This week we spoke to yet another promising young entrepreneur Devesh Rakhecha to understand more about his startup, his vision and his entrepreneurial journey so far. But first, more about Devesh – He is the Co-founder And CEO At Yearbook Canvas, a passionate entrepreneur and a CA. He worked with Morgan Stanley, Anand Rathi and a few others before taking a plunge into entrepreneurship. Let’s read more about his interesting journey and his advice for other aspiring entrepreneurs.
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Devesh:
Tell us a bit about yourself and journey so far?
I graduated from Jodhpur and also became a Chartered Accountant in 2006, and stumbled into the world of financial services at Morgan Stanley, Mumbai. I’d like to say that although being a CA was an accidental choice but even after securing the first job I dint know what I wanted to do so I thought I’d give things a go.
Well this “let’s give it a go” attitude lasted for 5-6 years but always felt that something was missing. With beeline queues and juggling with daily life, I desired for a larger and valuable life with my family in comparison to the quality of life given in metros and also wanted to contribute something back to my roots so moved back to Jodhpur in 2012.
In Jodhpur, I started working at Uma Polymers and later also at Anand Rathi, as the head of finance and was still following the usual “ let’s give it a go” approach unless my need to be independent and free to do what I wanted and when I wanted was too strong to be ignored. I wanted to do something which mattered to me and was not something an accidental choice any further.
So in late 2018, I started with Yearbook Canvas, a leading firm to preserve memories under the mentorship of Mr Sushil Sharma, a serial entrepreneur and mentor to budding startups in the Marwar region.
Since then, I have never lived so keenly and passionately as I have done these previous years. Every new experience is different and exciting. I have learned more in this 1 year than I ever did in finance. I have met the most wonderful and amazing clients, some of whom have become lifelong friends. They have taught me so much more than I could ever teach them, overall making an amazing experience in every aspect.
Why did you choose entrepreneurship over your job?
As I mentioned earlier, I wanted to give a stop to my “let’s give it a go” attitude and no longer wanted to make any accidental choices. I wanted to do something which gave me a real kick for my work and so switched to entrepreneurship. I wanted to take on a challenge, be driven and thrive in the excitement of building my future. Moreover, I would also like to quote a few lines from a movie, 10000 BC, which always inspired me
“ A good man draws a circle around himself and cares for those within – his woman, his children. Other men draw a larger circle and bring within their brothers and sisters. But some men have a great destiny. They must draw around themselves a circle that includes many, many more. You must decide for yourself whether you are as well.”
These lines truly drive me as an entrepreneur.
How do u find the industry/niche that you are in?
The entrepreneurship journey is tough and challenging on all fronts but with a strong vision to learn, grow and impact many lives, this ease my load as I navigate the new terrain. Moreover, I believe, you become part of a family in entrepreneurship. The entrepreneurial culture is almost like a big family and you won’t find a better group of people willing to offer advice and help than fellow entrepreneurs.
What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e. what’s your source of motivation?
Well, besides a good cup of chai, optimism, eagerness to seize opportunities and the chance to add value in someone’s life is a big thing that gets me up in the morning.
Moreover, this concept of Yearbook Canvas focuses on capturing best of the memories of one’s life and years from now when any individual flips through the yearbook to reminisce, they’ll be reminded of all good times they had and this happiness of theirs motivates me, in turn strengthening my positive belief in the work I do.
What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far?
In the initial years of my professional journey, there were not that much of challenges or obstacles because somewhere I believed it became a monotonous journey. And as rightly said also,
“ If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.”
So leaving my accidental choices behind, when I stepped into my entrepreneurial journey, it came with a host of challenges. Be it an experienced entrepreneur or a new player in the game, everyone is rewarded with challenges in this industry.
To name a few obstacles like financing, team building, dealing with the unknown, decision making, etc and most important been a tier 2 city startup, were quite evident but the right mentorship acted as the perfect solution and I also strongly believe that the workforce in these Tier-II cities often is, and has the potential to be, more effective than counterparts in major metros.
So my confidence in the face of hardship is driven by the ability to let go of the negativity that holds us back and embrace the challenges as opportunities.
What comes first for you – money or emotions?
I love work, and since I am human, I am emotional too. I am emotional about my work, I am emotional about my team and emotional about my growth too. I strongly feel that if you love what you do everything becomes secondary. It’s my core belief that finds your passion niche because money follows passion and not the other way round. And also to add on, I also believe that if any individual holds leadership skills, it drives him for his passion for work that goes beyond money and status.
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
To my belief, I love managing precious things.
And in this context I strongly believe Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev Ji, of Isha Foundation, who says that we often manage things that are precious to us, be it our family, business, money, property, etc then why would anyone like to manage stress. However, when you follow your passion and do the things which makes you happy, stress naturally goes away.
What is one strategy that you believe has helped you grow as a person?
Life is a journey, not a destination so keep learning, keep falling, keep enjoying, keep shining and keep smiling because failure teaches you more than success.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
Whatever you do, it has to be with passion. if it is not something that you love and enjoy then it is pointless. So follow your passion, be persistent in your pursuit because perseverance leads to success.
What advice would you give to someone starting?
Leap of faith and make your future! Create and be part of something bigger than yourself. Nobody is going to give it to you; you have to work for your dreams. There are no guarantees on success. To win big, you have to take calculated risks. You will find that nothing great just happens on its own, you can’t sit on the sidelines and wait for it. Be ruthlessly persistent and have a razor focus!
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