Siddharth Talwar

Talwar keeps one foot in the fray, helping out all number of start-ups in his capacity as an advisor to 91springboard – a start-up growth hub, and as an investor in several enterprises, including Miss Malini, the leading online destination for Bollywood gossip and fashion tips; and Quandl, a portal dedicated to making all the numerical data on the internet easier to find, share and use.

Speaking with braingainmag.com, Talwar told us his tale of lessons learned abroad- and offered some advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

1. Would you say that constantly shifting jobs is the hallmark of our generation in the workspace?

I would say that information is more readily available to us now, and that helps us identify this churn as more active than in the past. Increased job opportunities and more networks allow us to try different things without an overriding concern for money. People are more willing to take chances with their employment. They don't want job security as much as earlier generations.

For example, nowadays IITians decide to join start-ups like Zomato and Flipkart over more traditional, 'safer' options like banks and consulting services. Sometimes these work out, sometimes they don't, but because they exist and this generation is willing to take the risk (for more reward) it provides more reason to change jobs.


2. Has your time abroad had any effect on the kind of work you choose to do?

I spent most of my time outside India, and only moved here twelve years ago. So India has actually had a larger effect on me than studying abroad has. However, studying abroad did make me more confident, because of the exposure to different kinds of people and activities. This confidence is what distinguishes me from many other people.


3. And how did studying in the U.S. affect your professional decisions?

Going to college outside gives you an opportunity to see what is available globally. The big advantage of studying in the U.S. was being able to see a larger variety of people, opportunities, thought processes. I’ve noticed that other, less socially varied countries don’t spend as much money on infrastructure, a fact which doesn’t allow students to think outside the mainstream.


4. Tell us a little about your work as an Ambassador for the Magic Bus project.

Magic Bus is basically a non-profit organisation that helps support educating underprivileged children through after-school activities, mainly sports. We work on teaching kids about how education is important to livelihood, so that once they graduate they actually go out and focus on getting a job. My core responsibilities as an Ambassador are to find ways to help Magic Bus scale the program and to secure funds.


5. What do you think the key traits for an aspiring entrepreneur are?

There are three key qualities: passion, intelligence and drive. You need to be passionate about the idea you have, otherwise you’re not going to be able to follow through with it long-term. It’s a horrible, long, difficult journey to success. You need to be able to find the right people to connect with, and work on your leadership skills. You also need to figure out what you’re smart at and work with that—not everyone is smart in the same ways!


6. What has been the hardest part about entering venture capitalism?

There are two things that I’ve found hardest. One is evaluating and figuring out which companies you want to invest in. When someone pitches an idea to you, it always sounds good, but you have to rely on your judgment to figure out whether it’s really good enough to invest in. The other thing is saying no to entrepreneurs. Everyone comes to you thinking they’ve got the best idea, and are looking to you to help them succeed. You don’t want to destroy their dreams. I’ve developed the practice of giving real reasons for why I’m not investing in them and providing thought-provoking advice to help them rethink their ideas.


7. Most memorable moment in college?

That’s a PG 13 question! I’ll play safe and stick with graduating.


8. What’s the one thing you don’t leave India without?

I don’t leave for anywhere without a photo of my wife as a baby. She looks freakishly like my baby in that photo!