‘There is nothing worse in life than being ordinary’: Kausshal Dugarr, Founder, Teabox
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.
Raised in Darjeeling, it’s little wonder that Kausshal Dugarr lives and breathes tea. With his family in the tea business, it was inevitable that he would find his way into the trade and launch Teabox as an online direct production-to-consumer brand.
Founded in 2012, Teabox is the world’s first vertically integrated tea brand that is disrupting a $50 billion industry with its innovations in technology and supply chain. Teabox sells its products globally and has shipped to more than 117 countries so far. The company has raised over $15 million in external funding and has been widely chronicled as a disruptive idea in a 200-year old industry. Here are Kausshal's responses to our Proust questionnaire...
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Enjoying my favourite cup of Darjeeling White tea at an estate overlooking the majestic Kanchenjunga.
What is your greatest fear?
To not be able to make a positive impact on the tea industry by helping everyone grow as we grow.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Not being assertive enough.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Dishonesty.
Which living person do you most admire?
Barack Obama
What is your greatest extravagance?
Buying all the latest gadgets.
What is your current state of mind?
Focussed.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Patience.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
My white hair.
Which living person do you most despise?
No-one.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Integrity and honesty.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Grace with intelligence.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Number 1, Number 2 etc. I consolidate everything into points when I am talking.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My work! Teabox.
Which talent would you most like to have?
I would love to be adept at playing multiple musical instruments.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I wish I could express and articulate things in a better way.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
She is not an achievement. But my daughter is someone whom I am really proud of.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
I would come back as William Shakespeare.
Where would you most like to live?
Ubud, Bali.
What is your most treasured possession?
My rudraaksh, which I found when I was a kid in Kashi. It has been with me since then.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
No sense of humour.
What is your favourite occupation?
A writer or an author.
What is your most marked characteristic?
I am logical, rational, and fairly well-grounded in my beliefs.
What do you most value in your friends?
The ability to be oneself without any pretence.
Who are your favourite writers?
Eric Segal, especially his book ‘Prizes’.
Who is your hero of fiction?
Howard Roark in The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
George Patton who commanded the US Forces during World War II.
Who are your heroes in real life?
All the people who choose to work hard and earn money and respect instead of choosing the wrong way to do the same, are real heroes according to me.
What is it that you most dislike?
Healthy food which is not tasty!!
What is your greatest regret?
No regrets! It was always my choice.
How would you like to die?
Peacefully, knowing I did my bit to make the world a little bit better.
What is your favourite journey?
I love driving. So, any journey where I am driving and my wife is beside me is always my favourite.
What is your motto?
There is nothing worse in life than being ordinary.
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