At BR, our aim is to bring to our community some of the unique and compelling stories from the startup ecosystem. As part of this endeavour, we invited seasoned investor – Nitin Shakdher, for an interview with BrilliantRead. Nitin is an Institutional Investor and CEO at The Green Capital.
He is frequently seen on business channels sharing his value-add tips and advice on investing, startup ecosystem and its growth prospects. He is a thought leader, active panelist, speaker on numerous forums, events, industry meets and contributor to editorial syndicates for his views on investments, trends, entrepreneurship, motivation, start up accelerators, angel investing and networking for early stage entrepreneurs and ideas.
Nitin is an alumnus of St’ Columbas School, Venkateshwara College – Delhi University (B com Hons), Xavier Institute of Communications (PGDM), Mumbai and Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi (MBA, Marketing). His core expertise is in venture capital, angel investing, seed capital funding, financial markets investing, asset allocation strategies and partnering with passionate entrepreneurs. Let’s read more about his journey, lessons and his advice for entrepreneurs.
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Nitin;
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your company please?
I am a professional institutional investor as the Founder & CEO at the Green Capital Single Family Office with the core focus on PIPE (private investment public equity), debt, private equity, venture capital, real estate, fund raising, asset management advice, value investing, portfolio advisory & investment research.
Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?
A job or a salary is like a drug, you need your fix at the start or the end of the month. Once you are financially free and away from a job, you realize your own potential to grow, prosper and connect the dots to be able to live your true dream or what work you were intended to do in the first place.
I always knew from the start that I wanted to be a professional investor. The learnings, models, experiences, structures and formats keep changing & evolving. Your ambition also keeps on setting the bar higher and higher. If you love your work, no bar or limit is too high.
What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e. what’s your source of motivation?
I am extremely competitive and positive as a person. I use each day, stay in the present to align my goals and tasks to that day. Every day is an opportunity to do better, think differently. As I say, there are no failures, only learnings and how you move ahead by shunning any negative thoughts.
What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far?
Every business constantly faces challenges and risks. It’s also not possible to anticipate the changes in the business landscape all the time. However, the survival instinct kicks in: it could be expansion, people hiring, cash flow, project management, asset or liquidity.
What comes first for you – money or emotions?
I am a big believer of behavioural finance. Since we deal with financial instruments all the time: emotional quotient or EQ needs to be balanced. We have to disassociate ourselves with money & emotions: the two are not necessarily the best dish together.
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
Pressure & stress are relative. Everyone has a different threshold. It takes a lot for me to be under pressure, I don’t like to take pressure or stress, instead I like to give pressure or stress: it’s a mindset!
What is one strategy that you believe has helped you grow as a person?
I build relationships fairly easily or rather invest time in relationships, open to travel, learning and evolution. There is always someone better than you, accept it, move on and set your bar higher!
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
It’s a constant process: I am still building towards it. It’s a mindset of achievement, positivity and being fairly comfortable with what you can achieve and what you can’t!
What advice would you give to someone who wants to build a business?
You will face rejection. You will face liquidity problems. You will doubt yourself. It’s part of the process. Always believe in your inner voice and don’t get too swayed by other people’s opinions.
And once you have made it, look straight into the eyes of your worst critic and say “I told you so”!
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.
Nitin is an alumnus of St’ Columbas School, Venkateshwara College – Delhi University (B com Hons), Xavier Institute of Communications (PGDM), Mumbai and Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi (MBA, Marketing). His core expertise is in venture capital, angel investing, seed capital funding, financial markets investing, asset allocation strategies and partnering with passionate entrepreneurs. Let’s read more about his journey, lessons and his advice for entrepreneurs.