This enables clarity in how others perceive your value, capability, and relevance. And I did it all wrong. Let me dissect it for you — and share what I learnt.
I asked many people what they think I do. Most think I do digital marketing and angel investing.
And that was shocking for me. - Those are interests. Passions, even. - They are not my profession, my work. - They are not what I am best at. - I dip in and out of them.
So, what went wrong for me to be branded in those two boxes? Here are some reasons I could find:
1) I was not intentional about how I want people to recall me. This is a common problem - people do not control their functional perception - and it shapes differently for different people.
2) I was speaking at most events around entrepreneurship (specifically startups) and marketing - due to my love for the subject. I underestimated the power of repetition. If you consistently speak about one topic, even casually, the market assumes that is your core competence.
3) These topics were hot. So audiences want to put people (or perceived experts) in buckets they understand and that are trending. Media played a big role in amplifying these topics, so they stuck in people's minds.
4) Another interesting realisation (actually reinforcement) was that it is easier to create a perception/brand than to change it. People love to bucket others, and then they do not want to re-evaluate easily.
I never clearly articulated what I actually do. When you don't define yourself, the market defines you.
So here is the simple version:
"I operate at the intersection of technology and business. My role is to bring structured, framework-driven thinking to messy, real-world problems.
My core operational thesis is: clarity, long-term (sustainable), priority-centric (read pareto principle), roi-centric (read practical)."
I started INT at 19 with pocket money. The idea was simple — perhaps naïve: use the power of a connected world to improve life and business. Over the years, that translated into building real capabilities: - Enterprise Software & Product Engineering - Data Analytics, AI and GenAI - Cloud & Cybersecurity - Customer Experience, Growth Tools
Today we work with mid-to-large enterprises across India, USA, UK, and EU. Nearly 1,000 professionals work across five companies. We have client relationships in decades.
Always growing and profitable for every year in almost last three decades.
Lately, I have been spending more time building category-defining products and driving AI revolution within my companies.
On a personal note: - I am quiet by nature. A proven introvert. - Small talk exhausts me. - Deep conversations energise me - any topic, any problem. - Mountains, long walks, trekking, books > parties.
That is me. If this resonates, let's talk. If it doesn't, that is fine too.
Clarity matters more than popularity.
#personalbranding