Ashish Khazanchi, managing partner, Enormous

An independent agency goes through phases of its natural product life cycle. The most important part of any independent agency’s journey is when you’re figuring out what the agency wants to be about. Why are the founders setting up, to begin with, and what will define them? After that, it’s easier to chart a path, and critical decision-making can become much simpler.
While running any enterprise is never a bed of roses, it’s not without its concomitant joys as well. Among the things that a new entrepreneur will always face is saying goodbye to a life of utter privilege. From people who’d run rings around you, to you running rings around the world. From selling a great idea and executing it to the best of your ability to suddenly the admin, finance, HR, cash flows, taxation and roughly everything under the sun becoming your problem.
It’s unrelenting hard work. Even after ten long years of being around, I don’t think I can ever have two straight days completely off the grid. All of this seems worth every bit of pain when you see a culture emerging from every little thing the whole team does on an everyday basis, and you see your defined idea of an enterprise in the very beginning finally taking shape and becoming a real something. Nothing will gratify an entrepreneur more than his/her enterprise being a part of conversations and growing day by day.

There are 100 reasons not to start an independent agency in this day and age. But then there’s one irrational demented reason to do it and if you love your organisation’s purpose enough it’ll keep you going through the darkest of nights.

Neha Khilnani, founder and CEO, Connekting Dots

I relish the freedom to craft narratives without constraints, much like an artist with a blank canvas. Here, I have the liberty to weave imaginative strategies and shape compelling stories for our clients, unrestricted by corporate protocols. It feels like being a storyteller with endless possibilities, poised to transform visions into impactful communication campaigns.

Reflecting on the disparity between casual coffee chats with a friend and attending formal networking events, I appreciate how running an independent marketing and brand communications agency allows me to cultivate genuine relationships with our clients. We’re not merely another faceless entity but integral partners in their journey. This closeness nurtures trust and empowers me to deeply comprehend their needs, paving the way for more effective collaboration and superior outcomes.

On the other hand, the evolving work environment shaped by Gen Z’s preferences is a challenge. With Gen Z valuing flexibility, work-life balance, and purpose-driven endeavors, we are tasked with updating traditional practices to include remote work options, flexible schedules, and a focus on corporate social responsibility. However, the enduring difficulty lies in retaining Gen Z talent, driven by their entrepreneurial zeal and desire for fast career growth. In earlier times the work scenario differed significantly as young minds were less concerned about work hours, unlike today’s emphasis on flexibility and work life balance among Gen Z. To confront this challenge, we have to bring in innovative methods and rethink career advancement structures, offer continuous learning opportunities, and establish clear communication channels to build trust and loyalty.

Jaideep Shergill, co-founder, Pitchfork Partners

Independence - the word itself means so much - freedom, the ability to be flexible, agile, and nimble. Another advantage of running an independent agency is the opportunity to pivot and change course keeping with the market needs and the overall economic environment which changes constantly.

Global firms provide opportunities to move colleagues to other markets/regions and give them training opportunities and lateral career paths. To a smaller degree, non-independent firms benefit from global client alliances and bring that to bear on clients in India as well which limits some of these opportunities for the independent firms.

Kranti Gada, founder, neOwn

There are more upsides than cons when building something of your own! Working on your vision and painting your dream is the most exciting opportunity in the world. The best part is how you can start from scratch and be part of the journey from the very beginning. There’s always scope to pause and make changes with freedom. More importantly, you get to make your own mistakes, make your own decisions, and run things the way you want.

In terms of cons, I usually view them as challenges rather than cons. It’s an uphill task to start from ground zero and look after the operational side as well as the consumer side of any business. Not to mention, the fact that the buck stops on you! You are personally responsible for every step the company takes. But, in the end, as I said, I look at them as challenges and not cons!

Devaiah Bopanna, co-founder, Moonshot

When you are independent you can pivot faster because you don’t have to convince eight levels of people on what you think is the right thing to do as you are closer to the ground realities.

Secondly, ideas don’t have to be approved by committees. An individual’s personality can shine through a lot more, as you have more independence to add your touch to whatever’s being done as opposed to seven people having to sign off on something.
There’s very little room for error in judgment because a small independent place as opposed to a big MNC is not idiot-proof in a way that can tolerate failure. When you are running an independent place, you have to ensure that you are taking the right call at all times because you are just two to three bad calls away from getting into trouble. With being independent, there’s also a danger that decision-making is happening by a smaller set of people who may not have thought through every possible aspect. It makes things move faster but also when you are going fast there is very little room for error.

Satbir Singh, founder and CCO, Thinkstr

At some point, everyone in a salaried job has dreamt of going independent. Depending upon what stage of life you’re at, the exit barriers can be high or low. Irrespective of your decision, you will now be a goat obsessed with the grass on the other side.
As for the pros, you create your own path, not someone sitting in New York or London. You can decide on dedicating all your time to your firm or divide and distribute it amongst your various interests.

But, on the other hand, you will no longer be the CEO, CCO or CFO. You are now the CECFTIXO. You will be responsible for pretty much everything. You will now be drawing straws or tossing coins to decide between paying taxes or salaries on time.
One thing is for sure. Independence is addictive.

Raj Kamble, founder and CCO, Famous Innovations

When people look at a person running an independent agency, what people believe is that he’s a powerful guy. But what they don’t understand is that being an entrepreneur is like sitting on a lion. On the outside, it seems like he is riding the lion and running a company but only he knows that if he falls, the lion will be the first to eat him up.

The biggest pro of running an independent agency is that the founder’s name is associated like it was with David Ogilvy or Leo Burnett. The founder is so conscious about everything that he/she does because of the accountability. The founder has his/her skin in the game which means that they will never compromise the quality of work and will put his/her life into it. Another pro that you see when you go to an independent agency is the passion and the drive. Independent agencies work 24/7 and the good thing is that the founder can change the game and rules for a client’s comfort and do a better job.

When it comes to working in an independent agency - you’re in touch with the owner. An independent agency’s career depends on the client’s career and if the client does well, the independent agency also does well. If clients don’t perform, the independent agency shuts down. So an independent agency’s success is hidden in the client’s success. Also, we see that with a network, many times the young staff doesn’t know who (the founder) they are working for.

I’d also add that there’s no such thing as ‘network agencies,’ there are only ‘independent agencies’ and ‘dependent agencies’. Dependent agencies depend on global alignment clients, global processes, global approvals, and global money, and depend on proving themselves to their London or New York office. Independent agencies can offer their skin and do things on their own terms. They can put their client first because they don’t have global pressure. They build their network and that’s why they value every client, employee, and partner more.

Roy Menezes, partner and CCO, Centrick

Before starting Centrick along with my friends Vikram and Vistasp, I worked at large networks, independent, corporates, and tech companies. Networks, however much they might try to cover it, are slave drivers. At a network, money talks and if you give a shit, you walk. It wasn’t always like that. Somewhere down the line, creative people leading agencies were replaced by MBAs, PhDs, scientists, and magicians. I’ve reported to leaders like Bobby (Pawar), Abhijit (Avasthi), and Rajiv (Rao), and business heads like Sumanta (Ganguly) and Leroy (Alvares) who had a spine and stood for good work. There were fights but these led to client delight. The money came and client trust was built brick by brick year by year. That’s what networks do to you. They drive the creativity out of you.

Another drawback of a network is credit. You win. You win big. But in the end, some office in some remote region for no fault of theirs has a bad year and your increment cheque arrives at 5%. You win seven accounts and you fire two because you’re driving profitability. Yes, you go to Cannes. Yes, Thailand and Singapore are great too. But, there is no greater joy than doing that on your terms, with brands that you love and with teams that you love and they love you too. The best part about being independent is having a spine. You choose what you do and who you do it for. You can kiss the sky while saying no. You sleep at ease knowing you’ve lived another day.

Shormistha Mukherjee, co-founder and chief growth officer, Flying Cursor

As for the pros, you can say no to things that you don’t believe will make you or the people in your agency happy. Another thing is you can be honest with your clients. You can tell them what works, what you can do best, what needs to be done, and what’s right or what’s wrong, without once worrying about network pressure on your bottom line.

As a founder, you are always on, like a chemist shop, 24/7 and there’s no escaping that. It can feel lonely at times.

P.G. Aditiya, co-founder, Talented

One of the biggest pros of running an independent agency is the freedom - freedom to build as per our vision without baggage. Also, the ability to experiment without being slowed down by those not close to your everyday reality.

Talking about the con, there’s none that we haven’t innovated our way out of yet.

Shrenik Gandhi, co-founder and CEO, White Rivers Media

India’s diverse, digitally-forward consumers demand authentic, localised experiences. Brands also seek nimble partners who can deliver culturally-tuned messages that resonate. Independent agencies thrive in this space.

Unburdened by bureaucracies, they make decisions quickly. They possess intimate knowledge of regional preferences, fostering meaningful audience connections. Lean operations allow them to maximise marketing investments and prioritise innovation.
Independent agencies understand the importance of global-standard work, elevating Indian brands and showcasing national creativity on the world stage. They collaborate internationally and tap into global talent pools without sacrificing agility. This unique blend of local expertise and global connections makes them ideal partners for homegrown brands, fueling India’s economic growth. For brands seeking targeted impact or hyper-local storytelling, independent agencies offer a compelling advantage.

Saurabh Varma, founder and CEO, Wondrlab India

The word ‘independent’ essentially means you are independent. You can make all the decisions. The power resides with you from a perspective of decision-making. The advantage of that is whether it is agility or having a sense of longevity in the way you think of it, what happens in most networks is that when times are tough, you still need to extract margin, but as an independent, you can take the call of saying this that I am very happy for a few years or for some time to see through a downturn. Independence gives you freedom.

The second big advantage of running an independent agency is that you can decide who you want to be. You can pivot very quickly. For example, in our case, we are not just a service company, we are also a product company. You can pivot very quickly, you can make things happen and you can invest ahead of the curve. Investing ahead of the curve to build a product can be millions of dollars but there’s a risk attached to it. We can take that risk as an independent agency.

One big negative is that the buck stops with you. If you screw it up, then you’re responsible for the screw-up. There is nobody who is going to come and save you.

The second is till the time the independent agency doesn’t become a network, you won’t enjoy the benefit of being part of a network. There are some joys of being a part of a network- one of them is a cultural exchange. There’s a cultural exchange, you meet people from different countries and you can exchange ideas, you can learn how everybody else is doing and you can essentially grow with the network. For example, in our case, we are not an independent agency anymore, we are now making a network and we are in multiple countries. That advantage is a huge advantage that you can create for your teams. The ability to learn from each other is a big thing. If it’s a genuine network, the ability to experience different cultures and make careers across different geographies are big advantages, or used to be, of being part of a network.

This feature first appeared in the April edition of Manifest.