Shark Tank India: My Journey

Hi, I am Meghana Dave, I’m a neuro-rehab physiotherapist. I am also a content creator and I run a virtual and physical PT clinic named HealthQ rehab.

3 reasons why I started HealthQ rehab:

1. I wanted to create better opportunities for myself that gave me GROWTH, MEANING, ABUNDANCE, AND HAPPINESS which I could not find when I started out.

2. I wanted to provide a better PT solution to people a solution that was EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT, AFFORDABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE at the same time.

3. I wanted to create a workplace and opportunity for physios that allowed them to learn, create, innovate and grow.

Somehow, I could attain my first goal but the next two goals were big. I knew I needed help in making this happen. Hence, I always look for opportunities to collaborate and learn from new people who are smarter than me.

Why Shark Tank?

I’ve always been a shark tank fan; I have seen almost every season. While watching shark tank I always use to visualize myself pitching in front of sharks. Mark Cuban is my all-time favorite shark. The biggest reason I applied to shark tank India was the fact that I was curious to experience “How it felt like pitching in front of sharks” I wanted to feel that emotion. That said, I was absolutely okay with not getting funding. All I wanted was to be able to pitch my idea to the world.

I got to know that shark tank India way before they started advertising from a startup content creator. It was possible for me to learn about it soon because I follow their social media and business media websites very closely.

The application process

Step 1: 4-5 pages form asking a brief about your business and yourself. This was a pretty simple process.

After 1 month I got notified that I’d been selected for round two.

Step 2: This was the most draining round for me. I was supposed to submit each and every possible detail about the business. The time for submission was 15 days. It required me to submit Business incorporation certificates, Balance sheets, P&L statements, CA certificates, term sheets, etc.

I was supposed to submit a very detailed business plan along with two videos. One video was about 2 min elevator pitch and another was a product/service demo video.

After this again wait time was 1 month

Step 3: Next confirmation email was about the audition round. The audition round happened in Bangalore itself. There were 2 judges. The audition was recorded. 2 min of time was given for the elevator pitch and followed by the questions. Questions were not just about business but also about me. While listening they gave no feedback or no expression, they were absolutely neutral. After the audition, I was told that I would be informed about the judgment.

In the last week of December, I got a message that I had not been selected.

What I Learned

To me this experience was great, I learned a lot from this process. I discovered a lot about myself as an entrepreneur. But mostly I got an opportunity to pitch my idea to people. Which was the whole reason I applied to shark tank India. I also got to connect with many incredible startups and was glad to see them appearing on the show.

One thing I learned from shark tank India is “Storytelling is a very important skill that an entrepreneur should develop. Because story sells and not numbers”

What’s next for me

Well, I’m exactly doing all the same things that I would have done after winning the investment in shark tank India. Before going to Shark Tank India I used to think that I cannot execute my plan without funding. But after not making it to the final round, I figured it out myself. I started a HealthQ rehab clinic, Launched the Healthqrehab app. Additionally, I built a team of 10+ people without taking a single penny from anyone in the span of just 3 months. I am proud of myself for doing that.

I owe the clarity I got to the Shark Tank India audition.

My advice for PTs

Have bigger goals, don’t hesitate from experimenting, and keep evolving. Your failure would be much bigger and better than average success.

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