Vivek Bhargava, Co-Founder of ProfitWheel (consumr.ai), is a veteran ad-tech and digital marketing leader known for driving innovation and growth. He developed consumr.ai, a consumer intelligence platform that turns first-party data into actionable strategies across major digital platforms. In this conversation, he shares insights on decoding consumer behavior, leveraging data for strategic decisions, and scaling digital solutions across markets.
You’ve helped startups grow fast and scale big brands. How do you decide when it’s time to push for growth and when it’s better to slow down and build a stronger base?
The temptation in business is always to push harder, faster. Growth is intoxicating. But scale without a foundation is like building a skyscraper on sand, it looks impressive until the first tremor brings it down. For me, the decision of when to accelerate and when to consolidate has always come down to signal vs. noise. If the signals are strong (consumer adoption patterns, product-market fit, unit economics), I believe in doubling down. For instance, one of the brands discovered through AI Twins that their product wasn’t just for diabetics but resonated with a much wider wellness audience. That one behavioral insight expanded their addressable market 5x. In moments like that, you don’t hesitate, you push. On the other hand, when the signals are unclear, growth can be dangerous. I’ve seen too many brands chase vanity metrics, like downloads, clicks, and impressions, without a clear sense of whether they’re reaching the right customers or creating lasting value. That’s when slowing down and investing in intelligence pays off.
With ProfitWheel’s focus on psychographic insights, how do you make sure customer data is used thoughtfully while still creating personalized campaigns that work?
Personalization only works if it’s built on trust. At Consumr.ai, our approach is rooted in observation, not intrusion. AI Twins doesn’t rely on sensitive personal identifiers — it learns from deterministic signals like content engagement, purchase behaviors, and digital touchpoints. That means brands can understand what drives a customer without peering into who that individual is. The goal is not to cross the line into surveillance, but to respect consumer privacy while still delivering campaigns that feel relevant and useful. Even though GDPR and CCPA compliance may not currently be mandatory in India, we believe it is essential to prioritize privacy well beyond what the law requires. At Consumr.ai, we never request or accept any first-party data from our clients. Instead, we empower them to gain deep insights into their customers while ensuring data security and trust remain uncompromised.
Hyper-personalization is everywhere now, but it raises privacy concerns. How can brands strike the right balance between being efficient and being responsible?
The key is to stop thinking of personalization as tracking individuals and start thinking of it as understanding behaviors. Most systems still rely on probabilistic assumptions and third-party cookies, which raise both ethical and practical concerns. A better way is to observe patterns at scale — signals like what content people engage with, what journeys they take, or what affinities they demonstrate. That way, personalization becomes about aligning with genuine behaviors, not about chasing identities. When you design campaigns this way, relevance is preserved but trust isn’t sacrificed. I believe personalization is the key to enhancing the consumer experience. Our AI Twins provide brands with deep insights into how customers want to be communicated with, and more importantly, the why behind their decisions. This level of understanding enables brands to optimize the customer journey, sharpen their communication, and ultimately drive improvements in Net Promoter Score (NPS) and overall satisfaction.
What are some common mistakes you’ve seen businesses make when trying to scale, and how can they avoid them?
The most common mistake is confusing activity with traction. I’ve seen companies expand into new markets or launch campaigns on shaky ground because they’re chasing metrics that look impressive — clicks, impressions, or raw signups, without validating whether these reflect meaningful adoption. The smarter path is to pause and identify the real drivers of influence in the decision journey. Often, the person clicking “buy” isn’t the only decision-maker; the process may begin much earlier with hidden influencers. Brands that take the time to understand those dynamics scale more sustainably and avoid costly missteps.
As an investor and mentor, how do you challenge founders when they’re attached to their ideas — without discouraging them?
Founders naturally fall in love with their ideas, it’s what gives them the conviction to keep going. But conviction needs to be tested against evidence. My role as an investor is to act as a mirror, not a critic. I often ask: What does the data say? Where are the behavioral signals pointing? At Consumr.ai, we’ve built a whole philosophy around replacing assumptions with truth. If a founder’s idea survives that stress test, it deserves fuel. If it doesn’t, then the data is telling us to adapt. Challenging doesn’t mean discouraging, it means making sure passion is aligned with reality.
Data-driven marketing is powerful, but there’s also a lot of confusion around it. What’s the biggest misconception you see, and how do you help teams build trust with customers?
The biggest misconception is that data equals demographics. Too often, brands assume that knowing a customer’s age, gender, or location is enough to drive meaningful engagement. While these details may support basic targeting, they don’t reveal the real reasons behind consumer choices. Demographics tell you who the customer is, but not why they act. The real breakthrough comes from decoding psychographic signals, understanding motivations, affinities, lifestyles, and the context in which decisions are made. For instance, the most valuable insight might not be that a customer is a 35-year-old male in Mumbai, but that he turns to your brand after long workdays because it represents relaxation, reward, or convenience. Shifting focus from identity to intent transforms marketing strategies. At Consumr.ai, our AI Twins are designed to uncover this deeper layer of insight. They reveal not just what customers are doing, but why they behave that way. This empowers brands to communicate in ways that feel authentic and relevant. Strategies built around intent and context, rather than surface-level traits, naturally foster stronger connections. The result? Customers feel understood rather than targeted, and that sense of respect becomes the foundation of lasting trust.
