In 2013, 5 friends wanted to copy Wattpad's success n India.
Everyone thought they'd FAIL to make people read LONG stories when 15-second REELS and TikTok ruled.
But to everyone's SHOCK, there are 2.5 CRORE readers on Pratilipi!
Why Pratilipi didn't fail:
Everyone thought they'd FAIL to make people read LONG stories when 15-second REELS and TikTok ruled.
But to everyone's SHOCK, there are 2.5 CRORE readers on Pratilipi!
Why Pratilipi didn't fail:
Reels are the new legal drug.
• They release a TON of dopamine, making you want it more and more.
• They are so 'short' that an hour seems to fly by,
• BUT, you cannot even remember the third last reel you watch.
Yet in the world of 15s drugs, how did a LONG form Pratilipi win? Let's start from the very beginning
• They release a TON of dopamine, making you want it more and more.
• They are so 'short' that an hour seems to fly by,
• BUT, you cannot even remember the third last reel you watch.
Yet in the world of 15s drugs, how did a LONG form Pratilipi win? Let's start from the very beginning
1️⃣ BookWorm
Pratap Singh faced a common dilemma:
Love something (reading Hindi). Went to someplace (college). Couldn't do what you love anymore.
And like everyone else, he cribbed about it. Only there was one difference:
Pratap Singh faced a common dilemma:
Love something (reading Hindi). Went to someplace (college). Couldn't do what you love anymore.
And like everyone else, he cribbed about it. Only there was one difference:
2️⃣ The Real Difference
“I told myself, if you are doing so well at the age of 24, then you must be doing something wrong,” he says. “So, I quit.”
He would now focus on solving the problem which troubled him in his college time: Hindi Reading materials.
“I told myself, if you are doing so well at the age of 24, then you must be doing something wrong,” he says. “So, I quit.”
He would now focus on solving the problem which troubled him in his college time: Hindi Reading materials.
3️⃣ Why?
He spoke to around 350 authors, and 300 readers and found something shocking.
It wasn't that (hindi) stories weren't written OR that no one wanted to read.
But the problem was how to connect them both.
He spoke to around 350 authors, and 300 readers and found something shocking.
It wasn't that (hindi) stories weren't written OR that no one wanted to read.
But the problem was how to connect them both.
4️⃣ Wattpad.
He was really inspired by Wattpad. The American Self-Publishing was a craze in the US.
He wanted to copy Wattpad's success. But how would he do that?
The authors wanted readers. However, readers only come when there are authors.
He was really inspired by Wattpad. The American Self-Publishing was a craze in the US.
He wanted to copy Wattpad's success. But how would he do that?
The authors wanted readers. However, readers only come when there are authors.
5️⃣ Authors First
Harry Potter is the second-highest-selling book after the Bible. Yet 12 publications rejected it.
Pratilipi understood its goal: To not let any future Local JK Rowling go unnoticed.
They fired authors. Instead, they admitted partners.
Harry Potter is the second-highest-selling book after the Bible. Yet 12 publications rejected it.
Pratilipi understood its goal: To not let any future Local JK Rowling go unnoticed.
They fired authors. Instead, they admitted partners.
6️⃣ Free Dom
Authors write. But partners connect. That was Pratilipi's goal.
They organized workshops, seminars. Heck! They even allowed senior authors to instruct the junior authors!
This had a wonderful after-effect:
Authors write. But partners connect. That was Pratilipi's goal.
They organized workshops, seminars. Heck! They even allowed senior authors to instruct the junior authors!
This had a wonderful after-effect:
7️⃣ Second Order Effect
Authors shared their Pratilipi stories on social media, generating organic traffic
They'd speak about Pratilipi's behaviour to their author friends, motivating more authors to join.
And a happy author meant a happy store of new reads!
Authors shared their Pratilipi stories on social media, generating organic traffic
They'd speak about Pratilipi's behaviour to their author friends, motivating more authors to join.
And a happy author meant a happy store of new reads!
8️⃣ Lockdown, now what?
Came TikTok.
15s shorts killed our focus. Reels became the new legal drug.
But Pratilipi found their way out. All because of authors.
Came TikTok.
15s shorts killed our focus. Reels became the new legal drug.
But Pratilipi found their way out. All because of authors.
9️⃣ The Boom Bam
They had almost a lakh authors, writing in 12 different languages.
There were stories for each genre, each topic, each language.
And for elders, who weren't used to Reels, and loved reading, these new stories literally HOOKED them.
Not to forget, their awesome recommendation algorithm was a killer!
They had almost a lakh authors, writing in 12 different languages.
There were stories for each genre, each topic, each language.
And for elders, who weren't used to Reels, and loved reading, these new stories literally HOOKED them.
Not to forget, their awesome recommendation algorithm was a killer!
🔟 Grow Up
Later, they introduced subscriptions to earn revenue for themselves and the authors.
But a subscription could only get them X money. How to get more?
Answer: Licensing.
They realized what works in one format (text), works in the other (video)
So they started to license their hit stories, like Murdon Ki Train.
Later, they introduced subscriptions to earn revenue for themselves and the authors.
But a subscription could only get them X money. How to get more?
Answer: Licensing.
They realized what works in one format (text), works in the other (video)
So they started to license their hit stories, like Murdon Ki Train.
Today, there are more than
• 2.7 LAKH writers
• 27 LAKH stories
• 2.5 CRORE readers
on Pratilipi.
Although they are in losses, it's our pride that India has a site where any Indic boy or girl can express his creativeness, for free.
• 2.7 LAKH writers
• 27 LAKH stories
• 2.5 CRORE readers
on Pratilipi.
Although they are in losses, it's our pride that India has a site where any Indic boy or girl can express his creativeness, for free.
Also, kudos to all other co-founders as well, Sahradayi Modi, S. Devarajan, Rahul Ranjan, and Prashant Gupta.
The biggest thing I learn from him is that
• It's okay to crib and move on. But when given a chance, only true men leave everything to solve the original problem.
What do YOU learn from them?
The biggest thing I learn from him is that
• It's okay to crib and move on. But when given a chance, only true men leave everything to solve the original problem.
What do YOU learn from them?
That's all for today!
Follow @parsh_kothari for more such threads about:
• India and its upcoming policies
• Business and Marketing world
Also, please like the first tweet, it motivates me to produce more such informational content :)
Follow @parsh_kothari for more such threads about:
• India and its upcoming policies
• Business and Marketing world
Also, please like the first tweet, it motivates me to produce more such informational content :)
https://twitter.com/1132007435676160000/status/1854380769558544462
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