1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Vinit Bhansali, Takshil Venture Partners (Part 5)

Sramana Mitra: Interesting. I’m sure you hear this in AI conversations in particular. This conversation today hasn’t been as AI-heavy as usual, but in those discussions, domain knowledge comes up a lot.

People who can extract real value from enterprise AI and workflow are those with deep domain knowledge. They understand what’s happening and where they can add value by working through those processes.

In some conversations I’ve had that relate to what you’re describing, I’ve reflected on the first wave of the internet—the dot-com bubble. I was a three-time entrepreneur during that ’90s period. We were all very young. I was only 24 when I started my first company, still a grad student at MIT.

Back then, it wasn’t about domain knowledge. It was about having the courage and curiosity to figure things out, because no one really knew anything. We were shooting from the hip, learning as we went. Careers accelerated, companies were built—and some failed.

Now, the ideas you’re talking about—you’re highlighting that many do not come from people with domain knowledge. The diamond startup is B2C. The carbon credit for farmers is a kind of virgin territory. Technologists aren’t typically immersed in farming, so they don’t have that domain knowledge.

The certification startup does come from someone with domain knowledge, which makes it unique.

So, I think there’s a reasonable point to be made here: If you’re a young entrepreneur without much background or experience, you’ll probably gravitate toward B2C or more esoteric B2B ideas—areas where not many technologists are currently active. That’s a takeaway I’ve picked up from this conversation. Do you agree, Vinit?

Vinit Bhansali: You are correct. There are some cases where founders have deep knowledge—for example, the carbon credits case. In others, they don’t.

What we’ve learned is that even when founders lack domain knowledge, the successful ones invest significant time talking to customers, vendors, and the supply chain.

Sramana Mitra: Of course.

Vinit Bhansali: Many founders miss that point. It’s not just about talking—it’s about discovering insights from those conversations.

That’s the kind of founder I was too. My last startup was in construction materials. I had no educational or professional background in that domain.

Sramana Mitra: Same here. I was very young, so I was figuring things out as I went. I started a company way outside the typical Silicon Valley space—in fashion. In 1999, we did the first online designer fashion company.

I was a consumer of designer fashion, but I had no business experience. So, one of my first hires was a VP of Merchandising from Bergdorf Goodman in New York. He was in charge of women’s merchandising, and he taught me the business. I understood the tech side, and we were working on personalization very early.

It was a huge learning curve. I immersed myself in the fashion world, spending half the month in designer offices in New York, learning the business and figuring out how they could use our technology.

Anyway, to be continued. Vinit, let’s switch to Abdul’s presentation. You’re welcome to stay. Would you like to?

Vinit Bhansali: I’ll hang out for a bit. I set aside some time and may drop off later.

Sramana Mitra: Perfect. Thank you. I appreciate the conversation.

This segment is part 5 in the series : 1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Vinit Bhansali, Takshil Venture Partners
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