Saatvy- Pivoting From AI Trust and Safety to Ayurveda Wellness for Chronic Conditions (A YC Founder’s Story) | Episode 14

Have you ever considered pivoting your startup? What if you didn't even have a new idea lined up?

In this episode of The Lobster Talks by Lobster Capital, we are joined by Ankur Rustagi, a serial entrepreneur with a background in trust and safety at tech giants like Facebook and Roblox. He founded Sero AI, a trust and safety platform, and then pivoted to Saatvy, a wellness platform focused on chronic conditions, after just ten months. This episode dives into Ankur's journey, exploring the challenges of building and selling a B2B SaaS solution in the trust and safety space, and the pivotal decision to change course. He shares his internal struggle, the impact on his co-founder, and the support he received from Y Combinator and investors. Ankur then reveals the unexpected path that led him to Saatvy, driven by a personal experience with chronic pain and a growing belief in the power of alternative medicine, particularly Ayurveda.

Listen to this episode and gain valuable insights into the realities of startup pivoting, the importance of staying true to your convictions, and the potential for success in unexpected corners of the market.

EPISODE IN A GLANCE

-The Sero AI Journey: Ankur's motivation for founding Sero AI, aiming to improve trust and safety in the tech world

-Challenges with Sero AI: Enterprise Sales and Internal Struggles

-The Decision to Pivot: Ankur reveals the internal struggle and the decision to pivot away from Sero AI

-The Emotional Journey: Dealing with Uncertainty and Maintaining Energy

-Investor Conversations: How Ankur Communicated the Pivot to His Investors

-The Birth of Saatvy: The Path from LLM Safety to Wellness

-Saatvy's Approach: Authentic Ayurvedic Practitioners and Personalized Care

-Co-Founder Dynamics: Navigating Tala's Departure and Maintaining a Positive Relationship

-The Future of Saatvy: Raising Awareness and Expanding Access to Ayurvedic Care

ABOUT ANKUR RUSTAGI

Founder of Saatvy, whose mission is to take Ayurveda to 100M+ people with chronic conditions. Previously, Ankur empowered teams at Meta, Roblox and eBay to build AI solutions for elections and child safety.

CONNECT WITH ANKUR RUSTAGI

Website → https://saatvy.com

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/saatvy

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/anrustagi

ABOUT GABRIEL JARROSSON

Gabriel Jarrosson is a seasoned investor and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in the startup space and the General Partner of Lobster Capital. He has invested over $25M in Y Combinator startups. Having sold three of his own startups, he shares his expertise in his books "My Investor Secrets" and "Investing in Startups: x100 or Nothing."

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL JARROSSON

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercapital

Website → https://www.lobstercap.com/

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrieljarrosson/

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/lobstercapital/

Tiktok → https://www.tiktok.com/@lobstercapital

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