Vikram Pai is a successful entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Refer Rush, an e-commerce referral sales platform. The company asks its existing customers to connect with friends or anyone to sign up or purchase a product through referral codes. The existing customers get cash back or referral or bonus points for each successful referral. Let’s discuss Pai’s successful journey.

Pai started Refer Rush from Bengaluru, and he faced hurdles in making his business a successful. Despite failed businesses and financial struggles, Pai did not give up and relentlessly worked toward his goal. In the last six years, Pai had five failed businesses and lost Rs 2 crore in revenues. There was a time when he had only Rs 4000. He was unable to pay his company’s co-founder. People taunted him for attempting to become Elon Musk. Pai’s half of his body got paralysed, but he did not surrender to the circumstances. 

Pai wrote on X, “6 years. 5 failed businesses. 2 crores were earned and lost. They called me Elon Musk. Half my body got paralyzed. I went down to my last 4k and couldn’t pay the co-founders’ salary. Here’s the screenshot before I sent him 36k for the month. He had responsibilities. Everyone told me to quit. Even my grandma questioned me. I was called delusional. Dad said I was ‘playing business’. Aunties gossiping about my career. My mom lost belief. My best friend betrayed me. I cried. But I always believed. I always had food and a home. That’s all I needed. Today @referrush was selected as one of 9 out of 2400+ companies for the @TheWTFund grant.”

He believes five years is required to learn a business. It is an inspiring story for all entrepreneurs who are afraid of consequences.