At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring to you some of the finest and compelling stories from the entrepreneurship world. This week we invited Dr Pranjan Mitra for an interview with us to understand more about his journey as an entrepreneur. He is the founder of Denta Mitra which helps track and focus on dental health conditions from anywhere. Subsequently, one could also find and connect with nearby dentists within the app itself rather than finding it on a different app. Let’s read more in detail about his journey, way forward and his advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Dr Pranjan:
Talk us through your background and your journey as an entrepreneur, please;
I am a public health dentist hailing from an upper-middle-class family. I am also a professor in a Dental College and Hospital, guide to the aspiring BDS and MDS students.
Being a part of the Health Care System in India, I came to terms with the grass-root level problem of the people since I was a community dentist penetrating the rural and remote areas of India.
What I came across is that during the era of home delivery, the people need to walk down miles every time to consult for a minor dental problem or get themselves educated on oral hygiene. Equipment or an app to diagnose or get educated on oral hygiene at first level at own convenience and time rather than waiting in the appointment queue was the need. With the help and mentorship of my childhood friend who is also a well-recognized techpreneur Satyajeet Pradhan, Co-founder and CEO of Bizydale Nets, I decided to build an oral health tracking app called “Denta Mitra”.
Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?
To be straight in a job your ideas and concepts never transpire into a reality. Being an entrepreneur, you can put as many ideas into a concept and see it grow like a banyan tree.
Entrepreneurship makes you a free bird. Fly as high as you can.
What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e. what’s your source of motivation?
To quote sir Dr AP J Abdul Kalam sir-
“DREAM is not what you see in sleep, DREAM is something which doesn’t let you sleep.”
I dream that someone wakes me up one day and says Dr Pranjan there are smiles everywhere and people are free from any oral issues. I would love to see cavity-free smiles of children. That’s what keeps me motivated!
What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far?
Every step is a challenge, to be honest. Firstly, I am from a non-business family and with a very little understanding of technology. That’s where my good old buddy Satyajeet helped me and has been the driving force of Denta Mitra from day one. Also arranging finances or initial investment is still a challenge however that has not stopped us from building this app further. We shall start looking for investment after achieving a milestone that we have planned.
What comes first for you – money or emotions?
Always Emotions. Since I am a doctor I have to connect emotionally while treating a patient and also as a person I believe that duty has to be performed with excellence, success and money shall follow.
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
Music. I love listening to songs and playing Keyboard. Travelling is also a stress buster for me. Whenever I feel that I am losing out, I pack my bags and travel to any serene places. Meditation also helps a lot in managing my high emotions.
What is one strategy that you believe has helped you grow as a person?
Positive attitude and patience. I think one should always be positive whatever the situation may be.
I believe one should always hunt for a solution to the problems and with patience.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
No short cuts, please. Success depends on your skills, hard work, determination, smartness and the hunger to succeed.
What advice would you give to someone starting out as an aspiring entrepreneur?
Don’t follow the masses. Think something out of the box beneficial to society. Don’t focus on money, focus on effectiveness and excellence of the product. Money is always a bi-product.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
