CYLS 146: Startup Confessions and Exits with TejPaul Bhatia




Create Your Life Series show

Summary: About our Guest: TejPaul Bhatia is the New York startup lead for Google Cloud. Before that, he was an entrepreneur in residence at Citi Ventures. He was the COO for Explain Everything, an interactive screencasting whiteboard app. He was also the CEO and co-founder of Chatwala, a mobile video chat app and Kaptur (acquired), an app that enables users to aggregate photos taken at an event in seconds. He also worked for ESPN as the senior manager of product and international strategy. TejPaul is still an active member of the startup community in New York. Episode summary: TejPaul Bhatia shares an honest story about his journey from founding to startups to ultimately leaving that world. He talks about what happens when your entrepreneurial dreams take you away from who you truly are, and how having a “normal” job has provided more space in his life for authenticity.   Insights from this episode: Strategies to find investors and generate capital for your startup Secrets to handling rejection Secrets to the power of networks and community Strategies to bring yourself into the present moment, as often as possible Tips to make physical and mental health a priority in your life How to leverage the passion and excitement entrepreneurs possess into opportunities Secrets to finding gratitude for your life   Quotes from the show: “With my first startup, I probably hung on to some of the ideas months, maybe years longer than I should have.” - TejPaul Bhatia, Episode #146 “As entrepreneurs we’re relentlessly optimistic, because we have to be, because the odds are against us, but if you can find your truth and hold onto that optimism but try to be yourself throughout it, not lose yourself, you have a much better chance of balance no matter what happens after.” - TejPaul Bhatia, Episode #146 “Those moments when I could be present, were so powerful. They’re so liberating; so freeing.” - TejPaul Bhatia, Episode #146 “It sometimes takes burnout to know how not to get burned out.” - TejPaul Bhatia, Episode #146 On receiving criticism: “Take what serves you and ignore what doesn’t.” - TejPaul Bhatia, Episode #146 “You have to be affectionate and supportive of yourself before you can do that for anyone else.” - TejPaul Bhatia, Episode #146 “Know what you want, but also act on it immediately.” - Kevin Y Brown, Episode #146 “Presence is the most powerful thing that we possess.” - Kevin Y Brown, Episode #146 “The past and the future don’t actually exist, they’re constructs that exist in the computer that is our brain.” - TejPaul Bhatia, Episode #146 Resources mentioned: iCloud Favorite book: Ben Horowitz: The Hard Thing about Hard Things Yuval Harari: Sapiens Favorite quote: TejPaul’s motto: Nothing is that important except those things that are really important, like family. 3 keys to Create Your Best Life: You have to do you Enjoy it – the purpose of life is to live it To the best of your ability, make it better for other people   Stay Connected: Show Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/cylseries/ https://www.instagram.com/cylseries/   Kevin Y Brown: www.kevinybrown.com www.instagram.com/kevinybrown www.twitter.com/kevinybrown www.facebook.com/kevbrown001   TejPaul Bhatia: Email Kevin to get connected with TejPaul.