In the OTT platform's upcoming business reality series, Mission Start Ab, ten grassroot entrepreneurs will compete to receive funding from three Indian investors and go on to become India's next potential unicorn. Following the release of the trailer earlier this week, THE WEEK speaks to Sushant Sreeram, country director, Prime Video, India about the series and its significance.
How will 'Mission Start Ab' be any different from other start-up based shows like Shark Tank?
What differentiates Mission Start Ab from the other series in the same category is that the show is going to be not just about the milestones of the entrepreneurs from the startup ecosystem but about their journeys as well. And I think it is important we started celebrating the journeys, showcasing them, talking about them, and being inspired by these journeys. India is at the epicenter of innovation across many fields today and a large part of that has to do with just the sheer energy and innovation in the entrepreneurial small and medium enterprise ecosystem.
But I believe what is just as important, is the spirit of how we approached the making of this show, how we envisaged it early on and then had multiple discussions with the office of the principal scientific adviser (PSA) to the government of India who we are launching this show in collaboration with. The focus of the series for us was not just celebrating and showcasing the milestones, but also the journeys of these entrepreneurs and their ventures. So, I think that is one incredible way that this show is going to be different. However, again, that was not what was important for us. We did not want to programme it just for sake of creating a differentiation. We wanted to programme really good entertainment that at the end of the day motivates and inspires our audience.
With 'Mission Start Ab,' getting the format right was something that we spent considerable amount of time on. The second is, the series not only showcases the journeys of these 10 entrepreneurial teams but also serves as a fillip to, not just budding entrepreneurs, but to really anybody who nurtures or harbors some dream or ambition. It could be in their professional lives or in their personal lives or even related to the hobbies that they pursue. Entrepreneurship is nothing but the tenacity, determination and the ambition to make something happen. And I think we can all see how we can apply it to our everyday lives.
How did you pick the three investors?
When it came to creating this series, there was a series of steps that we undertook. The first was, we really wanted to make sure that we devised or developed a unique format that focused on the journey of the entrepreneur and not on the milestones to be achieved. The next step for us was to answer the question – how do we find the right kind of people for this show – both the founding teams that will participate and also the investors? Needless to say, a big consideration for us was to identify not just the financial investors to be part of the show but also people who could bring an incredible amount of integrity, commitment and passion to nurturing and mentoring these teams through the entire season, because that's the format of the show.
As the series is 7 episodes long, we wanted investors who not only would be able to commit their time, but also had incredible deep expertise in having built incredible businesses and who also feel deeply and passionately about nurturing the ecosystem. Finally, when we put all those filters in, the choice of Kunal, Anisha and Manish was a given. Each of them has an incredible professional track record that speaks for itself, but at the same time, they also bring along a deep passion that you will see throughout the show; in fact, it comes through in their conversations even today, after we have wrapped up the show. Each of them feels passionately and strongly for giving back to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country through any means they can, be
it mentorship or participating in fundraising, and so on – you will see all of that on the show. We at Prime Video are thrilled to have these three judges on the show.
What is the kind of audience that you will be targeting through this? Expectations from the show.
If it were any other show, to respond to your question, I would have probably delved into the core audience for the show, demographics and so on and so forth. I think this show is a little different. In my opinion, entrepreneurship at times is viewed in a very narrow sense. I believe that we all are entrepreneurs, whether we have a salaried job, or in a powerful position, or working as journalists, or are hobbyists. We are all entrepreneurial in the sense that we have an ambition, we have a dream. Sometimes, that can start off as something that we are wanting to do on the side, and that takes on a shape of its own. So, really the audience is anyone with an entrepreneurial bent of mind. More than that, to me the appeal of the show is in the fact that there are many takeaways for the audience.
First, the show is highly entertaining, that is partly due to the fact that a lot of hard work and collaborative efforts have gone into creating this series, by our teams here at Prime Video, the teams at the office of the PSA, as well as the judges, and the 10 founders shortlisted to be part of the show. Second, is the answer to the question, does the show leave our audiences not just entertained but also inspired to pursue their dreams, be it in professional or personal space? If the youth of this nation, the future creators and innovators, get inspired by seeing the journeys of these entrepreneurs, then we have achieved our goal of creating this show.
I personally wish that such a show had been made a couple of decades ago when I had briefly ventured on my own entrepreneurial journey. I believe there has been a lot of evolution within the startup ecosystem in India over the years. There are more than 90,000 start-ups today. As Amazon, we are deeply invested in various ways to nurture the small and medium enterprises in the country. For instance, we have VC funders such as Amazon India Smbhav Venture Fund and then as Prime Video, we are working to bring shows such as Mission Start Ab. Then there is Amazon Launchpad which helps creators optimize their market by providing business insights, etc. We didn’t have many of these back then. So, when I look back, part of me wishes that I had access to such support when I had forayed into entrepreneurship, I had Mission Start Ab. But at the same time, I feel fortunate and glad that as storytellers, we get to bring such as show to the creators of tomorrow and I get to play a small role in it. I find that incredibly gratifying.
