Akshata Sharma
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Sridhar scaled Zoho to over $300 million in annual profit, developing its own versions of Google Docs, Salesforce, QuickBooks, and numerous other applications.
In 1996, Sridhar's brothers founded Advent, a network management startup, and brought Sridhar on board to lead sales. He excelled in this role and was soon promoted to CEO. Everything seemed promising.
However, the optimism was short-lived. The 2002 dot-com crash reduced Advent's customer base from 150 to just 3. While thousands of startups went bankrupt, Advent survived.
Key factors behind Advent's resilience included:
- Free Cash Flow: The company prioritized profit over rapid growth.
- Low Operating Costs: Most employees were based in India, keeping expenses down.
No Investors: Without external pressure, the company wasn't forced into unsustainable growth.
Leveraging these advantages, the Advent team pivoted successfully. In 2002, they launched Manage Engine, an IT management software that quickly became a hit.
* Raised $0 funding
* Has 100 Mn+ users
* Generates $1 Bn+ in ARR.
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