Revmeup: Aditya Sonkar on Building a Social Review Ecosystem to Fix E-commerce Trust

The modern e-commerce landscape is plagued by a paradox: we have millions of reviews, but we have never been more skeptical of what we read. Anonymous ratings, bot-generated reviews, and incentivized feedback have eroded the trust that consumers rely on to make purchasing decisions. Aditya Sonkar, the Founder and CEO of Revmeup, is on a mission to restore that trust. An IIT Bombay graduate with a passion for data-driven innovation, Aditya is building a social review platform that prioritizes human connection over anonymous numbers.

The 'Review' Problem: Sifting Through the Noise

Aditya’s journey began with a simple observation: when we want to buy something important, we don't look at star ratings on a website; we ask our friends. "Current platforms can't satisfactorily help users make decisions," Aditya explains. "You see 20 products, all with 4-star ratings, and you're still confused. Revmeup is a social media platform for reviews where the relationship between the reviewer and the consumer matters."

Revmeup isn't just a place to leave a comment. It's an ecosystem where users can discover, compare, and research products through a social lens. By focusing on real experiences from people you might actually know or trust, Aditya aims to move the industry from "anonymous feedback" to "socially-validated decision making."

From IIT Bombay to the Startup Leap

Aditya's technical foundation was built at **IIT Bombay**, followed by four years in high-growth corporate environments like **24/7.ai**. This period was crucial for understanding the professional rigor and scale required to build a global product. However, the urge to build his own venture was persistent. In late 2018, he left the stability of his corporate job to bootstrap Revmeup.

The 'Co-founder' Hunt: Commitment Over Comfort

Building a startup is rarely a solo endeavor, but finding the right partner is often the hardest hurdle. Aditya spent months searching his network—LinkedIn, Facebook, and IIT alumni groups—before finding his co-founding team. "It's like a long-term relationship," he notes. "You need someone who is willing to commit the next five years of their life, not just someone who likes the idea."

He eventually found his technical co-founder through a referral, prioritizing "commitment and resilience" over just technical skills. This team building was done alongside a year-long product development phase, transforming a simple idea into a functional mobile application.

Lessons in Bootstrapping: The Baby Steps

Aditya is a firm believer in the power of "baby steps." He suggests that aspiring entrepreneurs shouldn't jump blindly into the fire. "Take the time to research, talk to potential customers, and build a financial runway," he advises. For him, the confidence to quit his job came only after he had saved enough to sustain himself and his vision for at least a year.

The Future: A Global Voice for Consumers

Aditya’s vision for Revmeup is to become the ultimate voice for consumers. He wants to create a platform where every user has a voice and every product purchase is informed by truth. "We want to give a voice to the consumers," he says. By integrating advanced technology with human-centric social interactions, Revmeup is set to redefine how we interact with products in the digital age.

His message to the next generation of Indian entrepreneurs is one of persistence: "India is a land of opportunity. Identify your customer, solve their problem, and keep taking those baby steps. The world will eventually back you up."