Just over a year ago, I began my journey as an entrepreneur after decades of encouragement by my colleagues and network. It was the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and there was a global economic slowdown, driven by lockdowns in many countries. I had heard both, that it is the worst and the best time to start a new business. Some even considered this to be a foolish idea and tried to discourage me.
Even though quality has been my bread and butter for over three decades, I have had an opportunity to lead other key functions including design engineering, regulatory compliance, reliability engineering, technical support, and customer service. I was also heavily involved in revamping, managing and growing Pelco’s VSaaS business into a winning and profitable line of business. Some common skills which enabled me to be successful in these functions included strong project management, exceptional problem-solving, developing high-performing teams, and establishing customer-centric organizations.
After a lot of groundwork and market research, it became obvious that the quality consulting space is extremely crowded, with many well-established consultants. This allowed me to shift my focus from typical QMS consulting to provide value above and beyond what my competitors offer. With my cross-functional background and experience repeatedly delivering measurable results across industries, the lack of a comprehensive software solutions to manage common pain points was glaring. Initially, I began to discover opportunities to conceptualize, design and develop a custom QMS to address these challenges. Fortunately, I was approached by several niche software providers that offered excellent products and services to address these specific industry challenges. This provided me with a unique ability to provide tremendous value to the SME industry. By connecting companies with leading solution providers and providing necessary guidance on implementing best practices, I have helped businesses address chronic problems at optimal cost.
This is not my first rodeo in the world of business. In the early 1990’s I founded a business along with my mentor in India. The reason I originally embarked on this journey was my passion for solving complex problems. Growing up in India, I knew first hand the problems a lack of consistent electricity caused individuals. After graduating university, I began to notice how this also affected businesses and their ability to operate – especially hospitals, private doctor’s offices and goldsmiths. We designed, developed and produced emergency power sources from scratch during the 1980’s and generated a ton of demand, no pun intended. We continued to search for complex problems industries that lacked reliable solutions. We then designed a solution and ensured it satisfactorily addressed the original problem. Some of these solutions included a level controller for high temperature corrosive water used for engine testing at Kirloskar Cummins, a motor winding failure protection device for TELCO maintenance division (Tata!), battery voltage monitoring and alarm device for Voltas fork-lift, and Flame Front Generators for process plants to prevent air pollution.
The Flame Front Generator was a major milestone, as it was an import substitute which we developed from scratch, just based on a catalog and the end application. I took the first order when I was preparing for a major surgery on my knee to fix a torn ACL. We worked hard to successfully complete four projects, supported by many in the family and network. As I was preparing to expand and fully get into business, the customer stole the IP and handed it over to a competitor and did not pay our dues for a long time. That was a major set-back and wiped out all my hopes for venturing on my own.
In H-2 2020, I partnered with three companies to provide innovative solutions addressing common problems businesses face. These solutions are focused on driving better organizational efficiency, employee engagement, Cx and cost-optimization. I have experienced these problems firsthand during my career and spent considerable resources to address them. I know these innovative solutions will help SMEs achieve tremendous gains in efficiency and cost, ultimately driving higher profitability and Cx. These solutions cover digitalization and machine vision, both of which are the need of the hour as these initiatives are accelerated industry wide due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With no experience engaging in SaaS sales, I was uncomfortable and skeptical about the success of my ventures. Once I started working on business development, marketing, and sales, I realized we are always selling our ideas and decisions. Whether it is with family or friends, we use various tactics to get buy-in for something we want to convince them about.
By learning from experts, I started getting a hang of the sales process and was able to close some deals. In the process, I have expanded my network and am making a concerted effort to provide value. As a result, an opportunity arose to work as an advisor for another technology start-up. I have also taken on the role of mentor for others who are starting their ventures, sharing my learnings including what works and the pitfalls.
The learnings continue as I use quality techniques to analyze interactions with every prospect, demo, and wins and losses. I find some very useful insights from LinkedIn influencers I follow. I plan to keep the journey going and adapt as I go.