Teja Gudluru had always been an achiever. From a young age, he was determined to create a life for himself that went beyond the typical middle-class upbringing he experienced. His parents had worked incredibly hard to give him a comfortable life, and he wanted to build something for himself that was beyond just comfort.
After completing his engineering degree, Teja landed a job at HSBC, one of the largest banks in the world. He spent his entire career at the company, rising through the ranks to become an Associate Vice President in the HR transformation team. It was a good life, with regular promotions and opportunities to travel the world. But despite his success, Teja knew that he wanted more.
So, he started to explore entrepreneurship. He launched several startups over the years, but none of them quite took off. It wasn't until his latest venture, UDo Now, that he really hit his stride.
The UDo Now app was designed to be an expert advisor on-demand platform, with a focus on creating a mentor discovery platform for users. The key innovation was the instant connect feature, which allowed users to connect with mentors in real-time through chat, audio, or video calls, without the need for forms or background matching.
Teja's team was based in Hyderabad, and during the incubation phase, they had a small team of around 10 people, most of whom were tech-focused. Teja's co-founder, Komal, had been his first employee when he started his first venture back in 2010, and he had grown with the company, taking on a technical development role.
But why did Teja decide to leave his stable, well-paying job to become an entrepreneur? It wasn't just about making more money, although that was certainly a factor. After a couple of failed startups that left him staring bankruptcy in the face, Teja was forced to take a step back and really think about what he wanted to achieve.
He realized that he had always wanted to build something great, to make a real impact in the world. But it wasn't just about the money or the success. When he was asked what he would do if he had all the money in the world, he didn't say he wanted to buy fancy cars or build huge buildings. Instead, he talked about rescuing animals, working to help the urban wildlife population. It was a moment of clarity for Teja, and he realized that he needed to focus on the value he could add to the world, rather than the money he could make.
Teja's upbringing in a conservative middle-class family motivated him to go beyond the middle class. Additionally, a question asked by someone during a tough time made him realize that his real passion was animal rescue. Therefore, he rewired his thinking and concentrated on the value he could add to society, rather than just making money.
Teja owes everything he has today to his previous employer, HSBC. It exposed him to the best of culture, mentors, and people, and enabled him to work with various geographies. The exposure helped him understand different cultures and build global products today. His experience with the company taught him that sticking together with his employees is vital, even if the company is not the highest-paying.
As an entrepreneur in India, Teja faces several challenges. However, he believes that staying relevant to his customers is key. Teja believes that understanding the consumer's nuances and desires is crucial, and building products that stick to the business model is essential. Teja has learned that data is useful, but understanding the customer's behavior is equally important.
Despite the challenges, Teja believes that the pleasure of being an entrepreneur outweighs the pain. Teja's journey shows that one can achieve great success through hard work, determination, and a passion for making a positive impact on society.
Teja Gudluru,
Founder, UDo
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