Background
GrowthX is a Bengaluru-based private Indian community for professionals in product, marketing, and growth roles. It offers an 8-week cohort program, lifelong access to a 4,000+ member network, and ongoing mentorship, resources, and offline meet-ups. Designed for mid-senior to senior operators and founders, it helps accelerate careers through hands-on learning and peer support.
Pre Launch Planning
It’s late January 2024. I was in the middle of a Slack Huddle (a quick voice meeting) with an ex-colleague and the CEO of GrowthX. We were brainstorming ideas on what we could create and deliver to our members to kick off the new year with impact and intention.
After several rounds of discussion and articulation, we landed on a simple yet powerful idea: send a curated gift hamper (called the "New Year Kit") to all GrowthX members at that time, at no additional cost. These would be delivered to their office addresses, creating a delightful surprise for our members while also sparking curiosity and raising awareness about GrowthX at their workplaces.
Our initial concepts included a calendar, stickers, badges, fridge magnets, and notebooks.
Calendar
The 2024 calendar was the first to be designed. We aimed for smaller-sized calendars that could fit in a pocket as well as sit on a desk. It only made sense. Also, it looked and felt cute. Final product mockup added below.
Stickers & Badges
Designing stickers was easy. We had been making them for every Demo Day event that used to happen at the end of each quarter. The only thing we needed to tackle here was the product quality. The badges were similar to any premium badges you’d find in the market. But for the stickers, we chose the type that gave an embossed feel to the touch. It felt very premium. Unfortunately, I’ve lost access to the files that contained the badge designs.
MagSafe Card Wallet
One last item included in the New Year Kit was a beautifully crafted MagSafe card wallet. It had only one purpose: to inspire.
Over a span of three months, we collaborated across design, sourcing, manufacturing, printing, partnerships, and packaging to craft a thoughtfully curated line of collectibles. By February 2024, everything came together. We were ready to ship a box of essentials to every GrowthX member. Each package included a custom 1:5 scale desk calendar, a set of high-quality stickers, badges, a GrowthX generic T-shirt, and a sleek MagSafe card holder for the phone.
But as we looped in other teams such as Marketing and Membership, the idea evolved. We decided to not only send out the New Year Kit but also launch an exclusive merchandise store under the same name. This store would offer a range of premium, member-only products that could be purchased, reinforcing the brand’s exclusivity while giving members more ways to represent and connect with the community.
Evolution of Store
GrowthX needed a dedicated merch store to serve its exclusive community of 3,000+ members. At its core, the idea behind launching merchandise was rooted in identity and aspiration.
Our members are self-driven, ambitious, and proud to be part of a tight-knit, exclusive ecosystem. To reinforce the brand’s sense of exclusivity and belonging, we saw an opportunity to create collectible, brag-worthy merchandise designed to be worn or displayed proudly at the office, during airport runs, community meet-ups, or anywhere across India’s startup landscape.
The exclusive products included: custom t-shirts, custom-branded Sleepy Owl coffee, a custom-designed deck of cards, and a custom-made artisanal perfume, along with a tote bag to store them all in. Perfect, isn’t it?
T-Shirts
The team poured in different ideas for the T-shirt, but two things stood out: don’t make it cringey, and only use black T-shirts with something written on them. We took our time and came up with copy that resonated most with our members. These included: Bangalore Nerd, Cash + Equity, Care to Articulate, Cash Positive, Deploy, EBITDA Positive, Follow the User, Idea to IPO, Launch, MVP, Stealth Mode, Curious, and Thinking in Bets. Below are a few T-shirt designs; the rest are available to view on store.
Deck of Cards
The main inspiration for the deck of cards was the playing cards from CRED. Their design had a very ancient, relic-like feel to it, as if it came straight from the old kingdom of Egypt. We didn't want to make it too dramatic or old, but we wanted to retain the relic theme. I picked colors that aligned with our branding and used icons and illustrations that symbolized stars and constellations. I kept the series "Moon Knight" in mind while designing.
Tote Bag
It’s just a black tote bag with copy written on it. Mainly in three different varieties: Perfectionist, Out of Office, and Thinking in Bets.
Artisanal Perfume
The perfume bottle was the only product that didn’t carry the GrowthX branding. Instead, it was orange and black. This choice was intentional because the crafted scent was tropical and fresh. It only made sense for the bottle to be orange, as orange is closely associated with citrus. Citrus scents are generally used to evoke a sense of freshness.
The reason for naming it "SUCCESS" was the metaphorical expression: "Smells like success to me." It also carried a pop culture reference from Jimmy Kimmel’s Mean Tweets featuring Zendaya. Check here.
Online Store
If GrowthX is a community, what would the members’ club look like? This question was the main inspiration behind the design of the online store. We created a 3D clubhouse that functioned as the website. Products were placed inside the club and linked to a Shopify store, where members could add them to their cart and purchase the items.
Event Experience Design
I was obviously not responsible for the logistics of the event, but I did have a role in designing the visual experience. I helped with stacking and visual merchandising of the shelves, event boards, flyers, and more. We also distributed a booklet that talked about the origin of GrowthX, its community, funding, and more. Below are some photographs of the booklet.
After scouting various locations, the team decided to finalize Neon Market Café & Boutique on 7th Main Road, Indiranagar, Bengaluru. The café owners were incredibly enthusiastic about the event and helped us a lot.
We had a wonderful event. Here are some photos:
This wasn’t just a design exercise. It was about translating community identity into physical form. Blending aspiration, utility, and storytelling into every detail.
Message for my former team (GrowthX)
Hey guys and gyals,
If you're here, thank you for reading. Siddhesh, Somay, Harsh from the Creative Studio. Kshitija and Vishnu from Member Success. Adrika and Bhavya from the Community Team. Saish and Manoj from Product. Pranav, Alok, Nehal, Kirti, Rahul, Pushkar, and Kshitij from Engineering. Jagadeash from Marketing. And of course, Abhishek and Udayan, the Founders. I loved working with each and every one of you on this project as well as many others.
Looking back, I feel nothing but gratitude for the journey we shared. From late-night brainstorms to shipping the tiniest details that made a big difference. We turned ideas into experiences that spoke to our community’s heart. Thank you for the energy, trust, and obsession with excellence. You’ve inspired me more than you know.
Onward, always.
Thanks for reading.
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