Paradyes CEO, Yushika Jolly alleges Online Harassment post Shark Tank feature
- ByStartupStory | January 17, 2023
Yushika Jolly, CEO of Paradyes, took to LinkedIn to discuss the online backlash she received after the show aired on Thursday, despite having secured a deal that she and her co-founder were happy with. While her co-founder, and husband, was “praised for his excellent negotiating skills”, she said that the hateful messages she was receiving were coloured by “gender prejudice”.
The 26-year-old CEO wrote in a LinkedIn post. “In the last 48 hours, I have been called “rude, smug, manipulative, greedy, bitch and unprofessional.” Hate messages abound in my DMs, in the comments on my personal page, and even on my brands’ page. I draw attention to the gender prejudice because, in contrast, my husband, who is also the co-founder, is getting praised for his excellent negotiating skills,” she wrote.
Jolly defended her decision to go with ‘boAt’ founder Aman Gupta and Sugar Cosmetics CEO Vineeta Singh’s offer rather than Lenskart CEO Peyush Bansal’s, she said that she knows her “business better than any keyboard warrior”.
“We could have chosen Peyush if we were truly that ‘greedy’… And for everyone asking why create a mess for 1%, please go and build your own business and only then will you realise how important even 1% is,” Yushika Jolly wrote.
Yushika Jolly and Siddharth Raghuvanshi, the founders, had gone into the tank asking for Rs 65 lakh for 1% equity in their company. After a massive shark fight, Piyush Bansal, CEO of Lenskart, gave them what they wanted. Meanwhile, Vineeta and Aman countered the offers by asking for Rs 65 lakh for 2% equity. Yushika and Siddharth accepted the latter’s offer.
In other news, Jolly found a silver lining in her ordeal. “Following our airing, our sales on our website and in a few specific marketplaces nearly doubled. Our website has experienced a 20x increase in traffic.”
Shark Tank India’s second season premiered earlier this month. The reality show, which debuted a year ago, features startups seeking investment from established businessmen. The show is an Indian adaptation of the popular US show Shark Tank, which is currently in its 14th season.
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