In Conversation with Yatin K Thakur - A Young Successful Serial Entrepreneur

Empowering and motivating youth of the nation to have faith in their instincts and follow their passions; this sort of outlook is hard to find and that's why we thought Mr Yatin K Thakur, who’s doing everything possible to take up the PM’s initiative ‘Startup India’ forward, as an apt personality for encouraging budding entrepreneurs. Founder of over 7 startups in India around wireless tech, media, rural development and national security, he also serves as an organic farmer, an infrastructure developer and an avid community builder. Yatin is Founder of CoworkIn – Largest Chain of Co-working Spaces in India, Mesmobia, Grameenmobia and Co-Founder of Moonlighting, EIR at UP Global and a global facilitator of Startup Weekend. Hereby we bring to you an exclusive interview with Yatin where he talks about his startup journey and his vision of taking Indian startup industry to global platforms.

At such a young age you’ve achieved great heights, everyone would be interested in knowing the educational qualifications that led to your success.

Well you won’t see any reference to my educational qualifications anywhere because I never really had any. I was just 16 when I decided to go ahead with my first venture. I departed from my school earlier than everybody else (laughs). I never completed my education as a whole. Though, I emphasise on the importance of education but I deny considering it as the ultimate goal. I was not among the top students of my class but neither was a back bencher. The sad part is that students like us fall nowhere. So instead of following the traditional ladder for which I knew I had a tough competition anyway, I tried to construct my own ladder. I wanted to be my own boss and this was also the reason why I started off so soon.

We live in a society where education is considered as the ultimate realm. But you went for odds and now here you are - a successful serial entrepreneur. Do you believe that one should be intellectual rather than being intelligent?

(Laughs) Umm, I don't really see myself as a successful entrepreneur! Anyway, yes we live in a society where education is considered as the ultimate goal because it is believed that only educational provides you the sense of security especially when it comes to career and this isn’t only prevalent in Indian society but everywhere. Going for the odds is never easy, there’s peer pressure, people doubted my accountability and weren't even sure if I could handle all of this at such a tender age. People around wanted me to follow the standard norms already set by the society but I didn't wish to go with the notion that the society dwells upon.

Your LinkedIn profile says that you believe in empowering youngsters to quit jobs and engage in startups, so do you believe that having a startup is more beneficial than having a job?

Here I talk about my like minds, to be precise. I believe that everyone is not meant for jobs, neither by mind nor through temperament. And ultimately, our society feeds on only two conditions - either one is on top or he is nothing. It never looks at the mid hanger. If you cannot follow the ladder created by the society, construct one of your own. I implemented the same in my life. I created a ladder for others to follow, instead of following a ladder created by someone else. This not only creates an opening for you, but for others as well who look up to you as an epitome of inspiration. I feel that both the fields have their respective pros and cons. One should engage in any career whether entrepreneurship or job according to his or her temperament.

We just saw that how much you motivate people to engage in startups rather than relying on jobs. Usually, Indian parents disapprove of the same cause they feel such a path is filled with lot of turbulences. How did you manage to convince your parents for the same?

I too faced a lot of pressure. But it was more because of my age. People found it difficult to digest that a boy as young as me could have the pluck to pave a path of his own. It wasn't really a joy ride for me but then I told you why I prefer business over jobs.

Moving on, what all major obstacles did you face in your serial entrepreneurship journey?

The major obstacle I think would be my age. I started off early and so people couldn't accept me as somebody who can establish his own business. They thought I was just a silly boy, trying to enter the "man's world". People questioned my validity and authenticity. Besides, the level of peer pressure I went through was high. So I guess it was my age.

So now, suppose a person puts up all of his money for starting up a certain business and it doesn't work well, how do you suggest that person should cope up in such a situation?

The first investment is not money, anyhow. To succeed as a businessman, I surmise one should have a good amount of patience. Business never establishes in a day. Drop by drop, makes an ocean. A true entrepreneur should make business related decisions more tactfully. He must be filled with vigour while taking decisions. One can never taste success without having a mouthful of failures.

Was there any turning point in your life when you decided you're going to opt for this particular field as your career option or did it happen to you just like that?

Actually, it happened just like that. I have already told you how early I started. So nobody really inspired me but I was very much motivated to start up my own venture owing to the situations around me. I just didn't want to wait up in the queue. That’s why I started with my own venture. I feel that in a job one flows from bottom to top. But in a business one flows from top to bottom. An entrepreneur creates jobs. I too wanted to give away jobs.

Though you never had any inspiration, but now you serve as an inspiration for many. What are the core skills that an entrepreneur must possess?

Patience and business plan. These are the two most important skills of all.

How did the idea of starting up CoworkIn strike you? Was it derived from any real life experience or was it out of the box thinking outcome?

It was more of an out of the box thinking outcome because nobody around me really initiated such a business. Though, it must have been implemented by somebody else too at some other place but it never really happened around me. It was like a new concept for me and I never really aspired to follow anybody.

Your first venture was Mesmobia and currently you run many including CoworkIn, Techstars and Startup Weekends of course. So what changes do you feel have come in your professional life since then?

My professional life has changed drastically. The sense of responsibility and business dependency on me has grown. I've matured as an entrepreneur, have learnt from bad business decisions and try to improve every single day. Initially, all I used to worry about was money, but now I see myself capable as earning more than that. I see myself as an individual who’s trying to bring about reforms and business liberties in the society.

You're always travelling around the world regarding various operations of your startups, so is it that one has to sacrifice her personal life to pursue an entrepreneurship dream?

Haha! Yes. But then it is a new experience altogether. One gets to meet new people, witness varied cultures world around and analyse new business opportunities. But yes it’s an undeniable fact that one has to give her personal life a passé if she wants to become a successful entrepreneur.

And the last question does your company plan up anything for uplifting the backward social groups?

My company is already engaged in uplifting such groups. We aim to prioritise those entrepreneurs more who come from these groups. They're not much acquainted with the resources that are easily available to us. We are also associated with the LGBT community and we are also engaged in empowering women.

Yatin states that his ventures are not just in the game for the profits. He asks ignited minds to approach his company for any sorts of aids. He doesn't care what background these minds come from or what bank balance they possess. What actually matters to him is what these raw minds are, all by themselves, and how much potential and capabilities they hold. He cares about the aspirations and dreams that they live.

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