About this episode

Kuldeep Jain shares his journey from losing 90% of his savings to leading CleanMax towards an IPO, discussing failures, hiring principles, and company culture.

This episode is a personal one. Kuldeep Jain, Founder and MD at CleanMax | Former Partner at McKinsey & Company, was Shantanu Deshpande’s senior at McKinsey. They share a close bond, and Kuldeep has also invested in Bombay Shaving Company. That trust makes this conversation unusually honest. Kuldeep talks about leaving the safe path, early mistakes, and the phase where he lost 80–90% of his savings. He explains how CleanMax found its direction, how he thinks about hiring and culture, and what the IPO journey really looks like, including roadshows and pricing. What you’ll get from this episode: - Early failure, fear, and staying in the game - Hiring principles and culture built on trust - IPO reality, roadshows, and how pricing works They break down the IPO process for what it is: rigorous, compliance heavy, and all about trust. Even pricing is part art. If you want to build something that lasts, this episode is a blueprint. Link to DRHP: https://www.sebi.gov.in/filings/public-issues/aug-2025/clean-max-enviro-energy-solutions-limited_96203.html 00:00 Trailer 01:30 Early days at McKinsey 07:10 Why CleanMax was needed 11:13 CleanMax turning point 14:20 How to build a strong…

People in this episode

Host: Shantanu Deshpande

Guest: Kuldeep Jain

Topics covered

• early failures
• IPO process
• company culture
• trust in business
• entrepreneurship

Keywords

• IPO
• entrepreneurship
• company culture
• McKinsey
• CleanMax
• early failures
• trust

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CleanMax, McKinsey & Company, Bombay Shaving Company

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