You’ve Got This, Kid

How Narrativ found its first lead, its footing, and a founder still learning to breathe through the waves

Building in Public: Month One

Writing my month one reflection as I listen to the oceans crash against the beach in Srilanka, there’s some kind of calm in this, but the month wasn’t so calming. Hey, I’m Niharika Anjan, founder of Narrativ, a Dubai-based communications studio that helps startups craft their messaging, content, and pitch materials to raise funds with clarity and confidence. This newsletter is gonna be my monthly reflection of how it is running a startup, this is kinda like my digital diary to look back and see how every month felt in the initial days. Expect random updates on how things went and where we are heading as a brand, my flops, my mess ups and where I am sitting right now.

October was my first real month as a founder. Still not entirely comfortable calling myself that. It’s overwhelming. Every time someone asks, “So, what do you do?”, I pause because I’m still wrapping my head around doing this.

This month was about foundational setups. I had to tell myself a hundred times a day that I’m on the path I chose and that it’s okay not to have a signed client in week one. I have properly set out goals for how each quarter for the business looks, but I also have a steady mindset and need to outperform the goals I set. It’s tough trying to bring myself to the center, constantly telling myself I am exactly where I planned to be. Stick the lane.

Financially, it’s been an exercise in courage and gratitude. I’ve poured savings and my family’s support into courses, events, and communities. I’ve never spent so much on myself before (upskilling and learning part), and I’m acutely aware that I can because of the privilege and support system I have. Emotionally, it’s been chaos, joy, and stress taking turns. My brain feels like a tab browser with 47 things open, out of nowhere, a colourful wheel pops up, and I buffer.

Work-wise, I spoke to five potential clients this month: an HR app using AI, a nutritionist, a psychometric-based career app, a UAE health app for doctor bookings, and a therapist working with children on the spectrum. Different people, different goals, but one common thread: People understand that comms and marketing for their brand is important deeply. These signals assure me knowing I am on the path that not only makes sense to me, but to others too!

My favorite milestone was getting my first inbound lead on October 8th, just six days after I launched. It was a quiet, steady feeling that my content had reached the right person. That was enough validation to keep going. Proudly attaching the screenshot here, I did not sign the client, but the conversation and this message was one of the initial signals that will forever stay close to me.

Another highlight favorite moment would be my photoshoot that I did with my mom for a potential website. If you are reading this and create websites, please reach out! Badly looking for contacts to help me bring my vision to reality, dropping one of my favorite photos from the shoot.

I need to get comfortable with these photos being on a post, so here we go! Take a look at the other 4, my mom is a brilliant photographer! It is a privilege to be in front of her camera!

I also attended a Tech Event for Startups this month. Imagine all the people were hardcore engineers, working on their apps and a bunch of data, the event was to figure out how to ethically mine data. I only knew about diamond mining. What’s this data mining? I still don’t get it.

I didn’t expect to belong there or even understand what was happening, but I pitched Narrativ anyway. People got it. They asked follow-up questions, shared contacts, and one even messaged me later. Because at the end of the day, all these apps were entering the market soon and they need to build their visibility and raise funds eventually.

Most of our assumptions come from within us; putting yourself out there isn’t actually too bad.

October was full of new things, having my own visiting card, I got an NFC card after a friend suggested, god, I still find it too cool to just tap my card and you have all the details I wanna share in seconds without any awkward back and forth!

I also met startup founders to pitch Narrativ, attended a mental gym to work on my skillsets, attended meetings that felt like I absolutely don’t belong there, to then felt this isn’t too bad.

October 2024 looked a lot different. It was my last month at U&I (My previous job). It’s been a year since I quit employment, and now being a business owner, journeys look a lot different from what you have pictured for yourself. If there’s one big lesson from October, it’s this: don’t let perfect be the enemy of good, and right now, “good” means showing up, building a marketing rhythm, and nurturing the right kind of leads. It’s not glamorous, but it’s progress.

So here I am, on the edge of November, somewhere between fear and faith. Some days I’m convinced I’m going to make it big; other days I’m equally convinced I’ll quietly fade away with an unfinished business plan. The truth, I guess, lives somewhere in between. For now, the only thing that matters is this: I’ve started and that’s enough for month one. You’ve got this kid!

Love,
Niharika Anjan, Founder of Narrativ
See you on end of November, probably with one signed client!