Raghava
What are the reasons, which motivated you to start the startup?
Being passionate about the game of Poker, we wanted to back up the poker community in India because we felt that not a lot of people respect the game. Many people associate poker with gambling, but in reality, poker is an application of skills such as math, psychology, and memory.
By the time I thought of starting an online poker portal for people to visit and play poker, there were many big companies making that happen already. So, I thought of doing poker differently. Seeing the ambiguity in the legal structure in India for poker, Sunny and I thought of going online with poker gear that would allow poker players and poker enthusiasts to embrace their passion.
How was your journey towards your startup?
My passion for Poker inspired me to start a business with a purpose of backing the poker community and promoting poker as a game of skill. I would like the world to know that this game involves psychology, math, and memory contrary to the belief that Poker is a chance game.
What are the hurdles you faced and how you overcome them?
For me, every day is a new hurdle as my business not only involves designing, manufacturing and selling stylish clothes, but it also involves changing the perception of the people towards the game of Poker. My passion for the game is immense and I learn a new lesson every day. The game has taught me not to give all in and play till the end, hence I am applying the same rule to growing my brand.
About funding from starting of the startup to right now?
Being an avid sportsperson and a fashion enthusiast with a passion for the game of poker, I, along with my brother, Sunny Kochar conceptualized the idea behind Big Stack and bootstrapped it with an intention to provide uber-cool poker-inspired merchandise to those who appreciate individuality and uniqueness.
About the startup – why should people choose you?
Play your best, play better than the rest! Founded in 2017, Big Stack is a premium fashion sportswear brand that is inspired by the game of poker. Currently, the brand is retailing digitally. The brand was established with a vision to produce and provide fashionable and contemporary clothing for those who demand the latest and most trendy street wear.
The brand supplies fashion gear inspired by the game of poker. It offers a unique collection of clothing for both men and women, which are high in quality featuring simple yet strikingly perfect designs, which embrace the challenge of daring to be different. Each of the pieces in our collection focuses on individuality and freedom of expression.
Developments up to now. Future plans?
The main future plan is to grow the love for poker in everyone’s heart through our designs and quality of work. We want every poker player and poker lover to wear our merchandise and support the community.
What is the inspiration tagline that will be on your wall or you follow?
I am strongly inspired by the saying ‘We cannot change the cards we are dealt. What makes a difference is how we play the hand.’ Reading this gives me the motivation to think outside of the box.
Message for young entrepreneurs?
I would say that every entrepreneur must believe in his/her idea and should have the vision to grow with every passing day.
Every idea is novel in its own way and we all need to believe in our idea completely to make it a huge success.
Who are your competitions and how are you better than them?
Since we have just entered the India market, it is too early to comment on competition. However, Seeing the ambiguity in the legal structure in India for poker, our main focus was to go online with poker gear that would allow poker players and poker enthusiasts to embrace their passion.
About the founders?
I am a management graduate who believes that poker is not just a game but it is a lot more than that. It is how we live in our daily lives, it is a way of life.
Sunny Kochar, my brother, and Co-Founder of Big Stack has always supported me and has given the best advice for the betterment of the brand.
We started this company in September 2017 with a vision to endorse poker as a game of skill rather than a game of chance.
What’s the biggest misconception people have about you? Why do they have that? What’s the reality?
The biggest misconception about the company is that our brand is only for poker-enthusiasts whereas, it was established with a vision to produce and provide fashionable and contemporary clothing inspired by the game of Poker for those who demand the latest and most trendy street wear.
There is a lot of misconception about the game of poker in India. Many associate poker with gambling, but in reality, poker is a skill game that requires the application of skills such as math, psychology, and memory.
How hard is it to have a work-life balance as a startup founder and how do you manage it?
The life of an entrepreneur is not very easy and is full of struggles but the mission of changing the perception of people towards poker as a game and my passion for it motivates me to face the challenges, which come in my way. However, sometimes I play a hand of Poker or read books to manage stress.
Visit website: https://thebigstack.com/
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