Rapid fire with YS Life: Jasveer Singh, Co-founder of Hood

Serial entrepreneur Jasveer Singh’s journey so far has been just as distinctive as his startup ideas.  He has earlier founded, and experimented with different business models, to build sustainable budget hotel platforms Sparehousing.com, and ZoZoStay (later renamed as QiK Stay). Later, in 2020, Singh co-founded DotReview, a platform to review investors. In 2018, Singh was recognised in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list. 

It was, however, Singh’s latest venture, Hood, that got him under the spotlight. Founded in 2021, along with Abhishek Asthana and Deepak Kumar, Hood is a social networking platform built as a safe space to express the truth. The application promotes its users to initiate anonymous conversations, across 10-plus categories, ranging from entertainment to mental health, and workplaces.

In the second season of Shark Tank, Hood managed to raise Rs 60 lakh from Aman Gupta, Co-founder of boAt Electronic, and Peyush Bansal, Co-founder of Lenskart, for a 0.54% equity, and another Rs 60 lakh in debt. The Shark Tank publicity also took Hood to the Top 10 apps in the App Store. 

Formerly called Zorro, the pseudonymous social network platform is also backed by a marquee list of investors and entrepreneurs including 3one4 Capital, 9 Unicorns, Roots Ventures, Kunal Shah, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, and Ritesh Agarwal, among others. 

Recently, during a conversation for Rapid Fire with YS Life, we posed some fun and quirky questions to Singh to get an insight of the entrepreneur’s life beyond his business. 

YS Life [YSL]: What were you doing right before this conversation? 

Jasveer Singh [JS]: Prior to this, I was engrossed in creating a comprehensive plan for the upcoming week. Organising tasks and schedules for Hood. I was carefully structuring each day to ensure optimal productivity.

YSL: What are your vices?

JS: I watch (content on) Youtube while eating. 

YSL: Are you an adventure seeker or do you prefer sleeping in?

JS: Sleeping in. 

YSL: What was the last app(s) that you have downloaded? 

JS: Mappls, MapmyIndia.

YSL: If no one was to judge, what is that one thing that you would do without hesitation?

JS: I'd say singing–expressing myself freely and creatively without concern for judgement or criticism.

YSL: What was the last book or movie that has inspired you? 

JS: I recently read the book Build by Tony Fadell. It's a compelling read, providing insightful lessons about innovation, entrepreneurship, and the art of problem-solving.

YSL: Two startup founders that you don’t mind getting stranded on an island with? 

JS: Ashish Mahapatra (Ofbusiness), Elon Musk, and Richard Branson. 

YSL: Fame or money? 

JS: Money over fame. Financial resources can have a more tangible impact and can be used to effect meaningful change.

YSL: Consistency or quality?

JS: Quality would be my preference. The value of consistent output can often be overshadowed by the importance of maintaining a high standard of quality in every task.

YSL: Your favourite TV show?

JS: I don't watch TV shows. However, if I had to pick, I’d say Shark Tank, given its focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, and strategic business decisions.

YSL: The one thing that you love about your job? 

JS: Creating meaningful work, and motivating my team to achieve it.

YSL: The one thing that you hate about your job?

JS: Following up with the team.

YSL: If not an entrepreneur then what?

JS: Should my current path of entrepreneurship not be an option, I might envision myself as a motivational speaker or a politician, both roles that require a strong ability to influence, inspire, and lead.

YSL: What is your most prized possession?

JS: Four years ago, I was sitting in a cafe, feeling very tense about something in my life. A young couple was sitting at the other table and noticed my distress. They asked the waiter for a pen and a piece of paper, then ordered a cold coffee. They wrote in the paper: "Whatever you are going through in life, soon everything will be okay. Don't overthink too much," and asked the waiter to pass it to me. Reading their words, I felt an overwhelming wave of emotion and almost broke into tears. It was a profound reminder that the world is full of kindness and compassionate people. I will forever cherish this memory.

YSL: The mantra that you live by? 

JS: Avoid multitasking at all costs. Focus on one task at a time.