Ritesh Mallik: 'I regret spending six years studying what I did not want’

Quick Bytes: Ritesh Malik, Founder and MD, Innov8 Coworking

Ritesh Malik has many accolades to his credit: he is a doctor, an entrepreneur, a startup mentor, an angel investor, and a TeDX speaker. He studied marketing and management and graduated from the London School of Economics and Harvard Business School. An avid reader and gardening enthusiast, this 29-year-old has been featured under the Fortune 40 under 40 and Forbes under 30 lists.

What is your idea of perfect happiness? 

Family

What is your greatest fear? 

That I will die

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? 

I talk too much

What is the trait you most deplore in others? 

Dishonesty

Which living person do you most admire? 

My grandfather. He has been suffering from Parkinson’s Disease for almost 30 years. He can’t even move; but he is always happy

What is your greatest extravagance? 

Travelling to Silicon Valley. Whenever I go, I visit the headquarters of Google, Facebook, and Tesla

What is your current state of mind? 

Super content – I am married now. Shruti is much better than the other 19 women who rejected me before her. (laughs)

What do you consider the most overrated virtue? 

Money

On what occasion do you lie? 

I never lie

What is the quality you most like in a man? 

Dignity and ethics

What is the quality you most like in a woman? 

Character - in terms of sticking to a person, come what may

Which words or phrases do you overuse? 

Frugality

What or who is the greatest love of your life? 

My grandfather

When and where were you happiest? 

I am always happy

Which talent would you most like to have? 

I want to learn the Spanish guitar. (I know how to play the guitar)

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? 

Sometimes I don’t think before I speak. It has got me into trouble a lot, especially with my parents

What do you consider your greatest achievement? 

I don’t drink or smoke. My parents taught me to be a good human being before becoming a doctor or engineer. Happiness does not need money; it is defined by relationships. I believe in the culture of a joint family

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? 

I want to be a tree – giving oxygen and shade to others

Where would you most like to live? 

Delhi

What is your most treasured possession? 

My character – my honesty. I never betray people. Between money and relationships I always choose the latter

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? 

Ill-health – Cancer, Parkinsons etc

What is your favourite occupation? 

Entrepreneurship

What is your most marked characteristic? 

I am very trustworthy. People in the ecosystem know me for that

What do you most value in your friends? 

Love and unconditional acceptance

Who are your favourite writers? 

Paul Graham and Sam Altman among many others

Who is your hero of fiction? 

Tom Kirkman in the TV series ‘Designated Survivors’

Which historical figure do you most identify with? 

I am a big fan of Che Guevara. I share my birthday with him too: June 14

Who are your heroes in real life? 

Barack Obama

What are your favourite names? 

Shruti

What is it that you most dislike? 

Dishonesty

What is your greatest regret? 

I wasted six years of my life studying something which I did not want to study. But at least I managed to come out of it; most people don’t. That is the problem with our education system. 

How would you like to die? 

Go within a fraction of a second. I want to be with my family when I die

What is your motto?

Change the education system in India

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