Startup founder passes note to Nikhil Kamath during chance meeting at Mumbai cafe. What happened next

Not wishing to intrude upon the meeting, Yash Gawde asked the cafe staff to deliver the note on his behalf.

A Mumbai-based entrepreneur claimed to have had an unexpected encounter with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath at a cafe in Bandra, where he managed to pass a handwritten note introducing himself and his business.

Yash Gawde, founder of the early-stage venture BeHooked, recounted on LinkedIn how he and a friend were at Subko Cafe in Bandra when Kamath arrived with a group and entered a private room on the premises.

“I saw Nikhil Kamath yesterday. He waved hi to me. And I gave him this note,” Gawde wrote, sharing an image of the message he managed to send across.

Gawde had been meeting with venture capitalist acquaintance Aakash Sood at the time. According to his account, the two had chosen a table on the upper floor and were deep in discussion about the intricacies of venture funding.

“He was breaking down how VCs think, how to pitch, why storytelling matters, how clarity in your head has to translate into clarity in your pitch,” Gawde explained.

While this conversation was taking place, the entrepreneur noticed a group of people heading towards the private section opposite them. Among them was Kamath.

“My friend also realised who it was. We were both starstruck,” he recalled.

It was then that Sood urged him to act. “Do it right now. You have to take all the chances you get,” Sood reportedly told him.

Although Gawde had no business cards to hand, he did have a diary. He tore out a page and wrote a short message addressed to Kamath, introducing himself and his startup.

“So I pulled out my diary, scribbled a quick handwritten note about what I’m building (BeHooked), tore the page, and folded it neatly,” he said.

Not wishing to intrude upon the meeting, Gawde asked the cafe staff to deliver the note on his behalf. “I didn’t want to interrupt his group, so I asked the waiter to pass it along. The staff was super nice, they delivered it to him,” he revealed.

The note itself, a mix of admiration and introduction, read: “Hi Nikhil, Big Fan and Huge Respect for what you have built and achieved. I am Yash Gawde, an early stage founder building in Video AI space. I built an AI agent that turns your ideas in social media ready videos. Sorry to intrude. If this isn’t the time or space. But I just had to take a chance. Would love to connect with you or your team.”

Gawde also included his contact details.

According to him, Kamath did acknowledge the gesture. “He looked up at me, smiled and waved. That 2-second wave made the entire day worth it,” he wrote.

The post drew considerable attention on LinkedIn, with many commenting on it.

“This is literally luck meeting preparation!! Hope you get a call back,” one person remarked. Another added: “Great example of turning a moment into an opportunity!”

"Legit out of a movie man, most people would've not taken the chance but you stood out, inspiring is the least I can say," a third person wrote.