Aayush, founder of Metaverse Simplified, talked to us about how incremental growth is the mantra he follows in his journey. He was born and raised in Bhilai— a central industrial and education hub of Chhattisgarh. (Perhaps being surrounded by Industries and colleges makes you take a liking to Engineering and Tech.)
Believing in incremental growth, he has spent his life learning about many things hands-on. From being a part of various college societies to trying out different ventures, he also has six years of corporate experience as a data analyst and product manager. Currently, he is working on his latest venture,’ Metaverse Simplified’, to help demystify various fundamentals and nuances of web3 for beginners. Let’s dive into his hustle story so far.
Hey Aayush! We’re glad to have you here with us today! Can you start by taking us back to what made you choose your career? What ignited your passion for it?
“I was always somewhat confused about my career, and it wasn’t until later that I found some clarity. I remember it was in 2009 when the cinema was graced with one of the biggest hits of all time- Three Idiots. Aamir Khan’s character enchanted me, and I knew I wanted to do engineering right then. I felt engineering gave you a way to build things and solve problems!”
My first significant tryst with building something was when I designed a prototype for an automatic solar panel cleaning system, sold it to the college, and made some money. The water simply got too cold in winter because the solar panels were always covered with a thick sheath of dust. Back then, success seemed equivalent to managing to have a couple of hot showers in winter! But honestly, from then, I simply loved solving problems, and there was no turning back.”
If only success could be equated to a couple of hot showers today! Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Now, talking about college, can you tell us what your college life was like?
“In college, I kept myself busy. I believe in the shirt rejection theory: you don’t know which shirt will fit and suit you best until you try them on, so I tried everything I liked and could get my hands on.”
As a result, my college life was eventful. I was decent at my studies and active in many college societies, including the robotics and aeronautics society. By my fourth year, I was heading the E-cell of college, which was a full-time commitment. I don’t remember myself to be partying a lot in college.”
Engineering without alcohol? That seems unheard of! How did you refrain from drinking and partying, and do you regret any of it? I’m sure many college students out there would want to know!
“Alcohol isn’t a necessity until you make it to be. See, everything comes for a price. These were my sacrifices to focus on things that’ll give me something other than a hangover. And even now, when I look back at it, I don’t regret it. It made me what I am today. You only have so many hours a day, so better choose wisely what you want to spend your time on”
That’s wonderful! Can you tell us a little about your different ventures and what’s happening now?
“When I started my first major venture, the initial idea was to help those looking to raise money for their start-ups but had no clue how to do so. However, we realized the problem was much more significant for start-ups and businesses alike when we deeply explored it. If some place or business needs to boom, they need working capital.
To solve this working capital problem, we started Pitchtion, which centred around P2P money borrowing and lending. But back then, the ecosystem was still nascent and couldn’t sustain such a business.
Currently, we are working on a venture called “Metaverse Simplified”, which aims to simplify web3 and metaverse for its audience. We firmly believe metaverse is the next emerging tech, and everyone should know about it.”
What pushed you to start metaverse simplified? Why should college students learn about technologies like web3, blockchain, metaverse, etc.?
“For me, what matters most is being at the right place at the right time. The world is now going to change in this direction, so people need to be aware of emerging technologies like Web 3, NFT, blockchain, and the metaverse. Not only does this solve a problem, but irrespective of the idea’s success, we will learn many things ourselves that’ll be helpful in the future.”
“College students should absolutely learn about these emerging technologies. Let’s take an example: say, Flipkart or any other famous E-commerce business venture. They probably wouldn’t have existed today if they weren’t launched at the right time when this field was blooming. Similarly, web3, blockchain, and metaverse will be the future blooming technologies, so it is best to start early. An early-mover advantage works wonders.”
What mistakes do you not want to make again? Are you trying a different approach from your previous start-ups?
“I learned a lot from my failures— like we don’t need to spend lakhs on building the right product. You must first define the market which is fit for your product. Make sure you solve the right problem for your customers, not building something based only on your likes and dislikes. If you take a lot of feedback early, you’ll know if there is demand for your product in the market.”
“I would rather build a product that ten people love than a thousand people like. Because if ten people love the product, they’ll sell it for me.”
That’s such a fresh viewpoint! I’m sure our audience will have a lot to take in! How will you be measuring your success in the upcoming years?
“I’ll be really upset if I didn’t make incremental growth in either my career or my start-up. Even if the pace is slow, I don’t want to look back three years later and realize that I was stuck in the same role for years. I need to change, move, and grow. I will consider it a success as long as I continue to grow.”
Not many people see growth as a measure of success! Now, Aayush, if you had a genie, what would be that one thing you’d wish for?
“There is only one wish I have, and that’s more energy and time. I believe in myself, but being 28 means, you don’t have the same energy you did in college. If only I had the same energy as I did back then, with all the resources and knowledge I have today. I wish I could sleep four hours daily and still be active and well-functioning.”
That’s a lovely wish! Who are the people you look up to? Who are your role models?
“I try to get inspired by my own younger self. I was doing so many things back then, and hustling and just reflecting back on it keeps me motivated.”
Last question, do you have any advice for the fellow hustlers out there?
“Everyone feels those low energy days. But, if you’re hustling and making some progress daily, even though it’s minute, you’re going in the right direction. Have some output, however small it might be. What I do is, despite how low I’m feeling, if I’m able to knock off even one task from my list, it was a successful day. Also, don’t beat yourself too much. Loving yourself is more important.”
Thank you for your time. It was a pleasure speaking with you today.
Like Aayush, despite our age, don’t we all wish we had more time and energy? His journey tells us that we should aim for incremental growth in our day-to-day lives since it is all that matters in the long run. We wish him all the success in his ventures. Check out Metaverse Simplified to stay up to date on everything happening with web3.