The office wasn't much—just a small rented space above a tyre shop on Sohna Road. It smelled faintly of grease and ambition. The AC rattled like a tired machine clinging to life, and the walls still bore faded posters from the shop's previous occupants.
But to Aarav, it was perfect.
It was the beginning.
On the first day in the new office, Aarav stood in front of a team of three.
Ritu Sharma, a 27-year-old frontend developer from Rewari who had quit her job at a big firm to work somewhere that "felt real."Rakesh Yadav, a soft-spoken, cycle-riding sales guy from Bhiwadi who had personally onboarded over 200 small sellers for his previous employer.And Priya Nair, a 25-year-old with a fierce customer-first attitude and zero tolerance for vendor excuses.
He looked at them, trying to sound confident. "We're small, but we're sharp. Rootlink isn't going to be built in air-conditioned glass towers. It's going to be built from the ground up. With people like us. For people like us."
Ritu smiled. "Sounds better than a beanbag and ping-pong table."
Within days, the three recruits were flying.
Ritu polished the UI to something that looked sleek and intentional—far better than the MVP Aarav had cobbled together.
Rakesh hit the road on his scooter, visiting vendor stalls, farms, and even small production units with a backpack full of flyers and an old phone loaded with the Rootlink demo app.
Priya set up automated WhatsApp onboarding, recorded tutorial videos in Hindi and English, and made sure no ticket went unanswered beyond 3 hours.
The System began feeding deeper metrics now.
Team Productivity Dashboard UnlockedEmployee Satisfaction: 89%Onboarding Conversion Rate: 31% (↑ from 17%)Vendor Retention Probability: 91%New Suggested OKRs Available:– 1000 Verified Vendors in 60 Days– Monthly GMV: ₹5 Lakhs– Launch Rootlink 2.0 Web Dashboard (Beta)
But beyond the metrics, what thrilled Aarav was the feeling.
He was no longer carrying Rootlink alone.
He had a tribe.
Meanwhile, the growth was compounding.
Vendors were now recommending Rootlink to other vendors.
One day, Aarav got a call from a man named Bhavesh Solanki—owner of a rural co-op in Gujarat. He had a network of nearly 120 small turmeric and jaggery producers looking for stable urban buyers.
Bhavesh had one question:"Can Rootlink handle bulk orders and scheduled pickups?"
The System responded immediately.
New Module Required:– B2B Logistics + Inventory SchedulingTime to Build: 3 WeeksSuccess Probability (with Dedicated Dev): 94%Bonus: Opens Access to Regional Co-op Clusters
Aarav turned to Ritu that same afternoon. "We're building the bulk order module."
"No problem," she grinned. "I was getting bored anyway."
With scale came attention.
A popular startup newsletter ran a piece titled: "From Unemployed to Undeniable: Rootlink's Rise from Gurgaon's Backstreets."
A couple of angel funds reached out. Even a junior associate from a top VC firm booked a call.
Ramesh messaged Aarav privately:
"Careful now. This is where founders start tripping—when too many hands start clapping. Focus on the product. Focus on the people. Fame can wait."
Aarav read that message twice, then locked his phone.
One night, while returning from a meeting with a spice trader in Faridabad, Aarav stopped by a roadside stall for chai. As he stood sipping the hot liquid, he overheard the stall owner talking to a nearby customer.
"Arre bhaiya, sab Rootlink se lene lage hain haldi. Wahan se seedha milta hai, sasta bhi, aur time pe."
The customer nodded, "Mujhe bhi suna hai. Achha platform hai."
Aarav froze, cup in hand, heart pounding.
This wasn't a pitch.This wasn't a review.This was word of mouth.
Rootlink had become a name people were saying when he wasn't in the room.
The System chimed quietly.
Milestone Achieved: Organic Word-of-Mouth TriggeredTrust Score: 80%Next Unlock: Partnership Opportunities – NGOs, Co-op Federations, State ProgramsNew Mission: Design Expansion Blueprint – Rural Integration Phase
Aarav looked up at the starless sky.
There was still so much to build.
But now, for the first time, he wasn't chasing success.
Success was starting to chase him.