Building a social product in India comes with a unique set of challenges and opportunities that most Western tech startups don't face. Over the past year of building Lukoon, I've learned valuable lessons that I want to share with anyone building products in the Indian market.
The Market Reality
India's internet user base is the second-largest in the world, yet it operates very differently from mature markets. The diversity across regions, languages, and economic conditions means one-size-fits-all solutions rarely work. What works in Bangalore might fail in rural India, and what resonates in Hindi-speaking regions might not work in Tamil-speaking areas.
Key lessons:
- Don't assume Western playbooks apply
- Language localization is non-negotiable
- Regional differences are more significant than you think
- Growth doesn't follow smooth exponential curves
Building for Low-Bandwidth Users
Not everyone in India has a 4G connection or unlimited data plans. Many users are on 2G networks or have data caps. Building for these constraints taught us to optimize aggressively:
- Image optimization is critical
- Lazy loading isn't optional
- Progressive enhancement saves lives
- Compression algorithms are your friend
Users in India are incredibly creative with technology. They'll use your product in ways you never expected, often on older devices or slower networks. This constraint drove us to build a leaner, faster product.
Trust and Verification
Scams and fraud are widespread in Indian digital spaces. Users are naturally skeptical of new platforms. We learned that:
- Transparency builds trust faster than marketing
- Phone verification is essential
- Clear community guidelines reduce anxiety
- Being local helps—having a familiar founder team matters
Faking it as a global platform doesn't work. Users want to know you're real, that you're invested in their community, and that you're not just extracting value.
The Creator Economy is Different
While Western creators might monetize through sponsorships or ads, Indian creators need direct monetization paths. They're often supporting families on creator income, not side hustles. This means:
- Tipping mechanisms are more important than advertising
- Subscription models need to be affordable
- Payment methods must include UPI and local options
- Creator support needs to be hands-on
Many creators we spoke with were frustrated by platforms that took 30% cuts. They wanted fair economics and transparency. Building features that creators actually requested was more effective than guessing.
Network Effects Work Differently
Viral growth in India follows different patterns. Network effects are strong within language groups and regions, but jumping language barriers is harder. We learned:
- Growth by language is more predictable than by geography
- Network effects compound within communities
- Hindi and English users often operate separately
- Regional dominance matters more than broad reach
The Importance of Customer Support
In the West, many companies rely on AI chatbots and self-service support. In India, personal touch matters. Users want to know they can reach a human. We've invested in:
- Native language support (Hindi, regional languages)
- Human support as a feature, not just a cost center
- Community moderators from local regions
- Transparency in handling disputes
Good customer support isn't just good service—it's a competitive advantage.
Technical Challenges
Building infrastructure for India-scale comes with specific challenges:
- Server latency from international CDNs is noticeable
- Payment processing is more fragmented
- Regulatory compliance varies by state
- Data residency requirements are complex
We've learned to invest in local infrastructure, not just optimize from abroad.
The Real Insight
Building a social product in India isn't about taking a global template and localizing it. It's about understanding a fundamentally different market with different needs, constraints, and opportunities.
The creators, builders, and users here are creative, ambitious, and willing to try new platforms—but only if they solve real problems. Authenticity, fairness, and respect go further than growth hacks.
At Lukoon, these lessons continue to shape every decision we make. We're not trying to be "India's Twitter" or "India's TikTok." We're building something designed from the ground up for the Indian creator and builder community.
What have been your biggest challenges building in India or other emerging markets?
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