Founder DNA & Personal Competencies
Attribute 1: Communication; How you speak, listen, and get your point across — in meetings, with investors, with farmers, or even with your co-founder when they want to quit at midnight.
When you have to explain your idea to someone new — say an investor, a skeptical uncle, or even a farmer in the mandi — how do you usually go about it?
👉 Think of that moment when your audience looks half curious, half confused. Do you jump straight to the jargon, or do you paint a picture? Your communication is not just about words; it’s about whether people walk away nodding or scratching their heads.
Communication is not about who talks the most, but about who gets understood the fastest. Your pitch should be like a good cup of chai — strong, clear, and leaving a warm aftertaste.
Perseverance; The ability to keep going when things fall apart — which, in startups, happens every alternate Tuesday.
When your startup plan hits a wall — like your prototype fails, your key hire leaves, or your investor ghosts you after promising a term sheet — how do you usually respond? 👉 Perseverance is not just about “never giving up” — it’s about how you adapt, adjust, and keep your energy alive when everyone else says, “Bas, ab band kar de yaar.”
Perseverance in startups is less like running a 100m dash and more like playing kabaddi in slow motion — you need stamina, flexibility, and the courage to get up every time you’re pulled down.
Patience – Pause and Speed ; The art of knowing when to sprint and when to wait, like a farmer who sows seeds and doesn’t dig them up daily to check growth 🌱.
When it comes to making progress in your startup — how do you balance speed and patience? 👉 In startups, moving too fast can make you trip, while waiting too long can make you miss the bus. Where do you usually land on this see-saw?
Startup life is like crossing an Indian traffic circle 🚦 — sometimes you must floor the accelerator, sometimes you must wait till that random cow moves. The art is knowing when to do which.
Problem-Solving Skills; Every startup is basically a giant puzzle — except the pieces keep changing shape, the box is missing, and investors are peeking over your shoulder asking, “Is it done yet?” 😅
When unexpected problems hit your startup — how do you usually tackle them?
👉 Because trust me, they will hit. From a sudden supplier disappearing to your co-founder announcing marriage plans in the middle of harvest season, chaos is part of the package. How do you deal with it?
A startup without problems is like a samosa without aloo 🥔 — impossible. The real question isn’t “Do you face problems?” but “Do you solve them in a way that makes tomorrow easier, not harder?”
Openness to New Ideas; Startups thrive on fresh ideas — but too many can make you look like a juggler in a circus 🎪, dropping half while trying to keep them all up in the air.)
When new ideas come your way — from team, mentors, or even random chai-wallah wisdom — how do you usually respond? 👉 Because in startups, ideas pop up faster than popcorn, and not all deserve to land in your business plan.
New ideas are like guests at an Indian wedding 🎉 — welcome them warmly, feed them chai, but don’t let all of them move into your house permanently.
Reflections; In startups, doing is celebrated — but thinking about what you’ve done is often ignored. Reflection is like the rear-view mirror in a highway drive: small in size, but without it you’ll crash sooner or later 🚗💥.
How often do you step back to reflect on your decisions, mistakes, and learnings as a founder? 👉 Because running fast without looking back may feel thrilling, but it’s also how you miss warning signs (or repeat the same blunder twice).
Reflection is like adding tadka to dal 🥘 — a small step that makes the whole dish richer. Without it, effort feels bland and repetitive.
Networking; Some founders treat networking like speed dating 💃🕺, collecting cards and selfies. Others avoid it like a bad wedding buffet. But done right, networking is the art of building bridges that don’t collapse when you actually need to cross them.
How do you usually approach networking as a founder? 👉 Because in the food-agri-environment space, your next customer, partner, or even investor might be sitting next to you at a mandi chai stall or a boring policy seminar.
Networking is like irrigation canals 🚰 — they don’t guarantee the harvest, but without them, even the best seeds struggle to grow.
Talent Acquisition; Hiring in a startup is like cooking biryani 🍲 — one wrong ingredient and the whole dish smells funny. Get it right, and everyone remembers it forever.
When it comes to hiring people for your startup, what’s your usual style? 👉 Because talent can make or break your dream. And let’s be honest — most founders either overpay for the wrong person or underpay and then complain when talent leaves.
Talent is not about filling chairs — it’s about planting trees 🌳. Some grow into shade, some bear fruit, and some just fall over in the first storm. Choose wisely.
