Winning Stroke: Interview with Ashish Bhatia, Co-founder, India Accelerator.

1) If not in the current Profession, You would be?
Still in my old job thinking all kind of ‘What If’ scenarios!

2) One tune you always hum?
Well I just heard the news today, It seems my life is going to change (Creed, with arms wide open)

3) One Book to read when you want to motivate yourselves?
The Alchemist

4) One Dialogue of a movie that motivates you or you like the most?
"Do, or do not. There is no 'try.' " Star Wars

5) The Place you never been to and always want to go?
Machu Picchu, Peru

6) An animal that signifies you & why?
Am a Leo, so it has to be the Lion.

7) A Movie Character you most resemble or resonate with?
Oh that is easy. James Bond! I don’t even need to provide a reason - with all the flashy cars and being the ladies’ man etc. More realistically, it would like to be the good old Baloo, the affable, jovial, friendly, even-tempered bear from Jungle Book, who lives a responsibility-free lifestyle and is happy with his nuts & honey!

8) Choose one from each below :
a) Marvel or DC- Marvel

b) Batman or Superman- Superman 

c) Tom or Jerry- Jerry

d) Chacha Chaudhary or Super Commando Dhruv- Chacha Chaudhary

9) If your life was to be turned into a movie who would you like to play your part?
There are miles to go before my life can be turned into any movie. Anyways when we do reach that state, while I would like to say SRK because of his wit & charm but to keep a close resemblance with the looks, it might be more like Anupam Kher J

10) Luck or Hard Work, What do you think weighs more in defining a successful Person?
Am reading Taleb right now so there might be some bit of ‘recency’ effect in play here. Randomness, chance, and luck influence our lives and our work more than we realize. Hard work must be there but it might not suffice. Mild success can be explainable by skills and hard work, but wild success is usually attributable to Hard work coupled with Luck. Chance favours preparedness, but it is not caused by preparedness.

11) One best decision you ever made?
Leaving my corporate job and turning full-time entrepreneur.  Launching India Accelerator.

12) A strategy that you always use to take your decisions in Personal or Professional life?
If life offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!

13) Whose advise you seek when in dilemma?
My partner’s

14) What has been your biggest achievement?

I have a couple dozen medals from sports tournaments in my cupboard, have academic achievement awards etc. None of these are achievements I am not proud of, and none of them are anything to scoff at either - I have accomplished quite a few things. And failed to accomplish a more number of things. 

The biggest thing I have achieved is that I am no longer afraid to follow my dreams. I have managed to convince myself to be bold and chase my dreams, no matter what. It has taken some doing to put the demons to rest. But am glad to have reached that state.

15) One thing that you want to change in yourself?
I think I have already managed to change one big thing that I have always wanted to. For a long time, I was playing safe and afraid to venture out beyond my comfort zone. The fear of failure kept me from trying out new things. I was stopping myself from trying out new things. I was stopping myself from growing, evolving, from learning. Mustered the courage to leave the safe & secure corporate world and followed my calling.  

16) A line said by your closed one that you never forget?
To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only real obligation.