Shankar Sahai

On enquiring from where did the idea to start something like “SoftPrime Technologies” came from and requesting him to tell us about his background and his journey as an entrepreneur, Mr. Shankar Sahai enlightens that;

Since the start of my career, I wanted to do something of my own where I can do things according to my vision. Being aware of all risk factors involved to set up a business from scratch I preferred a job over entrepreneurship in my early stage. But I continued to think about business and waited for the right time.

I started my career as a marketing executive in a small IT start-up, gradually rising through ranks. Over the past two decades, I have gained experience in many segments and understood the nitty-gritty of all the business. During this period, I built up good relationships in the IT Industry which gave me a lot of confidence to start my own company and shape my dream to become an entrepreneur.

On enquiring from him about choosing entrepreneurship over job, Shankar Sahai narrated that;

I started my career in IT Sales and spent more than two decades learning a lot of stuff. Over time I realized that I have done my part as an employee now and it is time to follow my dream and become a job provider rather than a job seeker.

I started my own company which brought more work satisfaction and happiness in contrast to a job as it gave me more freedom to make decisions and take risks.

Please tell us about your key driving force to become an entrepreneur.

My job experience makes me aware of my potential towards my work but I need flexibility in it which can come through only when I drive that work independently where I can take risks as well as any decision for better results. In a job you bond to do work according to your employers, so your work results sometimes haven't been that fruitful as you expected. This is the main force that makes me an entrepreneur and so I give wings to my work.

On enquiring about his source of motivation, Mr Shankar apprised that;

My dream, aspiration and passion for my work keeps me motivated. Every day I set a new goal for this company and work on it which keeps me going. It is important to surround yourself with positive people who keep you spurred and offer you constructive criticism which in turn boosts your morale.

On enquiring How many hours a day do you work on average? He recounts that;

I would say if you love your work and follow your passion then hours do not matter, you enjoy every bit of time. Discipline and life beyond work also play an important role, so keeping that in mind I usually work 10 hrs a day and sometimes more if required. Here I would like to thank my wife who has been my constant support system, without her support I’m unable to do so for which I am grateful.

On enquiring about the uniqueness of his company “SoftPrime Technologies Pvt Ltd”? Shankar Sahai specified that;

My company is unique because here we allow our employees to give honest feedback which we try to implement as effectively as possible. We thrive to create a positive work environment for our employees. They have the freedom to take any work-related decisions for the betterment of the company. We also have flexible work hours. As per my past job experiences whatever shortcomings I felt were there I tried not to repeat it here.

On enquiring how important is a good team for a successful organisation? He delineated that;

I believe that for any organisation a good team plays a vital role in company’s success. It’s important for a leader to have immense belief in himself and in the team, whether it is a normal day or during the adversities. I also believe that “Great things in business are never done by one person. They are done by a team of people.”

On enquiring how he handles the pressure and manages stress? He delineated that;

When you decide to do something different in your chosen field you are automatically ready to handle all kinds of stress and pressure. My mantra is to convert this stress into a driving force to accomplish new heights.

On asking how he generates new ideas? Shankar Sahai particularize that;

To deal with problems on a day to day basis and finding solutions to these issues itself generate ideas and that’s how the idea cycle goes on. When I was in a job, I was responsible for a certain kind of work but it is a completely different case when it comes to being an entrepreneur as it involves looking over all the functions/departments of the company. There are a lot of opportunities to generate new ideas in almost all the fields required to run a successful organisation.

On enquiring about how he came up with the name for his company? Shankar Sahai apprised that;

I wanted a name which is a synonym of best software solutions. Since ‘Soft’ refers to software and ‘Prime’ refers to premium/best. I had an epiphany to keep the name SoftPrime Technologies and that's how this company got its name.

On asking him what piece of advice would he give to college graduates who wanted to become entrepreneurs? Shankar Sahai said that:

My only advice to them is to chase your dream and follow your passion. Whatever field you have chosen, Art, Science or Commerce, just try to learn beyond academics also. Academics is important for good marks but to understand the subject is important for good knowledge. Good knowledge will help further in achieving your goal. Entrepreneurship is a big responsibility which comes with many risks so before plunging into entrepreneurship be prepared for it. I believe in one simple mantra of life i.e. the plan should be good, and the execution should be better then you will definitely get the best result.