“Some days are so good that there are tears in our eyes. Some days are so bad that there are tears in our eyes.”

That’s how Shreeansh describes the startup journey.

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Talking about how he started,

Shreeansh's early life was spent mostly in relatively remote places, far from the open startup ecosystem that most founders today are surrounded by. Everything changed when he eventually moved to a bigger city. For the first time, he observed consumer tech startups new products, apps, services & completely new experiences being built for everyday problems.

That exposure triggered something in him.

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Something he often describes as the “entrepreneurial bug.”

At that moment, Shreeansh was enrolled in law school. But the pull towards entrepreneurship kept getting stronger. Eventually, he stepped away from that road and chose to follow what he genuinely wanted to build. Today, he is in his final year at Hansraj College, Delhi University, balancing academics while building a startup something that is never an easy decision for a student entrepreneur.

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But the bigger question still remained:

What problem was he going to solve?

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Let’s understand the problem behind Delco Chefs.

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In India, millions of households rely on home cooks. But the experience is rarely consistent. Most cooks are hired through informal references such as:

-Neighbours

-Domestic staff networks

-Word of mouth

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Because of this, several issues appear frequently:

•Lack of professional training

•Inconsistent reliability

•Limited accountability

•Trust & safety concerns

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For many families especially those living independently in cities this creates constant uncertainty around something as basic as daily food.

Shreeansh noticed this gap. And it raised a simple question:

What if hiring a cook could be as structured as hiring a professional in the corporate world?

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That thought led to the creation of Delco Chefs a full-stack platform that sends professionally trained chefs to people’s homes.

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Delco Chefs is not just a marketplace connecting cooks to families. Instead of simply listing cooks, the team chose to build a structured system that includes:

-Sourcing chefs

-Hiring them directly

-Training them professionally

-Managing them on payroll

-Ensuring consistent service quality

By owning the entire pipeline, Delos aims to bring professionalism into a space that has traditionally remained unorganized.

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Shreeansh serves as the Executive Head of Delco Chefs, but the journey is far from a solo one. The team today includes close collaborators, interns and early contributors who came together through friendships, networks, and shared belief in the idea!

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Key members of the founding team include:

•Santi Kushell – Business & Marketing Head

•Bhanu Prakash – Operations Head

•Ayan Sharma – Generalist

Together, they built the early foundation of Delco Chefs.

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But the idea for Delco Chefs didn’t turn into a company overnight. No startup ever does.

Shreeansh first thought about this concept almost two and a half to three years ago. But building conviction around an idea takes time. Conversations, experiments, and multiple attempts were required before the team felt ready to actually test it.

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About a year ago, they launched their first Proof of Concept (POC).

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The first version was far from perfect.

It was overwhelming.

The structure was unclear. Roles were undefined. And like many early founders, Shreeansh found himself trying to manage too many things alone.

But that early phase gave them the clarity they needed.

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Delco Chefs was eventually relaunched in July with a stronger structure and a more defined team.

The difference between the first and second version was significant.

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The second version became a true MVP, built with:

-A dedicated founding team

-Clear vertical ownership

-Defined operational structure

-Stronger focus on scalability

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And the results started showing quickly.

Within just one and a half months, Delco Chefs reached ₹50,000 in revenue an encouraging milestone for a young startup still building its systems

Winning the trust of households was critical.

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Household help is a deeply personal and trust-driven space, so the early marketing strategy remained extremely grassroots.

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The team relied on simple but effective channels such as:

•Pamphlets

•WhatsApp outreach

•Word of mouth

•Local neighbourhood engagement

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They also offered free trials, allowing families to experience the service before committing. That approach helped build credibility. One of the strongest signals of product-market fit came from the conversion rate after trials, which continued to improve as more families experienced the service.

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Like any startup, Delco Chefs receives both positive and negative feedback.

But instead of avoiding criticism, the team actively builds on it. Because in service businesses like this, customer experience is everything. Every piece of feedback becomes a learning opportunity.

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During his journey, Shreeansh also credits 18startup for helping him discover something deeper about his own motivations. Through an activity during the program, he discovered his personal “why.” The realization was not just about building a startup, but about campaigning for change and taking ownership of building something meaningful.

He also highlights the mentorship and bonds he built during the program.

The guidance he received went beyond just business advice it helped him navigate the emotional ups and downs that founders often experience.

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Shreeansh never romanticizes the startup journey.

For him, it’s very simple.

-Some days feel like victories.

-Some days feel like setbacks.

And sometimes both bring tears.

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That’s the reality of building something from scratch.

Progress rarely happens in straight lines. Every founder experiences ups and downs - and that’s part of the journey.

His biggest takeaway for aspiring entrepreneurs is simple:

Resilience matters more than anything.

There will always be uncertainty, doubt, and unexpected challenges. But big visions are built through small, consistent steps.

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Today, Delco Chefs is still in its early stages.

But the team remains focused on building a structured and scalable solution for home chef services, solving a real and genuine household problem that millions of families face.

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Shreeansh’s journey is still unfolding.

But stories like his remind us what building a startup actually looks like - imperfect & unpredictable, but deeply meaningful. If you want to hear the full story, you can watch the complete InnerCircle Podcast episode featuring Shreeansh on YouTube.

Some journeys are best told directly by the person living them.