I did not plan to be in venture capital. For as long as I remember, I wanted to be an entrepreneur. Dinner table conversations at home were mostly about my father’s automobile parts business. This nourished and nurtured my curiosity.

Growing up in a small town, just outside Delhi, there was a stillness yet a restlessness in me. The sense of community and values was juxtaposed with big city dreams and aspirations. The former taught me the value of relationships and the latter pushed me to aim high.

In my last year of college, I raised seed capital for my startup. With a team of 40, we built a product used by tens of thousands andmade a ton of mistakes along the way. After two years, I decided to take a short detour into investment banking. Serendipitously, I landed at Sequoia Southeast Asia – now Peak XV. I always tell people, “I am a founder. I’m just in the business of investing.”

I believe the best founders and leaders are bold. If you are not a bit nervous by the scale of your ambition, you are not doing yourself justice. The best founders are also authentic. They tell it as it is. While they dream big, they acknowledge their limitations and actively try to fill the gaps. They are humble. They change their minds. They learn.

I get incredible joy in pursuing audacious goals with authentic people.

If you resonate with the above, I would love to talk.