Take risks to reach great heights in life: Beas Dev Ralhan, Co-founder and CEO, Next Education India

Beas Dev Ralhan is an entrepreneur and investor with a passion for technology-backed business ideas. He leads a talented team at Next Education, in his role as CEO of the company. Armed with an M. Sc from IIT, Mumbai and an MBA from London Business School, he worked with other entrepreneurs in countries like UK, USA, India and Gibraltar. He has had very extensive experience in managing multi-cultural, multi-national and multi-lingual teams. Here are his answers to our Proust questionnaire…

What is your greatest fear?

Risk mis-management.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

People without integrity.

Which living person do you most admire?

Bill Gates, definitely, for what he has done for the world.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Buying a cricket bat worth ₹30,000.

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What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Teamwork.

On what occasions do you lie?

When it is a question of survival.

Which living person do you most despise?

No one is worth hating that much.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Integrity and professionalism.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Same as above.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Basically.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

My daughter.

Which talent would you most like to have?

To prevaricate on future revenues and growth.

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

I would like to be healthier.

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What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Keeping an EdTech company alive at scale.

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

Same as who I am right now.

Where would you most like to live?

New York.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Misery is just a state of mind.

What is your favourite occupation?

Working at a startup and bringing ideas to fruition.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Being honest.

Who are your favourite writers?

Ben Horowitz and Milan Kundera are my favourite authors.

Who is your favourite fiction writer?

William Somerset Maugham.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Never thought about it.

Who are your heroes in real life?

People who are doing business in tough conditions in India, who have built decent companies in direct competition with MNCs.

What is it that you most dislike?

Venture capitalists and their predictions of the next decade.

What is your greatest regret?

Not doing a PhD.

What is your favourite journey?

My journey to Paris.

What is your motto?

Focus on cash flow; that’s what matters. And learn to take risks to reach great heights in life.

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