Q. Where do you see the company in 5 years and how will you bring about the change?
In 5 years from now, truMe will be a well- known brand in India, Middle East and USA . The company will have become the flag bearer of IoT driven access management and will hopefully be leading the movement towards digital identity- based access ecosystem in its chosen geographies.
Q. What is the biggest challenge of being a CEO and how do you overcome it?
At the moment, my primary role is that of a founder who is trying to create something new. Our vision is that everyone in the world will have digital identity hosted on truMe, which they will use to get seamless, convenient and private access to buildings, events and things. This is a huge challenge and my endeavour - along-with my co-founders – is to lay down a solid foundation for the same, in terms of technology, business processes and team building.
Q. What is your approach to making important decisions for the company?
We have a certain product vision, which is very well understood among the co-founders. Similarly, on all critical questions, such as vision for the company, the GTM , hiring people with a certain set of soft skills etc. there is general consensus. That makes it easier to make important decisions on the go. I’m very hands on and even though I have great process focus, I take decisions quickly and ensure that they are implemented with intensity and in a time-bound manner.
Q. Did you ever feel like giving up on being a CEO and what motivated you to pull this off ?
As I said earlier, I take my role of creating something new as a-founder more seriously and my role as CEO is merely a subset of that. A CEO’s role acquires greater significance once a company becomes very large. We are still some distance away from that situation. Thought of giving up has never crossed my mind. I don’t have to look for motivation. I’m living a dream and enjoying every moment of it, particularly the difficulties that come with it.
Q. Describe your biggest achievement.
It’s too early in the day to talk about achievements. truMe is a work-in-progress. We are doing many things right in terms of our product focus and laser sharp GTM strategy & execution. However, we have a long way to go to realise our dream of creating an access ecosystem based on digital identity and authorization.
Q. From where you get the idea for business?
I come from a background in real estate and my co-founders come from deep experience in technology. The idea came to our mind when we observed visitors struggling at the reception of the wonderful buildings created by my previous organisation. Present access ecosystem is so heavily dependent on physical identity and legacy technologies and we need a paradigm shift. That shift is possible with deep tech such as IoT, AI and ML.
Q. What was your aim behind starting truMe?
truMe was born out of our vision of removing queue, friction and paper-work from the access environment. Our endeavour is to delight the users by ensuring security, privacy and convenience and create value for customers by freeing them from the tyranny of inefficient and costly legacy technologies.
Q. Tell us some of your failures?
Oh, there have been many failures. For example, at the initial stage we struggled a lot with creating our own hardware and learnt it the hard way that instead we could ride the robust hardware e.g. phone and tablets already developed by companies by spending billions of dollars. We are doing exactly that now and have made mobile the main vehicle of truMe’s multiple interfaces. Another mistake was to repose great faith in the channel in the beginning of our Business Development journey. A channel cannot build the business for you, it can only ride the brand once you have created it.
Q. What is the role of your family in your successful career?
“Successful Career” has strong unidimensional connotations. I am more interested in variety and depth of experience. I’ve had an eclectic career, which would not have been possible without the amazing support that I have received from my family. My parents always let me chase my dreams and did not burden me with expectations that normal middle-class parents end up doing so often. I have changed course often and my wife has been a rock of support, taking all those changes in her stride. My embracing entrepreneurship a bit late in life would not have been possible had I not been secure in the unstated support of my wife.
Q. What is your message to the young generation and to their parents?
To entrepreneurs, I would say that what you are doing is noble. You are the worthy leaders that the society and the country need. You will face many challenges, for what you have chosen is an extremely difficult, uncertain path but if you keep the faith, the journey will deeply transform you, enrich you and make you into someone you’ll be proud of.
To parents, I would say fear not. Let your boys and girls choose. And be grateful if they choose entrepreneurship. It’s the finest path your kids can choose. Support them. It’s a difficult path but it will shape them, and you will be very proud of what they end up becoming. Great societies and nations stand on the broad shoulders of entrepreneurs. Be happy that your kids have strived to elevate themselves to that class.
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