Rapid Fire with YS Life: Ashish Kashyap, Founder and CEO, INDmoney
What makes serial entrepreneur Ashish Kashyap so productive? And which movie inspired him the most? The founder of INDmoney, formerly with Ibibo Group, reveals this and more in a candid conversation.
The Indian startup ecosystem saw one of its largest mergers and acquisitions in October 2016, when traveltech startup MakeMyTrip said it would acquire Ibibo group, comprising Goibibo and RedBus, for a whopping $1.8 billion. Leading the torch was Ashish Kashyap, Founder of the Ibibo Group. After serving as the President at MakeMyTrip for a year, Kashyap decided to take the leap again, into the fintech sector this time.
After co-founding PayU India in 2011, the serial entrepreneur dived deeper into the sector with his startup INDmoney in 2018. The former Country Head for Google India has built an investment and personal finance app that enables customers to make investments across Indian and US stocks, mutual funds, and NPS. With over 10 million users, and more than seven lakh active investors on its platform, INDmoney is backed by marquee investors including Tiger Global, Steadview Capital, Dragoneer Investment Group, Peyush Bansal (Lenskart), and Ankur Warikoo (Nearbuy).
But what drives his productivity, and where does Kashyap seek inspiration from? In a candid conversation for Rapid Fire with YS Life, the seasoned entrepreneur spills the beans and gives a glimpse into his life beyond his businesses.
YS Life [YSL]: One word that best describes your leadership style?
Ashish Kashyap [AK]: Decisive.
YSL: A common misconception that people have about you?
AK: A general misconception is that I am rigid or autocratic. In fact my nickname was AK47. While I prioritise quick, decisive action over collective consensus, it does not mean I disregard ideas or I don’t value team input. I love action—and want decisions to be made swiftly to maintain agility in execution. I encourage merit-based, solution-oriented discussions but ensure that execution isn’t delayed by endless or useless debates.
YSL: A habit or routine that you swear by for productivity?
AK: Time boxing.
YSL: A financial habit that everyone should adopt?
AK: Save 30% of their income every month and start a weekly SIP by allocating across India Markets and US Markets.
YSL: What's more challenging--starting up or scaling up?
AK: Starting up.
YSL: A movie or a book that has profoundly influenced you?
AK: Steve Jobs (2015).
YSL: Your guilty pleasure when taking a break from work?
AK: Driving a sports car on the German Autobahn.
YSL: If you weren't in the startup industry, what alternative career path would you like to pursue?
AK: Making movies.
YSL: If you could have dinner with any historical figure or entrepreneur, who would it be?
AK: Steve Jobs.
YSL: What was the last mobile app that you downloaded?
AK: Gojek, as I was on a trip in SouthEast Asia.
YSL: If you could relive one milestone, which would it be?
AK: The milestone when Goibibo (my previous startup) toppled the entrenched incumbents.
YSL: A piece of advice you would give your younger self?
AK: "Enjoy the journey, not just the outcome."