What does it take to build a ₹100-crore skincare brand in under a year — in one of the most crowded consumer categories in India?

In this episode of the Blume Podcast, Karthik Reddy sits down with Mohit Yadav, Co-founder of Minimalist, to unpack the long, invisible journey behind the brand’s seemingly overnight success.

This is not a story about hype, influencers, or clever marketing. It’s about:

- Why transparency became Minimalist’s core competitive advantage

- How two years of “failed” experimentation at Freewill laid the real foundation

- The shift from personalised haircare to problem-led, science-first skincare

- Why Minimalist focused only on “need-to-have” products in its first year

- How referrals, repeats, and honest customer conversations compounded growth

- Why Tier-3 India surprised them the most — and what it says about knowledge parity

If you’re building a consumer brand, thinking about PMF, or wondering how trust scales faster than ads — this episode is a masterclass.

🔔 Don’t miss more founder stories from Season 4: Destiny Avenged.

⏱️ Timestamps (Full Episode)

00:00 — Why Minimalist believed it could stand out in a crowded beauty market

01:00 — From Freewill to Minimalist: the pivots, mistakes, and COVID reset

08:30 — Radical transparency, clinically proven products, and black-and-white design

10:30 — The surprise insight: 50% of customers came from tier-3 India

Season Partners

This season is brought to you by IDFC FIRST Bank and Ultrahuman.

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this content are for informational purposes only and do not constitute investment, legal, tax, or accounting advice, nor an offer or solicitation to buy or sell securities. References to companies or outcomes are illustrative only and should not be construed as endorsements. Past performance is not indicative of future results.