Bengaluru: An Odisha man quit his IT job and started riding a Rapido bike in Bengaluru as part of an unconventional approach to building his dairy business.
His story was shared by LinkedIn user Varun Raj, who said he met the man, identified as Dinesh, during a ride on a Monday morning.
In his post, Raj said that the rider previously worked at NPCI before quitting his job.
As the journey began, Dinesh turned around and asked seemingly unusual questions such as what dairy products he buys apart from milk. When Raj asked about his unusual approach, Dinesh explained his reasoning.
The rider revealed that he quit his job at the NPCI to pursue a business idea rooted in his family’s dairy farm in Odisha. He said that his parents weren’t happy about quitting a stable job, but he still decided to explore the market before investing heavily in the venture.
Rather than returning home and trying to figure out what consumers want, Dinesh said that he decided to spend a year in Bengaluru, where he could directly interact with potential customers. He began working as a Rapido rider, particularly hoping to speak to people working in the IT sector, who he considers part of his target market.
When Raj asked about his unusual approach, Dinesh explained his reasoning: “Sir, like this, paisa bhi milega aur feedback bhi (I can earn money as well as get feedback).”
Raj said Dinesh uses his rides to have conversations with passengers whenever they fit his target customer profile. The approach allows him to earn money while also gathering feedback about what potential customers would want from his future dairy products business. “He’s given himself one year to get the model right. Then it’s back to Odisha to build the business,” Raj wrote.
Concluding the post, Raj praised Dinesh’s approach to customer discovery. “It wasn’t just the idea. It was the clarity. No MBA jargon, no pitch deck, no market research report. Just a guy asking his customers what they want. Rooting for this guy. Hope I’m having his dairy products someday,” he said.
The post caught the attention of LinkedIn users, with several praising Dinesh’s approach.
One user wrote, “This is such a beautiful example of customer discovery in its most authentic form. Sometimes the best market research is simply having real conversations with the people you’re trying to serve. Dinesh’s “paisa bhi milega aur feedback bhi” mindset is brilliant. Rooting for him!”
“Real marketscaping and building targeted product which he knows consumers would want… fab!” commented another.
“This is a great idea, a direct feedback and expectations from the consumers,” wrote a third user.
“How inspiring,” said another.
