Meet the founders of some of India's best-known startups who have managed to don all the hats their work requires while finding time for family and to unwind.
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Building a company isn't a 9-to-5 job, and entrepreneurs often work harder and longer hours than their employees. Meet the founders of some of India's best-known startups who have managed to don all the hats their work requires while finding time for family and to unwind. Ambarish Gupta, Founder, Knowlarity, Cloud Telephony company
'I was a bad manager when i started out'
How I started When I started Knowlarity in 2009, I was a bad manager. Yes, I had worked as a management consultant at McKinsey but I had no people management skills. I had to read books on management and get advice from others, so it’s a constant treadmill of learning.
Things were much easier to manage with a smaller team. All the decisions that I was taking in my head are now being taken with a team of 20. It becomes difficult at times. How I unwind I was always a loner. I like being alone and I have become more aloof now. My colleagues are my friends and my home is the party place for us. But it isn’t work all the time. I try to create mind space for myself. I try not to go online on Sundays. I love travelling and since we are expanding in emerging markets, I have travelled to Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia. Long drives are another thing I enjoy. Earlier, I used to worry ‘what if my company fails?’, now it’s a different kind of a stress. It is a little more strategic like ‘what will happen three months from now?’
'My kids have taught me things i didn’t know, like patience'
How I started I was seven months pregnant when I was searching for an investor for MyDala. People called me crazy. I told them I was having two babies at one go. When we started, we had 52 competitors, and 7 players had more funding than us. We were the underdogs. But truly, ignorance is bliss for an entrepreneur. When you don’t know how tough it’s going to be, it’s best to jump in. A lot of employees left because we weren’t funded. We are now present in 209 cities and have been profitable for 2 years. I have built it brick by brick.
My family I am always working but not always at work. There are instances when I text colleagues at 3am but of course work is not my life. Everyone in my office knows that 7-9pm is family time and I don’t pick calls or reply to texts at that time. We also have Saturdays off. There were days when I had the working woman’s guilt — ‘Am I a good wife? Am I a good mother?’ — but I have outgrown that. My children have seen me working and I know there will be a shift through this. My stressbusters are my kids. They have taught me things I didn’t know, like patience.
How I started My main apprehension was whether the ecosystem was ready for online business. But in the first four months (Dec 2011 to Mar 2012), we did Rs 1.5 crore in revenue. The first few years were handson; we did most of the work ourselves. Over the last few years, we have built an able leadership team. The style has changed from do-it-yourself to working with teams.
My day It starts and ends with looking at customer emails. After a walk at 7am, I look at my dashboard which gives me an overall picture of the business. The day goes by with review meetings and calls. The job is stressful like all jobs. What is important is whether you enjoy it, which I do. So I would call it “happy stress”. I spend quality time with my family in the evening. With my children away, it’s just my wife, Shanthi and me. She is my biggest critique, my sounding board. She runs a school in Whitefield (Bengaluru). We ensure not much work is carried home. Music and cricket are my biggest stress busters.
How I started In the first 3-4 months there were sleepless nights about whether customers and dealers would use the platform. The stress has only increased but when you are passionate about something, it is good stress. Now our company is big with 2,000 employees and it needs more attention from me. I am working harder these days. From doing everything — meeting customers and dealers to managing accounts — I have become a relationship manager. I work with investors as well, looking at senior management hires and looking for mergers and acquisitions. The acquisition of CarWale (in January this year), which helped make us the market leader, is the most memorable moment in the entrepreneurial journey.
My day I start my day at 8.15am, replying to emails. I travel for 10 days a month. I work six days a week and keep Sunday strictly for family. I play tennis and squash 4 times a week in the evening. You also need to be physically fit to work hard. Entrepreneurship is risky but always exciting.
'We spent the last of our savings on our first offsite in Goa'
How I started In September 2011, we had exhausted most of our savings. While we had term sheets, we hadn’t seen the funds. It was then that Ashish and I decided to use whatever we had left from our savings to organize the first Pepperfry offsite in Goa. In hindsight, it was the best thing we could have done and helped emphasize the core principles around which we have since built the company — an adventurous spirit and a fun place to work.
My day My day starts at 8.30am and ends around 10pm. The day starts with responding to and seeking updates on key projects over email; I am not a fan of long meetings and prefer to instead read relevant information and focus on getting that done by lunch. I set up time in the second half of the day for conversations with the team. Around 4-5pm, I take a break for about an hour and read, mostly fiction. I finish a book a week. I play badminton with colleagues to round off the day.
I travel quite often, about four times a month for about 6-10 days. Family time over the weekend is sacrosanct. My work is intense, but I wouldn’t call it stressful. Over the last year it’s been easier to take time off to unwind. I have developed a passion for trekking and have done the Chadar trek in Zanskar, Ladakh.
UpasanaTaku, co-founder, Mobikwik, mobile payment company
'I’m waiting to take my much-needed vacation'
How I started When I started in my apartment in 2009, I was single, my family was abroad, and I had no responsibilities. I just wanted to build something and have fun. Seven years on, and a lot has changed. I started with a team of seven. One would make tea, another Maggi. That personal connection between employees has disappeared but it has become easier professionally. When I started, I worried about every bit of work. Now, I worry only about certain things since I have a 210-member team.
My family After my marriage with (co-founder) Bipin (Preet Singh in 2012), and having a baby, my personal life has taken a turn. Earlier, both of us used to work 24x7. Now, I have a strict deadline for myself to reach home by 7.30pm. Most days, it doesn’t happen.
Our company has grown from a one-room apartment to a big space in Delhi, we have 30 million customers and 100,000 retailers, so the stakes are higher. And it’s not easy. You have to learn to switch off once you’re home, you have to know how to relax, otherwise you won’t re-energize the next day. Sometimes I have to sacrifice sleep, so that I get enough work done and spend time with my baby. I am waiting for my child to turn 1, so that we can take a much-needed vacation.
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