As part of our relentless efforts to identify and share some of the meaningful stories from India and around the world, this week we invited yet another passionate entrepreneur Sonam Srivastava for an interview with us. She is the Founder & CEO of Wright. Sonam is leveraging her deep passion for quant finance through her venture Wright, a Mumbai based seed funded investment management firm. Let’s read more about her astonishing journey so far and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Sonam:
Talk us through your background and your journey as a women entrepreneur, please;
I’ve been a math and programming nerd all my life. Growing up in north India and graduating from IIT Kanpur, I have had a diverse set of interests but numerical methods & data-driven science has a special grip on me. I got into the clutch of quant finance from the get-go because there I saw my ability to work with large scale data in a scientific way give quick rewards. I fell more in love with the field as I learnt how data can help us understand the complex world of markets & economics.
In my 10 years of professional life, I have worked at amazing teams in quantitative finance in HSBC, Edelweiss & Qplum building large scale algorithmic products & managing big portfolio mandates. My journey as an entrepreneur has been the most rewarding, I get to work on what I am passionate about whilst steering the business based on my team’s output.”
Prior to starting the business, I have had a great work journey but as an entrepreneur, you feel the impact of your decisions in your bones and you’re inspired to be better & understand the depths of the business & industry, which is really special for me.
Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a corporate career?
I want to make an impact based on the skills that I am confident about. I want a greater say on the direction the business takes and I want to create a positive impact based on a disciplined work ethic on myself as well as on the industry.
As Nicholas Nissim Taleb says, “entrepreneurship is an existential, not just a financial thing”, circumstances played a role in my picking up the entrepreneurial path but the final decision was existential based on my aspirations to excel and drive the work that I do.”
Quant Finance, the field that I work in is relatively unexplored in India and I am confident that with my experience in the field I can capture an unexplored niche in the market and give the investor a new means to invest.
Please share with us some of the challenges you faced in your journey;
I jumped in the entrepreneurial life head first so figuring out the various operational & regulatory hurdles was a big challenge. Being in the financial industry, regulations are one of the toughest challenges to tackle.
Being a woman in a male-dominated industry is challenging and sometimes I might have to convince my client harder but I’m grateful that I get recognition & reinforcement for being a woman much more than the challenges.
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
I’ve seen more ups and downs in my entrepreneurial stint than any other time in life. I’ve learnt to acknowledge anything that comes – good or bad and quickly move on because there is always so much to do!
The art of prioritization & distribution of work and choosing to work with genuine people who are looking to grow with you at the present moment definitely helps!
Given the rapid pace at which the world is changing, what are the leadership traits that are necessary for success?
I’ve learnt to respect the traits of honesty & accountability in my leadership journey. I think good communication, proactive engagement & strategic thinking are necessary traits for a leader in today’s world.
Please share with our audience – what has worked well for you so far?
I wanted skin in the game when I stepped out to start the business. I’ve seen ups & downs but I’ve created a small product that is growing. What has worked well during this time is that our hypothesis that Indians are looking for technology-enabled products has been proven true based on our traction. Our products have worked exceptionally well, our strategies have given exemplary returns & we are staying true to our tireless work ethic.
What are the business mantras you have embraced as you sought to establish your success story?
Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.
We would love to know your advice for all those starting out as an aspiring women entrepreneur?
Work hard, persevere and take care of yourself. Success hardly ever comes instantly and the world is full of good people and support if you look at things constructively.
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.
