Manthan Bhavsar – Growth-Focused Tech Leader

In a recent episode of “Chai Time with Manthan Baba,” we had the privilege of exploring the remarkable journey of Amit P. Jivani, a personality who seamlessly transitioned from a career in civil engineering to become a leading force in the SaaS product landscape. 

From the evolution of Simprosys to the ambitious ventures of Machine Wale and ProVues, Amit shares invaluable insights into building businesses, fostering unique company cultures, and navigating the complexities of the tech world.

From Civil Engineering Aspirations to SaaS Success

Amit P. Jivani’s entrepreneurial path began with a simple desire to enter the civil construction business, his chosen field of study. 

After a brief job and a small, successful contract, he undertook a much larger project that resulted in significant financial difficulties, ultimately leaving him with “nothing left”. It was at this juncture, around 2011, that he leveraged his writing skills to take on content writing assignments for SEO and web page content. 

His childhood experience of visiting relatives’ factories during vacations, instead of playing cricket, provided him with an early understanding of various businesses, which proved beneficial for his content writing.

This initial foray into content writing led him to understand why clients requested specific keywords for SEO. 

By trying to understand this, he gradually grasped the concepts of SEO, eventually offering comprehensive SEO packages. Around 2012-13, clients started asking what else he could do besides SEO, leading him to explore Google Ads. 

Although he had no prior work experience with Google Ads, he learned through reading, as YouTube was not as popular then and internet speeds were slower. Assignments for Google Ads, particularly shopping ads, increased, leading him to develop a strong grip in this area.

He realised that the manual process of optimising shopping feeds was clerk-like labour. This inefficiency prompted him to build his own tool for internal use, even after a couple of failed attempts at building other tools. 

This self-made tool was initially given to his white-label work clients, who appreciated its early versions. This client feedback was crucial, providing new ideas for improvements, which Amit believes is essential for any SaaS founder. 

This iterative process, listening to users and implementing feedback, led to the development of a robust product that could fulfil expectations for clients ranging from beginners to enterprise-level businesses.

Simprosys: Simplifying Processes for Domination 

The name Simprosys itself is a shortened version of “Simplifying Processes and Systems,” a concept he encountered while working on an ERP software as a content writer in 2012. Simprosys is now a key player in the Shopify and Google ecosystems. 

A defining moment for Simprosys was when their product was evaluated and covered by popular bloggers organically, without any payment. This coverage led to widespread visibility and “virality,” with many aspiring bloggers and others talking about the product, contributing to its success. 

He highlights that even today, many YouTube videos about Google Shopping mention Simprosys, despite them not paying for coverage, unlike competitors.

One of the most notable aspects of Simprosys’s growth is its bootstrapped approach to funding. He explains that early recurring expenses, such as salaries and server costs, were funded directly from his side consulting services business until the product reached break-even. 

This self-funding was partly due to his initial lack of awareness about venture capital, leading him to leverage available resources. 

He also strongly believes that execution is king, emphasizing fast work and efficient development and service delivery over just product strategy, as good execution is rarer than good strategy.

Expanding Horizons: Machine Wale and ProVues 

Beyond Simprosys, Amit P Jivani manages two other companies: Machine Wale and ProVues.

• Machine Wale: This venture focuses on the construction industry, specifically heavy machinery like excavators, road rollers, and concrete machines.
  
  Machine Wale aims to provide an ERP solution for construction machinery management, offering daily reports on work hours, volume, or tonnage. It will evolve to provide insights on cost optimization, operator effectiveness, and even identify which machinery brands are more ROI-friendly based on maintenance and performance data. He acknowledges the challenges of B2B marketplaces in India, where relationships often trump platforms.
  
  He points out that current marketplaces often send inquiries to multiple vendors, making users feel “cheated”. Machine Wale aims to address this by sending inquiry information only to the intended business, ensuring a more direct and reliable interaction.
  
• ProVues: This platform is dedicated to collecting product reviews from customers for e-commerce businesses. The name “ProVues” is a condensed version of “product reviews” or “product views.”
  
  The key advantage of ProVues is that a third party (ProVues itself) collects reviews, which significantly increases collection efficiency and reliability compared to store owners collecting them directly.
  
  This is because there’s a common perception that store owners might suppress negative reviews. ProVues is also working towards becoming a certified aggregator for various marketing platforms, further enhancing the trustworthiness of the collected data.
  
  This venture is aligned with Simprosys, serving the same client base and addressing concerns they previously heard from those clients.
  

Navigating the Shopify Ecosystem and Entrepreneurial Challenges 

Amit concurs with the perception that the Shopify app market is saturated, making it difficult for new players. Established players benefit from early investments, extensive learning, high review counts, and a large install base. 

Additionally, the cost of production has increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, making it more expensive for new entrants. 

However, he notes that while challenging, it’s not impossible if a new player offers a very strong, innovative solution to a significant problem statement.

A Unique Philosophy: Employee Well-being and Integrity 

His insights extend beyond product development to company culture and hiring.

The Cafeteria Concept

Inspired by his visits to Google offices since 2018, he decided to implement a similar concept in his own office, providing fresh, on-site cooked meals for employees. 

He has taken this a step further by ensuring that the ingredients used are high-quality, sourced from reliable vendors, and even chemical-free where possible. For example, ghee comes from his own cowshed, and honey from a trusted friend, even if it costs more than commercial alternatives. 

This commitment to quality food, including avoiding wheat rotis and offering healthier options, means employees don’t need to prepare lunchboxes or eat stale food. He proudly states that every visitor and team member has praised the cafeteria, with “not a single person” suggesting significant improvements.

Hiring Philosophy of Amit P. Jivani

His company operates a “no bond” policy, meaning employees are free to leave if they wish, without counter-offers, unless there’s a transactional or commercial issue. 

He believes that holding someone by a bond doesn’t result in good work. For hiring, he highlights three essential qualities in an employee:

1. Integrity: This is paramount; without it, “don’t even think of it”.
2. Smartness.
3. Communication Skills. He also highly values proactiveness, expecting employees to highlight issues or abnormal patterns in client requests, enabling quicker resolution of problems.

Leadership, Personal Interests, and Future Vision 

Amit shared his experience as a volunteer with A.I.M.D. (Ahmedabad Internet Marketing Developers), where he accidentally became involved in organizing a successful 84-person trip. 

He found handling CEOs and committee members straightforward when everyone was aligned on a common goal of learning and building friendships.

On a personal note, he has a passion for travel and driving, particularly in mountains. He recounted driving in challenging Himalayan routes like those in Kaza, Himachal Pradesh, where “people sit in the passenger seat chanting Hanuman Chalisa”. 

He also recommends the coastal road from Pondicherry to Chennai as a beautiful driving experience.

Regarding his mindset and spirituality, Amit states he doesn’t fully understand “spirituality” but maintains a “fear of God” and avoids doing wrong due to the hardships he experienced during his construction business losses. 

He describes himself as aggressive but straightforward. Looking to 2030, he finds it too early to define a specific role or level, especially with the disruption and evolution of AI, but anticipates being deeply satisfied with whatever he is doing.

Advice for Fellow SaaS Entrepreneurs: The Conclusion

Finally, Amit P. Jivani offers crucial advice for other SaaS entrepreneurs:

• Be a genuine problem solver. Don’t just copy features or other products. Focus on understanding problems deeply and crafting the best possible solutions.
• Stay in touch with your clients. Many founders become confined to boardrooms once revenue grows. He emphasizes the importance of remaining in direct contact with clients, even through personal WhatsApp, to receive instant feedback and stay connected to the product’s real-world usage.

Amit P. Jivani’s journey is a testament to resilience, innovation, and a deeply client-centric approach. His insights offer a rich roadmap for aspiring and current entrepreneurs navigating the dynamic world of technology and startups.