Mamaearth’s Varun Alagh, who went public, recalls having a “board of mothers” in the early days

Alagh said they started out as a baby care brand, so they wanted to get mothers’ feedback and perspective to better understand the gaps in this market.

Varun Alagh, co-founder and CEO of Mamaearth, which is tied to an initial public offering (IPO), recalled that the brand had a “board of mothers” when the company was founded. Speaking at an event in New Delhi on Friday, Alagh said: “Before (the) board, we had (a) board of mothers… We spoke to several mothers to understand their needs for their children.”

He added that they started out as a baby care brand, so they wanted to get mothers’ feedback and perspective to better understand the gaps in this market.

“Sometimes moms have to get up at 2 a.m. to look after their kids… so who knows what their kid wants better than they do…” he noted.

Alagh also stressed the importance of marketing. He said, “Marketing is very important… Koi apko jaanega nahi toh manega kaise?” (If the customers don’t know you, how are they supposed to trust you?)

He also said that marketing your products on the right platform is also paramount. He pointed out that hardly anyone watches TV these days because social media has taken over. “We started marketing our products on Instagram and similar platforms. You need to go where your consumers are consuming the most content.”

“Jaha wave jaa rahi hai consumers ki, waha jao…” he said, adding that companies should also work on cracking the code to “deliver their message in the right way.”

Honasa Consumer Private Ltd, which owns Mamaearth and other brands such as The Derma Co, BBlunt, Momspresso, etc., filed preliminary papers with India’s Securities and Exchange Board in January this year to raise funds through an IPO. The IPO includes a new issue of shares worth Rs 400 crore and an offer-for-sale (OFS) component of 4,68,19,635 shares by promoters, investors and other selling shareholders, pursuant to the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP).

According to DRHP, several investors will leave the company through the OFS, including angel investors like actress Shilpa Shetty, Snapdeal co-founders Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal, and Rishabh Mariwala, a venture capitalist and son of Marico chairman Harsh Mariwala. VC firms such as Fireside Ventures, Sofina and Stellaris will also exit through the OFS.