Rapid Fire with YS Life: Abhay Singhal, Co-founder, InMobi

What’s new about India’s first-ever unicorn startup, InMobi, that we don’t already know? 

Founded in 2007, the Bengaluru-based company has been a forerunner in all aspects. Established with the mission to power intelligent, mobile-first experiences on all connected devices, today, the company enables brands across the globe to reach over 1.3 billion people in over 190 countries. 

Recently, YS Life caught up with Abhay Singhal, the Co-founder of InMobi and CEO of InMobi Advertising. Previously, Singhal held executive positions across several verticals including Chief Revenue Officer, driving the revenue growth globally across China, APAC and the US markets, Based out of San Francisco Bay Area, Singhal was also previously the Head of Human Resources. 

In an email interaction, Singhal gives a peek into what his life looks like, outside of business, for Rapid Fire with YS Life.

Edited excerpts from the conversation: 

YS Life [YSL]: Define yourself outside of your business.  

Abhay Singhal [AS]: ⁠A family man.  

YSL: A misconception people have about you when they first meet you?  

AS: That I am too “intense”.  

YSL: What keeps you up at night?  

AS: Nothing. I sleep peacefully, knowing I did a hard day’s work.  

YSL: If not an entrepreneur, what would you be?  

AS: Product Leader.  

YSL: If you could go back in time, what’s that one thing you’d change about your journey?  

AS: I won’t want to change anything about my journey; however, I would want to change one thing—⁠I wouldn’t want to be spending so much time agonising about the outcomes of my choices.   

YSL: What’s your biggest fear?  

AS: Not making enough mistakes. 

YSL: Two entrepreneurs you don’t mind getting stuck in an elevator with?  

AS: Bret Taylor (Chairperson, OpenAI) and Bernard Jean Étienne Arnault (CEO, LVMH).  

YSL: What’s the one thing that you love about your job?  

AS: I get to work with highly passionate and talented people to build things. Everything about that is fantastic. 

YSL: What’s the one thing that you hate about your job?  

AS: Nothing whatsoever.    

YSL: An instance in which you lie?  

AS: When lying is necessary to prevent irreversible harm.  

YSL: Fame or money?  

AS: Money. It can be used to bring about positive change in society.  

YSL: A mantra that you live by?  

AS: ‘Nothing is more lethal than an action-biased person who can bring together optimism about the future and a deep understanding of the present.’  

It's very liberating to think of our different roles as different mindsets against various characters. It allows one to grow continuously.  

YSL: A living person who inspires you?  

AS: All the women in my life.  

YSL: What is the last thing you do before retiring for the night?    

AS: Express gratitude to the universe for blessing me with all things. And yes, whenever I am home, I go to my kids and tell them how much I love them. It doesn’t matter if they are sleeping or not.