How Real Growth Is Built Inside Big Startups | Apoorva Singh | Anand Shah

Growth looks different at every startup, but the rules stay the same.

In this episode of Social With Anand, I sit down with Apoorva Singh, a growth leader who has worked across Paytm, Rapido, and American Express, to break down what actually drives scale across very different businesses.

From personalization and experimentation to AI, partnerships, and decision-making under pressure, this conversation is packed with real operator insights.

In this episode, Apoorva shares:
✅ What works across Paytm, Rapido & AmEx despite different products
✅ How to think about personalization without being creepy
✅ Why behavior beats surveys, funnels & assumptions
✅ How AI should be used for research, decision-making & speed (not just content)
✅ Lessons from managing growth during Paytm’s RBI crisis
✅ The weirdest A/B tests that delivered unexpected wins
✅ How small brands can partner with big companies
✅ Skills marketers need to stay relevant in 2026

Whether you’re a founder, growth marketer, D2C operator, or startup leader, this episode will help you think beyond tactics and build systems that scale.
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Disclaimer: This video is intended solely for educational purposes and the opinions shared by the guest are her personal views. We do not intend to defame or harm any person, brand, product, country, or profession mentioned in this video. Our goal is to provide information to help the audience make informed choices. The media used in this video are solely for informational purposes and belong to their respective owners.

🔗 Connect with Apoorva:
LinkedIn:   / apoorvasingh36  

🔗 Connect with Anand:
LinkedIn:   / anandshah  
Instagram:  / growth.anand  

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⏱️ Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro & Apoorva’s background
2:45 – From engineer to fashion to growth marketing
4:08 – What works across Paytm, Rapido & AmEx
7:56 – Lessons from Paytm’s RBI crisis
11:00 – How Apoorva thinks about personalization
15:01 – When personalization becomes creepy
17:16 – A/B tests that surprised her
18:26 – Voice vs email: what actually works
20:38 – AI won’t replace humans — but bad usage will
24:40 – How small startups can use AI for research
26:01 – Partnering with big brands at ₹10L/month
29:58 – Skills every modern marketer must build
32:02 – Marketing 2016 vs 2026
33:44 – Content, attention spans & clarity
35:16 – Using voice to build trust
38:04 – Teaching & learning from the next generation
40:14 – What separates people who scale from those who stay stuck