Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Aviatrix.
Over the past few years, the business world has been shifting towards hybrid infrastructure services, with the massive growth of cloud and industrialized services and the decline in traditional data center outsourcing. Using hybrid cloud networking platforms, enterprises can scale computing resources, avoid investing capital in handling short-term spikes in demand, and improve business agility and performance.
With the growth in hybrid cloud networking market size, many businesses are looking for intelligent and secure cloud network solutions. It’s when Aviatrix comes to the help. The US-based company is popular for providing cutting-edge hybrid cloud solutions to enterprises worldwide.
Consider going through the article to learn more about Aviatrix, including its founders, startup story, business model, growth, and future plan.
Aviatrix is a hybrid cloud network startup offering a suite of networking and security services for the company’s cloud environments. The platform is designed to deliver an enterprise-grade secure cloud network to support databases, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.
With 1800+ combined years of networking experience, Aviatrix serves over 500 innovative enterprises worldwide to accelerate innovation, minimize downtime, and control IT costs. The company’s leading customers include VMware, NASA, Netflix, Informatica, DXC Technology, Ivanti, ChargePoint, and Age of Learning.
Aviatrix – Industry
Aviatrix operates in the cloud networking industry by offering hybrid cloud networking software. A hybrid cloud can be explained as a cloud computing environment combining private and public cloud services.
From $129.43 billion in 2023, the global market size of hybrid cloud networking is projected to reach $348.53 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 21.9% from 2023 to 2031. Rapidly growing digitization due to Covid-19 and the acceptance of global cloud computing are two factors contributing to the growth of hybrid clouding.
Besides Aviatrix, Citrix Systems Inc., Amazon Web Services, CISCO Systems Inc., Microsoft, Google, and Splunk Inc., are the key players in the industry.
Aviatrix – Founders and Team
Pankaj Manglik and Sherry Wei co-founded Aviatrix in 2014.
Pankaj Manglik
Pankaj Manglik – Co-founder, Aviatrix
Pankaj Manglik studied MBA at The Warton School. He is the ex-product Manager of Cisco Systems and ex-Director of Alteon WebSystems. Moreover, Manglik has been the co-founder and CEO at Aruba and Aviatrix. From 2020 to April 2023, he worked as the Chief Executive Officer at Altos Data.
Sherry Wei
Sherry Wei – Co-founder and Advisor, Aviatrix
Sherry Wei went to Purdue University to complete her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. She has been a Member of the Technical Staff at Ardent Communications, acquired by Cisco Systems. Additionally, Wei worked as Engineer Manager at Cisco Systems.
Co-founder of Aviatrix, Wei has held the role of Chief Product Officer and CTO at the company. Currently, she is Aviatrix’s Advisor and Angel Investor at Alchemist Accelerator.
Aviatrix Team
Doug Merritt – Chief Executive Officer
John Jendricks – Chief Operating Officer
Cyrous Jamé – Chief Financial Officer
Aviatrix is a team of nearly 400 employees.
Aviatrix – Startup Story
Sherry Wei left her job at Cisco in 2014 to create Aviatrix on the premise that cloud networking is entirely different from data center networking from the enterprise customer’s perspective.
It was in 2019 that Steve Mullaney, ex-CEO of software-defined Nicira, came out of his retirement and joined Wei at Aviatrix when he saw the massive growth in cloud demand from the companies.
In August 2019, Aviatrix shifted its headquarters to Santa Clara from Palo Alto, Calif, to expand its office space and accommodate rapid staff expansion. Three months later, in November 2019, the company launched the industry’s first and only multi-cloud networking certification, the Aviatrix Certified Engineer (ACE) program.
It kicked off the multi-cloud seminar series’ Networking Above the Clouds’ across Europe and North America in 2021. In 2023, Aviatrix launched its online community, ‘The Cloud Network,’ and delivered the industry’s first distributed cloud firewall
Aviatrix – Mission and Vision
Aviatrix’s mission is to help businesses achieve their digital transformation goals. The company’s mission statement centers around empowering enterprises to navigate and harness the potential of the cloud securely.
Aviatrix – Business Model
Aviatrix is a cloud-native networking software that understands the cloud provider’s native constructs. It enables enterprises to leverage and control the native constructs via cloud provider’s APIs that extend their capabilities and integrate them into Aviatrix’s software. The platform further provides organizations with critical solutions to accelerate their cloud journey.
The company help solves common networking problems that enterprises encounter on their public cloud journey by providing a common control plane offering multi-account or multi-cloud automation, security services, visibility, advanced transit services, and troubleshooting capabilities.
Aviatrix – Products and Services
Aviatrix offers several products and services, including Secure Cloud Networking, Embedded Cloud Network Security, Cloud Network and Security Operations, Secure Cloud Networking Edges, and Advanced Technical Services.
Moreover, its solutions comprise Aviatrix Distributed Cloud Firewall, Secure Cloud Networking for Service Providers, and Secure Cloud Network Backbone.
Aviatrix raised $340.8 million by conducting 7 funding rounds. Its latest funding round – Venture Series Unknown Round, was raised on December 8, 2022. CrossWork.us, TrueBridge Capital Partners, general catalyst, CRV, Meritech Capital Partners, and Ignition Partners are some investors funding the company.
Date
Round
Number of Investors
Money Raised
Lead Investor
December 8, 2022
Venture Round
1
–
–
September 8, 2021
Series E
11
$200 million
TCV
February 23, 2021
Series D
8
$75 million
General Catalyst
October 28, 2019
Series C
4
$40 million
CRV
January 18, 2017
Series B
3
$15 million
CRV
February 26, 2015
Series A
2
$10 million
–
September 30, 2014
Seed Round
1
$800K
Monta Vista Capital
Aviatrix – Growth
In 2022, Aviatrix experienced three-year revenue growth of approximately 900%, with double sales and customers per year. Besides this, the company was valued at $2 billion in 2022.
Aviatrix – Partners
Aviatrix has over 50 business and technology partners. Some leading partners of the company are as follows:
Microsoft Azure
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Splunk
Palo Alto Networks
Terraform Labs
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
Megaport
Datadog
Google Cloud Platform
AHEAD
Aviatrix – Awards and Achievements
Industry leaders have recognized Aviatrix as it’s named to the:
Futuriom 50 list of Strongest Private Companies in Cloud and Communications Infrastructure in 2023, consecutively for the 3rd year.
2022 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list of Fastest Growing Companies in North America.
CNBC’s Inaugural Top Startups for the Enterprise list.
Listed as the leader in the 2022 Futuriom Secure Multicloud Networking Report.
Recognized as one of the 2022 Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America.
Awarded Gold for the ‘Best IT Company of the Year for IT Cloud/SaaS’ in the 17th Annual 2022 Information Technology Awards.
Aviatrix Enterprise Multicloud Backbone Overview
Aviatrix – Competitors
Aviatrix ranked second among its 194 active competitors. Some of its direct competitors are listed below:
Alkira
Prosimo
VMware
Cisco Systems
Comarch
Cloudflare
Rackspace Cloud
Aviatrix – Future Plan
Aviatrix is preparing for a trip to the public markets by aiming to list its shares by the end of 2023.
FAQs
What does Aviatrix do?
Aviatrix is a hybrid cloud network startup offering a suite of networking and security services for the company’s cloud environments. The platform is designed to deliver an enterprise-grade secure cloud network to support databases, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.
Who are the founders of Aviatrix?
Pankaj Manglik and Sherry Wei co-founded Aviatrix in 2014.
Who are the main competitors of Aviatrix?
Alkira, Prosimo, VMware, Cisco Systems, Comarch, Cloudflare, and Rackspace Cloud are some of the main competitors of Aviatrix.
The process of developing new skills, attitudes, or actions that have a positive impact and improve an individual’s overall well-being is called self-growth or personal development. This is an intrinsic process of developing and expanding personal abilities to achieve one’s full potential, which, in turn, pays rich dividends in personal and professional life.
Personal growth, by definition, means it is individual and affects a full spectrum of human attributes differently in different individuals. This spectrum includes self-esteem, coping skills, learning to control emotions, developing a mindset of growth, learning resilience, learning acceptance, out-growing procrastination, improving emotional intelligence, and defining success.
Affecting intellectual, physical, and physiological development, personal growth helps in improving personal and professional relationships and contributes greatly towards a life of peace and prosperity.
1. Develops a Mindset of Growth
What this essentially means is that it broadens possibilities of developing intelligence, skills, and talents driving the individual towards progress and prosperity. Research shows that people with a growth mindset achieve more than the rest.
2. Stepping Out of Comfort Zone
The work towards growth begins the minute individual steps out of his or her comfort zone. This is the new space in which to set new goals and find a new purpose to reach your full potential.
3. Self-Actualization
The theory of Human Motivation from Abraham Maslow argues that once basic and psychological needs are satisfied, the requirement emerges for personal growth and fulfillment. This is a basic human need as the alternative is to fall into a state of passivity later in life.
There are many ways through which self-growth can be achieved in various ways. Some require a long-term commitment while others are easily accessible. An important point to note is that most of these are self-motivated steps to be taken by an individual to achieve personal growth. A few important ways in which this can be accomplished are –
Meditation
Meditation
An ancient practice that encourages an individual to look into the self in a quiet and relaxed environment has numerous documented benefits on physical and mental health. An important skill that is developed through meditation is self-awareness. This skill can further help on the path of personal growth.
Reading
Reading
This requires very little explanation. This is a habit that needs to be cultivated as a must-have. Reading builds and broadens understanding and perspective. Books are the unchallenged source of knowledge, inspiration, and wonder. They teach various life skills and techniques all the while building an intelligent and inclusive life and worldview.
Cultivating a New Hobby
Cultivating a New Hobby
Learning a new hobby is not only recreational but a constructive way to extend personal boundaries in different ways – be it physically, mentally, or emotionally. It also ensures the learning of a new skill and gaining new expertise. It can also be extended into a career if one so chooses.
Regular Exercise
Regular Exercise
The journey to a better self begins with being in better shape physically. A minimum level of exercise includes a jog or a brisk walk for 30 minutes at least 3 times a week. This activity level can be increased and different forms of exercise can be included in the daily regime.
Penning down thoughts and feelings helps in clarifying the mental state and clearing the white noise that surrounds clarity. It helps in identifying goals, purposes, and values. It can also highlight areas that need improvement.
Quitting a Questionable Habit
Quitting a Questionable Habit
Any habit that does not add value to a routine like oversleeping, smoking, drinking or even procrastinating needs to be eliminated. Working on quitting such a habit goes a long way toward contributing to personal growth.
Avoiding Negativity
A quote by Jim Rohn says – ‘You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.’
It is extremely beneficial to avoid people who drain personal energy leaving one exhausted. Instead, engage with people who add value in terms of knowledge and perspective.
Reducing Screen Time
This is one of the most damaging deterrents to personal growth. Be it the television or the phone including various messaging apps, time spent on this is precious time wasted. Instead, this time would be better used on other self-improvement activities.
Networking With Various Experts
Networking With Various Experts
These are the people who have reached their success pinnacle through the right attitude, skill set, and consistent learning mindset. These experts hold the ability to inspire others to come up to their level. Networking with them can prove extremely beneficial in various aspects of personal and professional life.
Developing a Futuristic Outlook
Holding on to past grudges or grievances hinders the ability to move forward or develop a futuristic and progressive outlook. As part of personal growth and development, it is important to break away from such a damaging cycle of grievances, forgive oneself and others, and move on.
Developing Kindness & Empathy
Developing Kindness & Empathy
Being kind helps to cultivate compassion and patience. It also emphasizes the feelings of optimism and gratefulness within oneself. Kindness elevates people’s responses and generates feelings of camaraderie and friendship.
The 7 Essential Pillars of Personal Development | Brian Tracy
Conclusion
The responsibility for personal growth and development lies within the self. It takes a firm commitment to walk the path and make the necessary changes to see the desired result. All it takes is identifying a starting point. Begin with the step that is the most comfortable and slowly move on to take on the difficult challenges to see the positive changes in your personal life.
FAQs
What is Personal Development?
The process of developing new skills, attitudes, or actions that have a positive impact and improve an individual’s overall well-being is called self-growth or personal development.
What is the importance of doing Personal Development?
Personal Development helps in:
Developing a Mindset of Growth
Stepping Out of Comfort Zone
Self-Actualization
What one needs to do for Self-Growth?
A few important ways in which Self-Growth can be accomplished are:
This article has been contributed by Mr. Mahesh Gaur, Head of Marketing at SanchiConnect.
A deep-tech startup’s mature stage is different from a regular startup’s, so the marketing should also be different.
If you are not yet a product market fit, I believe you should focus on acquiring a few clients to get closer first. You can try many methods including content creation and distribution, SEO, SEM, personal connections from your network, etc. It’s essential to experiment on a small scale using various approaches (and small costs). In general, I would start focusing on content earlier than planned because it helps in so many ways, like defining your brand, gaining thought leadership, and making sales materials.
However, your marketing plan should be different if you have reached the PMF (Product Market Fit) stage. I will describe the steps in this article.
But, why am I writing this article? Am I qualified to compose this article?
From talking to and working with more than 50 entrepreneurs on our platform, SanchiConnect, I’ve learnt a lot about digital marketing for this specific sector, which is “deep tech.”
I am the head of Digital Marketing at SanchiConnect. Ohh! what is SanchiConnect? SanchiConnect is an open public platform for deep tech startups, investors, enterprises, and service provider networks globally. We are backed by a prominent PE fund and Angel Network’s founding partners.
Let me introduce myself before I begin this article. In 2014, I founded Qonfuse, raised money, and subsequently sold the company. Then I began to feel like a boss; I have money, I’m 24, so let’s go travel, shop, party, and hang out. After meeting over 1000 people, I realised that the main business is community development. So, I founded HODM, which has grown to become a very active community of 1.3 lac digital marketers. Life is good: I sell courses, deliver talks at institutions and businesses, and receive freelancer commissions. Then it happened: I met Sunil Shekhawat, a well-known deep tech ecosystem personality who has led the “NASSCOM Deep Tech Club” for the last 5 years. He is a colleague, mentor, and well-wisher.
Sunil was building SanchiConnect and was looking for entrepreneurs to join the founding team. We met, discussed the opportunity ahead and in a week’s time, I joined the team. Now we are a team of 4 passionate entrepreneurs building a futuristic platform.
Let’s get back to the point and go over the procedures a deep-tech startup must follow.
The following are the prominent digital marketing hacks that a deep tech startup must follow:
Market Size of the Digital Advertising Industry Across India From 2017 to 2023
Being Active on Twitter and LinkedIn: It is very important these days to stay active on platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn. Be consistent. This is a process. You can’t go viral in a day, and you can’t go viral with predefined tools. It’s a prayer, and you don’t know when it will be answered. Be nice and don’t try to be mean.
Use Influencer Marketing: The right kind of marketing is when people start talking about your product on the right platforms. In past, people use to follow the ads of big celebrities like Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, and Virat Kohli. But now, everyone knows that every celebrity is promoting for money, and the return on investment isn’t what it used to be. Micro-influencer marketing does work now, though. People follow industry leaders or people who are doing well in a certain niche, so if they talk about your product and include it in a Twitter thread like “10 best products to follow” or “5 best tools for engineers” or whatever fits with your product, you’ll get more attention. You can find the right people who have a lot of followers on their profiles and connect with them to get them to write about your product.
Create a Blog: Post new articles on a regular basis to get your product ready for search engines. Also, create backlinks from authoritative websites. So, what’s the point of getting backlinks? It raises your domain authority. What does “domain authority” mean? Aah, look, if you meet Narendra Modi Ji and take a picture with him and post it on social media, your network will see you as a more important person. This is how domain authority works, too. If I got a backlink from a site like CNN, BBC, NY Times etc., that site’s authority would be passed on to my domain.
Content Creation: Content is king, as the old saying goes, but distribution is public. A king is only a king in his own empire and for his own people. If you go to another country or place and tell people there that you are the king, no one cares.
Product Positioning and Messaging: Why does your company even exist? Having a clearer vision of your objectives will help you craft a more effective positioning statement. Talking to your clients is the best way to develop your positioning statement. You cannot construct an effective brand positioning statement from the sky. Instead, you need data. Using data, your positioning statement will become an attractive magnet for the appropriate customers. Typically, you do not sell directly to consumers. Your brand should show what the product is all about. Communicate with your customers, utilize a spreadsheet to organise your interviews, and identify and assess your competitors/competitive intelligence.
Use Ahref or SEMrush: Make use of Ahref or Semrush’s content plan and do keyword research to make sure your content is always good.
Paid Media Ad Copy: Use an ad library or ad spy tool to look at your competitors’ ads and find out which ones work best in your niche and on which platforms. I think that LinkedIn, programmatic ads, guest posts, media buying, etc. are the best ad platforms.
Develop Your Sales Funnel: Try to make a landing page for each product that is different from others. Use stories, add testimonials (videos and text with images), and gated content.
Webinars: Try to invite leaders in your industry to do a webinar and ask them to share it on their social media channels.
Create Product Briefs, Presentations, and One-Pagers: Creating brochures and other materials for conferences is another digital marketing hack for deep tech startups.
Events and Sponsorships
Use an Existing Database
Networking
Important Things to Consider
Along with the above-mentioned digital marketing hacks, the following are some of the important things to consider while indulging in deep tech startups’ digital marketing:
Figure out where leads drop off or where lead nurturing may be getting stuck.
The content must be written by experts in the field.
Hence, these were some of the most prominent digital marketing hacks that every deep tech startup must follow for attaining the best possible results in the industry.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Ericsson.
Ericsson is a Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company headquartered in Stockholm. The company is a worldwide leader in delivering ICT solutions. Its services include cloud applications, mobility, and broadband.
The Company offers its products and services to mobile and fixed network operators, as well as provides communications networks, telecom services, and multimedia solutions, globally.
Ericsson Corporation is a leading multinational firm of telecommunications and networking equipment, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Ericsson Inc. primarily serves network operators, transportation companies, utilities, and broadcasters in the US.
Ericsson’s growing services also offer consulting, network build-out, network optimization, and network management and maintenance services. Ericsson is one of the leading providers of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to service providers.
The company enables the full value of connectivity by creating game-changing technology and services that are easy to use, adapt, and scale, making the customers successful in a fully connected world. Its core network products are antennas, transmitters, switching systems, and other gear used to build wireless telecommunications networks.
Ericsson – Logo and its Meaning
The company prepared several variations of the stylized E. It is also called “Ericsson’s three sausages” which is actually a tilted letter ‘E’.
Ericsson’s Company Logo
To create a smoother identity, the geometry of the logo was altered to align with the pixel grid, meaning it would appear rendered on digital screens.
Ericsson – Founder and History
Founder of Ericsson – Lars Magnus Ericsson
s and undertake small mechanical engineering jobs. Once the telephone arrived in Sweden, Ericsson began being commissioned to repair and install the new invention.
He quickly realized the possibilities of the telephone and started improving and creating his versions of the device. The first telephones manufactured by Ericsson were presented in 1878. Shortly thereafter, Ericsson’s unique wall-mounted telephones would soon become known throughout the world as the “Swedish pattern”.
Today the company is leading the way in creating a connected world, one where new technologies transform the way we interact and communicate. Through its innovations and ICT solutions, the company helps transform industries and create a world of new possibilities.
Ericsson’s mission is to lead transformation through mobility. Ericsson’s mission statement says, “We empower our customers to connect people and transform industries, as well as address some of the most pressing challenges of our time like climate change, and in doing so create a more sustainable world.“
Ericsson – Joint Venture With Sony
Sony Ericsson Logo
Sony Ericsson got into the alliance on 1st October 2001 and the main objective of this joint venture is “to develop an alliance that would allow Ericsson to reduce spending on the costly development of next-generation mobile phones at a time when many European telecom companies see their inventories piling up as the world’s cell phone market is growing much more slowly.”
Joint ventures often failed because of companies not being able to build customer base products, due to which customers switched to other competitive products that provide them with more reliable and innovative products. This is also the main reason for the failure of a joint venture with Sony Ericsson.
They were providing innovative products but their marketing strategy was not as effective and they could not attract customers.
They were not providing the advanced versions of mobiles as early as other competitors of mobile phone manufacturing were providing. Their R & D was slow as compared to other mobile phone manufacturers. They were not focusing on a proactive approach, they were also not productive or reactive. So this led to the downfall of this joint venture.
Ericsson – Business Model
The company operates three reportable business segments:
Networks – Provides products and solutions for mobile and fixed communication, radio networks, core networks, IP and transmission networks, and cloud.
Global Services – Provides network rollout services and professional services – specifically, managed services, customer support, consulting and systems integration (CSI), and network design and optimization services.
Support Solutions – Provides software-based solutions for BSS and OSS, TV and media solutions, and services/solutions for the mobile commerce ecosystem.
FYI Television, Inc. (FYI) is a global TV metadata and entertainment image content expert, accumulates and distributes TV entertainment
Envivio
Sep 10, 2015
$125M
Envivio provides software-based solutions for multi-screen video processing and delivery
TimelessMIND
Apr 9, 2015
–
TimelessMIND is a consulting and systems integration company specializing in operations and business support (OSS/BSS)
Ericsson – Competitors
Ericsson’s top competitors include Amdocs, Infosys, Cisco, ZTE, Huawei, and Nokia companies.
Ericsson – Challenges Faced
On 7 December 2019, Ericsson agreed to pay more than $1.2 billion (€1.09 billion) to settle US criminal and civil investigations into foreign corruption. US authorities accused the company of conducting a campaign of corruption between 2000 and 2016 across China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Kuwait, and Djibouti.
Ericsson admitted to paying bribes, falsifying books and records, and failing to implement reasonable internal accounting controls in an attempt to strengthen its position in the telecommunications industry.
Ericsson said its revenue dropped 2 percent to SEK 49.8 billion in Q1 2020 as compared with 48.9 billion in Q1 2019. Ericsson said the Covid-19 pandemic had a limited impact on operating income and cash flow in the quarter. Gross margin excluding restructuring charges improved to 40.4 percent (38.5 percent).
The revenue of Ericsson from 2017 to 2021 in billion dollars
Ericsson has successfully completed the acquisition of a cloud communication service providing company Vonage.
Malaysia is selected to be the manufacturing hub of Ericsson’s 5G equipment in Asia.
Ericsson upgraded Telstra’s optical network capacity to 400GE
Ericsson is ready to take 5G into space along with other firms like Qualcomm and Thales.
Ericsson is approached by Reliance Jio along with Nokia for 5G telecom gear.
Ericsson – Future Plans
Ericsson has its hand in the evolution of mobile networks and 5G. Their next plan is to make 5G the worldwide standard for the upcoming generation of wireless tech. The company is working with several other mobile operators AT&T, China Mobil, Deutsche Telecom, Korea Telecom, Turkcell, TeliaSonera, Verizon, and Vodafone telecom to make 5G a reality.
As we all know, IT is no longer just a support function and it needs to be redefined again and again with the changing needs, something that Ericsson has always been up to. The company’s Cloud solutions are designed as digital factories: software-defined, automated, and accessible easily.
As we move into the Networked Society, devices will become more capable and integrated into vast numbers of different applications across sectors. Ericsson takes a holistic view of the Internet of Things (IoT) by providing key solutions to make it happen like the company-managed connectivity services, applications, and systems integration activities. The Ericsson approach is to ensure that all the necessary parts exist for stakeholders and users to benefit from the Internet of Things.
Conclusion
Ericsson is a new-age ICT solution-providing company headquartered in Sweden. The company has its mission decided to empower people and create new technologies that define today’s issues with sustainable solutions.
Ericsson is a leading telecommunication and networking company that has been in a joint venture with different firms and is currently competing with companies like Infosys, Huawei, Nokia, etc. The business model and plans of Ericsson are also discussed above.
FAQs
What does Ericsson company do?
Ericsson is a Swedish technology company that provides and operates telecommunications networks, television and video systems, and related services.
Who are Ericsson’s competitors?
Ericsson’s top competitors include Amdocs, Infosys, Cisco, ZTE, Huawei, and Nokia.
Who owns Ericsson now?
The two majority owners of Ericsson have remained the same from the time of its foundation. The two owners are named the Wallenberg family and the Handelsbank Sphere.
What is Ericsson famous for?
Ericsson is famous for its service of 140 years in the industry. Since its start, it has made many revolutionary products and is responsible for some best-known products such as mobile phones, managing networks, etc.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Cisco.
Cisco is a networking equipment corporation, that designs, manufactures, and sells its products. Cisco might not be the only corporation that has developed network nodes. So, what accounts for its victory?
The name “Cisco” is an acronym for San Francisco, where the company was founded in 1984 by Stanford computer scientists Sandy Lerner and Leonard Bosack. Cisco Systems Inc. is a networking multinational corporation based in the United States.
Cisco was the very first company to provide routers that could handle several internet protocols. Their early devices were also distinguished by their traditional CPU architecture. Their technology was cutting-edge, and hardware was rarely an issue.
Cisco isn’t a household brand, but it is well-known. They are one of the world’s largest networking firms, with a market capitalization of over $200B, ranking them at number 64 on the Fortune 500 list.
Here’s learning all about Cisco, its Founders and Team, Funding and Investors, Business and Revenue Model, Growth, Challenges Faces, Name, Tagline, Logo and more.
As of January 26th, 2022, Cisco released its Data Privacy Benchmark Study for 2022, a yearly worldwide examination of security business practices that emphasizes the influence of privacy on enterprises and their perspectives on data protection.
Privacy is mission-critical, according to the 2022 research, with 90 per cent of respondents considering it a business requirement. According to the poll, privacy expenditure continues to climb, and businesses see a strong return on investment from privacy spending.
As of January 20th, 2022, Cisco has announced an extension of the Cisco Catalyst 9000 range, which is built on the powerful Unified Access Data Plane (UADP) ASIC silicon, to provide additional enterprise-grade switching capabilities to the industrial edge for industries like utilities, oil and gas, highways, and rail.
As companies strive to increase economies, employee safety, and business agility and promote hybrid work, functional connectivity in industrial areas is rising at an exponential rate. As operational technology (OT) devices are integrated onto corporate networks, IT knowledge is necessary to expand and protect the network as the operational world advances.
About Cisco
Cisco Systems is a multinational technology corporation headquartered in the United States that specialises in computer networking.
Cisco networking services link computing devices, and communication networks with people, enabling individuals to access and transmit data regardless of computer system type, location, or time.
As a company that sold its products mostly to other businesses, Cisco did not become a household name, but in the second decade of the 21st century, it was one of the largest corporations in the United States. Cisco was founded in 1984 and has its headquarters in San Jose, California.
Cisco is the only company that can assert a ‘legacy’ in a market as youthful as networking systems. Cisco’s networks not only carry 85% of all Online traffic; the corporation actively utilizes the Internet to operate its businesses, from purchases made online and stock management to employee evaluations and travelling expenditures.
Cisco – Logo and Meaning
The two towers of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, are shown in Cisco’s company logo.
Cisco Logo
The company’s engineers were insistent upon using lower case “cisco” in its early years since the term “Cisco” was taken from the city name San Francisco.
Cisco – About Founders and Team
Cisco was founded by Sandra Lerner and Leonard Bosack.
Sandra Lerner and Leonard Bosack, founders of cisco
Cisco was created by Sandra Lerner and Leonard Bosack, (then) a married couple who met as students at Stanford University. They continued working at the institution after graduating in 1981, supervising the computer facilities of two distinct departments.
They were strongly influenced by Standford’s technology from the early 1980s. Bosack used technologies developed by other Stanford employees in the 1970s to connect their individual computer networks.
He and Lerner realised that router technology, as it was known at the time, could be extremely inexpensively adapted for large-scale usage outside of the institution. Cisco (originally called “Cisco Systems”) was created in December 1984 by the two, who named the business after the city of San Francisco. Cisco eventually bought Stanford’s proprietary technology.
Cisco’s initial product, a network interface card for Digital Equipment Corporation computers, was introduced in 1985. The next year, it had its first major success with a router that supported numerous network protocols. Lerner was fired from Cisco in 1990, shortly after the firm sold its first stock to the public, and Bosack also quit.
Chuck Robbins became the CEO of Cisco replacing John Chambers.
Chuck Robbins, CEO of cisco with John Chambers, ex-CEO of cisco
This revitalized the company. Chuck Robbins brought an outside perspective as he had been at that company for the past 17 years and this did help the company as they shifted their focus to cloud-based networking and this picked up the company from the fall.
They sold to consumer companies like Technicolor for 600 million dollars and invested in newer startups like Velocloud. And in February of 2017, they launched their cloud-based secured internet gateway called Cisco Umbrella. And just 2 years ago, they bought an AI-driven business intelligent company called accompany for 270 million dollars and today they are doing better than ever before.
Cisco was off to a pretty rough start due to inner conflicts among members, but their small team made things happen.
In 1985 they sold their very first product which is a network interface card which they sold to Digital Equipment Corporation. But the following year was the one when they came out with their first blade successful product. This was simply a router. What made it special was that it served multiple network protocols. This router was so successful that it required more cash to expand and as the result, it turned to investment.
In late 1987, the venture capitalist from Sequoia Capital took control of the company. This might have appeared to them as the right thing to do, but it later came back to bite them. Just a couple of months after they came, they changed to the president and CEO of Cisco. The new CEO didn’t get along well with the founders of the company.
Despite this, the company continued to grow and on February 16, 1990, the company went public on NASDAQ with a market cap of 224 million dollars. But unfortunately soon after, in August 1990, Sandy Lerner and Bosack both left the company. They walked away with 170 million dollars. As for Cisco systems, they were still doing good, but they completely transitioned from a family-owned business to a very corporate business.
In the early 1990s, they used their savings and put it towards a few part companies like grand junction and similar other companies that formed the capital business unit.
Cisco – Employees
Chuck Robbins – Chairman & CEO
Eric Wenger – Senior Director, Technology Policy, Global Government Affairs
Matt Swartz – Principal Engineer
Bill Gerhardt – Managing Director – Strategy and Business Development
Tal Schierau – Sr. Director, Customer Experience
Caroline Baker – Executive Producer, Unhackable with Mike Storm, a Security Podcast Series
Jon Koplin – Managing Director EMEAR, Cisco Investments and Corporate Development
Kelly Crothers – Director of Employee Experience
Cisco – Business Model
Cisco earns money through selling networking and communications hardware and software, which represents the Internet’s backbone.
Applications: The selling of software-oriented services that sit on top of Infrastructure Platforms, such as collaboration (Cisco TelePresence, for example), analytics software, and, the internet of things (IoT) generates revenue.
Infrastructure Platforms: The selling of fundamental networking technologies such as routing, switching, data centre devices, and wireless yields revenue.
Services: The provision of support services and technical consulting generates revenue.
Security and Other products: Revenues are derived from the sale of threat detection, management and security products and cloud and system management tools. This segment also used to house the company’s Service Provider Video Software and Solutions business, which was hived off in 2018.
“The networks that we build we’re going to have to think about fundamentally differently, there is no room for technology religion,” Mr. Robbins said.
Over more than three decades, Cisco Systems became a Silicon Valley giant partly because of one facet of its business: technological complexity.
Managing Cisco’s many varieties of networking equipment, which help computers exchange data, became such a convoluted process over time that customers who learned to do so became loath to try competing products. But that pattern can’t go on, according to Chuck Robbins, Cisco’s chief executive, who took over the company in 2015. At Cisco’s annual technology conference, he declared that technical shifts were affecting how all companies used the internet, forcing Cisco to rewrite its product playbook.
Cisco has raised a total of $2.5M in funding over 1 round. This was a Series A round raised on Jan 1, 1987.
Date
Stage
Amount
Investor
Jan 1, 1987
Series A
$2.5M
Sequoia Capital
Cisco – Investments
Cisco has made 210 investments. Their most recent investment was on Oct 7, 2020, when Illusive Networks raised $24M.
Date
Stage
Amount
Organization Name
Oct 7, 2020
Series B
$24M
Illusive Networks
Aug 5, 2020
Grant
$25k
Respira Labs
Apr 2, 2020
Series C
$230M
Illusive Networks
Jan 29, 2020
Venture Round
$8.6M
Illusive Networks
Oct 30, 2019
Venture Round
$7.6M
Illusive Networks
Mar 20, 2019
Series C
$27M
Illusive Networks
Mar 12, 2019
Venture Round
$50M
Illusive Networks
Jan 2, 2019
Series G
$10M
Illusive Networks
Dec 1, 2018
Grant
$300k
Illusive Networks
Oct 3, 2018
Series D
$30M
Illusive Networks
Cisco – Acquisitions
A total of 237 businesses have been acquired by Cisco. A few of them are as follows:
Acquiree Name
About Acquiree
Date
Amount
Replex
Replex provides software solutions.
Oct 25, 2021
–
Epsagon
Epsagon is a privately held, modern observability company with offices in New York and Tel Aviv.
Aug 13, 2021
$500M
Kenna Security
Kenna is a SaaS risk and vulnerability intelligence platform that accurately measures risk and prioritizes remediation efforts.
May 14, 2021
–
Socio
Powering in-person, virtual, and hybrid event success.
May 12, 2021
–
Sedona Systems
Sedona Systems is a creator of an IP/optical converged control platform
May 11, 2021
$100M
Dashbase
Dashbase empowers you to deliver high quality VoIP services.
Dec 22, 2020
–
Slido
Slido is an audience interaction platform for meetings and events.
Dec 7, 2020
–
IMImobile
IMImobile is a cloud communication software that helps users manage customer interactions at scale.
Dec 7, 2020
£543M
Banzai Cloud
Bringing Cloud Native to the Enterprise
Nov 16, 2020
–
Portshift
Kubernetes-native security solution, single pane of glass for containers and Kubernetes security.
Oct 1, 2020
–
Cisco – Growth
Cisco Systems Inc. has been on a goal for the past few years: to conquer the data networking business, just like IBM did with mainframe computers and Microsoft and Intel did with pcs.
Cisco, situated in San Jose, Calif., has gone on a significant acquisition binge to achieve this lofty aim, purchasing 14 firms since late 1993. Cisco evolved and adapted to its ever-changing surroundings. During the mid to late 1990s, Cisco adapted to the internet protocol as the internet age progressed.
They introduced devices such as the ASA 5200 and GSR (Gigabit Switch Router) routers, but the dot-com bubble, like that of any other technological business at the time, had a significant impact on their growth. But, more than any other technological business, Cisco was able to reap the rewards of the dot-com bubble.
Cisco had become the most valuable firm in the world by late March 2000, after surpassing Apple in the game. When the dot-com market collapsed, Cisco Systems, like Oracle and Dell, suffered a huge drop. However, because none of the firms had achieved the same heights as Cisco Systems, they were not as badly affected.
Cisco Systems intends to dominate its industry and has already made 237 acquisitions since its inception. While many acquisitions are stressful, Cisco’s revenues and net profits have more than quadrupled since 1996. The key is to look for organisational synergies before making a purchase.
The circumstances in the early 2000s provided an ideal opportunity for Cisco’s competitors to enter the market. Juniper Networks, the largest rival, was adamant about passing the IP and MPL package. They published their first part a few years before in 1999, but this is when they started to take off.
Cisco’s market share was eroding, and they now own 30% of the market. Cisco swiftly countered by introducing more powerful processing cards and GSR routers. A6 are application-specific integrated circuits, which they created as well.
They were particularly popular with Bitcoin and theory mining, and in 2004, they began migrating to CSR-1, a new high-level platform. They also received IOS-XR, a new software architecture. Cisco was able to recover from the dot-com bubble thanks to these reforms, and it began to thrive again.
Cisco – Mistakes and Downfall
Cisco made the mistake of attempting to become a household name in 2006. They began by renaming themselves Cisco rather than Cisco Systems. They’ve also spent a lot of time and money advertising links to these items, as well as their prospective consumer costs.
They were also attempting to focus on their conventional business at the same time. They were also seeking to expand globally and enter new markets while all of this was going on. For example, they attempted to develop a foothold in India by investing $1 billion in a global centre of ease in Bangalore.
They were also attempting to acquire their way into new markets on top of all of this. But here’s the thing: one person can only do so many things at once and be effective at all of them. And Cisco’s attempt to achieve all of these things at the same time was doomed to fail. Despite their efforts, their opponents were rapidly gaining momentum.
They faced domestic rivalry from Juniper Networks, as well as international competition from Huawei, which has recently gained a lot of attention. Cisco’s revenues were so low as a result of all of this that they chose to slash their spending by $1 billion each year in 2011. What precisely did they do to achieve this?
Mostly by laying off workers. They fired 3000 people right away, and hundreds more were granted early retirement packages and other benefits. After everything was said and done, 10,000 jobs were lost, accounting for 14% of their workforce. Cisco was clearly in a poor situation.
Cisco sold eastbound lines to Belkin International in 2013, and this interchanged from the consumer to the network side. Years of mistakes, however, continued to have disastrous repercussions. They had to reduce 4000 and 6000 positions in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Cisco – Future Plans
Over the previous two decades, Cisco has reaped the benefits of the internet’s growth and increased traffic. Cisco predicts that worldwide network traffic would expand by 26% annually until 2022, thanks to the expansion of online services such as video streaming and gaming.
“Innovation requires focused investment, the right team and a culture that values imagination,” said Chuck Robbins, chairman and CEO of Cisco. “We are dedicated to transforming the industry to build a new internet for the 5G era. Our latest solutions in silicon, optics and software represent the continued innovation we’re driving that helps our customers stay ahead of the curve and create new, ground-breaking experiences for their customers and end users for decades to come.”
Cisco intends to bring its 75,000 employees back into the office once the epidemic has passed, while still allowing for remote work. After converting its entire worldwide staff to remote work, the IT giant is taking efforts to ensure that employees can continue to work from home, such as strengthening networks to allow for more remote access to corporate databases.
“How can we improve the robustness and resilience of our networks and connectivity?” “How do we scale up much more effectively,” Cisco’s chief operating officer, Irving Tan, explained. “There’s a lot to learn, and it’s still early in the game.” By equipping individuals and businesses with problem-solving skills and revolutionary technology through Cisco Networking Academy, they want to offer the advantages of digitalization to one billion people by 2025.
Cisco – FAQs
What does Cisco do?
Cisco Systems is a multinational technology corporation based in the United States that specialises in communication networks.
When was Cisco founded?
Leonard Bosack and Sandy Lerner founded cisco on December 10, 1984.
How does cisco make money?
Cisco earns money through selling networks and telecommunications software and hardware, which represents the Internet’s backbone.
For a professional, networking is probably one of the most important factors. “Networking”, everyone knows it, but how well you do it; is the point. Networking plays a special role when it’s job-hunting time. Bad networking is a situation when you associate networking with being all pushy and bearing. And, some people tend to hide away from networking because they don’t want to be labelled, as some sociopath. What we are going to learn is how to be good at networking, and connect to more and more good people.
You have to learn that networking is an ongoing process, which requires persistence, patience, attention, goodwill, and networking skills. Incorporating the skill of networking can get you great opportunities and build relationships that will last a lifetime. In this article, we will talk about some tips that can help you be good at networking. So. let’s get started.
The best way to explain this: Networking is a two-way street, where getting to connect to people by knowing them better, can be a great opportunity where they might be able to help you and how you can help them in return. A professional networking event is a great opportunity to present yourself, make new connections, and even find yourself a new job of your interest.
7 Tips for Networking
Good Listener
This point is the most favourite because being a good listener is such a turn on to every person saying his/her point. Good networking results when you know how well you can listen and learn, and faster you’ll establish a valuable relationship. A good networker has two ears and one mouth and should use them proportionately. Listen to people’s needs and concerns and find opportunities to help them.
Follow Up Or Not
When you offer opportunities, whether it’s a piece of information, a special contact, or a qualified business referral, to someone who consistently fails to follow up, then you have to realize that you have to stop wasting your time with the person. One respondent said that when it comes to networking, “The fortune lies in the follow-up” and that many people just “Don’t follow up anymore.”
7 Secret Tips to master Networking
Be Yourself
Before diving into any tactical strategies, you have to learn that there is a pandemic hustling around the globe, which is clearly seen in behaviours. When everyone is trying to become someone who they think everyone will like, be yourself. Because, people enjoy talking to others, not spam advertisements or built-up personas.
Set Realistic Expectations
If you really want to shine, prepare to fail a lot and then rebound with double energy. Before talking to someone, realize that the person you are trying to connect with has some purpose. People cannot help you if you don’t really know what you want. These are the worst type of networkers — the people who only ask general questions without much substance. Come with a specific, concise question and you’ll find people are 10 times more likely to help you out.
Leverage Social Media
Whether it’s marketing or networking, avoiding social media is such a backlash. Ensure that your online profile is always up-to-date. Recruiters often use social media platforms to probe potential candidates, and even to check out your skills and experience.
It’s an effective way to get to know important and reasonable contacts. Seek out like-minded or key contacts you would like to know better within your LinkedIn profile. Hit a conversation with them, and try setting up a meaningful meeting. When you have the opportunity to meet them in person, it will be easier to refer to the previous communications with them. Ensure that your online profile is always up-to-date. Recruiters often use social media platforms to probe potential candidates, and even to check out your skills and experience.
Respond To Others’ Challenges
There’s no better way to establish a business relationship than to contribute to the solution of your new contact’s pressing problem. When someone is facing a challenge, then just help them with something of value that addresses their issue.
Be Approachable
It’s a fact that people easily forget what you said and what you did, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel. So, when you’re approachable, people feel comfortable; and when they feel comfortable, new, and effective bonds are born. That’s why effective networking always starts with approachability.
Skills That You Should Have for Networking
Communication
Communication is the act of exchanging information from one person to another. It involves speaking and empathizing with others to correctly receive the message that the other person is sending and responding accordingly. While networking, communication is essential in order to develop and maintain relationships with others.
Active Listener
Another important networking skill is active listening. To get people excited about your business and what you’re sharing with them, you need to listen to and understand their needs. Active listening involves maintaining eye contact, nodding your head to show you understand what they’re saying, and responding appropriately. Active listening also ensures you’re able to ask the right questions to keep a conversation moving forward.
Social Skills
These are the verbal and non-verbal skills that you use to interact with others. They include not only words but also body language, gestures, and personal appearance. It also includes friendliness, which conveys honesty and kindness. That, in turn, can create trust and understanding, which can build a strong foundation for a new relationship when you’re networking.
Public Speaking Skills
Public speaking skills can help you be more comfortable if you find yourself talking to a group of people, particularly at a networking event. Even when you’re just speaking with another person, one-on-one, public speaking skills can help you improve the way you articulate, helping the person you’re speaking with better understand you.
Non-verbal Communication
Nonverbal communication is extremely important for networking. It’s important to be aware of your own body language and any messages you may be sending to the person with whom you’re speaking. It’s also beneficial to be able to read the body language of the person with whom you’re speaking. This can tell you if you need to change the way you’re expressing your message or modify something else in your communication style.
Interpersonal Skills
These are often referred to as “people skills” and they impact the way you communicate and interact with others. They include a variety of skills, but particularly skills like attitude, communicating, and listening.
Empathy
Empathy refers to the ability to feel what another person is feeling. Empathy skills are very important for networking, as they make others feel that you understand and can relate to their emotions and experiences.
Positivity
A positive attitude is another important networking skill, as others are drawn to those with a friendly, positive demeanour. Positivity can help you develop a strong rapport with others quickly and, in general, help you to be more instantly likeable and memorable.
Humour
Humour is humanizing and helps people come together on common ground. When used appropriately, humour can draw people to you and eliminate tension, putting people immediately at ease. People with humour also tend to be more approachable.
Focus
Focus is also an important networking skill, as it enables you to give the person with whom you’re speaking your full attention. It will help you be an active listener and allow you to better establish a genuine connection.
FAQs
How can a business network be effective?
10 Effective Business Networking Tips:
Choose the right venues. Not every group of people will be right for you.
The article is contributed by Anupama Soni-Founder of Open Door Communications.
Face-to-face networking is on pause, relationship building is not. My love for stories makes me a natural net worker. I thrive on people’s energy and this is one thing that keeps me going. I love my daily interactions with my colleagues, clients and peers and you can imagine how difficult it is to go through my day in its absence. Do you find yourself struggling in this prolonged isolation like I did? Luckily, I found that it doesn’t have to be difficult at all. If you’re a people’s person or in a people-facing business/profession, here are a few things I’ve discovered that may hopefully help you too.
Make goodwill calls not sales calls
The collective pain has also raised the empathy bar, every communication you do today will have an impact. Let me use a personal example here to show you what I mean. I have a taken a Home Loan and I pay monthly EMIs towards it. A while ago I got a call from one of the company executive who thanked me for making payments on time and also mentioned that the interest rate I pay to their company is on the higher side compared to some other banks. She suggested, I should consider enquiring in the market for a better rate for myself at my convenience. Pleasantly surprised, I asked her if her company and superiors are aware of this call and suggestion, to which she said it was their management’s idea to educate their clients. Now it is a different matter if I transfer my loan to another bank at a later stage or not, but I do not think I will forget this gesture.
Use LinkedIn well
I can’t stress this enough. We must all update it thoroughly. I recently saw a very nicely formatted ad by a client that said “We are building enviable LinkedIn for our clients”. I thought it was a smart idea and since I am a communication expert and I found I had some spare time on hand these days, I decided to do it for myself. I can’t really put down in figures but I have seen a spike in new contacts, and I even managed to get a new project for the company solely by networking here.
Jump onto the Webinar bandwagon
I know the whole world is tired of hearing about webinars, FB and Insta Lives but there is no right or wrong in this time. It will help you connect with your customers and lots of relevant people. Some you will continue to stay in touch with long after! Trust me on this and thank me later. I have a buzzing new entrepreneur group and some are slowly becoming a part of my social group too. Not only that, I’m learning new things as well. For example, we partnered with a company in the NFT space, learning how it works and educating the media and people through various activities have been fun and the Metaverse world is really the future.
Approach new contacts
We often find our comfort in people we know even if we have brilliant bunch of contacts waiting to be approached, that in my opinion is the biggest networking mistake people make. We wouldn’t be exposed to new, will not have out of the box ideas and continue to get validation of our own thoughts if we sit in our comfort circle, drastically limiting our leanings. If you genuinely admire someones work, reach-out to them with a thoughtful note and ask for the advice if you are seeking one, most people are receptive! Let the silent not dampen the spirit.
There is nothing wrong or right here, we all are learning and people are more open to new ways of communication, so use it.
Go beyond business and build a close network
There is no right or wrong way to build a close network. Start with a large group, pay attention and proceed with care, and like they say – you will find your niche. I was a member of over eight WhatsApp social groups (people took permission before adding me) and I observed long enough to see the ones that made sense to me. I continued with only two. One has to be clear of the purpose a group will serve. My friend introduced me to a women’s networking group when I initially started my business. I joined hesitantly because I was wary of catfights and silent wars. This group however has changed my perception; women in this group are extremely helpful, laud you on your success, lift your spirit up and are forever ready for celebration.
My Instagram was strictly for my pictures and my thoughts. I have a slightly wry sense of humor and I am very mindful of that especially in the workplace but, since Instagram is my space, I experimented and to my surprise I have people coming and appreciating my stories and saying how they wait for new posts from me. It has become my happy place. I have observed how my personality has evolved and I no longer feel that I need validation.
So, while you do some of these don’t get lost in the virtual world. Divide your time sensibly. Get that sunshine and exercise. Use free platforms, be responsible, pay attention and proceed with care. Happy Networking!
This article is contributed by multiple Startup founders from different fields.
The journey of entrepreneurship is long and tiring, somehow or the other you may find a need to look for a mentor, who can play a vital role in the success of your business. They will help you in facing the different challenges, that will come forward in the entire process. There are many successful entrepreneurs who actually mentor aspiring entrepreneurs but not everyone can be your mentor. So while looking for one, entrepreneurs must understand what they actually need.
In this article, we will find out what to look for in a startup mentor. Some of the successful entrepreneurs shared their views on this topic. Let’s take a look.
Manav Shah | Founder, Eduvacancy
I would personally tell everyone who is looking for a mentor to network. Keep networking and building your connections. On the contrary, I would recommend young individuals to start building their connections from a very early age. The thing with networking is that you never really know who you would end up meeting. I would advise all young entrepreneurs to keep exploring and meeting different people from all walks of life. Not necessary you will find your mentor from the same industry or similar surroundings.
Besides networking entrepreneurs should look for individuals who love taking up challenging tasks and overcoming those challenges. When you are picking your mentor also try evaluating what leadership skills you want to set in your organization. Accordingly, find a mentor who has been successful in creating a similar leadership skill set in their lives. Another suggestion I would like to give is to find a mentor who helps you build your network. Therefore in all when someone is looking for a mentor they need to evaluate how the mentor will advance their overall career.
Kunal Ahirwar | CEO & Co-Founder, Earnvestt Technologies
The most important quality in any mentor is availability and desire to help. I would recommend that anyone looking for mentorship needs to find people that invest in their growth journey both personally and professionally.
Utkarsh Gupta | Managing Director, Ramagya Mart
A mentor is not someone who has experiences and degrees medaled on their profile, or how much engagement or following they have on social media. For me, a mentor is someone that I can speak to for direction and decision-making when fear, uncertainty, and doubt looms. If you are looking for a mentor, do not start by keeping the cost of engagement in mind because ‘the best from the rest’ does not come cheap. What you should look for are:
How well your mentor understands your need and how well he summarizes it; it means they heard you well.
Look for energy, positivity, and the spark that clicks a chord with you. These are effects that bring positivity to an equation.
Pick a mentor who shares your values and ethics of business and a similar understanding of business success.
Neha Indoria | Co-Founder, Boingg!
You need to ask 4 questions when looking at someone to be your mentor :
Do you trust this person?
Will they be accessible to you?
Do they bring a new perspective to the table?
Are they addressing a specific gap with their knowledge?
Communicate clearly that you are seeking mentorship. Sometimes people tend to idolise someone from a distance and don’t muster the courage to let the person knows that they are seeking mentorship.
Have a professional mentor, who is outside of your organisation for complete objectivity.
Ritesh Ujjwal | CEO & Co-Founder, Kofluence
I feel, in the Indian context, mentorship is still largely under leveraged which may be due to cultural reasons. I would strongly recommend for everyone to seek mentors from their immediate circle or extended circle, to begin with if you’ve not yet got one. Once, you’ve been nurtured by the initial set of mentors during the initial part of your career, then you should up the game by seeking mentors who have gone through the journey earlier.
Conclusion
While looking for the ideal mentor for you and your business, you need to first decipher what you qualities you actually need in your mentor, then only you can find the perfect one for yourself. Amidst thousands of people, they will not only help you in developing your skills but also provide the support and confidence, when you need some.
This article is contributed by multiple Startup founders from different fields.
Most of the time having a mentor really is a benefit for many entrepreneurs. the main job of a mentor is to guide, motivate and inspire you and will you out to find a way from any kind of challenging situation. Amongst millions of people, it can be a challenge to find the perfect mentor for yourself.
In this article, we will find out how to find a perfect mentor. Some of the successful entrepreneurs shared their views on this topic.
Kunal Ahirwar | CEO & Co-Founder, Earnvestt Technologies
We needed someone with experience and expertise and hence we decided to go through an incubation program. We found great mentors like Tanul, Kruti, and others along our journey through Afthonia.
Utkarsh Gupta | Managing Director, Ramagya Mart
This was a challenging task indeed! My office was given the task to identify a mentor for me who could assist me in taking the right decisions. After engaging with professional mentors, management gurus, and consulting organizations that were either recommended by references or identified by research, I finally found a perfect mentor that followed his organization’s philosophy to the tee- “I know that I don’t know”! I loved the philosophy the second I heard it!
The trait I liked the best about this mentor was that in our initial engagements, there was no mention about his 25 years of cross-industry experience, never failing to achieve a target ever, 100% success as a brand strategy consultant and in fact, I never got a feeling that he was a know-it-all guy! His confidence, his energy, and the way he emulates his consulting practice were just unconventional and incomparable to the rest, like a doctor that never prescribes a treatment unless the symptoms are thoroughly analyzed.
Neha Indoria | Co-Founder, Boingg!
A perfect mentor doesn’t exist. Just like a perfect business doesn’t. We essentially earmarked the areas where we needed help and identified 2-3 people we could trust to get advice from. Slowly this network of individuals helped us create a veritable sounding board for our areas of concern.
Manav Shah | Founder, Eduvacancy
I am an avid networker and I love meeting new people. The sole idea behind meeting new people is to learn about their life stories, habits, and personality. I found my perfect mentor by continuously networking and meeting different people from various walks of life. I would go into detail and understand the life learnings of the people I met. This helped me in understanding the characteristics and leadership styles of people with who I interacted. I would also chalk down my future plans and try to understand from different people’s experiences if anyone would add substantial value in my growth journey. However, it was a continuous process of networking at events, conferences, social media platforms that led me to find the right mentor for myself.
I wanted a mentor who was extremely disciplined and focused in their life journey. Besides that, I wanted someone who has experience in building/scaling and investing in different startup ventures. When one invests in different ventures, they start evaluating companies extremely critically. For me, it was necessary to focus on every small problem in the business and do anything to fix it. I wanted a mentor who personally had faced a lot of challenges in their phase of building up. This would really help me in evaluating and overcoming the challenges and mistakes that would come my way. More importantly, I wanted a mentor who would also sharpen my leadership skills and make me more efficient to scale my startup.
There was no wishlist, as such. But some of the most inspiring mentors have been the ones who have helped me see the bigger picture, have faith in myself, and call a spade, a spade. Professionally, most founders also seek out the investor community, including myself. I don’t come from a business family, I just had a vision for SuperBottoms. It was Kunal (Bahl) who was the north star in terms of bringing the vision alive and breathing life into SuperBottoms.
Ritesh Ujjwal | CEO & Co-Founder, Kofluence
Mentor mentee relationship is extremely important and it needs to be nurtured over time to understand each other’s and corresponding personality traits and thought processes. While nurturing this relationship is mostly conscious and the way is largely defined wherein you understand the strengths and weaknesses, one can also find a mentor in a serendipitous manner. In my case, it has been a mix of academic as well as professional life.
Conclusion
Mentors are the guide that will give you a clear picture of your situation and will be beside you when you need them. One needs to be careful while looking for a perfect mentor because in the long they are going to be your trusted confidante.
A new year means a fresh start. Although this common expression isn’t totally accurate, the end of the year indeed urges us to reflect on what worked and what didn’t in order to make objectives for the coming year.
You’ve probably observed that nothing happens if you don’t do anything. Take significant action, put in the effort to get the outcomes you desire, and things will begin to happen. You must put forth the effort to get the desired results. There’s no getting around it.
The new year is an opportunity to rewrite the rules and quit settling for less in your business. It’s an opportunity to cast a new strategic vision than in the past, resulting in more success and progress in your business and your life.
So, if you’re still unsure about the year 2023, here are a few things to consider so that you may boss up and have a fantastic 2023.
Things to Consider in 2023 to make it a Successful Year
Tips to help you make 2022 your most successful year
Approach Mentors and Coaches
Planning and coaching are a successful mix for achieving your objectives in the new year. All entrepreneurs want mentors who can advise them and provide them with the necessary skills to succeed. If you don’t have folks like this yet, start looking this year; if you do, make an effort to maintain regular and meaningful touch with them.
Remember that a mentor can help you with everything from providing you sound advice to connecting you with industry insiders. A good real estate coach will work with you or your team to identify strengths, develop a strategic strategy, and overcome obstacles while staying on course. You’ll get the help you need to keep on track and reach your full potential.
Take Care of Yourself
If you’ve only recently launched your business, you’ve most likely overworked yourself. Try to improve your food and sleeping habits, as well as exercise and meditate every day in the coming year. Keep in mind that your health has an impact on your performance and that ignoring it can lead to long-term physical and emotional suffering. It’s no secret that many small-business owners work long hours. But how can you operate a company effectively if you’re exhausted and worn out? You, your organisation, and your personal life are all at risk of burnout. You must be in good mental, physical, and emotional health. Make sure you’re running your business in a healthy manner. We all have different limitations to how much we can work and different ways of dealing with stress.
Trying to jam far too much into the year is among the easiest methods to have a bad year. Setting ten realistic goals for a year and achieving all of them is much better than setting 20 goals, busting a gut all year and only achieving half of them.
But on the flip side, you don’t want to be overly cautious either. A year is a long time, and it’s perfectly possible to achieve many of your hopes, dreams and ambitions in that time.
List the strategies you will implement to reach your goals. To make this easier, break down these steps into small tasks and give deadlines for each one. By making the tasks smaller, they become less daunting and more achievable. And by giving yourself deadlines for each task, you make the action steps easier to organise.
Even the most seasoned entrepreneurs have been rocked by the economic crisis’s entrepreneurial tribulations. You may be doubting everything in your professional and personal lives, including your ability to lead effectively.
One of the most challenging problems that entrepreneurs face is being a good leader. Gathering support when morale is down, creating an environment that fosters creativity, delegating work, and thinking outside the box, and never losing sight of where you want your firm to go are all instances of this. With so many different leadership styles to select from, the leadership style you choose will have an influence on the culture and ability of your business to thrive. Communication has been a hot issue in recent months, and it will continue to be one of every leader’s most important tools in the next year. You’ll be shocked how far you can go with good leadership.
Learn New Skills
The finest leaders are noted for their ability to learn quickly. If you prepare yourself to advance in your career, anyone can succeed. You can never have enough information or abilities, and even if you do, you must continue to hone them in order to manage a successful business.
Entrepreneurship is all about putting in long hours. If you’ve struggled to meet your objectives, you’ve probably heard someone tell you that you need to work more. It’s not about working longer hours but rather about working smarter. Make it your goal to eliminate the major sources of distraction and concentrate more on your duties. Create a work plan that allows you to be more productive while also lowering your stress level.
Consider how you can incorporate a tried-and-true technique into your new strategy. Make a list of the habits and strategies that helped you stay on track and utilise them to help you achieve future goals. Reflecting on what has worked in the past might help you remember what you’re capable of. This is a fantastic approach to boost your self-esteem and motivate you to move on.
Breaking down your high-level goals into detailed to-do lists for each day will help you keep focused on the things that will make a real difference to your blog and will actually assist you in getting to where you want to be by the end of 2022. It’ll also keep you from becoming side-tracked by things that seem like a wonderful idea but won’t help you achieve your ultimate goals.
Start Networking
Whether it’s a new partner for a future project or a new consumer, networking is a terrific approach to developing business leads. It’s also a good way to keep up with the latest developments in your field.
Joining a business organisation is a fantastic way to meet and network with like-minded people. These organisations offer a variety of advantages. Aside from networking and relationships, these sorts of entrepreneurial groups may provide invaluable exposure, guidance, and mentoring.
An entrepreneur may assist you in determining what you’re doing incorrectly and how to develop and expand your company.
A successful entrepreneur is one who never stops learning. Make it a point to gain new skills, maintain your education, and engage in memory and concentration-boosting activities. Look for hobbies that pique your interest while also allowing you to network and improve your leadership skills. Similarly, make time for rest and enough sleep on a daily basis. Sleep is actually one of the most effective productivity aids available. You work more effectively, are more motivated, and get more good work done when your mind and body are rejuvenated. All of this will help you make 2022 your finest and most successful year ever!
FAQs
How to make 2022 your most successful year?
Here are some of the things to consider to make 2022 your most successful year in business:
Approach Mentors and Coaches
Take Care of Yourself
Set Realistic Goals
Better your Leadership Skills
Learn New Skills
Work Smarter
Start Networking
How to achieve goals for 2022?
Here are few things to consider to achieve goals:
Set realistic goals.
Make strategies to reach your goals.
Break down the steps into small tasks and give deadlines for each.
Shalini Rath
