We can already see that Automation, AI, Machine Learning have already taken up the industry, says Ritish and Sethu

Ritish pursued an MBA in Advanced Corporate Finance and Banking Management, while Sethu pursued a global MBA in Marketing from SP Jain School of Global Management. The one-year course exposed us to the world of business like never before. We were fortunate enough to be taught and guided by some of the most senior faculties with great experience, qualifications, and intellect. Moreover, this course was an eye-opener for us in knowing what we are really passionate about. But beyond that, we would always credit the overall exposure we acquired from collaborating with some of the best minds across the world. They helped us build the right skills and prepared us to face real-world business challenges.

Irrespective of their size, today, every business uses multiple software for various purposes across departments. Out of these, close to 40% of licenses purchased go unused or underused. But a blurred vision on SaaS and disorganized governance often lead to excessive SaaS spending and a bloated SaaS stack. This is the problem that Zluri solves. It's a data-driven platform that helps tech-first companies discover, optimize, and govern their SaaS spend. Zluri helps IT, procurement, and finance teams to get visibility over the SaaS landscape, and provides them with usage insights, expense data, optimum pricing, etc., so that they can make the right decisions in SaaS investments.

Ironically, when we faced the situation of SaaS sprawl back in Knolskape, we realized the intensity of the problem. What we assumed to be a 50-application SaaS Stack turned out to be 200. The employees had purchased many apps without IT's purview, and most of them had used the company credentials to sign up for dating and gaming apps, putting the data at risk. That's when we did more granular research and decided that a SaaS Management Platform like Zluri is what the world needs right now. That too, after the pandemic, businesses had turned to work hybrid, increasing the risk of SaaS sprawl. So we felt there couldn't have been a better time and situation to launch Zluri.

It's a data-driven platform that helps tech-first companies discover, optimize, and govern their SaaS spend. Zluri helps IT, procurement, and finance teams to get visibility over the SaaS landscape, and provides them with usage insights, expense data, optimum pricing, etc., so that they can make the right decisions in SaaS investments.

Technology is a field that is constantly expanding and changing. Therefore, emerging ones are widely preferred by businesses everywhere, as they need to serve the customers by providing a solution that stands unique and powerful from the rest.

We can already see that automation, AI, machine learning, etc., have already taken up the industry, followed by IoT and Big data, which are up to a boom very soon.

Several start-ups are already bringing newer innovations to the B2B space. We will soon see domestic substitutes for Oracle, SAP, and Salesforce.

So, keeping those in mind, students should know that technology never gets outdated, only updated. To those who are pursuing it, the only advice we could give is never to think whatever you know is enough to stay in the industry. Versatile and fast learners who keep updating themselves are those who become successful in this field. 

Getting funding for your business is just one of the milestones in your overall journey. It depends on the scalability of the business, the total addressable market, and, last but not least, the right team. Zluri is fortunate enough to have co-founders with complementary skill sets, which is a big plus for VCs.

Technology was the second biggest area of spending for businesses after people. But it was very difficult to track where all the money was going manually. According to a Gartner report, SaaS spending is about to expand by 20% every year, which means this problem will only worsen. Zluri is an automated SaaS Management Platform that helps IT teams with SaaS visibility, optimize spending, and manage their SaaS purchases. So, it is one solution for multiple problems. Zluri got customer traction naturally as it features the most needed use cases, which thereby attracted investors.

Of course, the MBA shaped our decision-making skills, which is a good to have when you have decided to kickstart your venture.

About the authors:

Ritish Reddy- I am one of the co-founders of Zluri, the SaaS management platform for IT teams. I lead the marketing and partnerships. Before Zluri, I was also a part of the founding team at Knolskape and Cranium media. After completing my B school, I have always been passionate about building and scaling businesses. I am a bookaholic and love to explore new books stores and libraries in different parts of the world. And on the weekend, I spend my time painting with my 5-year-old.

Sethu Meenakshisundaram- I am one of the co-founders of Zluri, and I head the customer organization (Revenue and Customer Success). I have always believed there is something magical about building a business from the ground up. After working for two years in finance, I began my first business venture through Knolskape. Besides technology, I have always been passionate about quizzing and have won several trophies and accolades at quizzing events. My retirement plan is to open a board game bistro in Southeast Asia.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha