Ankesh Kumar is a start-up entrepreneur. He has started numerous companies: two exits, one without raising money, and one raised $50m in venture funding. He also sold some patents/IP to Google. He is currently working on two start-ups with on being an app, Slide, made for friends to plan social experiences and share activities to help salespeople create personalized messages when prospecting.
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Name: Ankesh Kumar
Job: Start-up Entrepreneur
Origin: Delhi/London/Palo Alto
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“When did you start your career as a start-up entrepreneur? What challenges did you face?”
“I actually started my first venture in 1994. I think there are two major challenges I faced. First, the people. I'm a very social person, and I think I have good people skills. That being said, you end up interacting with all sorts of personalities, managing expectations, conflicts is challenging. Start-up's are literally a roller coaster. You could get really excited about a new release or customer order, but literally minutes later, a key employee can resign or a competitor announces a new product targeted at your offering. It's an emotional roller coaster. The ability to not to get too high or too low is something I've worked on and staying even keeled is imperative.”
When did you first hear about HanaHaus and how was your first experience?
“I used to visit the Barnes and Noble bookstore, which was there before HanaHaus, so I was actually there for the opening. I was sad to see the bookstore to close down, but once I spent some time there felt it was an upgrade.”
With HanaHaus closed and the state-wide lockdown, what are your thoughts on working-at-home?
“I can't wait for HanaHaus to open. Working from home is tough, too many distractions. It’s not the same vibe and energy being around other creative and fun people. It’s just a great energy you cannot replicate working from home and using video conferencing.“
How have you and/or your company adapted to this new lifestyle?
“I've certainly adapted. I've managed to workout from my garage when I need a break and work in the garden now that the weather is better. My team is remote so it did not affect the company too much.”
Are there any personal tips or advice you would give to others during these difficult times?
“What worked for me was creating a personal calendar and sticking to it. Otherwise, it's too easy to get distracted. For example a 8am-10am product meeting, 10am-12pm sales calls, 12pm-1pm lunch, 2pm-4pm Design/UI, 4pm workout, and the day continues. I would do daily agendas to ensure I was well utilized.”
What do you miss the most about HanaHaus?
“The people and energy. It's like when you go to a gym and you see people around you working out hard. It inspires you to push yourself. It is the same with being in a positive working environment. It helps you to thrive.”
In our blog series, People of HanaHaus, we present the folks that fill our workspace cafe with life: Start-Uppers, entrepreneurs, artists, founders, innovation managers, students, unicorns, venture capital investors and the people who make HanaHaus unique. We want to learn about their journeys. We ask them to speak about their current projects and how they leverage HanaHaus for their business.