6 startups later - the trials and challenges I faced (and overcame) as a founder - 0 views
started by evcventures on 19 Apr 16
started by evcventures on 19 Apr 16
started by evcventures on 19 Apr 16
started by evcventures on 19 Apr 16
A woman bleeds twice:
1. At the age of 14
2. When she starts her first business
Starting a business is challenging.
You learn to listen to and learn from your customers and the market. You figure out how to balance your innate compassion, care and nurturing - a few of the natural "perks" you get by being a woman - with your business instincts.
As a woman, having to also break through psychosocial molds set by our communities' patriarchal psyche can make the (on)going get tough.
Here are a few challenges I faced while getting my first tech start up off the ground:
1) On being looked down upon
I am 5' 2", much shorter than the average American. Shorter hair and people would mistake me for a hobbit.
To add insult to injury, when I started my first venture, I was 22 but was often mistaken for being 15 or 16.
Hence, having people looking down at me was creating a biologically induced problem - a perception of inferiority.
I was constantly combating against this perception of myself. I was frustrated and needed to come up with a solution.
At the time, I considered high heels a frivolity - an accessory worn by women who prioritized fashion over function. I preferred to walk bare feet in the office; heels were my nemesis!
In pursuit of looking at people in the eye when meeting them, I realized I needed to reconsider my stance on high heels and use them as a prop. I ended up buying a pair to wear for work and overcoming this challenge.
2) On finding my voice
When I launched my first startup, I had no experience in presenting to large groups of people.
A few months after setting up a shop, I had to make a presentation in front of a large audience. I did several dress rehearsals with my team and kept getting lukewarm feedback.
I changed my inflections, the ordering of my presentation points and tried sitting, versus standing versus walking and talking. Even then both, my team and I felt something was off.
As I began going through my presentation once again, one of my employees told me to try a technique he was taught during his acting classes - to 'speak from your stomach'.
I went through my presentation a few more times and my voice, previously faint and hard to hear, was now clear, powerful and infused with confidence that I didn't have before.
This experience was transformative - it helped me find my voice as a leader and entrepreneur.
3) On staying true to your vision and values
As an entrepreneur, I have had my vision questioned and challenged.
As a leader, I have had many situations that left me standing at a crossroad between my values and making a quick-and-easy decision that meets a business objective.
Having grown up in the US, I had never imagined myself moving to India. Later in 2010, a few years after starting my first company, I knew India was where I wanted to be. I saw clear indications that the subcontinent was ready for a startup boom and I wanted to facilitate, cultivate and finance entrepreneurship in there.
Even my staunchest supporters - my family - were skeptical. But I stood my ground and made the move.
I went on to start six companies out of India; I established accelerators in Gurgaon and Bangalore; and launched a fund that this year launched agovernment fueled initiative which is driving innovation and fueling startups at every higher education institution in the country.
Not bad for a hobbit, right?
Delhi's announcement of its odd even scheme was not the most unpopular decision this January.
I wanted to redo our transportation policy and challenge my employees to carpool and use the metro.
You can see it coming, right?
I received tremendous resistance from my managers and was told most employees would reject my proposed policy.
I knew I needed to lead by example. So, I sold my Maserati, bought a bicycle instead and started using the metro.
Next, I worked with my operations team and put a reimbursement plan that not only helped our company's bottom-line but put money into the pockets of our employees in lieu of our cab vendors'.
I announced the new policy to all employees on January 22nd and asked them to be a part of a cultural change - one that doesn't see public transport or carpooling as a low-class activity.
The program has been running for two months now and although it was hard work, it's been successful because I made a decision that upheld both my values and what was in the best interest of my business.
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Anjli Jain is a successful female tech entrepreneur, investor and social activist.
Anjli is the Managing Partner at EVC, a $50 million fund focused exclusively on early stage investments in Ad Tech, E-Commerce, Gaming, Education, Mobile Apps, Enterprise Software, Wearables and Internet of Things (IoT). EVC also operates EVC Accelerators in the United States and India where it provides capital and mentorship to help entrepreneurs turn ideas into unicorns.
Born in India and raised in the United States, Anjli attended the prestigious Horace Mann School in New York City and later received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Columbia University in the City of New York.
Anjli has 15 years of experience with tech startups, venture capitals and social activism.