Urban Company just listed at $2.8B market cap. A few days back I asked Abhiraj Singh Bhal what this moment meant for him in the grand scheme of things. This is what he said:
"There are 8,000 listed companies in India. Of these, 1000 have performed reasonably well, 500 have done very well, and 100 have done incredibly well. Beyond simply going public, the more important question to ask is - can you become one of those 100-200 institutions ten years out, which means creating meaningful shareholder value while generating positive impact for society at large, where people feel proud to be associated with your company. To that extent, going public is merely procedural. It's what happens afterward that really matters."
This response is why I'm confident Urban Company will become one of those enduring institutions. They've operated with this mindset since day one - treating every milestone as Day Zero, focusing on what comes next rather than celebrating what's behind.
What's particularly laudable is how they've redefined dignity in service work, elevating entire professions and changing societal perceptions of service professionals from "workers" to entrepreneurs and partners. We should recognise the immense effort it takes to do this.
This long-term institution-building mindset is rare. Most companies go public and then figure out their purpose. UC has been living their purpose for 11 years - and the IPO is just another Wednesday in their journey.
Congratulations to Abhiraj, Varun, Raghav and the entire Urban Company team. The ticker is live, the mission continues.
Written with admiration, from a fan.