Sharan Hegde on Zoho's ₹50,000 Cr Success: The Secret Sauce

Zoho, a ₹50,000 Cr tech giant from a very small Indian village, has remarkably built a global SaaS empire—without prioritizing its marketing. In a conversation with Sharan Hegde, Zoho's secret to success was widely unveiled: an R&D-driven approach.

Why Is Zoho So Successful?

Unlike the traditional companies that spend heavily on the marketing, Zoho takes a different route:

60% of revenue is reinvested into R&D to create some better products.

• Marketing was never a key focus in the early years.
• The company believes that some great products drive sales naturally.
• The Power of Innovation Over Marketing

Most companies often allocate a huge chunk of their budget to its marketing and sales. But Zoho flipped the script by putting engineering and product development on first. 

This long-term investment in innovation has allowed them to build a world-class software that profoundly competes on a global scale.

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Lessons from Zoho's Unique Business Model

Sharan Hegde highlights that Zoho's success proves a simple and powerful truth:

• Invest in your product, not just its promotions.
• Long-term growth comes from innovation and not aggressive ads.
• A strong product can market itself.

Zoho's story is indeed a masterclass in business strategy, showing that its vision, innovation, and patience can lead to massive success. 

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