The Founders Peak Podcast · Where exceptional startup founders share untold stories that shaped who they are

The Art of Not Dying / Survival > Strategy - Season 15 (Singapore, Nov 2025)

·11 min·1 clip

Ankit Rathan reveals that winning $8,000 didn't feel like success—it felt like oxygen that bought six more months of survival.

Ankit Rathan, co-founder of Signzy, shares the gripping survival story of his startup's near-failure in its first year. He recounts how losing promised funding forced extreme cost-cutting, living in a student hostel, and learning that cash buys time and survival requires saying yes to customers. The turning point came from winning a banking competition that provided just enough oxygen to continue.

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