About
I build things, write about what building actually costs, and try to be honest about both.
The Work
I started Antialias in 2014, a design agency I still run a decade later. It taught me that the boring stuff, reliability and finishing, outlasts talent almost every time.
Then came Hacoco, working in the art market, and Perfume Lounge, a D2C brand we grew to ₹55L a month and then wound down. Not pivoted. Wound down, on purpose, because the unit economics were never going to work. I write about that openly, because pretending otherwise helps no one.
The Writing
The 55 Lac Illusion is the book that came out of all that. A founder-to-founder account of a brand that crossed ₹55 lakh in monthly revenue and roughly 10,000 orders a month, and what the dashboard didn't show underneath it.
This blog is where I work things out in shorter form: business, money, policy, and the parts of running companies that don't make it into the pitch deck. No motivational posters. No frameworks for the sake of frameworks.
The Foundation
Nikhaar Foundation is the part of this I talk about least and care about a lot. Community welfare in health, education, and livelihood, done consistently rather than loudly. It's registered under 12A, 80G and CSR-1.
Quick Facts
Who is Shivam Sood?
Shivam Sood is an Indian entrepreneur and author. He founded the design studio Antialias in 2014, co-founded the art-market venture Hacoco, and founded Nikhaar Foundation. He also built and wound down the D2C fragrance brand Perfume Lounge, an experience he wrote into his book, The 55 Lac Illusion.
What companies has Shivam Sood founded?
Antialias, a design studio he started in 2014 and still runs; Hacoco, which works in the art market; and Nikhaar Foundation, a nonprofit. He was also the founder and CEO of Perfume Lounge, a D2C fragrance brand he wound down after growing it to roughly ₹55 lakh in monthly revenue.
What is Shivam Sood's book about?
The 55 Lac Illusion is a founder memoir about building Perfume Lounge to nearly ₹55 lakh in monthly revenue and roughly 10,000 orders a month, and the operating mistakes, pricing, CAC, distribution, and unit economics, that the revenue number hid until the company wound down.
What is Nikhaar Foundation?
Nikhaar Foundation is the nonprofit Shivam Sood founded, working on water conservation, clean air, and children's education and welfare, including a water pump installed for around 3,000 people in Indira Gandhi Camp, Kasturba Nagar, and cracker-free Diwali campaigns run with the Delhi Police.
Where can I follow Shivam Sood?
He writes at shivamsood.com/blog, posts videos on YouTube, and is on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
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