In October 2021, I moved to Gurugram.
New city. Same company, but a different role and very demanding role. And a five-year-old daughter who needed things to do on weekends.
This is the story of a problem I couldn't solve - and eventually decided to build the solution myself.
The Outsider's Problem
After a decade in Mumbai, we had it figured out. We knew which hotspots were worth the drive and which ones to avoid. We had a network - other parents who'd share discoveries, flag bad experiences, and trade recommendations.
In Gurugram, I had none of that.
And here's what surprised me: despite being one of India's most developed urban centers, with hundreds of activity venues, I couldn't find them. Google searches returned outdated listings. There was no single place where I could browse options, compare prices, read genuine reviews, and book.
I assumed this was my problem - the price of being new to the city. So I started asking other parents. Colleagues. Neighbors. School WhatsApp groups.
Turns out, they faced the same struggle. Parents who had lived in Gurugram for years were still discovering venues through random word-of-mouth. Still calling places to ask about pricing. Still showing up only to find the play area was closed for a private event.
The information existed. The venues existed. But there was no bridge connecting parents to activities.
The Other Side of the Problem
Before starting ActivityKidz, I decided to understand the supply side. I spent weeks visiting venues - play areas, trampoline parks, bowling alleys, hobby class providers. I wanted to know how they operated, how they found customers, what their pain points were.
What I discovered was revealing.
These businesses had no great way to reach parents actively looking for activities. Their marketing options were limited to WhatsApp groups, Instagram, Google ads, and hoping for word-of-mouth. They were spending money to reach broad audiences when what they needed was to reach parents searching for exactly what they offered.
This reminded me of the restaurant industry in the 2000s. Before dedicated listing platforms emerged, restaurants relied on print ads, hoardings, and walk-ins. Diners had no way to discover new places, compare menus, or read reviews. The information asymmetry hurt both sides.
Then aggregator platforms transformed everything. Restaurants got a channel to reach intent-driven customers. Diners got discovery, transparency, and convenience. The market expanded because friction disappeared.
The kids activity space in 2024 was exactly where restaurants were two decades ago. Both consumers and businesses were stuck, waiting for someone to build the bridge.
Building the Bridge
I launched ActivityKidz in 2024 with a simple premise: one trusted platform where parents can discover, compare, and book kids' activities - and where venues can reach families actively looking for what they offer.
We started with play areas and trampoline parks in Gurugram. Today, we've expanded across Delhi NCR - covering indoor play zones, bowling alleys, go-karting, arcades, VR experiences, laser tag, hobby classes, and even preschools. Over 1 lakh parents have used the platform. We work with 1,000+ verified partners.
For parents: transparent pricing, real photos and videos, genuine reviews, instant booking with exclusive discounts. No more "call for details." No more guesswork.
For venues: a channel to reach parents with intent, qualified enquiries, and a way to fill capacity without burning money on broad-reach advertising.
When both sides win, the market grows.
The Road Ahead
We're still early. Delhi NCR is just the start. Every city in India has parents who've just moved, who don't have the network, who are searching for activities and finding friction instead. Every city has venues struggling to reach them.
The vision is simple: become the default platform for kids' activities across India. A place where parents trust the information, venues grow their business, and children have experiences worth remembering.
If you're a parent in Delhi NCR, I'd love for you to try ActivityKidz. Book a play area. Take your kids to a trampoline park. Tell me what we could do better.
And if you're someone standing at the end of your own road, wondering whether to take the leap - sometimes the best preparation is the problem you couldn't solve yourself.
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