The Harsh Reality of Fashion Startups: Inventory, Cash Flow & the Zara Model | Aditya Singh | Ep 25

How do venture capitalists decide which founders to back before their companies become successful brands? In this conversation, Saurabh Agrawal sits down with Aditya Singh, investor at All In Capital, former founder of BookMyForex, and content creator, to discuss what early-stage startup investing really looks like and why backing the right founder can matter more than having a perfect investment thesis. The conversation explores the challenges of building a fashion business, including the 120-day cycle behind fashion inventory, the working capital required to launch new styles, and why two bad cycles can put a brand at risk. Aditya also shares insights into the fast-fashion model, how NEWME approaches frequent product drops, and why launching fewer, better designs can sometimes improve the customer experience. From understanding how investors discover promising founders to learning how online customer data can influence offline retail decisions, this episode offers a closer look at the realities of venture capital, fashion, and building consumer brands. Chapters 00:00 Why Fashion Is a High-Risk Business 00:12 How VCs Discover Early-Stage Brands 00:29 Meet Aditya Singh 01:13 Why Investors Back Founders Before They Become Big Brands 02:24 Can Founders Build for Gen Z? 03:06 Why Fashion Has Such High Working-Capital Risk 03:16 Zara's 120-Day Fashion Cycle 03:41 Can Established Retail Brands Be Disrupted? 04:19 How NEWME Manages Fast-Fashion Drops 04:37 Why Fewer Designs Can Improve Customer Experience 05:27 How Online Sales Data Helps Offline Retail 06:00 Why Venture Capital Is Ultimately a Founder Bet 06:39 What Makes a Fashion Brand Stand Out? About the Guest Aditya Singh is associated with @AllInCapital-v9o and has experience as a founder, venture capitalist, and content creator. He previously founded @bookmyforex6581 and invests in early-stage businesses, where founder potential and the ability to build enduring brands play an impo