Do epic shit!
Ankur Warikoo’s podcasts, videos, write-ups, content pieces, and his entire thought process, in general, are so calming. It is as if a modern-day guru is advising the youth and guiding the path along. I call him a ‘modern-day guru’ because he is unlike the typical mentors who propagate the idea of following a safe-career path. After all, that’s conventional. Indian adults applaud risk-averse career choices, and out-of-the-box alternatives are often frowned upon. Despite being from the same era as the Indian adults, Warikoo brings uniqueness and simplicity. He is not afraid to openly tell the world about his failures – he got back up every time after hitting rock bottom. And that’s the mark of a true genius, a legend, to say the least.
Here is the story of Ankur Warikoo, an angel investor, entrepreneur, public speaker, and mentor to 137 crore Indians.
His student life
Ankur wasn’t all rich and famous back then. He was an intelligent kid and rather enjoyed studying science, Physics in particular. In fact, as we can learn from his content, he had an extremely humble beginning. While most of us had dreams of becoming an artist or a dancer and aimlessly traveling the world, this kid had set an extraordinary ambition for himself. He visioned himself going to the United States, getting a Ph.D. in Physics, and working as a “space engineer” for NASA. And as much as we would have liked his dream to come true, he eventually realized that his calling was something else. But before that, he kept telling himself that the path he had chosen for himself was the perfect one.
At Josh Talks, Ankur tells his audience he got himself to confront the truth two years into his Astrophysics Ph.D. program in the States. He says, and I quote, ” I always thought that the thing I am good at and the thing that makes me happy are both the same.” And this was the biggest mistake of his life.
It is very easy to get confused with the culture we witness as a growing kid in India. Parents lay an extraordinary level of focus on schooling and exams. Of course, that is a good thing, but when we reach the stage where we have to make a career decision for ourselves, we often fall back on the subjects we were good at in school. Elders advise us to choose a job based on subject liking as well – only to realize that studying and working are two different activities, but it’s often too late for that.
So he quit life abroad, decided to come back to India, and start over. Not everyone has the guts to do that. Let’s see how it worked out for him.
After coming back to India with no clear plan in mind, he came across the MBA program at ISB. Back then, ISB was a reasonably young school and wasn’t as famous as it is today. The MBA program came as a blessing in disguise for Warikoo, pushed his limits, and inculcated confidence.
The Nearbuy story
After ISB, he did consulting for a couple of years. Quit that and got into the start-up ecosystem. He worked as the CEO of Groupon India for four years. In 2015, he ventured into the lifestyle business, going by the name of nearbuy. Nearbuy gets you exciting offers on restaurants, spas, drinks, and more from your nearby area. He stepped down as the CEO in 2019 to become a content creator. Ankur Warikoo has been a part of the Fortune India 40 under 40 list, has been awarded the title of Social Media Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017 by CMO Asia, and was the LinkedIn spotlight of 2019.
The Warikoo Brand
Currently, Ankur Warikoo regularly posts content on YouTube, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms and regularly engages with his audience. On YouTube, he talks about personal finance, investing, and why budgeting is so important. He explains real-world finance concepts and provides time management tips. He mentors founders and helps them get to PMF. Also a brilliant life coach.
This article is a tribute to you, sir, from TFP. We hope you keep inspiring the youth with your content in the years to come.
This post was written in collaboration with Asif Yahiya Sukri LLP. Asif Yahiya Sukri LLP provides unparalleled personalized financial services to a broad range of clients across different geographical locations. With a presence in the USA, India and the MENA region, they ensure that all of your financial decisions are made carefully and with your best interests in mind. They are innovators who understand what goes into building companies.
You can also reach out to them on info@aysasia.com
Follow Us @
