It is very satisfying to be able to help people invest their hard-earned money: Pranjal Kamra of Finology
The Proust Questionnaire is a questionnaire about one’s personality. It has its origins in a parlour game popularised by Marcel Proust, the French essayist, who believed that in answering these questions an individual reveals his or her true nature.
Pranjal Kamra is the Founder and CEO of Finology, a financial education and investment platform. Pranjal started Finology in 2017 as a YouTube channel to help Indian investors make informed investment decisions.
In 2018, the company converted into a fintech platform following a strong demand by Finology’s YouTube subscriber base.
Pranjal is an avid reader and sports enthusiast and says his favourite occupation is building great products at Finology.
Here are his responses to our Proust questionnaire.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being able to appreciate, admire things, nature, people unconditionally.
What is your greatest fear?
The death of loved ones. I think the ultimate victory of science will be to overcome death.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I can be insensitive at times.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Being comfortable with mediocrity.
Which living person do you most admire?
My father - especially the way he stays balanced and calm even during the worst crisis.
What is your greatest extravagance?
I am building a magnificent office, and I am really proud of it!
What is your current state of mind?
Obsessed with building processes.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Passion. It stales quickly once you spend enough time fulfilling your passions. Its marginal utility declines very quickly just like our favourite food; you can’t have it every day.
On what occasion do you lie?
Mostly when I don’t want to hurt others by telling the bitter truth.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
Never given it a thought, but the fact that my feet size is 11 means I usually don’t have the luxury to select from designs/brands. I walk to a footwear store and say “please, give me whatever you have in size 11”.
Which living person do you most despise?
Thankfully no one right now!
What is the quality you most like in a man?
So I think I constantly judge men around me by their conduct around women. The quality I look for in a man is that he shouldn’t be intimidated if the women around him are excelling in their pursuits.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Their resilience and ability to multitask.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Think long term.
Pranjal Kamra, Founder and CEO, Finology
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
That has to be our country, the Tricolour, the name “India” just does something to me. During school days, I would wait for the national anthem and I found myself energised after it. So the guiding principle is that, as a business, am I helping my country?
Which talent would you most like to have?
Always wanted to be a cricketer.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would like to be more focused and patient.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
To be able to help people in investing their hard-earned money and avoiding bad financial products is very satisfying.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
MS Dhoni or Rahul Dravid.
Where would you most like to live?
People matter to me, so the place is not an issue as long as I have my people around.
What is your most treasured possession?
I don’t get attached to things.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Not having someone to share your pain.
What is your favourite occupation?
Building great products at Finology.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Restlessness and unable to sit still.
What do you most value in your friends?
Sticking together during adversities.
Who are your favourite writers?
Mitch Albom.
Who is your hero of fiction?
I always wanted to be like super commando Dhruv in my childhood.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
I wouldn’t say identify, but for me, one of the most inspirational figures has been Maharana Pratap, mainly for his resilience and ability to wait for the right moment. Another was Mahatma Gandhi, for being able to handle complex problems through his behavioural checklist.
Who are your heroes in real life?
My mom, for the way she has managed her personal, family, and professional life perfectly.
What is your favourite name?
Prithviraj Chauhan. The grandness of his name and his story has fascinated me.
What is it that you most dislike?
Violence - both physical and verbal. I think history has told us enough number of times that we achieve nothing by it. It’s time we all realised it.
What is your greatest regret?
Not being able to save my grandfather.
How would you like to die?
I don’t want to die.
What is your favourite journey?
I like travelling with a large group of friends, relatives; the place hardly matters.
What is your motto?
I believe in karma. Do good things, spread positivity, be relentlessly focused, and good things will happen to you.
Edited by Teja Lele