19 October2022acceleration, Nilah Advisors supports startups with fundraising from Indian and global investors, executive coaching, advising specifically on business aspects & international expansion, marketing & growth strategy, and government supported global accelerator programs. Recently, we have also started supporting in hiring Exec talent for niche roles for a few foreign clients. Since a strong working relationship with the VC ecosystem is also a must, we are privileged to be working with marquee investors in these regions for co-investing in Indian startups, as well as with innovative tech ideas in the South-East Asian markets, and helping them enter India for business expansion & growth. Understanding the nuances and culture of a country is non-trivial. Success of a startup depends on how well you are able to localize and sell the product & offerings, and Nilah Advisors exactly helps you do that. We want to become a one-stop advisory firm for all the needs of a company, startup, or even a government entity.Commencing as a primary focus on the South Korean startup & VC ecosystem, we have already started catering to requests from Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, and so on. The cross-border accelerator program is a win-win because it generates revenues for our country's economy, brings great products & services to Indian consumers, and opens-up our world view to new technologies & working systems. We are also exploring opportunities to work with the government and policymakers to help them with their existing initiatives for encouraging entrepreneurship in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST PRESSING BUSINESS CHALLENGES THAT YOU FACE IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND HOW DO YOU MITIGATE THESE CHALLENGES? With an ever-changing competitive landscape, we have to keep ourselves abreast with the latest trends in terms of technology, industry, and local regulations, and that has been a constant challenge for us. Since we work with startups from different parts of the world, the founders come with different cultural backgrounds and communication styles. Having the patience to adjust and be on the same page with the founders is extremely crucial for our business. When it comes to executive coaching, it is a long-term process and commitment to help founders unleash their real potential and make them understand their blind spots. For this process to be efficient, the founders need to have an open mind to accept what they don't know or be ready to take help. To mitigate this process, I would say, advising starts with a trust-building exercise before we start working on executing something more meaningful. Empathy and understanding the sense of urgency help us to calibrate the expectations of the client from us as a team, and we take every possible step to ensure the effectiveness of our delivery. IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES THAT YOU HAVE ACHIEVED IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY? I have been planning my career in such a way that I stay relevant and make meaningful contributions across emerging areas and industries such as venture capital, consulting, gaming, advertising, EduTech, and so on. My biggest leap of faith was when I decided to quit my job at Zynga Game Network India in 2012, and support about eight startups as well as portfolio companies of a few top VC firms in India. My first consulting firm, The Mustard Tree, focused on marketing and business consulting for primarily early-stage companies. In between my first firm and my second one, I went back to the corporate world and worked for top VCs & accelerators, and led India for a short-form content & video editing platform before deciding to start Nilah Advisors. This is my second stint as an entrepreneur. All these aspects are some of the significant milestones for me in my career. WHAT IS YOUR SUCCESS MANTRA, AND WHAT DRIVES YOU TODAY AS AN ENTREPRENEUR?Perseverance and never say die attitude is my mantra for my personal growth. The constant notion to re-STARTUPS HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS BASED ON THE STAGE OF THE LIFE CYCLE AND WE AT NILAH ADVISORS UNDERSTAND AND EMPATHIZE THIS WHICH HELPS US TO BE TRUSTED STRATEGIC ADVISORS TO ALL OUR PARTNERS.
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