139) Bullied by Q-Com? It’s Completely Your Fault.
In this episode, Sudeep grills Sharan on a brutally honest question - why are so many emerging consumer brands getting steamrolled by Quick Commerce platforms?
Sharan shares firsthand founder conversations and hard-earned insights to make a bold claim: Q-Com isn’t the problem. You are, if you’re treating it like a business model instead of a channel. What follows is a fiery, insight-packed breakdown of how to engage with platforms like Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart without losing your brand, your margins, or your mind.
CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS
- Visibility ≠ Viability: Why being listed on Q-Com might be hurting more than helping.
- Modern Trade Déjà Vu: How today’s Q-Com behavior mirrors yesterday’s Modern Trade chaos.
- The Double Jeopardy Trap: Small brands pay more, get less, and stay stuck in the cycle.
- The Myth of D2C: Why most Indian brand websites are a disaster—and Q-Com feels like a savior.
- Real Moats Are Boring: How brands like Atomberg and Heads Up For Tails built strength through offline first.
- When to Use Q-Com: A framework to decide if you’re there for discovery, sampling, or convenience.
- Margins vs. Ambition: How pressure from investors leads to dangerous trade-offs.
- What Success Actually Looks Like: Building control, customer experience, and long-term equity.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Platforms Are Tools, Not Strategies: You’re not on Q-Com. Q-Com is on you, until you build your own roads.
Define the Role Before You Spend:
- Use Q-Com for trials? Great—treat the losses like a marketing budget.
- Driving repeat purchase? Then you have the leverage.
- Want visibility? Budget with ROI clarity.
Distribution Is the Ultimate Moat: You can’t build a brand without owning how it reaches customers.
D2C ≠ Selling on Shopify: If your logistics fail and you can’t control CX, it’s not D2C—it’s rented reach.
Sample, Don’t Sell at a Loss: In FMCG, CAC vs LTV is flawed. Give it for free rather than burn margins permanently.
Start Small, But Start Now: Even 100 offline stores in your city is a step toward real independence.
QUOTES
“Visibility cannot come at the cost of viability.”
“If Q-Com is your business model, go work there. You’re just a supplier.”
“Distribution is expensive, yes - but being dependent is far more costly.”
“There is no LTV in FMCG. You don’t acquire customers. You rent occasions.”
“The best brands aren’t avoiding Q-Com. They’re just not addicted to it.”
If you’re a founder, marketer, or investor in consumer brands, this episode is your wake-up call. Before you chase growth on platforms, make sure you actually own the business you’re building.
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CREDITS
Album Art & Design by ting.in
Voiceovers by Anjale Stephanos
Music from Zapsplat.com
