How Varsha Vadhyar created an offline and online marriage site
Footloose No More is a new age platform with a global outlook to life where like-minded people can “meet, mingle and marry”. Varsha Vadhyar, co-founder of the venture is conscious about ensuring that no one mistakes this for a dating site. She talks to us today and tells us what differentiates her company.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born in Kanpur. My best friends were and are my two brothers. I was encouraged to think for myself and do whatever I believed in, which was probably the most valuable lesson any parent can teach their children.
I studied at Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi and finally discovered myself in Mumbai where I worked in advertising and corporate communications.
How and when did the idea of “Footloose No More” come about?
Aug 22nd, 2009 – it was a rainy night and Abhishek (my brother and co-founder) and I returned from dinner at a friend’s place. We had been speaking about the fact that we were both single, wanted to be “footloose no more”, were loath to go down the traditional routes to matrimony, and were unable to meet any new single people. All our friends were married and had lives of their own. Our friend had wisely told us that we would probably not find anyone now.
So we decided to take matters into our own hands and find people “like us” and we started Footloose No More on the same night. The same month we hosted our first event which turned out to be a huge success NOT just in terms of the number of people who attended but also for the QUALITY of the attendees.
Very soon, the concept bore fruit and both Abhishek and I found our other halves on Footloose No More. Now marriages between like-minded people is a constant occurrence at Footloose No More.
What are the core services offered by your venture and what differentiates your venture from other players?
Footloose No More is a new age platform for urban Indian singles with a global outlook to life. But more importantly, we have been clear from the beginning that we are NOT a dating site. Nor are we a place for singles who want to “network” or for those who are single and are looking for various “hobby groups” to pass their time.
It is for people who would like to meet others like themselves in a vibrant, interactive and most importantly safe environment, talk face-to-face, get a sense of the person in the real world (as opposed to the virtual world) and see if they feel comfortable enough to take things further.
The most important feature of FNM is that we screen “every single member”. If a person is divorced, then he/she MUST submit a copy of their divorce decree before they are accepted on the group. We are very stringent on security, so if any complaint is made, we take immediate action and remove the member (even if the said member is a paid member as opposed to a free member).
We have a very strict policy of “hands to yourself”. This essentially means that no one can touch any other member at the events for whatever reason. It’s not allowed. But once they have passed all the security steps, they are welcome to interact offline at the events or online on the website.
If the member has attended any events, then he/she has a membership badge that indicates that. The events in themselves are super fun. They range from being “free flow” events where we initiate interactions between members to “outdoor events” where people can interact over an activity or to our most popular events called “THE VIBE” where everyone talks to everyone else for 5 minutes.
Our focus is on marriages and hence Footloose No More is for people who are done with dating and ready to take the next step in life. Therefore our tagline – MEET. MINGLE. MARRY.
When setting up initially, what hurdles did you face?
The most important hurdle was that in a start-up environment, you always end up working with technicians and other team members who may not be the best and yet as a company you have to put your best foot forward to your customers. This becomes a huge hurdle and one that has to be overcome no matter what.
The other hurdle was one of changing “perceptions” of what happens at such places. This we overcame with the stringent “security” measures which I mentioned earlier.
The third hurdle was about the “quality” of people who attended the events. This was handled with making sure that the people were from a certain social strata and had a particular type of “worldview”. Once again the screening process was the winner here.
Professionally, what future plans do you have for the venture and yourself?
Footloose No More is already active internationally in its online version. This version is being refined continuously to make it more interactive and more relevant for everyone. The Offline version which is currently active in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune will be expanded to other cities as well.
What are the two top tips you would share with new entrepreneurs?
Believe in yourself. There will be factors beyond your control and things will change... for example, the market enviornment can change midway. People’s expectations can change… But you have to be clear on what you want to do. For every step beyond your control, you have to accept it instead of fighting it… get back up, dust yourself off and be who you had decided to be.
