TABLE OF CONTENTS
“When Rhea joined us, she was the second hire in our GTM team. I was introduced to her through Nidhi, who had worked with her at a previous organization.
From our very first meeting, her energy and conviction stood out.
She did not come from a core FMCG background, but what she brought instead was even more powerful. A genuine hunger to learn. A bias for action. And a determination to get things done.
Since joining GobbleCube, Rhea has not just added structure to our GTM function. She has played a key role in shaping how we show up in the market and how we tell our story.
Watching her grow from a junior GTM resource to leading our entire D2C mandate has been incredible.”
— Manas Gupta, CEO & Co-Founder, GobbleCube
1. Manas mentioned that you were one of the earliest hires in our GTM team. What pulled you into joining such an early-stage startup?
My friend Nidhi was working here and recommended me, but I was a little skeptical at first.
That’s why I insisted on meeting the founders in person before I said yes - I needed to check the vibes of the people I'd actually be working with.
And I was sold the moment I met them. Manas and Sri were just so passionate about what they were building. They genuinely believed in the product. They were sharp, had strong backgrounds, but more importantly, they felt like good human beings. That matters to me a lot.
2. Did your first few months turn out the way you had imagined?
Yes, they were chaotic in the best way.
The learning curve for me was steeper than I imagined, especially coming in without deep D2C experience.
There was no structure, no playbook. We were figuring things out as we went. I’d sit for hours with Janmay, Ayushi, and the product team just absorbing everything I could. I used to knock on Manas’s cabin almost every hour. I’ve definitely disturbed more meetings than I can count.
I’m a very curious person. And I don’t get satisfied easily. If I don’t fully understand something, I’ll keep digging until I do.
And today I lead a team of two. I went from knowing almost nothing about D2C to becoming the person they come to for context and clarity. Somewhere along the way, I became that anchor. :)
3. Do you think your curiosity played a key role in helping you close so many deals early on?
A lot. I'm just a naturally curious person - anyone in the office will confirm that I ask way too many personal questions. That's just me, haha.
And yes, it naturally translates into sales as well. On the call, I try to just engage them with fun and genuine banter. If I've used their product, I'll bring it up - and I've even told people their product could be better. Sounds counterintuitive, but honestly, that makes people like you even better.
Win people first. Sell later.
This is actually something I tell every new joiner in my team.
4. What’s one piece of advice you give to any new joiner in your team?
Stay curious. That curiosity helped me ramp up on the product quickly, and the more questions you ask, the faster you grow. And be creative - every conversation is different, every pitch needs a different angle. You're constantly thinking on your feet.
Also, don't be afraid to tell someone this isn't the right fit right now. It feels counterintuitive, I know. But it builds trust. I've had people come back two months later, ready, because I was straight with them the first time.
5. You have a strong understanding of sales. Have you always wanted to build your career in this field?
Thanks for saying that. But not really. Growing up, I was a creative child - I wanted to write ads, catchy slogans. That’s why I even got a marketing degree.
Other than that, I paint. Sometimes oil painting. Sometimes mandalas.
In college in Bangalore, I even founded a dance club and a theatre club, and then somehow ended up directing a play - where we reimaged the tragic endings of the famous mythological characters - Sita, Draupadi, and Shikhandi.
It's one of my favourite things I've ever done. I cried a lot during rehearsals, though. Leading a bunch of college students is genuinely hard, haha. But god, was it worth it..
6. Speaking of leadership, how do you see yourself as a leader?
It's still very much a work in progress.
A year ago, I was a junior GTM resource. Now I have a team, and the biggest shift is realising it's not about my output anymore, it's about enabling my team’s. That's a different kind of responsibility.
I'm naturally very empathetic, but I've learned that kindness without clarity can get misused.
I used to avoid hard conversations, but I’ve learned that avoiding them does more damage than just having them.
If something needs to be said, I'll say it - respectfully, but clearly.
I know exactly the kind of manager I don't want to be. I've worked under unkind people, and it's a terrible space to be in. I never want someone on my team to feel that way.
7. When you are not working, what does rest look like for you? What actually brings you back to yourself?
I read - a lot, and usually three books at once. I think I have mild ADHD because I get bored easily. Right now, it's a Dan Brown thriller, the Autobiography of a Yogi, and another one on investing.
I’m also a big whodunnit and true crime junkie. Dexter is my comfort show. I don’t think I can sit through a romance movie, cause you always know how it’s gonna end. A murder? You don't.
I’m also a big foodie, haha... close friends tell me I’m a mix of desi and bougie - I love my chole bhature as much as I love my avocado toast.
8. If you had the capital, the time, the freedom - what would you build?
A brand, definitely. I think it's the Marwadi genes, honestly - there's just this itch to build something of my own someday.
I'm fascinated by how brands like The Whole Truth have built themselves, the community, and the clarity of what they stand for. That's the kind of thing I want to create. I don't know what it is yet, but it'll be a product brand.
Before all of that, though, I want to travel. I have this dream of just picking up my laptop and working from Bali for three months. Living somewhere else entirely, experiencing a different pace. I'll always come back to India, but I want that chapter first.
9. We have grown rapidly over the past year. How do you envision your journey evolving here at GobbleCube?
The last year feels like it has been much longer. It feels like years.
When I joined, we had under 100 brands; now we're at 350+, working with all the major enterprises globally, expanding into MENA and LATAM. The growth has been surreal, and I'm genuinely excited for where we're headed.
Being here from the early days gives you a different kind of ownership. You've seen the messy version. You know why things are the way they are. I want to keep building on that - not just closing deals, but helping shape how the team operates as we scale.
10. Since this is part of our “SuperWomen of GobbleCube” series, we’d love to know who the ‘SuperWoman’ in your life is.
My younger sister, without a doubt.
Growing up, I was the dreamy one - head in the clouds, and always distracted.
On the other hand, she’s obsessed with her work. She got into one of India's top law schools and now works at one of SAM, the best firms in the country.
Watching her taught me that passion gets you started, but discipline is what actually builds things. I still dream. But now I execute too.
If there is a superwoman in my life, it is her.