Winning Stroke: Interview with Saurabh Kanwar, Co-founder, ATKT.in

If not in the current Profession, you would be?

I would be a (very average) writer, struggling to meet deadlines.

One tune you always hum?

Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke – from Nau Do Gyaarah

One Book to read when you want to motivate yourselves?

‘How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big’ – Scott Adams, the autobiographical self-help book by the creator of Dilbert. While (as Adams himself says) one shouldn’t take advice from a cartoonist, his observation on why it’s better to have a system instead of a goal is a useful theory, that is worth refreshing periodically. 

One Dialogue of a movie that motivates you or you like the most?

The climactic speech from Scent of a Woman that Al Pacino’s character makes. “Now I have come to the crossroads in my life. I always knew what the right path was. Without exception, I knew. But I never took it. You know why? It was too damn hard. Now here's Charlie. He's come to the crossroads. He has chosen a path. It's the right path. It's a path made of principle -- that leads to character. Let him continue on his journey.”

The Place you never been to and always want to go?

Japan. Especially the Akihabara area in Tokyo, the putative centre of global pop-cultural geekdom. 

An animal that signifies you & why?

The Honey Badger: compact, thick-skinned, able to adapt to vast range of ecosystems from desert, to forest, to high mountains. Able to defend itself against apex predators like lions etc. Difficult to hunt down. 

A Movie Character you most resemble or resonate with?

Rancho from 3 Idiots. It is inspirational to see the journey of the individual, helping everyone live up to their aspirations and talents, and not being limited by external conditions. 

Choose one from each below:

a)     Marvel or DC: The LEGO DC Universe, actually.  

b)     Batman or Superman: Definitely LEGO Batman.

c)     Tom or Jerry: Tom. Ironically, Tom wins so rarely that he is in the fact the underdog. 

d)     Chacha Chaudhary or Super Commando Dhruv:Chacha4Life! Not a super hero, just a regular uncle who wins           by using his sharp human ingenuity. 

If your life was to be turned into a movie who would you like to play your part?

It needs to be animated in the style of the Simpsons: to take mundane reality, add brutal honesty and wrap it all up in crackpot slapstick. 

Luck or Hard Work, what do you think weighs more in defining a successful Person?

Most successful people seem to work hard to be in the right position when good luck shows up. So it has to be hard work, because luck is an externality. 

One best decision you ever made?

To jettison my corporate career and start at the bottom of the entrepreneurial ladder. 

A strategy that you always use to take your decisions in Personal or Professional life?

Announce the gut call and then evaluate it against available data so that both numbers and gestalt have independent, unbiased impact on the final decision. 

Whose advice you seek when in dilemma?

Work dilemmas, my partner Prashant. Life dilemmas, my wife. 

What has been your biggest achievement?

Without a doubt, my children. 

One thing that you want to change in yourself?

My limitless ability to procrastinate. 

A line said by your closed one that you never forget?

My parents have always lived by the motto that success shouldn’t be a reason to abandon simplicity. That, and every meal deserves a dessert!