Madhav Farm
Founder-led build of a direct-to-business marketplace connecting farmers with bulk buyers. Owned P&L and led an 8-member team across sourcing, logistics, and fulfillment.
The Problem
Farmers lacked direct access to predictable demand and fair pricing. Bulk buyers such as hotels and restaurants faced inconsistent quality, unreliable supply, and volatile pricing. Middlemen captured a disproportionate share of value while adding limited operational efficiency.
The core challenge was aligning supply, demand, logistics, and pricing in a repeatable and economically viable way.
The Business Model
Direct-to-business marketplace eliminating traditional intermediaries. Commission-based revenue model anchored on predictable demand from bulk buyers. Unit economics and margin discipline treated as first-class constraints from day one.
Key Decisions & Tradeoffs
Prioritized demand certainty over rapid expansion: Secured committed buyers before onboarding large farmer supply to protect utilization and margins.
Built logistics manually before automation: Operated the supply chain hands-on to validate workflows and unit economics before investing in technology.
Focused on unit economics before geographic scale: Proved profitability and operational repeatability in a single market before considering expansion.
Accepted operational complexity to protect farmer margins: Chose manual coordination and tighter control over automation to ensure fair farmer payouts and reliable buyer fulfillment.
Execution & Operations
Designed and operated the end-to-end supply chain from farms to urban buyers. Owned daily logistics, procurement, fulfillment, and pricing decisions. Built internal processes and lightweight tools to manage orders and deliveries. Led an 8-member cross-functional team across operations, sales, and logistics.
Outcomes
- ₹8L revenue generated within the first year
- 20–25% contribution margin achieved
- Sustainable unit economics validated
- Repeat demand secured from bulk buyers
Key Learnings
- Supply chain reliability matters more than pricing in B2B food markets
- Margins are protected through process discipline, not scale alone
- Trust with both farmers and buyers compounds over time
- Execution quality is a durable competitive advantage in physical marketplaces