspects of our app, including rides, content, storage, and mail
services.
We directly confronted our competitors by offering a more appealing business model—delivering better
value to users at a lower cost while simultaneously ensuring comparable or superior service quality
across the board. This approach enabled us to strategically acquire users, presenting a single use case
at a time and effectively competing with our rivals by highlighting our platform’s inherent advantages.
Consequently, users are drawn to MYn with the promise of one distinct service, only to be pleasantly
surprised by its many additional features. Our user base has now grown to 1.3 million individuals.
Q: How do you plan to evolve and stay ahead in the competitive market as an entrepreneur?
What advice would you give to individuals or businesses looking to leverage the networking and collaboration potential of MyN Global?
The familiar adage ‘stay hungry’ has a profound resonance with me. Embracing a mindset that refuses to settle for mediocrity and constantly seeking improvement propels us towards a grander destiny. This ethos remains integral to me and our team, as it compels us to outpace our competition. We steadfastly persist in augmenting our app’s features and use cases, tirelessly enhancing the user experience, and diligently addressing issues. This unyielding commitment positions us as the epitome of a complete and authentic super app. Today, I take immense pride in asserting that no other app offers such a multifaceted array of capabilities within a single platform.
The endeavour to build a super app necessitated forging numerous partnerships. These collaborations,
whether pursued for growth or to integrate novel technologies, underscore the significance of cultivating
connections and nurturing one’s network. Often, the actual utility of these connections may not be
immediately apparent; it may take years, even a decade, for these relationships to yield the potential to
co-create something of monumental scale. I’m profoundly grateful to SP Jain Global for endowing me
with an extensive network that spans India and the global landscape. This network has proven to be
an invaluable asset, fostering opportunities for collaboration and empowerment on an unprecedented
scale.
Q: What advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start their ventures?
There are two often-overlooked principles, even though the world offers ample examples to learn from.
First, the paramount importance of time cannot be overstated. Let me emphasise this: time is the singular, unequivocal factor for achieving success. No matter the scale of your endeavour, persistently engage in it. Over time, you will witness the fruition of your aspirations through active or passive involvement. Run your business at any magnitude, dedicating whatever time you can spare daily. Despite encountering setbacks or failures, persist and persevere. Remember, the only day you truly fail is the day you decide
to quit. Approach your pursuit without predefined time constraints, and eventually, everything will fall
into place.
Secondly, maintaining a steady income is a pivotal consideration, often underestimated. I firmly believe that before delving into entrepreneurship, having a stable income—be it from a job or another source—is imperative. Given the prevailing trend where many individuals aspire to or engage in entrepreneurship, ensuring your fundamental living needs are met before embarking on this journey is vital. Exposure to a corporate environment often equips you with foundational insights into the intricacies of establishing and sustaining a business. Entrepreneurship inherently carries substantial risk. When you embark on this path, your livelihood should not hinge solely on it. Instead, treat it as a fervent passion. In due course, it may evolve into your primary pursuit. This approach amplifies your prospects for success, enabling you to take calculated risks and envision larger-scale endeavours without the shackles of fear since you have nothing to forfeit. An enterprise, fundamentally, is a labour of passion. Pursue entrepreneurship out of genuine ardour, not merely for monetary gain or the pursuit of success. If constructing a business doesn’t ignite your enthusiasm or invigorate you, I assure you it might not be your path. Rest assured, with time, everything will align and find its purpose.
