The Coffee Chat (#6)
My conversation with Vidushi & Apoorv - serial entrepreneurs who are currently scaling their edtech venture while also being parents to 2-year-old Meir
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Hi there 👋🏽
Just 12 more days to 2021.
2020 has been a time warp. Some weeks felt like decades and then months went by in days.
As the year unfolded each one of us recognized that we are witnessing history being made. Humanity will remember this year. Our grandkids will study this and ask us to narrate stories about what it really was like.
There will be a lot of people who will remember the pain and suffering. I personally feel I will remember this year slightly differently. Almost like how I remember my labor pains.
They say labor pains are the worst pain you experience that you most easily forget. I know I was in misery for 13 hours (or so my husband tells me) but I genuinely can’t recollect it.
I think 2020 for me will be similar. This is the year I became a mom. 2020 for me will be the year I met baby T for the first time and all the other first’s that subsequently followed.
I feel blessed to be in this situation. And I hope you too can find something to be grateful for. This year has been tough but I am sure each one of you can carry forward some positives from it.
Here is me wishing you and your loved ones a very happy holidays. Stay safe.
See you in 2021
Rashi
☕ On to today’s coffee chat…
A lot of people say don’t get into business with your spouse.
A lot of people say that starting a business is very exhausting & demanding and needs you to sacrifice your personal life.
A lot of people say that becoming an entrepreneur with a young kid is very risky.
A lot of people say that you can’t travel with a young kid.
Well, Vidushi & Apoorv decided to ignore all this conventional wisdom and in turn, have created a wonderful life for themselves where they are doing things their own way!
Below is my conversation with Vidushi and Apoorv…
Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your family
We are travel addicts and get excited by the very thought of exploring a new culture and meeting people who look/talk/behave differently than us. We are also on a constant hunt for the best eggs benedict around the world and you can buy us off with an epic cold coffee!!
Together we have already visited 35 countries (10 of those with Meir - at one point he was doing a country a month) and can't wait to get back to our backpacking days as a family.
We also run an edtech venture together (our second startup) that enables students to access work experience with some of the leading employers across 15 countries. Before the world borders shut down, we had a travel based learning element to our portfolio which we can’t wait to relaunch in its new avataar in the new normal. Thus, as you can see we truly embody the ethos of "By Travel & Error".
For you what was the hardest part of becoming a new parent?
Vidushi (V): Dealing with newfound feelings and lack of sleep
Apoorv (A): I think the hardest part has been to plan our work travel around Meir. It's not been the easiest and both of us have taken turns to lead assignments while the other stays back with him. It's not the ideal scenario but we made a conscious choice not to slow down our professional growth while ensuring we are present as parents together and not just one of us taking the lead.
Apart from work, jumping on a plane is just about our favorite activity and that had to be better planned and packed. It's been challenging but now that I look back, I sometimes feel "how did we ever think of doing that trip".
Most first time parents are overwhelmed and sleep-deprived, in the middle of all that you started a business! How did the idea come about? What prompted you to start a business together especially given that you were also responsible for raising a mini human?
V: We didn't think that way at the time and just went with the flow. As a couple, and even as individuals, both Apoorv and I have always been spontaneous; if we like the idea of something, we jump at it. That's exactly what happened when we were planning to start Ingenious Faces and even have Meir.
A: For us, it was not an active decision but an evolution of our being. We were already running a smaller venture which grew and became a full-blown organization along with Meir. It did help that both of us don't overthink (not the best strategy always) and build a plane as we learn to fly.
I do see a lot of parallels between being a founder and a parent. Every day is different, you are constantly feeling under-resourced and you work from a future vision of your actions. Thus, the experience has been fun, exciting, challenging, nerve-wracking but would not have had it any other way.
After becoming a parent did you adopt any new beliefs, behaviors, or habits that have most improved your life?
V: We definitely kicked in the habit of working out (pilates for me and running for Apoorv) regularly in order to stay fit and give Meir the pleasure to chase us all day around. We picked up the lost habit of reading and it is, in a way, helping us re-shape some of our beliefs of running an organization.
A: I am not sure if it's only to do with being a parent but definitely has had a small role to play in this habit formation. After struggling for years to build a routine around a morning activity (running, cycling etc) I have finally managed to form one. It makes me feel alive and allows me to start my day on an energetic note which then rubs off on the rest of the activities with and without Meir. It also gives me the mental space to visualize my day and get myself ready for the key moments.
What is one of the best or most worthwhile investment you have made after becoming a parent?
V: Since we (used to) travel a lot, I'd definitely say our Babyzen Yoyo* stroller is our best investment.
A: By far it's the Babyzen Yoyo* stroller. The best ever investment to enable our travel across the world with Meir. The only stroller that fits in the cabin luggage space. I feel it is a must for any traveling parents :)
The biggest challenge that working parents with young kids have is a lack of predictability in their schedule and limited time for themselves. How have you managed this?
V: Having limited time pushed us to grow our team, so that we weren't always managing things. Thanks to our family and their support, we are lucky to squeeze in 3-4 hours of work on any given day and sometimes more if needed.
A: We have been fortunate enough to run our own venture which has allowed us to work around certain schedules/timings along with a great support system of grandparents. The pandemic also enabled us to slow down and just build in a routine that was earlier impossible due to a hectic travel schedule. Thus, in our case, it has been more about being in the right mind space to enjoy each other's company after an exhausting day rather than being able to find the time for it.
Sometimes, it just helps to change the scenery to reignite conversations you loved as a couple about life, coffee, dreams, and more. Staycations has been our way of doing this along with a few impromptu wine and bollywood nights. At the end of the day, it might require some extra planning to just do nothing on a simple date but it's totally worth it!
What advice would you give others who are on the cusp of becoming parents? What advice should they ignore?
V: Listen to everything, but only use what you feel is right
A: I think the best advice I got was that there is no best way of parenting, just "your way". No one will ever be able to tell you how to parent your child. Luckily, no one tried to tell us much and it has been instinctive and occasionally reading blogs for specific issues around health and habits.
My only advice would be to have clear communication with your partner about the smallest and biggest thing about your life after being a parent. More often than not, the baby becomes the center (as he / she should) and communication breaks down between the two people who brought him / her into this world. I have been lucky enough to have a partner who believes in over-communicating and discussing every minute detail of our day and this has been the biggest boon of our parenting lives.
Quick-fire questions:
What’s the best thing you have watched recently?
Both: Schitt's Creek
What’s the best thing you have read recently?
Both: Shoedog by Phil Knight
What’s the best thing you have listened to recently?
V: Music by Elderbrook
I would love to hear from you, feedback is always welcome!
And if you happen to know an inspiring working parent who should be featured in a future edition (or if you yourself are one) - please do get in touch.
Disclaimer: All views expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer; *this is not a sponsored product recommendation