BACKBEAT: WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR?
These words of Confucious, an influential Chinese philosopher, have guided me all my life. They fill me with positivity, courage, and strength. They played a pivotal role in prompting me to take the entrepreneurial path during my teens, which was to supply packaging solutions to various MSMEs. As time passed, my entrepreneurial spirits only soared, and I decided to float my own start-up.
My penchant for technology was evident early in life. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, I grasped as much knowledge about computer software as was available to me. The deeper I dived, the more intrigued I was. It ultimately made me decide to launch my own startup in this sector. Further, it had always been my unfaltering belief that the secret to prosperity in business depended on whether it added value to society and made a difference to people’s lives.
Ad-tech was the perfect amalgamation of innovation, growth and my love for technology. Also, India was on the verge of technological transformation. Thus, the time was ripe to launch an enterprise in the ad-tech sector. My younger brother and business partner Ashish (Founder & CEO, Vertoz) rightly judged the need for a tech-driven solution to serve the ever-evolving needs of Indian advertising. The idea was to be an early adopter of the nascent but powerful advertising technologies emerging in India. Ultimately, Ashish’s vision and my determination coalesced in the formation of Vertoz, in 2012.
However, I would like to mention here that not all the ventures that I started have become a success. I have had my fair share of failures. But, these failures went on to become important lessons in my life.
As they say, life is what one makes of it. I decided to make mine a story of strength, courage, perseverance, and victory. To tackle an early financial crisis, I decided to explore multiple alternate sources of income. These were my early attempts at entrepreneurship, which turned out to be the best learning experiences and went a long way in helping me on my journey of building Vertoz.
Constantly on my toes: Being an entrepreneur involves constantly juggling multiple activities. This calls for honing time management skills. Multitasking is an excellent ability in this respect. It perennially keeps me on my toes.
Work is worship: My mind is constantly at work, churning out new ideas. More so, in this dynamic and wonderful world of ad-tech as technology evolves at lightning speed, and one has to keep oneself abreast with the latest happenings and technological advancements.
Family, an unwavering support: My family has been a constant support and a beacon of hope during my troubled times. I sincerely believe that I owe my success to my family. And, not just them, but everyone who works with me every single day, holds a share in it.
A voracious reader: Books have been my constant companion. They are a perennial source of knowledge, especially the ones that chronicle the lives of great personalities like Steve Jobs, Eric Schmidt and Ratan Tata. They shaped me, not just as a person, but also as an entrepreneur. Drawing life lessons from their stories have helped me tackle difficult situations on many occasions.
In conclusion, I would like to say that life is all about enjoying the ups and having the courage to stand up and keep moving during the downs. It is important to master the art of enjoying the frustrations and getting back up after failures. I firmly believe that one’s attitude defines the extent of one’s success. If you are able to see the unseen, nothing can slow you down.
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