Inside a Unicorn

Saptarshi Prakash spent eleven years working in Indian startups, at Housing.com, Zeta and, for the longest stretch, Swiggy. This book is his account of what that life was really like. He does not glorify founders or offer a formula for success. He describes a world that was chaotic, fast, political, energising, unfair and deeply human, and often life-changing.

The story follows him from his first encounter with the young Swiggy to eight years inside the company as it became a household name and approached its IPO. Along the way he lays out the unwritten rules of startup culture: picking up jargon that nobody explains, working without a map, spotting small frictions, handling competition and office politics, seeing founders as ordinary people, and understanding how good managers and mentors quietly shape careers.

He writes about the excitement of building products such as Swiggy Daily, Bolt, Snacc and One BLCK. He is just as open about the costs: promotions denied, credit lost, burnout, public criticism and murky ownership.

Relatable and easy to read, the book offers a keyhole view into a top Indian startup, and into the managers, teammates, mentors and juniors who give it its culture.