The Biography of a Failed Venture

In April 2017, Prashant Desai started a venture to build India''s first truly Indian sports brand D:FY (like Nike). In six months, Rajiv Mehta, who started Puma India and led it for seven years, joined him as a partner. In 30 months, the business lost Rs 30 crore, virtually wiping out all that Prashant had earned for nearly thirty years. The venture failed not because Prashant did not possess the necessary vision, determination, and courage; it failed because the number of things Prashant did wrong exceeded the number of things he did right. One could weep over the fuselage or decode the black box. So, when Prashant decided to decode it, new possibilities emerged, revealing a treasure trove of success secrets."