Bibliography

Books

Xiaomi: How a Startup Disrupted the Market and Created a Cult Following

Published 2021, HarperCollins · 4.4 ★ on Amazon

There may be no hotter company on the planet than Xiaomi. In less than a decade, the company has gone from being a Chinese start-up to a global player in the smartphone market. Driven by the philosophy of 'Innovation for all', Xiaomi has a cult fan following; after all, it offers high-end features at relatively low prices.

Besides, it does not only sell phones. It also sells earphones, bluetooth speakers, televisions, fitness bands, weighing scales, power banks and air purifiers, among other products — each one offering the best possible value for money.

How did a small Chinese start-up become so big in a matter of years? How has it managed a cult following in such a short time period when a company like Apple took decades? What's the secret behind Xiaomi's success? This book provides the answers at length.

  • This book is an essential read for everyone who wants to know how modern companies are built on extreme customer centricity. This highly engaging book tells the story of Xiaomi's origin and also unpacks the elements of strategy that made it successful as it scaled up.

    Girish Mathrubootham, Founder & Executive Chairman, Freshworks Inc
  • I've been observing Xiaomi's role in globalizing Chinese products since the company's early days… This book shines a light on one of the world's most important consumer technology companies with hard-to-come-by insights and perspective.

    Hamish McKenzie, Co-founder, Substack; Author of Beta China
  • A must-read for anyone aspiring to build a start-up.

    Kunal Shah, CEO & Founder, CRED
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Digital Leapfrogs: How technology is reshaping consumer markets in India

Published April 2022, HarperCollins · with Prof. Vijay Mahajan & Dan Zehr

In north India, Laxman, a truck driver, takes great pride in his work. Unlike other truck drivers in India, he has more free time and can go home, rather than stay on the road for days on end. He works for a company called Rivigo that uses digital technologies to create what it calls 'relay as a service'.

In Kerala, Genrobotics has created Bandicoot, a 50-kg spider-like robot, ensuring the safety and efficiency of manual scavengers.

In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Indian government's digital platform, COWIN, helped ensure vaccination at scale. The platform has now been made open source for all countries to adapt and use.

Backed by comprehensive data and extensive research covering over 150 organizations, Digital Leapfrogs illustrates how these technologies are changing markets and lives throughout the developing world.

Buy on Amazon India →