Gaurav Munjal, the founder of Unacademy, has shared a heartfelt account of his mentorship journey with Zomato’s Deepinder Goyal. In Munjal’s story, he recounts being a 25-year-old, newly-minted founder who reached out to Deepinder Goyal in 2015, eager to learn and connect. Initially, Goyal’s blunt reply was, “Kyon milna hai yaar. Dhandha banao” (“Why meet? Go build your business”). Undeterred, Munjal persisted, consistently emailing week after week until, finally, Goyal agreed to meet for a short 10-minute conversation.
Though Deepinder Goyal was in a bad mood that day, he imparted a key piece of advice—“Just grow 1% every day. Everything else is secondary.” This simple, actionable principle stuck with Munjal through the years.
Over time, what began as a mentor-mentee relationship deepened, with Goyal becoming a steady advisor and eventually even joining Unacadmy’s board of directors. Munjal credits Deepinder Goyal’s candid feedback and relentless focus on fundamentals as pivotal for his personal and entrepreneurial growth. He now encourages others to learn from Goyal’s journey, highlighting the value of relentless perseverance, seeking mentorship, and absorbing practical wisdom from seasoned founders.
About the Book on Deepinder Goyal
Munjal also recommends a book chronicling Deepinder Goyal’s “extraordinary journey”—likely referencing “Unseen,” a new biography/documentary book about Goyal and Zomato. The book shares insider stories, lessons, and advice that have shaped one of India’s most iconic startup founders. Munjal, having benefited from these stories firsthand, urges others to read it, suggesting the book’s wisdom can be transformative not just for aspiring entrepreneurs, but for anyone seeking to navigate ambitious professional paths.
The book, with its collection of lessons from Goyal’s life and career, offers a rare view into the mind of an entrepreneur who built a tech giant from scratch in India’s ultra-competitive food tech space.
Read this: UNSEEN : A Book on Zomato and the 15-Year Journey of Deepinder Goyal to Be Released on October 31
Munjal’s testimonial highlights that behind every headline and valuation in the startup ecosystem, it’s these candid moments and authentic guidance that truly shape founders—and the stories and books capturing these insights deserve to be shared broadly.
