Puneeth Purushothama
- -5+ years building AI and marketplace products from 0 to 1.
- -Shipped an AI marketing module that drove 4× revenue per campaign at a Zürich travel-tech startup.
- -Founded a job marketplace that hit 6,000+ job seekers and 240+ employers in 6 months.
- -BSc. Computer Science · MSc. General Management, University of Neuchâtel (CGPA 5.5/6)
Founder story
How I founded and scaled Gowrk to 6,000 users in 6 months.
Problem
My cousin lost his job during COVID and couldn't use LinkedIn. One conversation. 300M+ workers with no real hiring platform.
Research
2,100 interviews with blue and grey-collar workers and trade school students. 18 company visits to understand hiring pain firsthand.
Users
Recent trade school graduates and daily wage workers, 18–50. Mobile-first by necessity — 750M smartphone users in India in 2021.
Business
India's manufacturing boom, rising FDI, relentless employee churn — the market was only going one way. High churn means recurring revenue.
Ship
The same 18 companies I interviewed became our first customers — 20+ job postings in week one of launch.
Results
8,000+ interviews enabled. 4.9 stars on Google Play. 2,000 downloads in 40 days. 6,000 job seekers and 240 employers in 6 months.
References
"I would confidently rank him among the top 5% of students I have encountered in terms of both intelligence and dedication."
— Prof. Dr. Michael Burkert·Chair of Managerial Accounting · University of Fribourg
"Puneeth stood out for his strong engagement, leadership, and analytical rigor. He combines leadership skills with a collaborative and supportive attitude, which made him well appreciated by his peers."
— Prof. Dr. Emmanuelle Fauchart·Chair of Strategic Entrepreneurship · University of Fribourg
"He has consistently demonstrated his ability to thoroughly analyse data to support his strategic recommendations and to evaluate options rigorously before reaching conclusions."
— Prof. Claudia Jonczyk Sédès·Chair of Strategic Management · University of Neuchâtel
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