Shankar Narayanan

In Q4 of 2023, my company yufin faced a critical challenge. Our expenses were outpacing revenue growth, forcing us to rethink our strategy. Shankar pushed us to pivot from a traditional digital payments-first approach to a cash-first model. This unconventional strategy allowed us to secure the right partners and launch new services in Q1 2024. His approach helped us grow our business without immediately disrupting the cash-in-circulation system. At the same time, Shankar introduced us to his network of angel investors, extending our runway and vouching for us personally once he believed in our plan and team. Today, yufin is thriving. Our merchant services in the South Philippines are growing over 35% month on month, and we’re on track to break even in six months. Shankar’s guidance has been pivotal in our journey to success. There was one piece of advice Shankar shared that has had a lasting impact on both me and yufin. It was his mantra: “Own your business.” “He taught me that ownership isn’t just about your cap table percentage—it’s about the sweat, dedication, and confidence you bring to building something real.” “In 2022, as yufin was getting off the ground, Shankar gave me a blunt yet valuable push: stop planning and start building.” This straightforward advice saved us four months, and we were able to launch our pilot later that year. Recently, our relationship has shifted from purely professional to more personal. Shankar started a fintech squash group where we meet regularly. While the work-related professional collaboration became less intense, the camaraderie and time spent on the squash court grew, leading us to know each others’ opinions, motivations, character, and ambitions much better as a professional group. This was when I started listening, observing, and learning how he spoke, communicated, persuaded, juggled multiple tasks, and somehow still found the energy to play with the squash group while going through the highs and lows of running his startup.