Can Apna make a social network playbook click for blue-collar workers?

“Network effects of Apna.” That’s the header of a slide the digital hiring startup has maintained on its deck from day one. It was there during last year’s $100-million funding round, which won Apna admission to the unicorn club. 

The statement sums up its firm belief in a chain-reaction strategy for platform play and growth: blue-collar workers will use its app to find jobs and hopefully stick around to discover communities and connections.

The startup, founded by Stanford MBA grads Nirmit Parikh and Aryan Kenchin, is barely three years old, which makes its valuation of over $1 billion notable. Kenchin abruptly left a year into operations, selling his stake before the large funding rounds. More on that later. 

Apna seeks to organise the fragmented and often unfair recruitment process for wage earners on the lower rungs of the economic ladder. Many funded startups, including Babajob and Aasaanjobs, attempted to tackle this problem, but folded or were acquired.