At what point in Ratul’s journey did you join him? What was he struggling with the most?
It was about two years ago. Bempu was in its initial stages of development and one of the biggest challenges at that time was to evaluate product design and later deciding the pricing strategy. Ratul was also struggling with distribution and marketing of the product.
How did you help him?
At this point I must say that the entire Bempu team was always very well disciplined in terms of reporting and resource planning. My major help came in since the early days when the product was still a prototype and later in the form of setting up their meetings with government agencies and helping them with distribution. I also always advised Ratul to decentralise work because he takes everything upon himself and that might lead to a burnout. There are countless incidents where I have guided the team other than the above issues.
In the process of mentoring him, did you also learn certain things?
Absolutely. For a young team, Bempu was always meticulous and disciplined. I often reflect on my initial years and realise how I wasn’t even half as disciplined or focused! Also, despite all the struggles, they remained positive always. I can’t complain a thing about Bempu! I love the positive energy of the team. My only suggestion is that they need to understand business with Indian perspective and Indian mindset.
Do you think incubatees need mentoring on a personal/psychological level too?
Oh, yes. I teach Zen meditation globally as part of my social responsibility. I always say that one must empty their glass and then fill it. We must empty all the unessential to allow essential to flow in. So, the idea is to know your mind and once that happens, all the struggles in everyday life can be tackled. By mentoring them on a psychological level, we can teach them how to be in-charge of their lives in its truest sense. In life, everyone has to learn-relearn-change and move on positively without lowering emotional equilibrium. Most importantly we must use our mind instead of the mind using us.
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