In a bold challenge to conventional startup wisdom, a Hyderabad-based entrepreneur has ignited a fiery online debate about whether building companies for financial gain is a legitimate pursuit. Jitendra Emmani, the co-founder and CEO of Cozy Farms, has publicly pushed back against the notion that founders should be driven solely by passion, asserting that wanting to make money is a perfectly valid reason to start a business.
From Passion Project to Profit-Driven Venture
Emmani shared his entrepreneurial journey in a detailed post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He explained that his first venture, Picxy, was born from a genuine desire to solve a problem. While studying in the US and working on a media portal for South Indian stories, he identified a critical gap in the market: a severe shortage of Indian stock images. To address this, he launched Picxy, a dedicated platform offering stock photos tailored for Indian businesses.
Despite pouring six years of intense effort into this passion-driven project, the company's growth remained stagnant. "Started my first company to solve a problem I deeply cared about," Emmani wrote. "Worked 6 years pretty hard and it didn't take off beyond a point." This firsthand experience of limited commercial success with a purpose-led idea prompted a significant shift in his outlook.
The Turning Point: A New Philosophy for Startup Success
The perspective shift came with the founding of his second startup, Cozy Farms. This time, Emmani's approach was different. He explicitly focused on building a profitable enterprise where he could also find personal satisfaction in the work. The results, according to him, were dramatically different and far more successful from a financial standpoint.
He made a striking comparison between his two ventures, claiming that Cozy Farms generated more revenue in its first year than Picxy had accumulated over its entire six-year lifespan. This stark contrast in outcomes formed the core of his argument against the 'passion-only' narrative often promoted to aspiring founders.
The Spark: A Clash with Investor Advice
Emmani's post was a direct response to investor Aviral Bhatnagar, who had earlier advised aspiring founders against launching businesses primarily for financial gain or the prestige of the CEO title. Bhatnagar had urged entrepreneurs to be "crazy enough to do whatever it takes to solve a problem you deeply care about."
Countering this, Emmani offered his own, more pragmatic guidance. "Started my second company to make money and be happy with the work I do," he stated. His concluding advice was blunt and clear: "Stop listening to the gyan (wisdom/advice). Build for money, it's totally fine." He further encouraged people to focus on achieving financial success first, arguing that wealth provides the freedom and resources to pursue meaningful endeavors later.
Netizens Weigh In: A Divided Opinion on Startup Motivation
The post quickly went viral, triggering a widespread discussion on the fundamental motivations for starting a company. Many users on X rallied in support of Emmani's realistic stance.
One user commented, "Obviously business is supposed to be for making money, even most of the big NGOs are running a profitable business. In fact if one is not practical enough to be driven by money they shouldn't think of starting the business." This sentiment highlights a belief in the foundational role of profitability.
Another user related to the founder's struggle, writing, "Great to see such turnaround. I can relate with founder pain and 6 years of no concrete results. Realising whats working and whats not is really important," emphasizing the value of learning from practical experience over idealistic dogma.
A third user challenged the 'follow your passion' mantra directly, stating, "Seriously this follow your passion may not take 99% to where they want to go. Building for money is fine. In the process you will have new passion new goals." This perspective suggests that passion can be discovered and cultivated through the process of building a successful, revenue-generating business, rather than being a prerequisite.
The debate underscores a pivotal question in the Indian startup ecosystem: is the relentless pursuit of a problem to solve the only noble path, or is the honest ambition to build wealth an equally powerful and valid engine for innovation and economic growth?
