‘The lowest depth of misery is running out of ideas’: Ankit Garg, entrepreneur
(The Proust Questionnaire is a questionnaire about one’s personality. It has its origins in a parlor game popularized by Marcel Proust, the French essayist and novelist, who believed that, in answering these questions, an individual reveals his or her true nature.)
Ankit Garg, Co-Founder & CEO, Wakefit.co, is a graduate from IIT Roorkee. He worked at Bayer and Helpchat before launching a Sleep Products Company, Wakefit, in 2015, with an aim to help put everyone to sleep smoothly, easily and deeply. Here are his answers to our Proust questionnaire...
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Dreaming of something and achieving it.
What is your greatest fear?
Illness and death.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Impulsiveness.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Lack of responsibility.
Which living person do you most admire?
Although I haven’t read much about the stories of too many people, I feel really inspired by Ratan Tata.
What is your greatest extravagance?
My greatest extravagance would be an office in Koramangala, Bangalore!
What is your current state of mind?
Brainstorming for new ideas that can increase customer happiness.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Obedience. I think of it as a kind of mindless compliance.
On what occasion do you lie?
When somebody else’s feelings are at stake. I do not like to hurt people’s feelings.
What do you dislike the most about your appearance?
My tendency to put on weight bothers me!
Which living person do you despise the most?
I do not despise any particular person, although I tend to dislike people who try to be over smart.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Humility is one quality that I appreciate greatly in a man.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
It would have to be the same, actually. I appreciate humility the most in both men and women.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
I really overuse “I think” a lot!
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
The greatest love of my life is our Wakefit factory, because that enables us to do what others cannot.
Which talents would you most like to have?
I would love to be brave and never stop being curious.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I think I would like to exercise a bit regularly to become a fitter person.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I consider my ability to soar up high without any financial support and make Wakefit such a popular and profitable organisation, to be my greatest achievement.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
If I were to die and come back, I would want to be born with better instincts when it comes to judging people.
Where would you most like to live?
Bengaluru.
What is your most treasured possession?
My curious nature is my most treasured possession.
What do you consider the lowest depth of misery?
The lowest depth of misery for me would be if I ran out of ideas to expand my company, in spite of having the resources to do
so.
What is your favourite occupation?
I really enjoy doing product research.
What is your most marked characteristic?
I’ve been known for my spontaneity.
What do you most value in your friends?
Trust. Friendship holds no value to me if there is a lack of trust.
Who are your favourite writers?
Jim Collins.
Who is your hero of fiction?
Will Smith’s Christopher Gardner from The Pursuit of Happyness is a very awe-inspiring character for me.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
I would admire the determination and will power of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Who are your heroes in real life?
I have always been very appreciative of dreamers and go-getters.
What is your favourite name?
Adaa (meaning Grace).
What is it that you most dislike?
I really dislike when people flaunt artificial characteristics.
What is your greatest regret?
I regret having done favours for people I trusted, because I got cheated by them later.
How would you like to die?
When I die, I would like people to know me as the person with the most inspirational and adventurous life story.
What is your favourite journey?
My favourite journey was my biking trip from Manali to Leh.
What is your motto?
I want to be able to make an impact on people’s lives.