Interview With Leonard Selvaraja - Founder & CEO of ICREWSYSTEMS SOFTWARE ENGINEERING LLP

1. Describe about your Business and founders

Our company is ICREWSYSTEMS SOFTWARE ENGINEERING LLP. We are an IT infrastrucrure & services startup that was founded in an aim to serve the needs of the aviation industry, but gradually increased our spectrum of industries server. Our founders have deep roots in flying. They are all avid aviation enthusiasts and flight simmers. Pilots are great at making decisions at short time, which is a great skill to have if you’re heading a company.

2. Describe your biggest achievement

As a company, we created and launched a tool for public to fight COVID19 in the month of April. We have done this within 6 days. Normally, it takes 3 months to plan and develop a complex project like this, but my team put the priorities of this project first, worked exhausting overtimes and made this possible. https://COVID19verifiedresources.in

3. Where do you see the company in the next five years and how will you bring about the change?

We have a few projects in our pipeline. In 5 years, I see us completing the Research and Development of those products, and then going ahead with with hundred plus staff members across the world. We are working on some projects with great acceleration towards the future.

4. What is the best and the worst part of being a CEO?

The best part of being a CEO is freedom. This freedom often comes in the form of time, ability to choose what you work on, bring about positive changes that influence others etc.

The worst part, I feel is the time. You will always have something to do with your time. You won't be able to relax and chill on weekends or unwind from your work like other people. You won't have time for yourself, your family or friends. Luckily, my friends and family have been incredibly supportive about it.

5. How much important is finance while starting a business?

Money is very subjective. I started my company with my co-founders with literally zero cash. All we did was, we created a WhatsApp group and a Google sheet to assign tasks for each other. This was in my early college days.

Obviously, we out grew that part and had to get a bit bigger and better than that, there were free tools for almost everything. That's the best thing about having a business in 2021. There are so many resources to help you grow that are available for free.

6. From where you get the idea for business?

I was a part of a hobby organization called IndiGo Virtual. I started out as a kid who was just calling out spelling mistakes and grammatical errors on our organization's website.

Thanks to my then CEO Mr. Dishang Perme & MD Aaryan Kapoor, they both entrusted me with the credentials to access the backend to the website. What started out as a spell check session, grew into color changes, layout changes and slowly modular level changes. Thanks to my then friend Sooryah Prasath (who is now my co-founder and COO),for making easy to understand coding. Fast forward 1 year, I released a product that went on to be a GOAT, greatest of all time on the platform, and it's been that way since 2018 by God's grace.

   7. What was your aim to start the company?

It's a funny story actually. I turned 18, and at that time I was in my freshman year in college. I had been coding for about a year at that point. It was my birthday. As per our family tradition, I take blessings from all elders once I return back from church on my birthday. When you get blessings, you also get money from the elders (I love that part of the tradition).

So eventually, when I came to my dad, I expected him to give me the blessings and enough money to treat all of my college batch mates. But in to my surprise, he pulled out 100 bucks and said "have fun", I had a lot of friends in college whom I owed birthday treats and with 100 bucks, I wouldn't even be able to get them peanuts.

Hence I asked my father for "some more money" to which he said "okay, tell me how much, and tell me why you need that much”. I still don't know why, but that question unleashed the inner drama queen for me. Not because that my dad wouldn't have given the money, it was just that I was not comfortable demanding a specific amount to my dad.

I was so upset that I bunked college that day to save face, and was drowning in my sorrows, I remember telling myself "I HAVE TO CHANGE THIS”. And on the same day, I launched my product online and received my first order in 4 days for £120 from UK. It was the best feeling ever. I was so happy, and I treated my friends with that money. It’s funny to think about it all now. I had the skill and the resources to start the business, but I needed a push, and I owe a big part of that push to my dad, and a much smaller part to my inner drama queen.

8. According to you what is the biggest challenge facing by our nation?

The biggest problem we face is, we are trapped inside the 9-5 acheron, where we're forced to think about basic things, which keeps us distracted from bigger things.

Let me explain,

All the great entrepreneurs of the world, they love what they do. People should do what they love. They should work at places that bring them peace of mind. Trust me, an employee who hates their company isn't doing any good to themselves and their company. We have to think. Why do people choose to work in places they are not comfortable at? Because if they don't work, who will earn the bread? On top of that, they have to worry about basic things like Education and Healthcare for their families, how would they even conceive an idea for a startup or even the thought of pursuing something if they have to worry about basic things? Indian youth are like diamonds. They are sharp, brilliant and they all have billion dollar dreams. Just imagine, what if we all choose to pursue our dreams?

9. What is the role of your family in your successful career?

My family has been incredibly supportive of my career. My parents strongly believe in the concept "you write your own destiny.”When I was 15 years old, I told my parents that I wanted to leave town to join a flying school and become a pilot. If it was anybody else, they would have not allowed. But my parents did. They have been incredibly supportive of my start up as well and by that, I don't just mean verbal support. They have been there every step of the way, to mention a few.

My father comes with me to my office and makes sure it's always an "all systems go" situation. He interacts with my staff to cater to their needs too. My mother comes by, and cleans the office and the lawn area when she is free. She makes tea and snacks for my staff and me. If she is not too tired, she surprises us with her divine biriyani too. My brother is like a newly commissioned solider. He is ready to go wherever ordered, to fulfill any requirement by me or my staff. My grandfather helps me with all legal advice, my grandmother holds me tight with her prayers, my uncles, and aunts guide me on how to lead my staff effectively and how to run the business operations smoothly.

I never asked anyone to do this. I don't pay them to do any of this. It's all out of love, and I feel that's one of the biggest reasons behind my success. We often tend to take these things for granted, but I'm very sure, if I remove my family from the equation, the equation would just fail.

10 What is your message to the young generations and to their parents?

To the youth, your idea is worth working on. Establish small goals, take the first step. Once you accomplish one small goal, you'll be encouraged to do another, and eventually, all the dots connect. To the parents, your child is your greatest creation. Just tell your child that, they have your 110% support, no matter what they choose to do. Say that if they're serious about it, you're willing to walk to the ends of the earth to make things happen for them. I know you will do it, but your child needs to hear it from you. Eventually, all the dots connect.