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Startup advisor recalls meeting with Deepinder Goyal during Zomato's early days: 'Deepi was bubbling with energy'
The post reflects on a meeting from nearly two decades ago, when Deepinder Goyal was in the early stages of building what would later become Zomato.
A LinkedIn post recalling an early interaction with Deepinder Goyal has sparked a discussion around how India’s startup ecosystem has evolved over the years.
The post, shared by startup advisor Akshay Sharma, reflects on a meeting from nearly two decades ago, when Goyal was in the early stages of building what would later become Zomato. “I’ve had incredible luck in meeting people who inspired me, changed my life. Deepinder Goyal is one such person I got to know,” he wrote.
Recalling their first interaction, he said, “20 years ago, Deepi was bubbling with energy as he took his second shot at building a startup, and we sat at Nirula’s in Noida, debating which investor’s money to accept for Foodiebay (aka Zomato).” Sharma added that Goyal went on to build the company into one with “incredible impact, fame and richness (for many people)”, and that he had initially assumed the entrepreneur might have moved into a more relaxed phase of life.
However, a more recent meeting changed that perception. “I met him last year and saw that same energy. He’d found purpose again(in LAT Aerospace and Temple). And he was working harder than ever - that's what gave him energy, and his purpose,” Sharma wrote, referring to Goyal’s continued involvement in new ventures.
He noted that the interaction prompted him to reflect on his own journey. “That conversation with Deepi kicked off my year of searching for my purpose. (Including a reset on where to set ambition!!),” he added.
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Social media reactions
The post resonated with several users on LinkedIn, many of whom shared their thoughts on long-term motivation and entrepreneurial drive.
“As founders, we often chase milestones, but the real shift happens when you reconnect with why you started in the first place. That’s when the work stops feeling like work again,” one user wrote.
“The fact that he had that same energy decades later says more about purpose than any TED talk on the subject,” commented another.
“It feels like a fitting coincidence that Deepinder’s name itself reflects the 'deep' tech at the heart of his work,” wrote a third user.
