New Delhi: A father is neither an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light who manages to point us in the right direction and even at times, pick us out of the gutter. Thus, all dads deserve a big hug on Father's Day.
When it comes to succeeding as an entrepreneur, the bright business minds usually owe their success to their fathers. Being an entrepreneur is hard, but being a father is tougher.
Here are few startup heroes telling us the tale of their superhero fathers!
Dinesh Goel, Co-Founder and CEO, Aasaanjobs, said, "The best piece of advice from my father, something that remains relevant for me until this day, was to be frugal with one's material needs, and save big for the many hurdles and obstacles to come. This has helped me become a more humble person over the years, steering me away from extravagant indulgences and thus utilize the money I had saved for the things that really mattered - for instance, during the initial months of Aasaanjobs when we had to sustain ourselves with our own money."
Sairee Chahal, Founder and CEO, SHEROES, recalled, "My dad always told me - Follow your true spirit and be who you are. Nothing is ever too good or too bad."
Swati Dayal, Co-Founder, Sagoon, noted, "I wanted to follow my dream of becoming a part of next social media revolution but was a little hesitant to leave a comfortable job. Since I would have to start everything from scratch, the risk involved was big. My father knew about my dilemma and told me 'Spend a good amount of time thinking what you want and when you make a decision, just go for your dreams. Never look back to regret'."
"His encouragement helped me join Sagoon confidently and it is turning out to be one of the best decisions of my life. It is only by taking that bold decision I am able to unleash my true potential. And to me, it is the most magnificent feeling of life," she added.
"My father always advised on frugality, with personal as well as company's money. His core principle is to spend money wisely, especially when it has been borrowed. In the end, cash in bank is what runs a business," said Varun Khaitan, Co-Founder, UrbanClap.
Anshuman Mishra, Founder and CEO, LoanAdda.com, shared his story: "My dad is a dreamer, achiever himself. The one advice he gave me when he sent me to Mayo college, was to trust my instincts. In his exact words, 'dream, take the leap of faith, focus on excellence but pursue only what you are passionate about.' I didn't understand it then, but has stayed with me till date as the only piece of advice I ever need."
Abhinav Choudhary, Co- Founder, SmartPrix, remembered, "My father taught be to be consistent and persistent. He wasn't a very ambitious person, but whatever he did, he made sure that he went that one extra mile. This was part of his very nature and reflected in pretty much every think he did - be it negotiating with vendors, his job or even washing his car. That extra mile, that I have learned to walk, has always accounted for the difference between mediocrity and excellence in all my endeavors."
"I think I learn from my dad everyday and every lesson is valuable. However, the central theme of all these lessons has been resilience. He has always taught me the power of being able to take every situation as an opportunity to strengthen my personality," said Sakshi Vij, Founder and CEO, Myles.
According to Avijit Marwah, Co-founder, Modspace.in, "My dad has given me a lot of great advice, but the best piece of advice he gave me was to never give up. He always told me and still tells me never to give up and keep pushing through, there is always a solution or a light at the end of the tunnel. This advice has become a principle I follow, helping me get to where I am today."
Major Prashant Rai, Founder and CEO, OTJ247.com, formerly known as Onetimejobs.com, said, "My father served the Indian Army and I grew up with an understanding to serve the Nation and serve with pride. Therefore living life with discipline, valuing relationships and taking leadership are some of the most important piece of advice that he's given me."
He continued, "I too was a part of the Indian Army; A Major and a Gallantry award winner; I served the nation being a part of the Punjab Regiment. Now, I am an entrepreneur and after serving the Indian Army, I am now a party of the service Industry, serving the society under the banner of Balram Corporate services this is named after my father and Mother 's name put together."
If you haven't been able to tell your super dad how much he means to you and how he has always been your superhero, today is the day. Cheers!