Entre-Bytes-E-book

Entre-Bytes

About E-Book

‘Entre-Bytes’ is a one-of-a-kind E-Book for and about Entrepreneurs. It is the brainchild of the Entrepreneurship Cell at SIDTM to be unveiled during the 5th edition of the flagship E-summit 2022. It will open a conversation that traverses backgrounds, majors, and experiences to unite alumni, faculty, and students across our institute.

Thanks to the support of our Faculty-in-charge, Tripti Dhote Ma’am, Entre-Bytes aims to educate and enlighten its readers. We look forward to garnering words of wisdom, experiences, and insights, including disruptive ideas of successful entrepreneurs across various fields in India. We believe that an individual’s conceptual discovery, which leads to the contribution of experience, expands the frontiers of knowledge and insight for the masses.

Apart from providing exposure and recognition to the Entrepreneurs of the SIDTM family, it will prove to be a shining beacon of hope for aspirants. The E-Book thus covers a wide range of topics including but not limited to entrepreneurship, family businesses, social entrepreneurship, women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial ideas, risks and rewards. Furthermore, we wish to highlight the changing contours of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country across industries and acquaint the readers with the latest explorations in the theory and practice of entrepreneurship.

Dr. CA. Abhijit Chirputkar Director SIDTM

Director’s Message

Symbiosis Institute of Digital and Telecom Management (Formerly SITM), a constituent of Symbiosis International (Deemed University) started in 1996, as a Telecom Institute and was a pioneer in the entire SAARC region to start a program in a niche domain. The main focus was on Telecom Management and to support telecom industry with professionals who are passing out from our institute. As the industry changed, we changed our focus first on ICT industry and then added the digital perspective around 2018.

As a director, when I look back and observe the journey of SIDTM, I feel proud of our achievements over a period of 26 years. SIDTM has inculcated under the guidance of Symbiosis International (Deemed University), strong academics, research-innovation culture, and moral values, and remains committed to overall development of students. The Institute has achieved excellent placements since inception. However, the Institute has also started focusing on entrepreneurship for the last ten years. We included entrepreneurship and other relevant courses to help build entrepreneurship among the students. We have also conducted events such as TEDx SIU, E-Summit, and Entrepreneurship Awareness Camp in the last few years to promote entrepreneurship. In line with this we have conducted business model canvas competition at SIDTM. Further, SIDTM now has an IPR Cell; and we have sensitized students to register patents in the relevant domain to support their entrepreneurial ideas.

SIDTM has a strong alumni base of 3000+ and I am proud to mention that a few alumni have started their own ventures and are quite successful. The number of alumni turning into entrepreneurs is increasing day by day and is now close to 100. SDITM’s main focus is always on technology and specifically, the management perspective of technology. It has become the preferred destination for students who want to make a career in technology management. At SIDTM, we have always believed in staying ahead in terms of changing technologies and their business applications. Technology has become the backbone for most of the industries and companies. It is changing the businesses with disruptive business models. The Government has initiated Digital India, make in India scheme in 2014 and start up India scheme in 2016. SIDTM’s efforts to build techno-entrepreneurs to support the ecosystem in India, is a small contribution from SIDTM to nurture entrepreneurship for the benefit of the society at large.

I hereby thank Dr. Tripti Dhote who is in charge of E-Cell and all the student committee members of E-Cell for their continuous support to nurture entrepreneurship at SIDTM.

Dr. Tripti Dhote Faculty Incharge

Meet the Team

I strongly believe in one of the most famously recalled taglines from one of the most recognized Telecom service providers that say - An Idea can change your life. The question that comes to mind is - Can generating an idea be as simple as it looks? Where do all these creative ideas come from? The answer is simple it stems from the ability to observe more, question more and experiment enough.

In my mind, there has always been a tug-of-war between technology and ideation. While I view technology as the lens that has broadened our views and brought everything so much closer, I wondered if Technology and Ideation should be bred in separate realms or made to co-exist? The more I pondered the more intriguing it got. Almost all new-age startups and now unicorns are all conventional ideas blended with technology to add to their innovation quotient. I realized this was my Eureka moment. The trigger point for building a platform that can be exclusively focused on ideation leveraging contemporary technology to catalyze the effect.

The ideation design and innovation Club (IDI) is a student-driven initiative under the Entrepreneurship Cell (E Cell) of SIDTM established with the strategic objective of facilitating ideas through brainstorming, research, design thinking, and technology interface.

This E-Book is the first step toward this endeavor.

Senior Team

in Virginia, looked

Prinson Philip Chief - Coordinator ESFJ-A

Shivam Singhal Vice Chief Coordinator ISTJ-A

Dharni Pal TEDx Student Mentor INTP-A

Kamble

Abhilasha Rastogi Incubation, Alliances ISFP-T

Vinayak Chaudari Corporate Relations ISFJ-A

Arulmozhi

Karthika Hema TEDx Creative

The Entrepreneurship-cell at SIDTM as a team plays as a whole and that is what has determined our success. Everything we have achieved so far and will in future years is because of unfailing teamwork; it’s the fuel that has allowed us, ordinary people to attain extraordinary results. We believe that ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than the one where they sprang up. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a useful instrument for illustrating and appreciating differences in the innate personalities of all team members. It enabled us to form a team comprised of members who can complement and seek to understand one another to achieve overall effectiveness and better communication.

Our chief is a classic specimen of the ESFJ personality, a natural CONSUL. He has been a true facilitator and is the bedrock of our committee. Generous, reliable, paired with a talent for making people around him feel supported, our chief has driven our team to always strive for better horizons. Prinson believes: “The nature of any startup mission is almost impossible, but that is the mission we as leaders have chosen to undertake and so deliver we shall” To complement him we have our Vice-Chief, an ISTJLOGISTICIAN, an impeccable planner and a relentless supervisor. Shivam is admirably dedicated and responsible. His motto is as follows: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

A team may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime. We believe we are worth so much more.

"The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team."

– Phil Jackson

Year in Review

VIRTUAL E-SERIES TEDxSIULavale

Journey Growth, Change

and The search for a Brighter

Much like our journey at E-CELL

- A Year of Hope, Struggles, and Continued Resilience

Amid the persistence of the pandemic, businesses and society pushed ahead on the road to recovery, and so did we. “If something is important enough, you should try. Even if the probable outcome is a failure,” said Elon Musk back in 2016, and it couldn’t hold more truth in the world of entrepreneurship -how will you ever know unless you try it? Many success stories have sprung up from just that one try, acting on that one inspirational idea - which often becomes the turning point for an entrepreneur. The year 2021-22 was our turning point. We wish to share our experience of our deep dive into some of 2021’s most relevant and important themes in this ‘Year In Review.’

VIRTUAL E-SERIES 2021

The Virtual Entrepreneurship Series was designed with a view to contribute to the grand initiative of Startup India by the Government of India. The series aimed at encouraging a start-up culture within the institute, while helping develop an entrepreneurial mindset and fostering self-reliance. The series saw a confluence of the best of Entrepreneurs, VCs, Cofounders, influencers, policymakers, and thinkers who have driven disruption and transformation in their respective domains on a common platform where they shared their ideas and triggered the spirit of entrepreneurship among students. The Virtual E-Series was launched in April 2021 and comprised 5 episodes; each centred around a different theme, ranging from Fintech, Gaming, Autotech, Healthtech, and Martech. Association partners for the Virtual E-Series included ETPrime, the premium content platform from the house of Economic Times, as well as Business Standard.

TEDxSIULavale

‘Demystify. Disruption: Unplug, Unsettle, Unfold’

The Virtual Entrepreneurship Series was designed with a view to contribute to the grand initiative of Startup India by the Government of India. The series aimed at encouraging a start-up culture within the institute, while helping develop an entrepreneurial mindset and fostering self-reliance. The series saw a confluence of the best of Entrepreneurs, VCs, Cofounders, influencers, policymakers, and thinkers who have driven disruption and transformation in their respective domains on a common platform where they shared their ideas and triggered the spirit of entrepreneurship among students. The Virtual E-Series was launched in April 2021 and comprised 5 episodes.

each centred around a different theme, ranging from Fintech, Gaming, Autotech, Healthtech, and Martech. Association partners for the Virtual E-Series included ETPrime, the premium content platform from the house of Economic Times, as well as Business Standard.

AUTOTECH

Reimagining the Future of Mobility

Disruptive trends like vehicle autonomy and electrification are catching the attention of investors and accelerating the transformation of the automotive sector. The emerging new trends represent the face of cutting-edge mobility that decides global connectivity. The automotive industry is racing toward a new world, driven by sustainability, and changing consumer behavior, encompassing electric vehicles, connected cars, mobility fleet sharing, onboard sensors, new business models, and always-on connectedness. This formed the premise for E-Series 2021, reflecting the theme- ‘Demystify. Disruption: Unplug, Unsettle, Unfold’.

The one-hour virtual event focused on bringing together the budding and established entrepreneurs, investors, and editors from the automotive industry to discuss The Future of Mobility. Based on the subject matter, the team requested three eminent speakers to be the panelists for the freewheeling discussion- Mr. Ram Divedi (CXO, Pravaig), Mr. Sumantra Barooah (Former Executive Director) Haymarket SAC Publishing, Mr. Bertrand D’SOUZA (Editor-In-chief, Overdrive). Dr. Tripti Dhote, faculty mentor of the Entrepreneurship Cell of SIDTM, served as the moderator for the discussion. The discussion revolved around disruption in the automotive industry as technology takes the lead and conservatism takes a back seat. Mr. Ram Divedi spoke of his entrepreneurial journey and his thoughts on the future of electric cars in India as Pravaig gets ready to launch their premium self-driven electric car next year. The panel spoke extensively about cars becoming more and more tech-laden. Level 1 and level 2 technologies which were previously unheard of are now being implemented. Mr. Sumantra Bibuthi Barooah emphasized how automobiles are truly transforming into a mobile on wheels.

HEALTHTECH

The one-hour virtual event focused on bringing together the budding and established entrepreneurs from the health-tech industry to discuss Digital Innovation in the Healthcare Ecosystem. Based on the subject matter, the team requested two eminent speakers to be the panellists for the fireside chat - Mr. Vaibhav Tewari (Co-Founder and CEO, Portea Medical) and Mr. Gaurav Parchani (Co-Founder and CTO, Dozee). Dr. Tripti Dhote, the faculty mentor of the Entrepreneurship Cell of SIDTM, served as the moderator for the discussion.

The fireside chat launched with an insight into the panellists’ entrepreneurial journeys and their passion for creating innovative solutions in the healthcare industry. Beginning with an overview of the healthcare ecosystem, Mr. Gaurav Parchani highlighted the different challenges faced and identified building credibility as the single biggest point of contention. Alongside tackling global compliances and regulations, he emphasised the importance of maintaining patient safety and support when adopting medical devices. Mr. Vaibhav Tewari also shared his perspective, stating that the key to growing in the healthcare ecosystem is by word-of-mouth and patient referral, which is only possible by providing the best patient care. Following on to make predictions for healthcare in the future, unsurprisingly, the discussion centred on technology.

MARTECH

"Reimagining Marketing in the technology space"

Digitalization of our environment has progressed into every facet of people's lives. Marketing as we know it today has fundamentally changed.Thereby, addressing how one can win in the new Martech era. Mr. Rajesh Jain (Founder & MD, Netcore Cloud) delivered a keynote session on "Reimagining

Marketing in the technology space".The keynote session began with an overview of how technology is assisting in the transformation of the marketing industry. Mr. Rajesh Jain spoke about the importance of focusing on transactions rather than the upstream of transactions, which leads to engagement, habits, hooked customers and subscribers, as well as the actual transaction. The discussion then shifted to the necessity of making the transition from Adtech to Martech. When done properly, Martech could become a company's most powerful growth engine with more and more zero and first-party data being added. It also aids in the creation of hooked customers, which leads to exponential and profitable growth.

Digital Innovation: Leading the way to a cohesive healthcare ecosystem

Talk verse: "Deciphering Entrepreneurial Avenues with Martech"

Based on the subject matter, the team requested three eminent speakers to be the panelists. – Mr. Sohil Karia (Co-Founder and Chief Design & Technology Director, Schbang), Mr. Ankur Gattani (VP Growth and Marketing, WebEngage), and Mr. Shrey Mishra (Co-Founder, XR Central). Mr. Sumit Verma, Principal Search Specialist at Google, served as the moderator for the discussion. Mr. Sohil Karia remarked that Martech companies will become SEO, digital and creative agencies themselves as all parts of the business have become increasingly interconnected and interdependent. The objective will be to empower brands to tap broad ecosystems to rapidly build deeper and more connected micro-experiences for customers.

Touching upon the buzzword of the year, Mr. Shrey Mishra stated with certainty that the metaverse will

a bunch of creativity and new opportunities, especially in the Indian ecosystem. Even a set of standards like owning an NFT of a brand will mean the difference between allowing or restricting someone to enter a store in the metaverse. Brands will navigate this new space, and a new version of consumerism will emerge as AR VR experiences become mainstream. All of this may lead to the metaverse being as integrated into our life as social media is now.

TEDxSIULavale Tenacity

Tenacity – A legacy of timeless ideas, building on its strong legacy of celebrating and sharing ideas worth spreading. The event, began with a welcome address from the curator, which perfectly captured the spirit of the occasion. It demonstrated the perseverance required to overcome any obstacle and come up with original, winning ideas each time. The event witnessed an amazing set of speakers who blew the audience away with their innovative talks on six engaging tracks. Amoghavarsha JS explored his journey into the world of wildlife photography. Mae Mariyam Thomas shared her suggestions to those that tell you to change (don't). Shubhi Jain boldly stood up and showed us what it means to truly live your dreams. Krishnan Sunderarajan made our minds wander with the new and exciting possibilities of the metaverse. Pratyush Pillai put us face to face with a creative problem statement and put forth three key ingredients on just how to frame it. Harsh Parikh challenged us on instant gratification and suggested we strike a balance in adopting healthy habits that bring short-term gratification and long-term benefits.

That is a wrap for 2022. We look forward to next year- a new adventure with another unique set of inspiring ideas.

To my students, “Take pride in how far you've come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don't forget to enjoy the journey.” - Dr. Tripti Dhote

Entre-Bytes Section

We do not learn from experience...we learn from reflecting on experience.- John Dewey

Today's world is dynamic and ever-changing. While it is wise to learn from experience, it is wiser to learn from the experiences of others. There is no one better to guide us than our esteemed alumni, out there in the real world forging unique career paths to success in life. Entre-bytes are an accumulation of alumni who have shared their viewpoints, life-accounts, and learning for us to ponder.

Mihir Thaker

Here are my thoughts for the inaugural edition of the E-book base on my experience of my entrepreneurial journey till now. The most important ingredient for developing an entrepreneurial mindset is to have a risk appetite. A lot of beginners either fall in love with the problem that they are trying to solve or with the idea that will resolve the problem. While this can be the desired ‘Destination’, the optimum level of the risk appetite is the most needed vehicle for the journey.

Sometimes the risk of leaving a high-paying job, the risk of facing fierce competition, the risk of being substituted, the risk associated with expanding to an unknown market, the risk of launching a product that is not a perfect market fit, the risk of changing nuances of micro and macroeconomics, and many more. Founders must be comfortable in embracing and dealing with all these to become successful.

Another common observation is that a common idea implemented with impeccable execution always beats an excellent idea implemented with poor execution. Successful founders always care a lot about execution because that is the ‘Highway’ leading to the destination. For example, a well-executed drop shipping e-commerce website can be more successful than a fancy Blockchain-based solution lacking the execution.

The majority of successful entrepreneurs are very quick decision makers as that is the ‘Accelerator’ to achieve the required speed. Every step in a startup journey requires a decision.

“Do I register a partnership firm or proprietary firm?”

“Do I outsource human resources function or shall I hire someone to do it?”

“Do I sell one product to larger market or shall I focus on developing a range of product that caters to the target market?”

“Do I focus on smaller margin - higher volume or higher margin - smaller volume?”

“How much money do I spend on marketing vs. operations?”

The trick point to consider here is that none of these decisions are inherently right or wrong when founders take them. Their execution and attitude is what will define their true essence.

I believe that a Startup goes through many seasons. Entrepreneurs must embrace all of them in order to remain in the game. As they say, it is nothing but a marathon and running for the longest time matters much more than running the fastest or the farthest. If an entrepreneur can’t navigate through the tough times, he/she can’t survive to see the good times. Survive before thrive is the ‘Steering’ mode that helps disruptors navigate through these

The Hero’s Journey - Prasenjit Sinha

We have not even to risk the adventure alone, for the heroes of all time have gone before us. The labyrinth is thoroughly known. We have only to follow the thread of the hero path. And where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god. And where we had thought to slay another we shall slay ourselves. Where we had thought to travel outward, we shall come to the center of our existence. And where we had thought to be alone, we shall be with all the world. – Joseph Campbell

I am writing this article with my garden in the view from the clear wall of my lounge, fresh from the storm last night in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa. When I was playing in the dirt as a child in Narayangaon, Maharashtra when I was squeezing myself in the 7 am Virar local in Mumbai several years ago, I had not fathomed this life for myself; married to my beautiful South African wife of Taiwanese origin for fifteen years, my son all of eleven of a brilliant mind and my relationship with my aged parents in Mumbai is in its best-ever shape.

In the last few years, I managed to learn mandarin, play the ukulele, and am in the best physical condition of my life. Even my work, my contribution, and my time remain on my terms. I am writing this article to express my gratitude for having received a life fulfilled beyond my dreams so far. I am forty-two this year and it has been eighteen years since I left the SITM campus.

At SITM, I first learned who or what I was, more importantly learned who or what I was meant to be. I got a real taste for the potential I held. There is a lot that can be written about what I learned at SITM, but for this short article I will reserve two of the two most important practical aspects of Entrepreneurship: Risk and Accountability. The ‘Risk and Reward’ equation is well known and well written about. However only life and some places like SITM teach you the relationship between Risk and Accountability. Risk without Accountability amounts to irresponsible behavior and is a downright crime. The risk with Accountability may however lead to success.

In my second year as the head of the academic committee after helping my friends get placed, I was placed at Sun Tech Billing systems. At the same time, my research project which sounded like a very raw version of Netflix was read by a Product Director at an American startup called Roamware based in Powai. They made me an offer that year for the job of my dreams - a product manager, a very rare title in India at the time. The right thing to do was to reject Roamware’s offer and take up Sun Tech. This would keep the reputation of the institution intact, and I owed it to the work of the placement committee.

I took Roamware’s offer. It was the second key decision of my life (the first one was to join SITM) that altered its course. It was a Risk. In my view, it could only be mitigated with a long-term commitment and accountability. Accountability was well trained in us at SITM by then. Now having launched thirty products in five global organizations (two of which are my startups) and raising over USD 500 Million of new revenue for these organizations (some for myself too), I believe I am still paying back for that decision, but I feel like I am in good stead with my creditors, my alma mater. Since then, my career and life have been a series of ‘Risky’ decisions backed up with generous and stretched-out amounts of accountability. This article of gratitude to the institution happens to be part of this account well. I hope to continue to keep up with my end of the bargain.

The psychology of an entrepreneur should….

Yatin Kavishwar

The psychology of an entrepreneur is not limited to a few fixed areas but is an amalgamation of various traits combined with a holistic approach, which separates them from everyone else. Starting a company is a risky business, and almost one-third of small businesses fail within two years of their initiation. But still, people do it and venture into this perilous ecosystem. So, why do they do it? What are the thoughts going through these people's heads?

Before going ahead, I should tell you what you should not expect from this article. I will not be able to provide you with a list of traits that you can follow to become an entrepreneur, or, to correct myself, a successful entrepreneur. There is no such thing as a universal magical mantra. It is not in black or white, but somewhere in the grey. What I will try to achieve with this article is to share my thoughts and encourage young people like you to walk on the path of this beautiful journey—entrepreneurship. So, let’s get started. Entrepreneurs are extremely passionate about their ideas. They have big dreams and always set higher goals than expected, then devote all of their energy to achieving them. The primary thought is to never underestimate your business, along with keeping a practical approach. Because you always have mouths to feed and bills to pay. As a result, one should always have a backup plan and multiple/alternate sources of income in place to sustain them until the business takes off or for a rainy day. The planning for your startup should be robust, of course, there will be challenges along the way, which might lead you to pivot, but the blueprint, covering every possible scenario, should be laid out distinctly.

An entrepreneur should be a team player first and then a leader. They should build trust among the team and maintain a constant and open message portal. Effective communication about the company’s vision always yields results in achieving the goal, with a strong and healthy team as a byproduct. The next important thing to keep in mind is always being open to experiences and engagements, and it can come in many different forms, such as meeting other people, going to various events, or relocating to new cities, actually anything anytime anywhere. Being open to new experiences in all facets of life, not just those that pertain to business may be advantageous for entrepreneurs. Last but not least, never let your fears impact the decisions that you make for your business. Overcoming fears and empowering oneself is the key to not just entrepreneurship but to life. The biggest trait an entrepreneur can possess is a risk appetite coupled with rock-solid self-confidence, obviously knowing the thin line between overconfidence and the former. The journey of an entrepreneur is never linear, and there are going to be various ups and downs. Never take failures personally and remember successes. Your attitude should always be one of gratitude, and it doesn’t matter how successful you become or how much valuation your company is worth. Being grounded and humble is the way to go …..

Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe

- Rajeshwar Wadhera

Start-ups are in trend presently and there is a lot of buzz and pride associated with the same, but what many founders, VCs, and Investors fail at - is the understanding that it takes a Village to build a start-up and not just a founder who shoots from the hip. Raising money is most often a networking game and most good founders are successfully able to do so without the need of involving an investment bank (Which to me is the correct approach and true test of the ability to acquire future funding).

Our world and the current generation are undergoing a pandemic-accelerated digital, physical, and virtual transformation phase and this is where most of the idea generation, need an amp; service-gap analysis shall take place, and start-up ideas and opportunities would emerge. While one may feel that the right idea is the core foundation for a start up, it is not necessarily what shall keep bringing bread to the table.

Some of you may recall that Zomato started as a discovery and reviews platform Foodie bay in 2008. Netflix started as an on-demand DVD rental platform, and Paypal developed security software for hand-held devices, what I wish to emphasize is that an idea will get you started but it may not necessarily keep you going, the startup will need to continuously reinvent itself, and remain relevant and empathetic to its customers and forecast future patterns, trends, and desires. It doesn’t matter if your organization got the idea first but what matters is who is able to stand tall until the end when the funds dry out, the recession kicks in and when the white winter ends. Fund-raise, Investor relationship management, Cash-flow, costs, working capital, and defensibility from the competition are the challenges that one will need to live, sleep and breathe with, but what will matter when the cows’ come home is, how passionately and with what level of integrity did the team persevere in the eye of the storm.

This brings me to the headline of this article and the thought that I wish to leave you all with. Challenges, problems, and opportunities are all situations that are faced, solved, and thrived upon by living beings (you cannot find an alternative in AI, ML, or Big data to solve here ). So, in essence, it is your vibe that shall attract your tribe and it is this tribe that shall together thrive. You as a founder need to create a big hairy audacious goal or a vision and then get people who are as or more passionate and engaged as you are towards what you wish to build and achieve. These are the people who will build, break, and rebuild things. These are the people who will undertake the 0 to 1 and 1 to 100 journeys. Ensure you get people who compliment all the shortcomings that you have as an individual. Treat people fairly, cultivate a culture of openness and meritocracy, create reward and recognition platforms, Praise in public, and reprimand in private, whatever your preferred mode of value creation for your team equity, RSUs, and ESOPs ensure that the team to does realize problem-solving these monetarily when you as a founder do. Collectively elevate the status of you and your team because if you want to walk fast, walk alone - but if you want to walk far, walk together. “

The psychology of an entrepreneur should….

- Dev Vig

Being an entrepreneur is not an easy decision to make. It takes many guts to start one’s own venture. You need to put everything at stake – your finances, family life, career before you plunge into this tough but rewarding journey.But once you take this responsibility, there is no going back. You either come out with flying colors, or you may need to achieve what you had thought of/targeted. In either case, the only constant part of this journey is the immense learning that it offers.To understand the psychology of an entrepreneur, let us first understand how you define an entrepreneur:

An entrepreneur is someone who is willing to put his or her career and financial security on the line and take risks in the name of an idea, spending time as well as capital on an uncertain venture. - Frank Knight & Peter Drucker

As clear from the definition, this journey definitely seems to be risky, but not an impossible one. But it will be fruitful only if it’s planned meticulously. You don’t become an entrepreneur overnight. It’s a process that takes time before materializing into a reality. So, what are the things that an entrepreneur should keep in his mind before executing his dream startup. I feel it’s a simple, though extremely critical, process.To begin with, one should not hurry up with his entrepreneurial venture. It has to be a cautious, well thought out and a pragmatic decision, that requires a lot of basic groundwork. Never think if you believe in an idea, it’s bound to be a success. It must be backed by a thorough research. A venture launched without proper research may not last long. Hence, as a budding entrepreneur, one must ask the following questions:

What problem am I trying to solve? Has it been tried earlier? If yes, was it a success or a failure, and why? , How will I manage my funds? How much time do I have to keep my venture afloa?.How strong is my team to begin with? , Is there a strong business case (Will people pay for my solution)

In nutshell - research, research and research. If your research gives positive results, and you have a strong case study to back your findings, it means you are all set to move to the next step. But in case if it doesn’t, please be practical enough to accept the reality. An entrepreneur can only be passionate, can never be emotional about his product. Once you have started your venture, comes the tough part. I had heard of the phrase “The buck stops here” during my school days but understood it’s meaning once I started my entrepreneurial journey. As an entrepreneur, you are responsible for each and every action of your organization. You are responsible for all the decisions, your team members, every bit of success, and most importantly, failures. I was a marketing professional before I started on my own. Still, now I understand and respect all other domains that complete an organization – Finance, HR, Technical, Operations, and anyone else who contributes to the effective functioning of a company. Hence, entrepreneurship makes one a wiser human being by exposing you to a lot of aspects that you might not have ever thought of. To me, an entrepreneur’s a psychology and thought process should revolve around the following:

Persistent, Flexible, and open to feedback, Knows what to do - and more importantly, what ,not to do, Does his homework effectively and efficiently in advance, A team leader. Stays humble when succeeds, and stays calm when fails

An entrepreneur is just one among us. His appetite to take risks and to believe in his ideas is what differentiates him from others. If you have the same attitude and an innovative idea, go and plunge into this beautiful world of learning and enjoy the ride.

Divya Palekar

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Real World Entrepreneurs Interviews

Co-Founder Word Berries Mithilesh Vazalwar

- Founder Corridor Seven Parupalli Kashyap

- Common Wealth Gold Medalist

WORDS DO NOT FADE

-What start as a sound ends in a deed

Divya Palekar

Divya, a small-towner at heart, has spanned most of the big cities of the country owing to her experience in Retail and Operations. Wanting to nail it all, she has sailed in both the client and the agency boats and claims to be able to read customer minds. e idea with WordBerries is to make a stage, for more women across India to provide them with the right platform and exibility that the usual corporate life cannot boast of.

Please share in your own words, your story as an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurship, to me, happened by chance; but it has changed me and how! Both Avanti and I are 1st generation entrepreneurs in our families. This implies that there is no precedence or rule book to follow. It has been a constantly evolving learning journey that never fails to give. On levels, both professional and personal, our whole team grows together every day. I found joy and balance all at the same time. I feel it is something most of us must experience once. That your passion can make a difference is a very welcome realization. Coming from a small town, herd mentality was very inherent to how I used to think. But to break free of that mold has been liberating, to say the least. It is a pleasure to be a part of a company’s growth story, a company you have created from the ground up. That’s our story- of dreaming a dream and living it every day!

Is ‘Content’ the real king in the current marketing world?

What’s content without a brand voice? What’s a brand voice without a clear brand positioning? Sum of all parts, which is what marketing is. Without this holism, the content will not/ cannot make sense. The brand it is being written for, how it is being distributed, the impact it’s creating, does it resonate with its audience, it is designed well- are many questions measuring the efficacy of the content we write today.

Having said that, you remember what Zomato sent you as a notification because it is relatable. Content matters more than it gets credit for. But effective content matters more. King/queen or not, content is not just a bulk of words put together and posted on your digital tools. It does not just cater to SEO. It is an insight into the brand. I’d say the brand’s story is the hero, and our content gives it the soul and its voice. It is the medium that makes a pathway to the customer.

Your startup has been called ‘a home bakery in the world of pastry chains’. What are your views on it?

That’s apt. WordBerries is not a factory of words. It will never be. You have AI apps for that as well; you do not need us for that. After working for over a decade as clients and vendors, Avanti and I have always tried to ensure that every piece of content that goes out of WordBerries’ inboxes adds value to the customer and us. We are here to learn, not preach. To collaborate, not to instruct/follow. We are nimble and proud. This ensures that our team is extremely closely-knit, like a bunch of actual berries! It also ensures quality control, timeliness, lack of hierarchy, and what not! As we grow, we’d want to ensure this facet of our business.

Your clients include reputable brands across diverse fields such as BFSI, Real Estate, Manufacturing, and Travel. As an entrepreneur, what was your strategy in acquiring brands like Nippon, Rover Atlas, Tata, and HDFC?

At WordBerries, we aim to be the brand’s content partners, not just writers. We explore the content strategy with the client, brainstorm, ask a plethora of questions, use their products, meet their end users, and live and breathe the brand. This is followed by an intense amount of secondary and competitor research to derive a tailor-made content strategy. The newer the industry, the more excited our team is! We have been fortunate to have such names on our portfolio

What have you enjoyed most about starting your own company?

Oh! Where does one start?! This has been my most fulfilling journey in every sense of the word.

- Meeting people from very diverse industries/backgrounds

- An extreme exposure to how different sectors work

- Watching our team members grow

- Being able to provide opportunities to people who either wanted to get back into the workforce or were trying to break away from their regular jobs to follow their passion

- Partnering and being inspired by SO many entrepreneurs with such unique journeys

- Learning aspects of the business much beyond just business development and client servicing

- Most of all, the freedom to be yourself, do what you love, and create a difference!

Does being an entrepreneur make you feel empowered?

Only empowered- NO. Empowered with much responsibility! Entrepreneurship is not about doing something wild because you want to escape your daily grind/operations. If anything, you will do more of that here because (at least to begin with) you are the CA, admin, Ops, BD, servicing, accounts, you name it! You are donning a thousand hats at once. Yes, you make your own decisions (empowering). But those decisions make or break your business (responsibility). Like parenting (pets or children), the joy of shaping up a child/company supersedes everything else. Knowing that you are infusing your value system in it but also acknowledging that it needs to become an independent entity and learn from its own experiences.

Content in the digital world is more easily forgotten. How do you tackle this challenge?

Correct, being relevant is the key. It requires constantly staying abreast with the developments. Reading, devouring, and inhaling content on an hourly basis. Not being emotionally attached to your creations, telling new stories, re-telling old ones that worked, experimenting, challenging the audience, being a step ahead of the competition, and most importantly, being true/honest to what the brand wants to achieve.

Where do you see your current Industry five years down the line?

We see three major trends in the content industry in the coming years (5 or not)

- The highly unregulated pricing structure in the industry will see more uniformity. And also, there will be more takers for quality. The brands will understand the difference between content writers and content partners and will be willing to pay for the quality professionalism and partnership they get from the latter.

- There is a possibility of much content being outsourced to India from overseas, given our expertise and lesser costs

- There is likely to be a sharp rise in the consumption of vernacular content. Though English shall dominate, the regional content will find its foothold. It is a goldmine, waiting to reach its full potential.

“Oh! Where does one start from?! This has been my most fulfilling journey in every sense of the word”

- Divya Palekar

BREWING ENTREPRENEURIAL ANECDOTES

Mithilesh Vazalwar

When you think of careers that take the road less traveled, this one surely ticks all boxes. Mithilesh Vazalwar is a Co ee Q-Grader, Co ee Roaster, Cupper, and Trainer. Co ee has always been his passion. He is the First Indian Aeropress Champion 17' and the rst to represent India at the World Aeropress Championship (W.A.C.) and also the Indian Barista Champion 22'. Corridor Seven is his passion project that started a er going through the grind of understanding hands-on Specialty co ee. e maestro brews clever conversation and a compendium of co ee quips with Simran Gupta and Mohammed Nabeel.

What strategies did you first use for marketing your business?

Honestly, I have only believed in one thing (that could be a limitation in many ways) that focuses on building your product knowledge, and that is enough marketing. So the highlight was showcasing what we are, who we are, and what we know.

How did you establish your company culture? Why is it important?

I come from a sports background – being an athlete, I truly believe that it is the team spirit that makes any team win. It is always about giving your best and not just winning. At the same time to treat each person as equal. The culture here is formulated with the essence of enjoying each moment and remember that this will all one day be over – so make the most and be the best version of yourself every day.

How can technology help businesses build resilience against changing customer behavior?

Well, I believe that certain elements are still imp and need a human touch that surely is there. I want to go to a café and speak to the human behind the bar, but many aspects are as basic as billing needs tech. The business must leverage the extra time technology bestows on us by focusing on interacting with the guest rather than looking at the screen for long intervals.

Is sustainability the new buzzword for entrepreneurs?

So, environment-related, I rather not speak since I know very little. I would love to learn, though, as I understand its importance. Speaking about sustainability regarding building a company in such a way that you can sustain long – now that’s my game. I started from rupees five thousand in the bank to building out the company and having a name in not just coffee but now the food and beverage industry – I am self admittedly a little happy about it. Not content but happy. Simply put- I only spend 20 when I have 100 and will only invest or make a call of business when I can buy/invest on it 5 times. It is my long-game strategy.

What are the cornerstones for building a good brand? As an entrepreneur, what has your approach been to it?

I will give you the four pillars I have based my brand on- Utmost Transparency, Smart Adaptability, Relentless Passion and a forgiving sense of acceptance. It’s okay and necessary for you to be able to say that I messed up, we did some good, learnt some lessons, and we will get it right next time.

Selling an experience’ is what is trending in the current entrepreneur world. What are your opinions on it?

Let’s rephrase that – ‘Giving/providing an experience’ is how it should be, how companies should view it. In the hospitality business, remember the customers are guests not just common buyers. They demand to know more and it is well within their rights. Merely giving them the product or service is not enough, it must be properly packaged. My advice would be that the only way to stun and not get busted is by remaining authentic. What matters is that you must be true, even elaborate gimmick get you caught sooner or later.

Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently when you were first starting out?

Honestly I guess I would have been easier on myself. Maybe even focused a lot more on development of self and understood the importance of self-love and help.

How did you decide where to establish your company? Why are overall research and location selection important factors?

Everyone around me keeps chiming that the mantra for a successful hospitality business is location, location and the Location. Well I certainly beg to differ. It works on the wondrous fuel of conviction guided by your growth milestones and strategies. I will speak from my experience. Whenever I have selected a location, the estimated potential footfall has never crossed my mind.

I will leave you with this. Do you know any brand that has flourished in a metro station- a location characterized with so footfall? I think you will find your answer in the question I pose to you. Your research is important, but research on your consumer. They are your guests not only customers. Hence they need to paid special respect. What they want should matter. The company must aim to provide for their anticipated guests. With this shift in focus, I can guarantee you that customers will come from faraway places to your obscure location even only if you serve well.

What challenges did you have to overcome at the beginning of your journey?

My biggest enemy has been Self Doubt. I have also faced trouble in making people understand my vision. I have struggled in inculcating my team with the ‘Don’t fit in’ attitude. I have passionately wanted them to believe that they can be different, that they can set the standard and most importantly that “dreams don’t see what address they come from.”

“What matters is that you must be true, even elaborate gimmick get you caught sooner or later”

- Mithilesh Vazalwar

DEDICATED TO THE SHUTTLE

personal life?

This question can’t be answered in a single sentence. I would say that the definition of Success as a player kept changing and evolving. When I started playing, there was no particular goal for me. Saina did, when she got into the summer camp, the Olympics was her end goal. On the other hand, I had no long-term milestones. I took it one step at a time. First I wanted to be the district champion and then the state and so forth. I never thought about ten years down the line. The thought process was never future-oriented but rather very immediate and short term at max one year. As a kid, I was very fragile I would get sick very

often. I had issues with breathlessness and asthma. Hence for me, achieving personal goals was more important than competing with others. I worked very hard and struggled with my health. Hence I was grateful for all my wins, big or small.

For my personal life, my ideals were other successful players who had a stable and fulfilling life. Saina was my girlfriend when I was 19, and she was 16. As partners, we are very supportive and quite intense about our sport. We liked each other company and understood one another; we have been together for the last 16 years, 4 years since she became my wife. We have yet another 30 years to live. Success or not, I will say when I am 60 years old. I don’t take things for granted. We respect and help each other grow, so I would say it’s going well for now. I’m happy in my life.

Can you name some people that inspire you?

Initially, it was my senior players and my coach, Gopi Chand, he was the top player, and at the end of his career, I had the opportunity to learn so much from him through fundamental interactions and casual chats. It was a great experience seeing him play. He was in the top 10 in the world, earnest and intense, and I have tried to be the same. I tried to copy him a lot. Across a different sport, I find the trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic inspiring, but unless you know someone closely and how they live their lives, you can’t learn much. You can only relate. Also, I find Siddharth Jain exceptionally talented. Anup Sridhar, Arvind Bhatt, and Chetan Anand. My most constant inspiration is my wife, Saina. Her work ethic, watching her train, determination, and zeal have kept me on my toes. As a couple, we push each other. I have tried to beat her in sports as well.

What are your expectations of yourself as a player currently?

Currently, my mindset is to play until the end of 2023 and see where I stand in the world rankings. See my results. I have given myself a year. I have a clear target. I’m currently ranked around 42. I might drop to about 55 by December end. If I can make it close to the top 20 or top 25, then I will take it from there and see what I can achieve in another year. But it’s a very short-term period right now. So, that is my target, and I will be pushing

Parupalli Kashyap has proved himself to be a force to reckon with. He is a driven athlete who has given his all to the game and performed almost like a possessed man on the court. An Olympian, he etched his name rmly in the history of sports by becoming the rst male shuttler in 32 years to have won the gold in CWG 2014.

e ace Indian badminton player shares the story of his passion, life lessons and his entrepreneurial plans with Dr. Tripti Dhote.

How do you define success both in your professional life as a player and in your

myself until the end of 2023 and see how it goes with my achievements and my results. There is a clear aim. I need to make it to the top 25 for sure. After that, I’ll decide what I have to do next.

You said you almost quit the sport. What was the turning point for you, then, to make a comeback?

There was an instance when I was diagnosed with asthma, not being able to train as much, and breathlessness. The medication course and to re-train my body took much effort. It was around 6 months, the training eventually worked, and I was getting stronger. But in the 6 months, there was a huge effect where I just thought of concentrating on studies, particularly with my interest in chemistry and maths, and thought of continuing in that field. I was also not able to concentrate on both my studies and badminton at the same time, so when the time came, I gave more time to badminton.

There was one more moment during the 2016 Olympics when I ranked 7th worldwide. There were no issues during qualification, I aimed to win a medal, and suddenly I had two back-to-back injuries and had to go through surgery, and had to miss the Olympics completely. It was one of the low points, as I had worked a lot for it after I had backed gold in the commonwealth games in 2014. But immediately, Although I wanted to compete, I thought that there was nothing else for me to look up to. And again, in 2018, there were two injuries. This time I just took the job of helping and coaching Sania and traveling with her. So, different things helped me during different times. The motivation is to set an example for the upcoming player and the challenge keeps me going.

“The motivation is to set an example for the upcoming player and the challenge keeps me going”

- P Kashyap

Is there a Passion or a thought that you want to explore through Entrepreneurship?

Yes, we have been blessed. When we took up this sport, we were young. 17 -18 years old. There was not much in the sport financially. Even if you were a national champion, the maximum you could do is get a job in one of the public sector companies. I’m part of Indian Oil. Saina is a part of Bharat Petroleum. This was great. It was something I needed if I wanted to continue badminton. I needed to achieve a few results in one year and be recruited by Indian Oil. I have been a part of their organization ever since. It was a massive factor in my career. But post that through badminton, it has grown so much since 2010 and 2011 that we had good sponsorship deals, and we made decent money. So that allows us to think about being an entrepreneur and exploring our different ideas. Saina has got into this restaurant business. She has a lovely place in Hyderabad called Cock& Bull. She owns a part of it. These opportunities are there for us now. I’m also trying to do something like I told you. You will get to know them in a couple of years. We have been trying to work on the idea for a year now.

Apart from your career as a player, what other caps have you dawned on? (Entrepreneur, Investor, brand Ambassador, etc.)

My badminton career has so consumed me, and during the lockdown, I finally had the time to think about other things in life. I acquired the relevant knowledge and assumed the role of an Investor. I enjoy it, but it’s not a passion. My true entrepreneurial passion would be establishing a company that does beginner- intermediate -professional, and commercial badminton coaching and provides other related services. I have many ideas that I wish to bring to fruition in the next few years. I am not the type of guy who indulges in talks about things before they have happened. Action Before Words Always. I am also a Brand Ambassador for badminton equipment brands/companies and other brands directly related to my game performance and results. It’s a black-and-white thing. Offers follow popularity, and that stems from performance. I have had my share of fame from 2012-16.