afaqs! Pause - Rajat Khullar, Founder, Bla Bli Blu

The best part of my job is…

The best part of my job as the founder of Bla Bli Blu is getting to turn something as simple as fragrance into a real “main character” moment for people, watching an idea move from a feeling to a formula to a bottle, and finally become someone’s signature scent. I love obsessing over the tiny details, notes, performance, longevity, and packaging, until it feels unforgettable, because a great perfume doesn’t just smell good; it belongs to you.

What makes it even more meaningful is hearing customers say, “I feel like myself again,” or “I feel confident,” because that’s the magic I’m building for: a brand that makes people feel seen before they’re even spoken to.

My vision for Bla Bli Blu is to create India’s most loved discovery-first perfume brand, premium, honest, and approachable, where finding your perfect scent feels fun, personal, and risk-free. I want to make premium scent culture accessible and playful, so confidence can be affordable and everyday moments can become signature moments. Ultimately, Bla Bli Blu is here to make fragrance the simplest, most powerful way to feel like your best self every single day.

My leadership mantra as the founder of Bla Bli Blu is simple: build with heart, decide with data, and execute with speed, without ever compromising on honesty or quality. I believe clarity beats chaos, so I keep priorities tight, communication direct, and progress visible, because momentum is a superpower in a young brand.

I lead with high standards and low ego. I want us to be bold in vision, calm in execution, and obsessed with details that customers actually feel, how the fragrance performs, how the packaging delights, how the unboxing becomes a moment, and how every touchpoint earns trust. Customer joy comes first, and everything else follows; if we make people feel confident, seen, and happy, growth becomes a natural outcome.

I also believe in leading from the front, showing up, owning mistakes quickly, fixing problems faster, and celebrating learning instead of perfection. At the same time, I trust the team, raise the bar together, and protect a culture where people take initiative and feel proud of their craft. For me, leadership is taste plus discipline: create something premium and personal, then deliver it consistently, every single day.

In an alternate timeline, I would have been a strategy consultant, the person brands call when things feel messy, scattered, or stuck. I’d walk into a business that has a good product but unclear direction, and my job would be to bring structure: What are we really selling, to whom, and why should they care?

I’d diagnose the root problems, confusing positioning, weak differentiation, leaky funnels, poor pricing, low retention, or an unfocused SKU mix, and then turn them into a clean, actionable plan. I’d simplify priorities into a few high-impact bets, align the team on one narrative, and build a roadmap that connects brand, product, and growth instead of treating them like separate worlds. I’d love mapping customer journeys, spotting where trust breaks, and fixing it with better messaging, better experience, and sharper execution.

The best part would be making decisions feel obvious again, what to stop doing, what to double down on, and what success should look like in 30, 60, and 90 days. Consulting, at its best, is clarity plus momentum: turning noise into signal, confusion into focus, and potential into repeatable performance. And honestly, that same instinct, bringing clarity to chaos, is exactly what I use as a founder every day.

Streaming now: Shark Tank India, not for the drama, but for the deal thinking. I watch it like a founder’s classroom: how people defend their numbers, how they explain margins, CAC, inventory, pricing, and why their brand deserves to exist. Every pitch is a reminder that storytelling without fundamentals is noise, and fundamentals without storytelling are invisible.

I’m constantly noting what makes an idea feel credible in 60 seconds: clarity of problem, sharp positioning, clean unit economics, and the confidence to say “no” to distractions.

One MIT + Two Must-Do’s (daily)
Every morning, I pick one Most Important Task that moves the business (revenue, product, hiring, retention), then two smaller must-dos. If the MIT is done, the day is a win, everything else is a bonus.

Time-blocking with “Founder Hours”
I protect two deep-work blocks (60 to 90 minutes) with no calls, no WhatsApp. This is for strategy, creative work, and problem-solving, the stuff that actually compounds.

Decision log + 80/20 reviews
I keep a simple note of what I decided, why, and what metric will prove it right or wrong. Every week, I review what drove the most results, what was noise, and what I should stop doing. Fewer repeat mistakes, faster momentum.

Blinkit was quick to join the cricket conversation with India’s recent T20 win over the USA. Reading the mood of the match perfectly, the brand shared a sharp, humorous reel that cheekily took a swipe at the USA team, demonstrating how timely moment marketing keeps brands culturally relevant.