We invited Chethan Veeranna from SteelThrough for an interview with Most Popular Stories to know more about his entrepreneurial journey.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey as an entrepreneur
Well, I am Chethan Veeranna, an engineering graduate, an average student and always wanted to be an entrepreneur and have freaked out multiple times before actually starting my journey as an entrepreneur. It was when last idea never seeing the light and after running out of personal runway, when I was at my last job at Oyo in Supply team, I happened to visit one of the property, the construct technology which they had used and the time they were able to save really stuck me and it was then I decided that, technological approach when it comes to construction in India is not really common and considering the fact that how vast the infrastructure market in India, it was important and much required for someone to bring it to their door steps. We are on it! We will get there, as the proto types and methodologies are already in place, the way we want to take it to people with proven demonstration takes time.
Talking about the journey as an entrepreneur! Woww, it’s nothing less than a real roller coaster ride, both at personal level and professional level, have seen both the worsts and bests at the same time and just moving forward after learning from my mistakes. I call it my mistakes coz it happened under my watch, nonetheless journey is been really amazing and everyday is a learning one or the other day.
2. Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?
The answer is very straight, when you are good at finding solutions and capable of creating newer avenues why work for salary? Of course it’s just not about the money here, but if one business turns successful it gives opportunities for fewer more businesses and creates a better lifestyle. Sometimes it’s worth taking a risk than regretting it when it’s too late.
3. What was the vision behind it?
Vision was to create a tech driven (not software or IT driven) turnkey construction company for a common man, today I reframe the vision statement and simply say “We are here to become a Home brand”
4. Describe the services that you offer to your customers and in what
way they are unique?
We offer turnkey construction as a service, where under one roof you can choose the method of construction like conventional, precast or prefab. Currently, we are one of the few premium home construction companies and the only one who offers a wide range of methodologies under the same roof. Yes there are few more services like SteelThrough Homes and Assets under Pipeline and we are running a pilot run now.
5. What difficulties which you have faced or you are facing?
There are only two problems which any company would or should face which is simply selling and delivering the service. And they are continuous, constant problems in a good way, we sell some and we know we should be selling more even when we hit the pinnacle of revenue and post selling it is more important to deliver the service to the end customer. The entire process defines the growth, rest of the things like building a team, board room disagreements and whatever it is are just obstacles.
6. How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
That’s something which every entrepreneur will eventually accept and make peace with and live with it. Can’t run away! Maybe quick short breaks and diverting my mind to calm down and resuming work is the only thing I do, mostly I enjoy the situation and try to come up with solutions.
7. How do you market your business?
Keep it Simple and tell your audience what exactly you are doing! Can be social media just to create curiosity and have some enquiries, ours is not ecommerce business nobody buys instantly here. The only way to market here is to make your work speak for itself.
8. How many hours a day do you work on average & can you
describe/outline your typical day?
I wish there was a fixed schedule, as an entrepreneur you are never off your duty.
9. In your opinion what are the keys to success?
I am not sure if I am there yet. According to me, I believe consistent efforts and not measuring results with efforts and staying honest with it is what makes people successful. You can look at any successful person today or even in the past, they never stopped trying and they never stopped putting their efforts in, yes few things work and most of the things don’t but we will have to wake up every morning and go put on a show!
10. What advice would you give to someone starting out as an aspiring
entrepreneur?
Never get carried away! Always remember why you started and just keep moving forward and learn to be a good student, everything else the market will teach you.
And last but not least, life runs on decisions not discussions, master that and back your decisions and make that goddamn thing work!
Email Id : [email protected]
LinkedIn Id : https://www.linkedin.com/in/chethan-veeranna-25a52788/
We also had an Interview with Damini Grover a counselling pshycologist, learn more about her remarkable journey, vision, and plans for the future here.
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