How Meesho Became India’s Biggest Shopping App
Y Combinator
Jun 11, 2026
Vidit Aatrey explains that Meesho’s success stems from being 'problem-first' rather than 'solution-rigid.' By obsessively observing consumers—even when it meant abandoning a profitable model—the company successfully navigated massive paradigm shifts, from the mobile internet boom to the post-pandemic transition, proving that long-term survival requires the courage to cannibalize your own products.
Key insight: Meesho pivoted from a thriving social commerce platform with 10 million sellers to a direct-to-consumer app in just five months, growing from 10 million to 100 million monthly users by recognizing that the data-cost barriers that originally necessitated their WhatsApp-based model had vanished.
