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Unseen: The Untold Story of Deepinder Goyal and The Making of Zomato
This is not a biography.
Nor is it a linear march of a man from childhood to success.
Unseen is the anatomy of a founder who doesn’t chase stability but thrives in contradictions—restless yet laser focused, flirting with high stakes and uncertain outcomes.
In July 2021, as Zomato became India’s first tech unicorn to go public, its founder, Deepinder Goyal, was largely untouched by the reverberating glory. Unseen begins where most stories end, at the peak, only to pull you into the shadows that shaped it.
Through the eyes of former journalist Megha Vishwanath, this is the deeply personal journey of a stuttering boy from small-town Punjab who grew into the reluctant face of a billion-dollar brand. Vishwanath pieces the narrative through hundreds of interviews, capturing the voices of those who worked with Deepinder, fought with him and followed him—through years of watching him build, break and build again.
Assembled from fragments of private battles, impossible questions and split-second decisions that altered the course of one of the largest companies of our generation, this book reveals what happens when ambition is stripped of vanity, brilliance sheds its theatre and success arrives without peace.
Nor is it a linear march of a man from childhood to success.
Unseen is the anatomy of a founder who doesn’t chase stability but thrives in contradictions—restless yet laser focused, flirting with high stakes and uncertain outcomes.
In July 2021, as Zomato became India’s first tech unicorn to go public, its founder, Deepinder Goyal, was largely untouched by the reverberating glory. Unseen begins where most stories end, at the peak, only to pull you into the shadows that shaped it.
Through the eyes of former journalist Megha Vishwanath, this is the deeply personal journey of a stuttering boy from small-town Punjab who grew into the reluctant face of a billion-dollar brand. Vishwanath pieces the narrative through hundreds of interviews, capturing the voices of those who worked with Deepinder, fought with him and followed him—through years of watching him build, break and build again.
Assembled from fragments of private battles, impossible questions and split-second decisions that altered the course of one of the largest companies of our generation, this book reveals what happens when ambition is stripped of vanity, brilliance sheds its theatre and success arrives without peace.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2025
62 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 28, 2025
Didn’t know you could put a positive spin on so many things which otherwise land in the gray.
In short, it’s a hagiography
In short, it’s a hagiography
December 31, 2025
The book tries too hard, and the way it's narrated seems heavily superficial most of the time.
Nevertheless, a good behind-the-curtains read, and massive respect for Zomato's team
Nevertheless, a good behind-the-curtains read, and massive respect for Zomato's team
December 7, 2025
Fantastic coverage into Deepinder and Zomato's journey: from inception to IPO. But, the lines felt increasingly LLM crafted with frequent usage of the famous "not only this, but also" & "-" (em-dashes) throughout the book.
December 8, 2025
Take a bow Deepinder Goyal!
What a beautiful book!!!
Truly inspirational. It’s amazing to learn, how far this man has come & mind you, it wasn’t any easy. His strength and struggles and main, his determination.
Loved reading it.
Credit also goes to the author for writing it so wonderfully.
What a beautiful book!!!
Truly inspirational. It’s amazing to learn, how far this man has come & mind you, it wasn’t any easy. His strength and struggles and main, his determination.
Loved reading it.
Credit also goes to the author for writing it so wonderfully.
November 27, 2025
I picked up this book after I saw it in a book store. Honestly, I never expected to find a biographical work on Zomato or Deepinder Goyal. Maybe because India is still a nascent start up market, caught up in a web of bureaucracy. Or maybe because India doesn’t have a culture of eulogising business success unless it is accompanied by some political heft.
I was excited to read this book. And Megha Vishwanath delivered an extremely well written, fast paced and informative masterpiece. It’s a compact book, only about 290 pages of actual text. It feels like a miniature version of Walter Isaacson’s Musk biography, though not as detailed. The book focuses mainly on the Zomato story, and tries to stay true to that theme. But as the author confesses towards the end of the book, Deepinder Goyal was so central to the Zomato story that the book becomes about both.
The book brings about an understanding of Zomato’s culture and its journey shaped through the personality of its founder. The author has tried to maintain a balance, calling out the wrong decisions and wrong choices, which is understandably difficult to do when you are writing a biographical piece. The book also narrates how the food delivery and quick commerce ecosystems developed in India. I always subconsciously thought that it came about as a Eureka moment to one of the founders somewhere in India (I could never decide to whom, exactly), who then launched a business around that idea, struggled and finally succeeded. After reading the book, it now seems so obvious how naive that assumption was. It now feels that somehow, Zomato and the other companies in the business actually realised as customers what they wanted, and when they tested that in the market, they realised everyone else wants it too.
The entire book is basically that story, narrated through how Zomato was founded and then became what it is today. The author has also done a fabulous job of humanising the content, where we also get to understand many of the major characters of the Zomato story and eventually feel a pull for the entire team, past and present.
A word of appreciation for Deepinder Goyal for giving what feels like limitless access to the author - access to the company, access to people and mainly, access to himself. I hope more such books are written in India going forward.
A wonderful read. Go ahead and pick up the book.
I was excited to read this book. And Megha Vishwanath delivered an extremely well written, fast paced and informative masterpiece. It’s a compact book, only about 290 pages of actual text. It feels like a miniature version of Walter Isaacson’s Musk biography, though not as detailed. The book focuses mainly on the Zomato story, and tries to stay true to that theme. But as the author confesses towards the end of the book, Deepinder Goyal was so central to the Zomato story that the book becomes about both.
The book brings about an understanding of Zomato’s culture and its journey shaped through the personality of its founder. The author has tried to maintain a balance, calling out the wrong decisions and wrong choices, which is understandably difficult to do when you are writing a biographical piece. The book also narrates how the food delivery and quick commerce ecosystems developed in India. I always subconsciously thought that it came about as a Eureka moment to one of the founders somewhere in India (I could never decide to whom, exactly), who then launched a business around that idea, struggled and finally succeeded. After reading the book, it now seems so obvious how naive that assumption was. It now feels that somehow, Zomato and the other companies in the business actually realised as customers what they wanted, and when they tested that in the market, they realised everyone else wants it too.
The entire book is basically that story, narrated through how Zomato was founded and then became what it is today. The author has also done a fabulous job of humanising the content, where we also get to understand many of the major characters of the Zomato story and eventually feel a pull for the entire team, past and present.
A word of appreciation for Deepinder Goyal for giving what feels like limitless access to the author - access to the company, access to people and mainly, access to himself. I hope more such books are written in India going forward.
A wonderful read. Go ahead and pick up the book.
November 9, 2025
Unseen ~ The Untold Story of Deepinder Goyal and the Making of Zomato by Megha Vishwanath is a remarkable blend of inspiration, struggle, and sheer determination. It isn’t just a business story, it’s a deeply human journey of a man who dared to turn a small idea into something that changed how India experiences food. Author takes us behind the polished surface of success and lets us see the raw, unseen parts , the failures, doubts, sleepless nights, and small victories that built Zomato step by step. After reading this book i genuinely feel the efforts she put in this book . A well deep researched book it is.
What I loved most is how real the story feels. Deepinder Goyal isn’t portrayed as a flawless genius, he’s shown as someone who stumbled, questioned himself, and yet kept moving forward. From his days in a small town in Punjab to the chaos of building a billion-dollar company, the book beautifully captures how vision and vulnerability can coexist. The narrative is simple but powerful , you can almost feel the early energy of the startup, the pressure of scaling up, and the emotional weight of leading something so massive.
Author’s writing is clear, heartfelt, and honest. She brings out the emotional core of entrepreneurship ~ the part that’s often hidden behind numbers and valuations. Through her words, you not only understand Zomato’s rise but also the person who made it possible, driven more by passion than perfection.
The book leaves you with a quiet sense of admiration , not just for Deepinder, but for everyone who dares to build something meaningful. It’s inspiring, emotional, and incredibly real. Unseen shows that behind every success story lies a human story, and sometimes, those are the ones worth remembering the most. This book is so impactful, especially , hardwork gives you result one day , that Bang on one .
What I loved most is how real the story feels. Deepinder Goyal isn’t portrayed as a flawless genius, he’s shown as someone who stumbled, questioned himself, and yet kept moving forward. From his days in a small town in Punjab to the chaos of building a billion-dollar company, the book beautifully captures how vision and vulnerability can coexist. The narrative is simple but powerful , you can almost feel the early energy of the startup, the pressure of scaling up, and the emotional weight of leading something so massive.
Author’s writing is clear, heartfelt, and honest. She brings out the emotional core of entrepreneurship ~ the part that’s often hidden behind numbers and valuations. Through her words, you not only understand Zomato’s rise but also the person who made it possible, driven more by passion than perfection.
The book leaves you with a quiet sense of admiration , not just for Deepinder, but for everyone who dares to build something meaningful. It’s inspiring, emotional, and incredibly real. Unseen shows that behind every success story lies a human story, and sometimes, those are the ones worth remembering the most. This book is so impactful, especially , hardwork gives you result one day , that Bang on one .
December 6, 2025
If your chai needs a thoughtful companion this week —
Unseen might be it. ☕📖
Simple. Human. Unexpected.
Some books are written for success.
Some for sales.
And then there are some—written purely out of passion.
Unseen felt like the third kind.
I picked this book up on a whim, craving a good biography. Family reviews nudged me, I delayed ordering it for two days—and once it arrived, it barely took me four days to finish.
The story moves like a quiet roller coaster. Just when it feels predictable, it gently turns. Ambition, ego, fear, courage, wins, setbacks, and losses are woven in with such simplicity that you don’t just follow the journey—you begin to understand people.
What touched me most was how personal challenges slowly turn into quiet strengths. How vulnerability, so often hidden behind success, shapes the path just as much as ambition does.
And the ending… it wasn’t a fairytale. Not all wins. Not all losses. Just beautifully human—a soft reminder that even when the world sees success, life can still be fighting private battles behind the scenes.
After My Life in Full by Indra Nooyi (which I read in 2022), this is one of those rare books I know I’ll carry for a long time.
Being on my own entrepreneurial journey, this book felt like a gentle mirror—of what holds us back, and what becomes possible when we keep showing up.
If you’re looking for a calm, thoughtful read with your morning chai or coffee—Unseen might be a beautiful place to begin. Reading about Zomato’s growth quietly took me down a nostalgic lane—late-night orders with friends, overusing the app, judging its falls, and still using it today.
It still amazes me how one curious mind can reshape an entire service sector in India—changing our habits, our comforts, and even making us a little more dependent… and yet, leaving you in awe.
Unseen might be it. ☕📖
Simple. Human. Unexpected.
Some books are written for success.
Some for sales.
And then there are some—written purely out of passion.
Unseen felt like the third kind.
I picked this book up on a whim, craving a good biography. Family reviews nudged me, I delayed ordering it for two days—and once it arrived, it barely took me four days to finish.
The story moves like a quiet roller coaster. Just when it feels predictable, it gently turns. Ambition, ego, fear, courage, wins, setbacks, and losses are woven in with such simplicity that you don’t just follow the journey—you begin to understand people.
What touched me most was how personal challenges slowly turn into quiet strengths. How vulnerability, so often hidden behind success, shapes the path just as much as ambition does.
And the ending… it wasn’t a fairytale. Not all wins. Not all losses. Just beautifully human—a soft reminder that even when the world sees success, life can still be fighting private battles behind the scenes.
After My Life in Full by Indra Nooyi (which I read in 2022), this is one of those rare books I know I’ll carry for a long time.
Being on my own entrepreneurial journey, this book felt like a gentle mirror—of what holds us back, and what becomes possible when we keep showing up.
If you’re looking for a calm, thoughtful read with your morning chai or coffee—Unseen might be a beautiful place to begin. Reading about Zomato’s growth quietly took me down a nostalgic lane—late-night orders with friends, overusing the app, judging its falls, and still using it today.
It still amazes me how one curious mind can reshape an entire service sector in India—changing our habits, our comforts, and even making us a little more dependent… and yet, leaving you in awe.
January 10, 2026
“Unseen: The Untold Story of Deepinder Goyal and the Making of Zomato” is written by Megha Vishwanath.
Last year, I read Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, and that book set a very high benchmark for startup biographies and leadership narratives. While reading Unseen, I was genuinely impressed by how Megha Vishwanath presents the journey of a tech company—from a simple idea to a billion-dollar enterprise—with remarkable clarity and technical insight.
The book offers a deep, practical view into how a startup is built: product decisions, technology choices, team building, funding challenges, leadership dilemmas, and the resilience required to scale. These technical and strategic elements are explained in a way that is both accessible and realistic.
What stands out most is the writing itself. The narrative has depth, balance, and credibility, and in many moments, it feels comparable to the style and seriousness of Walter Isaacson’s work. It does not glorify success blindly; instead, it presents the struggles, failures, and turning points that define a real entrepreneurial journey.
For readers interested in technology, startups, and modern leadership, this book offers valuable perspective and inspiration.
Last year, I read Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, and that book set a very high benchmark for startup biographies and leadership narratives. While reading Unseen, I was genuinely impressed by how Megha Vishwanath presents the journey of a tech company—from a simple idea to a billion-dollar enterprise—with remarkable clarity and technical insight.
The book offers a deep, practical view into how a startup is built: product decisions, technology choices, team building, funding challenges, leadership dilemmas, and the resilience required to scale. These technical and strategic elements are explained in a way that is both accessible and realistic.
What stands out most is the writing itself. The narrative has depth, balance, and credibility, and in many moments, it feels comparable to the style and seriousness of Walter Isaacson’s work. It does not glorify success blindly; instead, it presents the struggles, failures, and turning points that define a real entrepreneurial journey.
For readers interested in technology, startups, and modern leadership, this book offers valuable perspective and inspiration.
January 12, 2026
I have read a lot of business books, and I'm generally fascinated with business books or those on founders. I was lately looking for an honest take on an Indian start-up founder especially after the start-up IPO boom.
I took the decision (rightly so) to give my time to this book. Initially, I was a little skeptical as it appeared to be a standard journey on rags to riches. But, that's not what it is!
Megha does a fabulous job by not limiting this to one individual only, but the entire ecosystem of Eternal. Like she talks about the rise, she's equally open about the falls. Loved the experience. Highly recommended for somebody who feels broken but wants to rise.
An additional star due to the last 4 chapters of the book!
I took the decision (rightly so) to give my time to this book. Initially, I was a little skeptical as it appeared to be a standard journey on rags to riches. But, that's not what it is!
Megha does a fabulous job by not limiting this to one individual only, but the entire ecosystem of Eternal. Like she talks about the rise, she's equally open about the falls. Loved the experience. Highly recommended for somebody who feels broken but wants to rise.
An additional star due to the last 4 chapters of the book!
February 8, 2026
I picked this book very skeptically as the author Megha Vishwanath currently works for Zomato. To Megha’s credit she has done a reasonable job given her journalist background. However she has stayed away from some of the more controversial topics in Deepnider’s personal and professional life like his divorce, gig workers, etc.
As a shareholder of Zomato I was very fascinated by the hardworking CEO and how he has been involved in every aspect of the company. One amazing learning from the book for me was the role of Sanjeev Bikchandani in the company. His advice to Zomato was possibly more valuable than the money he invested in the company.
The book is a fascinating read on the ups and downs of this amazing company and its early employees.
As a shareholder of Zomato I was very fascinated by the hardworking CEO and how he has been involved in every aspect of the company. One amazing learning from the book for me was the role of Sanjeev Bikchandani in the company. His advice to Zomato was possibly more valuable than the money he invested in the company.
The book is a fascinating read on the ups and downs of this amazing company and its early employees.
November 15, 2025
The story is inspirational but the way in which the book is written is hagiographical. Such a book written about a western founder would be trashed instantly but in India we are much more tolerant of sycophancy. Apart from the treatment, the content is quite weak as well - the reader is not able to understand the core ways in which Eternal differs from competition. The biggest of these is the philosophy of “No Rules Rules” which defines Eternal culture. Overall a poorly written, surface level book.
January 22, 2026
Journey of zomato from humble beginnings as a restaurant discovery platform to the logistics behemoth it is. The cast of characters include a range of people who've been part of this journey at various stages in various roles. One character that has remained constant is Deepinder Goyal and the deep-dive into his mind and character gives soul to the book. This is a fascinating account of a how man's ambition and willingness to adapt can birth and build institutions which are resilient, robust and ultimately eternal in their impact.
Read
February 4, 2026In Unseen, you get a “unseen” perspective into the life of Deepinder Goyal and Zomato. The books does a good job covering Deepinder and his early years and transitioning into his Zomato years.
The books itself is an enjoyable read, not too dense and broken up in a good logical manner. The research done seems very solid and in-depth covering a good chunk of how Zomato started and the details behind it. Also I like how it goes into Deepinder’s leadership style and the transformative decisions he made at Zomato.
Good read overall if you want to learn about Zomato and its founder!
The books itself is an enjoyable read, not too dense and broken up in a good logical manner. The research done seems very solid and in-depth covering a good chunk of how Zomato started and the details behind it. Also I like how it goes into Deepinder’s leadership style and the transformative decisions he made at Zomato.
Good read overall if you want to learn about Zomato and its founder!
December 8, 2025
The book leans heavily into hero-worship, often to the point of distraction. It offers little critical examination of the missteps or flawed decisions along the way, and much of the narrative feels superficial. Despite being centered on Deepinder, the book surprisingly lacks his own introspections or thoughtful engagement with the pivotal moments in his story.
December 26, 2025
Deeply intriguing and deeper in perspective, this isn’t just a book, but a glimpse into the mind and mindset of a man who lives to learn and walks on edges that are built for people like him. This is a story for the ages - filled with learnings, mistakes, humility, passion, and extraordinary growth - and allowing us to see the unseen.
November 17, 2025
Loved it… the way it’s written, it hooks you to the story! The best part is you getting to read real email exchanges between some stakeholders like Sanjeev (investor in Zomato and founder of Info edge) and Deepinder. Loved every bit of the story and too much to learn from Deepi’s experience!
November 24, 2025
Good insights in the life of Deepinder Goyal and the Zomato Story. Easy reading but at times appeared superficial in approach towards storytelling. I feel sometimes biographers have to take an objective view of their muse and highlight their grey sides as well.
November 29, 2025
Motivating and an interesting insight into the food delivery business. Deepinder Goyal maybe an IIT graduate but he had his fair share of challenges growing up. Additionally the number of times Zomato almost came close to shutting down.
December 28, 2025
Decent!
It was a plain biography , showing Deepinder in a way too good light. I liked the book, but it could have been much more insightful into how Deepinder thinks. Way too costly for such a plain book.
It was a plain biography , showing Deepinder in a way too good light. I liked the book, but it could have been much more insightful into how Deepinder thinks. Way too costly for such a plain book.
December 30, 2025
One of the best books I have read on entrepreneurship after Hard Things about Hard Things. Its a compelling journey of someone from small town and humble background of dreaming big and building an iconic company. Loved it to the core.
January 11, 2026
Good read and inspiration with stand out with the details on the reasons for decisions being and being honest with details on when the decision went wrong. Could have been more sharper in writing and especially avoiding unnecessary image clean up narrative.
January 13, 2026
A good coverage to almost everything.
Evolution of Deepinder from start till the end, the courage, conviction of everyone who was and is still associated 🫡is commendable.
"realistic goals rarely provoke" - the art of dreaming impossible things, thats what Deepinder is.
Evolution of Deepinder from start till the end, the courage, conviction of everyone who was and is still associated 🫡is commendable.
"realistic goals rarely provoke" - the art of dreaming impossible things, thats what Deepinder is.
November 17, 2025
Reflects on how somebody evolves with their company. A founder's influence over a company and vice versa. It's a good read!
November 22, 2025
Felt the book was a bit PRish but ended up quite liking the book by the second half just because of the character that Deepinder is. Can't help feeling inspired by the end of what he has done!
December 1, 2025
Great to see books about India entrepreneurs. Fascinating and captivating. Loved it
December 15, 2025
loved it. Doesn't glorify the person but feels like the reader is inside all meetings within Zomato. the mail excerpts are masterclass in itself
December 22, 2025
A candid capture of the entrepreneurial journey, hard decision, ruthless approach, obsession for user experience , product and motivation for the team
February 19, 2026
i love how this story is narrated, and also how deepi and albi were always together never knowing that they will cross paths. Deepi had a very bad temperament in the early days never really listening to wt the market wanted, and then later realised only by swiggy that real potential lays ahead in food delivery and only then they abandoned loss making global acquisition spree.
most of the story of zomato was only successful because of Swiggy, after this one-sided read, now i would more likely also read on the founding of Swiggy, if and when released.
most of the story of zomato was only successful because of Swiggy, after this one-sided read, now i would more likely also read on the founding of Swiggy, if and when released.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2026
Gives a closer look of the startup world and struggles. Overall a good read to understand what it takes to create something big
December 24, 2025
As far as business history goes, this is possibly the most engaging account I have read. Perhaps because it is a contemporary account written by someone who spent three years in the company, and mostly because the author is just that good, this reads like a fast paced sitcom. In showcasing the exceptional nature of Deepinder and the core senior team at Zomato, Megha doesn't lose her journalistic integrity and reveals a lot of the lows, fault lines, and mistakes committed by the team.
My thoughts as an investor aside, the following sentence by Megha Vishwanath summarises Deepinder Goyal's Zomato and the journey to create it the best; "Nothing remarkable ever happened with someone being rational."
My thoughts as an investor aside, the following sentence by Megha Vishwanath summarises Deepinder Goyal's Zomato and the journey to create it the best; "Nothing remarkable ever happened with someone being rational."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews