Hetin Sakhuja, MD, IMT & Founder, LuckyStars writes about how simple incident of him witnessing a colourful truck parked near a sidewalk in New York distributing free gifts to passers-by laid the foundation of the idea for his company, LuckyStars. He says that ideas are lurking anywhere and everywhere and I simply needs to be able to see them.
BY HETIN SAKHUJA
MD, IMT & Founder, LuckyStars
There is an idea lurking in every corner. All you have got to do is see it. An everyday occurrence can shape your destiny, inspire you to create something wonderful and help you shape your dreams. While you should keep your eyes on the road ahead, look around you, because you never know what might spark an idea or a thought that will lay the bricks of the foundation for bigger things.
It’s providential how a business can be inspired and take shape, through a mere happenstance. While many may say it is destiny, I’m not so sure. Because life presents a kaleidoscope of incidents, happenings, images and emotions that envelope us every single day, yet nothing may set the trigger off.
On a flight back home from New York many moons ago, the memories of the good times I had there kept flashing through my mind. However, there was this one vivid image of a colourful truck parked near the sidewalk, distributing gifts for free to passers-by that somehow stopped my flow of thought. I said to myself, “What a nice way to spread happiness among people you don’t even know.” The image of those happy faces imprinted themselves in my mind. This sparked a rush of thoughts that kept me occupied till I landed in Mumbai, when I had a germ of an idea for a new business.
Thus was born LuckyStars – a free-to-download mobile app, to Win Gifts Daily through Draws and Bids. While LuckyStars has all the fun, thrill and entertainment aspects for users, marketers and brand owners also have a platform to interact with their target audience and promote their brands and products, to a captive audience, in a favourable environment. It is a win-win for all. With over a million app downloads, spread across the country and a healthy and growing DAU and MAU, LuckyStars has caught the fancy of the youth, its primary target. But what is it that makes users check into the app every day? That is food for thought.
For starters, it is the thrill of winning something. Most of the draws are free to participate and that pulls in large numbers. But it is the innovative draws that have a fun and entertainment quotient in equal measure, that makes it exciting and endearing, pulling in users for the thrill.
As for Bids, LuckyStars currently has the Lowest Unique Bid feature running, which has attracted a huge audience that is willing to pay to bid and win products, at ridiculously low prices. The clincher that is drawing huge numbers, however, is the fact that LuckyStars offers high value, aspirational products for both the Draws and Bids. These include products like the iPhone X, 8 & 8plus, iPad Pro, MacBook Air and the Apple Watch Series 3; Royal Enfield 350cc, Bajaj Vikrant, Honda Activa and Vespa; Sony DSLR, PS4 and Handycam; Samsung LED TV and Galaxy Note 8 and a host of other exciting products. That is an impressive line-up for sure, and we haven’t even listed all!
The future promises to up the ante on fun and entertainment through games and contests that offer instant gratification. And to think it all started with a truck giving away free gifts.
@ FEEDBACK
hetin.sakhuja@interactive.in
