Writing
Notes from the build.
Essays on founding Bolo Media, Indian-language AI, seventeen years in software, and the things I do when I’m not working.
Why I'm building Bolo Media
Why I'm building Bolo Media, from the Bolo Media founder: small businesses deserve video ads in their own language, without a studio or an agency.
StoryFrom Android developer to founder: my 17-year path
I'm Jaimin Mehta, founder of Bolo Media in Ahmedabad. My path from Android developer in 2009 to founder in 2026, role by role, and what each role taught.
How I think Gujarati shop owners see advertising
Jaimin Mehta of Bolo Media on how Gujarati shop owners think about advertising: word of mouth, WhatsApp status, festive seasons and trust in faces.
The vernacular internet is not a translation problem
Why vernacular content in India fails when startups treat it as translation, and what changes when you build for Gujarati and Hindi speakers from day one.
Why most small businesses in India still don't make video ads
Small business video advertising in India is still rare. The real barriers are cost, time, skills, language and fear of looking amateur, not lack of interest.
Building an AI startup from Ahmedabad
What it is like to be an AI startup founder in Ahmedabad: building close to Gujarati customers, the city's tech roots, and what you give up outside Bengaluru.
Pricing for a market that counts every rupee
How I think about pricing software for Indian small businesses: owners who count every rupee, compare everything and need to see value before they pay.
Building a product on AI models you don't control
What building an AI product on third-party models really means for a small founder: changing behaviour, rising costs, outages, and how I design around them.
Why Indian languages are still hard for AI voice
AI text to speech in Indian languages has improved fast, yet scripts, silent vowels, code-mixing, numbers and names still trip it up. Here is why.
AI ads and honesty: where I draw the line
My personal take on AI generated ads ethics: what I think is fair, what crosses the line, and why honesty matters more for small businesses than big brands.
How I think about AI inference cost as a founder
How I think about AI inference cost for startups when every rupee is watched: hidden retries, cheap tests before big builds, and pricing that covers the bill.
Self-hosted GPU or API: how I decide
Self host AI model vs API: a founder's plain framework for choosing between renting GPUs and paying per call, and the five questions I ask first.
From Android in 2009 to AI in 2026: two platform shifts
I started as an Android developer in 2009 and now build with AI. What the mobile to AI platform shift has in common, where it differs, and what I watch for.
Nine years at Silver Touch: what a long stint teaches
Jaimin Mehta on Silver Touch Technologies, where he spent 2011 to 2020 as Assistant Project Lead and Mobile Engineer, and what long tenure teaches.
What I had to unlearn going from project manager to founder
Going from technical project manager to founder means unlearning habits that once served you well. The ones I had to drop, and the ones worth keeping.
Why I left a stable job in 2026 to start Bolo
Leaving a job to start a startup in India is a serious call. Why I left a stable role at Vagaro in 2026 to build Bolo Media, and the doubts worth weighing.
Building in the language I grew up speaking
What it means to be a Gujarati tech founder building AI products in my own language: why Gujarati matters, what makes it hard, and why I chose it for Bolo.
What fast cars and good machines taught me about product craft
Jaimin Mehta on cars, bikes and well-built machines, and what their engineering teaches a founder about product craft, honest trade-offs and finish.
Notes from India's wildlife sanctuaries and coastline
Notes on wildlife safari in India's sanctuaries and coastline: Sasan Gir's Asiatic lions, Goa in the monsoon, Pahalgam in winter, and what they teach.
What European football teaches about building a team
Football lessons for startups from European football: squad building, star signings, managers who rebuild, and why balance beats talent alone.