Meet Anuroop Kumar | Founder, Growth Marketer, & Community Builder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anuroop Kumar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anuroop, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Noticing a gap in the market and opportunity to differentiate myself in a crowded market.

I found a natural inclination and talent for the startup/innovation economy while in college and at the time was involved on campus as well as leading some social entrepreneurship projects

My first proper job was a part-time marketing assistant at a startup where I spent tons of extra (unpaid) hours to execute – within a few months I was their Head of Business Development and Growth. This led to a stint with Meta in the advertising department.

While here, I was shocked to see the lack of “client-centrism” and how inefficient agencies operated – with misguided incentives. I thought I had a better service in mind which would add much more value.

I met my business partner who was also entrepreneurial with an unconventional background, we both joined forces and left to start Inflect Digital – a growth marketing firm hyper-focused on real growth & profitability.

This was just our pathway to a “seat at the table” – we now work with startup founders on multiple fronts such as fundraising, community-building, providing additional resources, etc.

I’ve worked internally, as an external consultant, on the platform side (Meta), on the agency side, and as an exec with startups over my career. I’m using these experiences to develop new tech ventures focused on optimizing “work-life”.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Inflect Digital is a growth marketing agency hyper-focused on growth & profitability founded by a team of ex-Facebook workers. We are the country’s fastest-rising culture-focused marketing agency with a specialty focus on BIPOC founders.

Our primary channels are Facebook ads, Instagram ads, Google ads, Email, Tiktok ads, LinkedIn, etc. Our clients come to us because they are tired of paying astronomical fees to marketing agencies for jargon and fluff. We aren’t just thought leaders – we are results leaders.

Today, Inflect Digital works with some of the leading BIPOC founders in the nation, and we have helped them reach the next level in their businesses. We are trusted by CEOs, Venture Capitalists, Angel Investors, and Community Leaders for our growth marketing and customer acquisition expertise.

Our recent wins have been in helping our venture-backed startup achieve 20% month-over-month profitability improvements, launching a brand new product and selling out $480k of inventory in 35 days, as well as helping our B2B tech client achieve 0-8000 users and helping them raise $35 million in funding based off their growth.

I’m most proud of our ability to stay true to our values and commitment – sometimes even rejecting opportunities if they don’t align with our vision.

The journey to establish Inflect Digital has been long and trying indeed – just a few months after leaving our jobs to pursue it full time, we ran into the pandemic. Our momentum had been stalled and our revenue was threatening to dry up – however, we rolled up our sleeves, up-skilled ourselves, pivoted our services, and within a few months were back bigger than ever.

The number one lesson I always tell every founder is that the number one quality you need is resilience. This isn’t just from our own experiences – but even observing the founders we have interacted with. There are several potentially multi-million dollar brands which we saw start and fizzle out because they couldn’t get past a couple of months of challenges.

We have seen “under-the-hood” of so many brands – you also understand which one is exploiting a vision and which one is truly committed towards it. I advise to take the full burden of responsibility which comes with championing a cause.

We built Inflect Digital different than people build marketing agencies – but we built it according to our convictions. The results speak for themselves.

I strongly believe that equitable access to economic opportunities, improving the relationship people have with their work, and producing community-focused prosperity – will be the pathway to maintain American dynamism.

Most of the work I do fall under these categories – the tech venture I’m working on right now focused on creating better work experiences and career progression for people.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The Phoenix valley is home to a lot of great spots and we’ve really been developing as a melting pot of several food cultures! Here are some where I would take a visitor:

1. Pemberton & Roosevelt Row – personally I’m more of a DTPHX guy than an Old Town one. Ideally, it would be First Friday, but if not the Pemberton and Roosevelt Row are great places to explore good food, quirky spots, and beautiful art. The beating heart of the city’s creative pulse.

2. Aunt Chiladas or Mexicano – you can’t have someone visit AZ and not give them a great taste of Mexican food. Both these spots bring their unique flavors and spin to usual favorites. Depending on how “raw” the guest is – we may have to skip these for a combination of local taco stops instead.

3. Provision Coffee – There are many coffee shops I love in the Valley and even frequent more than them. However, the perfect balance of creativity, quality, and experience. My personal favorite is the Havana nights which is smoked with aromatic tobacco.

4. Desigaadi – Indian food truck on 12th street and Bell road. They probably do the most authentic Indian street-food style (from someone who has lived in India.) Only open in the evenings but worth a hot masala chai and full menu of Indian street food.

5. Brunch – don’t ask where; just trust me.

6. Something Outdoor – Desert Botanical Gardens, Japanese Friendship Garden, Piestwa Peak Hike, we’ll have to see the mood. If it’s the Summer, then a late night bar-crawl instead.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are a few people which definitely deserve a special mention

My clients & partners – I wouldn’t get to do the work I do without them. Their trust in me helps supplement my own drive and validates the time and energy I dedicate to my work. Particularly, I’d like to shout out my co-founder Lionell Ball – our journey has been so relentless – that we have already been featured in a book! Our ability to support one another has allowed us to stay resilient in the toughest of circumstances.

My family – particularly my mother, for enduring a turbulent adulthood with economic uncertainty – yet still being a support through my high-risk entrepreneurial passion. I’d also want to thank my aunt’s family, for giving me an opportunity to pursue a brighter future by taking me in when I returned from India as a teenager alone.

My fellow founders – Whether in our community or simply keeping your head down and doing your work, you inspire me and motivate me to give my best and strive for the bigger picture

In loving memory of my father – our family’s first true entrepreneur. Small nuggets and “sound-bites” I heard as a kid still come back from my subconscious mind as wisdom. His talents and mistakes both shaped my outlook on business.

Website: https://spartanwork.my.canva.site/meet-anuroop

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anuroop_kumar/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anuroop-kumar-b581a87a/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/anuroopk4u