Listen "#42 - Rebrands, Retainers, and Red Flags: Inside the Studio Hustle : Harish Venkatesh"
Episode Synopsis
What’s it really like to run a design studio today in a world of niche branding, longsales cycles, remote teams, and impatient clients?In this refreshingly honest conversation, we speak with Harish Venkatesh, founderof Become and Frontrunner, a studio redefining what it means to build meaningful brands in India.Harish unpacks the decade-long journey from freelancing in college to leading apositioning-led strategy studio reflecting on why his first project changed his life,how rebranding became his niche, and why empathy not aesthetic is at the coreof every client relationship.He doesn’t hold back from naming what many studios silently navigate: working“on” the business versus “in” it, learning how to sell without a portfolio, andredesigning not just brands, but also the clients’ clarity.If you’re an independent creative, designer, studio head, or someone who’s evertried to scale a passion into a business this one will feel like a mirror.In this episode, you will discover:How a ₹500 college poster turned into a 10+ year design careerThe transition from generalist studio to a brand positioning firmWhat it really means to rebrand, and why most clients don’t know their actual problemThe power of process-led design and how it builds trust, not resistanceWhy most high-ticket projects close without a portfolioLessons on client fit, emotional unlearning, and building trust through salesWhy Harish founded Frontrunner a startup-focused brand that’s already helped raise $75M+The mindset shift every creative needs to run a business in 2025CONNECT🌐 https://www.groundbreak.in/episodes✉️ [email protected] | [email protected]🎧 Supported by Syqi: https://syqi.art