Mahesh Murthy

Mahesh Murthy is the founder and managing partner of Pinstorm. He started the firm in 2004 with a conviction that the traditional agency retainer model was fundamentally broken — and that the only honest alternative was to tie the agency's compensation entirely to the client's growth.

Before founding Pinstorm, Mahesh co-founded Seedfund, one of India's earliest venture capital firms, investing in companies like Redbus, CarWale, and Vaatsalya Hospitals. His background in venture capital — where returns are entirely outcome-driven — shaped the operating philosophy he brought to marketing.

Mahesh is widely known for his appearances as a judge and investor on Shark Tank India, where he evaluates businesses through the same lens he applies at Pinstorm: measurable unit economics, clear path to revenue, and a founder willing to put skin in the game.

He writes and speaks extensively on marketing accountability, the death of the retainer model, and why most agency relationships fail. His commentary on LinkedIn regularly reaches hundreds of thousands of marketing and business leaders across India.

Mahesh has been profiled in Forbes India, The Wall Street Journal, Campaign Middle East, The Economic Times, and Mint, among over 25 other publications. The common thread in every profile is the same conviction he started with in 2004: that agencies should only be paid when clients grow.

His approach to marketing is rooted in venture capital logic. Every engagement is evaluated by its expected return on invested capital — both the client's and Pinstorm's own. If the expected return does not justify the risk, Pinstorm does not take on the client. This selectivity is what makes the model sustainable: Pinstorm only grows when it backs businesses that grow.

Connect with Mahesh on LinkedIn.