Shradha Sharma: On dealing with bias, being herself, and succeeding as an entrepreneur

A little over a decade ago, a woman from a small town in Bihar, broke into the startup world, even before the word ‘startup’ became a buzzword. Today, she inspires thousands of rising entrepreneurs by giving them a platform to showcase their hard work and ideas, and holds her own in a room full of industry stalwarts.

How did she get here? What does it take to deal with insecurities, trust oneself in the process, and find that sweet spot between confidence and humility?

Catch Shradha Sharma, Founder and CEO of YourStory, on the other side of the interviewing table in a candid and honest conversation with investor Bala Srinivasa, in the Inner Reel podcast.

“We all lead two lives -- the one the external world sees and another more private and emotional inner journey. Every entrepreneur, including me, rarely reveals this inner journey even though it is probably more consequential in how we deal with our inner demons and angels.

The Inner Reel is a unique podcast where I have bared my soul - emotional scars, the biases I have faced, and also the positive side of finding oneself in that inner journey that ultimately makes each one of us who we are :-). I hope listening to a bit of my story helps you in some small way, and also makes us more comfortable enough to talk about the emotional journeys we go through as entrepreneurs” writes Shradha in a LinkedIn post.

From talking about her growing up years in a patriarchal setting in Bihar, to how she scored an interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shradha doesn’t hold back as she takes a trip down memory lane.

Here are some quick snippets from the chat -

On being driven

"When you go to a big place from a small town, it is a new world. People used to make fun of me due to the way I speak, the Hindi I spoke. The first time you get exposed to this new world, you don't know how to handle it. It struck me that I am not one of them, and when that realisation sunk in - there were two options in front of me... "

On being judged

"I used to get hurt, I used to get emotional, sometimes even in meetings. I felt it was a weakness. But today, I tell women, embrace it, accept it..."

On her public persona

"I think I have overcome my need for validation and approval. That seeking for love, affection, approval - is 90 percent not there. I am more of an inner seeker now..."

Sit back and listen in for this intriguing and engaging conversation - only at the Inner Reel podcast