Troogue Co-founder Madhu Rajputra Peravalli shares how industry frustrations inspired a disruptive AI-driven hiring marketplace, redefining talent ownership and value creation.
- How did the idea to conceptualise and start Troogue ignite in your mind?
Troogue actually came from frustration more than inspiration. After spending years in IT services and large programs, I kept seeing the same problems: Great talent stuck in the wrong roles, companies struggling to find the right skills quickly, agencies adding layers but not always real value, customer constantly asking for rate cuts, and IT services unable to provide the value because of margin pressures and multiple layers! At the same time, I was watching how platforms were transforming industries like travel and food delivery, but hiring and project staffing still felt very old-school. That gap really stayed with me. The real trigger was when I realized that if we could combine strong skill validation, AI-driven matching, and a marketplace model, we could make hiring faster, fairer, and more outcome-driven for both companies and professionals. If we can let the professionals own their destiny, if the right match can be made then we could actually shorten the perceived skill gap! And once that idea took hold, I couldn’t really let it go.
- How would you say your experience prepared you for your role as an entrepreneur?
When you’re responsible for thousands of people and major clients, you learn very quickly that strategy only matters if execution works on the ground. Entrepreneurship is obviously very different, there’s no safety net and every decision has direct consequences. My corporate experience prepared me to think in terms of scale, sustainability, and systems. I was already used to building teams, creating processes, and being accountable for outcomes, which are exactly the muscles you need as a founder. Running a large business unit taught me how to scale teams, manage revenue, and stay accountable for outcomes not just ideas. It also exposed me to the real hiring and staffing problems enterprises face, which is exactly what Troogue is solving.
- Your take on the eternal value versus valuation debate for startups, given how it has played out in recent years for several tech-based start-ups.
Valuation is what the market gives you for a moment; value is what your customers give you over time. In the long run, only the second one really matters. Recent times have proven to us that, inflated valuations by marketing isn’t taking the organizations anywhere. All that matters is, are you adding real value to your customer? Valuations and Profits will follow!
- What would you say are the pros and cons of being an entrepreneur vis-à-vis a salaried employee?
I prefer not keeping auto debits! 😊. Entrepreneurship gives you ownership and purpose, but it comes with uncertainty and constant pressure. A salaried role offers stability and focus, but less control over the bigger picture. Neither is better, they’re just different journeys. Not everyone can be a top Corporate executive. Most founders end up hiring professional CEO’s.
- You have worked across geographies – what would you say is the biggest difference in the work ethic in India and other countries where you worked?
In India, the commitment and willingness to stretch is very high, while in many other countries the focus is on structure and sustainable pace. The best teams combine both high ownership with strong discipline. Now, commitment is a good thing. Accountability is excellent but we tend to over-commit and hence end up stretching! I think it comes with our culture of not being able to say NO firmly. This is changing slowly.
- Can an entrepreneur realistically aspire to have a work-life balance or is it an alien concept for start-up founders?
I can write an article on this! I’m honestly not a big believer in the traditional idea of worklife balance, especially for entrepreneurs. When you’re building something you truly care about, work and life don’t feel like two separate compartments, they blend into each other. And I don’t necessarily see that as a bad thing.I do take time off, I travel three to four times a year, and I spend time with family, but I’m still mentally connected to the business most of the time. That was true even when I was in corporate roles, so it’s not something unique to entrepreneurship.
What really makes entrepreneurship more stressful is not the workload, but the uncertainty, the constant thinking about whether things will work out, how long the runway is, and what the next few decisions will mean for the team and customers. That mental load is very real.
That said, I do believe in switching off when it gets overwhelming. There are times when I consciously disconnect, put the phone away, and reset. So instead of chasing a perfect worklife balance, I think what founders should aim for is sustainability, finding a rhythm that lets you stay excited about what you’re building without burning out in the process.
