C Joseph Vijay, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu | Photo Credit: MOORTHY M

Earlier this month, popular Tamil film star Joseph Vijay delivered the biggest blockbuster of his career when his political party, Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), stormed the ballot box-office in the TN State Assembly elections. Overturning every prediction, TVK conclusively beat two strong parties that have been governing the State continuously between them for six decades. TVK, a political startup, was formed less than three years ago but achieved overnight success as it got some key startup principles right.

Thousands of startups shut down globally because they fail to get their product-market fit (PMF) right. Incredibly, TVK achieved this perfectly early on: spotting a gap, launching with strong distribution, and scaling up rapidly.

It is a myth that great startups create markets because, in reality, markets exist but are not served well. Startups identify what customers are truly feeling but perhaps unable to articulate clearly. Beneath Tamil Nadu’s apparent political stability there has been a quiet shift, especially among younger voters with different life goals who were seeking a new voice, a relatable persona, and a break from predictability. TVK didn’t manufacture this sentiment but recognised it early and positioned itself into that gap. That’s a founder’s instinct at its best.

The “product” here is not a piece of technology but a mix of persona, positioning, and promise. Vijay strode into this market gap with a huge fan following (existing user base), cultural relevance across segments (product appeal across user segments) and a carefully curated public image (brand appeal). This was like launching a startup where your first million users already know you. Most startups struggle because they build a product first and then chase paying users. Vijay cleverly flipped this logic on its head.

The actor leveraged his fan clubs for mobilisation and digital arms to amplify key messages to voters. It is a playbook successful D2C brands use where they prefer influencer ecosystems instead of traditional retail. The key advantage here is that the first set of users aren’t just satisfied customers but brand evangelists.

The best marketing is invisible and TVK got this absolutely right. It created curiosity by restricting Vijay’s speeches while ensuring his limited appearances were powerful. In a cluttered environment, restraint can be a differentiator.

An inflection point in a startup’s history is when early traction becomes large-scale validation — when product, timing, and distribution align almost perfectly.

For TVK that inflection point has arrived. It must be cautious though because the real work begins now — Vijay’s startup must meet its buyers’ high expectations, which will not be easy. We will review this in the next column.

(The writer is a serial entrepreneur and best-selling author of the book ‘Failing to Succeed’; posts on X @vaitheek)

Published on May 25, 2026