In a recent LinkedIn post, Nithin Kamath, CEO and co-founder of Zerodha, reflects on the early days of the company, recounting a humorous anecdote about using a pseudonym for sales calls and discussing the evolving landscape of media and its impact on business growth. Kamath highlights how a chance encounter with a journalist, facilitated by his sales pseudonym, unexpectedly led to a significant surge in account openings.
Kamath details the origins of Zerodha’s public relations journey, which began approximately 15 years ago. He reveals the use of a pseudonym, ‘Sachin,’ during sales calls to avoid clients perceiving the CEO as being too involved in direct sales. This strategy, while seemingly unconventional, led to a memorable press interaction.
“I first spoke to Nikhil Walavalkar as Sachin, my pseudonym for speaking to clients during sales calls. You didn’t want the CEO making sales calls. 😬 By the way, I’ve even met customers pretending to be Sachin in the early days of Zerodha.”
The unexpected press coverage occurred when a journalist from The Economic Times, intending to speak to ‘Sachin,’ reached Kamath. In a moment of quick thinking, Kamath attempted to disguise his voice with a fake accent to avoid revealing his true identity.
“Anyway, one day I got a call and picked it up as Sachin. Turns out it was a journalist from The Economic Times, and I was shocked. I had to suddenly switch from Sachin to Nithin. I faked a weird accent so that I wouldn’t be recognised.”
This incident, according to Kamath, proved to be an early, albeit accidental, growth hack for Zerodha. Following the publication of the story, the company saw a dramatic increase in new account openings.
The Impact of Media on Business Growth
Kamath recounts how, for the subsequent 5-6 years, he actively engaged with numerous journalists. However, he notes a significant shift in the media landscape around 2017-18, with the declining influence of traditional financial media, largely attributed to the rise of social media and other digital platforms.
This shift prompted Kamath and Zerodha to pivot their communication strategy. He shares that he began actively posting on platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn, a departure from his previous, less active presence on social media.
Social Media vs. Traditional Media
Reflecting on the effectiveness of different media channels, Kamath draws a stark comparison between traditional media outreach and social media engagement. He states that the benefits derived from social media have far surpassed those from traditional media for Zerodha.
“If you look at what’s been more beneficial for us between traditional media and social media, there’s no comparison at all.”
Kamath emphasizes the power of direct communication, allowing businesses to control their narrative. However, he also cautions that this direct approach requires skill and authenticity.
“The ability to tell your own story directly to the people is powerful. Of course, you need to know how to tell your story well. 😬 If not, you become a meme.”
In essence, Nithin Kamath’s post offers a candid look at Zerodha’s early growth trajectory and underscores the profound impact of media strategy, particularly highlighting the advantages of direct-to-audience communication in the digital age.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Nithin Kamath on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on September 3, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →