Kshitija Sarda profile photo

Kshitija Sarda

Building 'ELEVATE' at GrowthX®

Community BuildingCareer Coaching & DevelopmentTalent Acquisition & SourcingGrowth StrategyTeam BuildingProgram Management

About

I'm Kshitija Sarda, currently building 'ELEVATE' at GrowthX®, a private membership club for product, marketing, and growth professionals. My career has taken me from co-founding Platform For Artists, where I built a 20,000+ artist community, to roles at GigIndia and PhonePe, and now focusing on helping members with career development and working with founders to co-build their growth teams. I'm passionate about career growth, organizational culture, and the power of community—both professionally through platforms like ELEVATE and personally through activities like group runs. I love helping operators build fulfilling careers and founders assemble strong teams, and I'm always looking to connect with fellow founders and growth leaders who share this mission.

Networking

What I can offer

  • Helping operators build fulfilling careers
  • Helping founders build strong teams with top talent
  • Career coaching and development guidance
  • Growth strategy and team building expertise

Looking for

  • Founders and growth leaders to co-build a solid growth team

Best fit for

FoundersGrowth leadersOperators seeking career growthProfessional community in Bangalore

Current Interests

Career growthJob search strategiesOrganizational cultureTeam buildingCommunity and movement

Background

Career

Co-Founder and CEO at Platform For Artists, New Initiatives and Partnerships at GigIndia, Sourcing at PhonePe, Business at GrowthX®

Education

Bachelor of Technology (BTech) in Metallurgical Engineering from COEP Technological University (2013 – 2017)

Achievements

  • Grew Platform For Artists community to 20,000+ artists in 3 years, hosted 200+ offline/online events across 15+ cities, doubled average artist income via freelance opportunities, managed 50+ artists during pandemic to regain pre-pandemic earnings within three months, worked with Government of Maharashtra, featured in major media outlets, spoke at TEDx in 2019
  • Grew number of active freelancers at GigIndia 4x within a few months
  • Built 'ELEVATE' over 1,000 days at GrowthX, contributing to members' successes including breaking into leadership roles, transitioning to product/growth roles, returning to work after career break, and getting promoted

Opinions

  • Believes in the profound personal cost of not living one's potential or authentic life
  • Strongly believes that evaluating company culture is personal and critical; a good-on-paper offer should be declined if the culture doesn't feel right
  • Believes in owning your full career story, including failures, in interviews because it demonstrates real-world experience and learning
  • Argues that low EQ is often about avoiding emotional discomfort and over-valuing efficiency, not just being mean
  • Posits that the aggressive need to prove a point often stems from insecurity, not conviction
  • Emphasizes that early in a career, your energy and execution are your primary currency
  • Warns about the trade-offs of pursuing career ambition in big cities, highlighting the potential loneliness and distance from family