Interview with CEO of ThinkerPlace - Saurabh Tiwari

We got a chance to Interview Mr. Saurabh Tiwari, CEO of ThinkerPlace. His determination and hard work have brought him many achievements. Here are some talks we had:

Who inspired you to be a leader when it comes to taking responsibilities, any incident which triggered this though?

My inspiration for the ideal, self-made leader is Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni. I really admire him and have been inspired by how he conducted himself through his captainship years from 2007 to 2016.

I’ve always idolized MS Dhoni since he started his journey in cricket but it was the World Cup T20 series in 2007 where he changed my perspective on leadership. The Indian cricket team was completely new that year and no one really had any hope for Team India due to their performance history. It was Mahendra Singh Dhoni who took up the responsibility to build a team taking into account everyone's strengths and weaknesses, taking the time and being patient with them through their journey, making critical decisions on behalf of the team and ultimately performing the best that he could deliver to make India win.

He showed me the meaning of effort and consistency. Similar to how a cricketer has 50 overs to prove themselves worthy of the stage that they have been given, we have 24 hours every day to build on ourselves to become better than yesterday.

His ideas and leadership inspired me to be the leader that I am today.

Do you think reality shows about startups will make a positive impact on young entrepreneurs if yes then how?

I believe that reality shows about startups have great potential for a positive impact on young entrepreneurs. The best part about reality shows is that it brings awareness to the masses watching which is crucial and critical for a country like India where startup culture is generally discouraged. A reality show will shed light on the true making of startups, the vision, the hard work, the sacrifices, the critical decisions, the happy and sad moments, and everything that goes into making a dream come true for everyone. I also believe that through a television show, startups will get the limelight that it rightfully deserves and make it easier for entrepreneurs to explore the full potential of their ideas.

What was the toughest period of your life? How did you manage to come out of it?

It was the year 2015-16 when I had just graduated from college and I was trying to find a job that was solely focused on my one passion - Innovation. I didn’t want to pursue a normal 9-5 job since I wanted to continue innovating new products and filing patents against them. At that time, I used to work in 3-4 companies in the innovation and research department. It was like a 24-hour work shift for me which I never tired from. But, this experience made me stronger as a person. Through my exposure and constant hustling, I was exposed to the complete cycle of developing a multitude of products in different industries.

I’ve definitely come out of the 24-hour hustling phase from 2016. Back then, developing and receiving one Patent took me an entire year, but soon I was filing 8-10 patents per year. Working with different people only made me hungry for learning more and diving into the core of this industry. I also networked with several important people in their respective fields and it’s helped me career-wise. I am grateful for that time. My journey with ThinkerPlace right now is all thanks to that one year of hardships. I believe the quote “Every dark cloud has a silver lining” best fits my situation.

Share about your teammates and your attachment with them.

ThinkerPlace is a team that’s divided by departments but works like a family. We have Research & Development, Operations, Marketing, Sales, Content, and other teams - the same as any other company. A typical Indian startup where we are all a diverse group joined together with a common cause. I believe that my team isn’t just people who are working under me, they’re working with me and we’re all on the same standing - we’re a family, like an army on a mission. All of my team members - professionally, culturally, and morally are there to support each other during trying times and to share responsibilities, ideas, jokes, insights, and more whenever.

I’m deeply attached to all my team members. Everyone present blends right into what ThinkerPlace stands for, they make what ThinkerPlace is, and are the reason for our success. We’re a family united by purpose - to bring the best S.T.E.M-based educational toys to children.

Share about your hobbies which help to rejuvenate yourself.

I read books a lot. Books about new discoveries in science and technology are particularly my favorite. It helps me to be aware of the newest and latest innovations that are going on around the world. I believe that through books and learning, my mind is always fed and I can improve myself daily.

Music has been my go-to hobby for reconnecting with emotions. Music is such that it makes you feel different things. All emotions can be portrayed, especially now when there’s a song for nearly every feeling. I listen to music from time to time to dial down after a long day of work.

Lastly, my favorite hobby is nature sports. I grew up in the mountains so trekking, hiking, and jumping into lakes have been the majority of my childhood. To this day, any hobby in the mountain can rejuvenate and refresh me.

If you want to give 5 important life-changing tips of all time, what would it be?

Five significant life-changing tips from me would be:

1. Be creative and humble as well - Don’t let anyone push you down or make you feel bad about something you are sure of. Always be humble to whoever crosses your path since they might just assist you in your journey in the future.

2. Actions speak louder than words - Be a doer instead of a preacher. It’s always easy to lay back and order things around, but the satisfaction of completing tasks and doing it yourself gives an adrenaline rush and satisfaction that no other task can.

3. Never forget your roots and the people who support you during your tough times.

4. Always create an ecosystem around your strengths - Work around your comfort zone and your specialties. Build on yourself and the people surrounding you in a positively impactful way.

5. Research is critical. Before you start anything, if you find at least five good points or reasons to start something, then go for it. Research goes a long way and it can set a strong foundation for what you are going to build.

Any other message for our readers?

My message for readers is to chase their ideas and dreams. Entrepreneurship is worth it, be your own boss and see your vision come to life. It’s worth the effort and the sacrifice. Keep your family and friends close, they are the ones who will support you always on any journey you partake in. Be humble and supportive to everyone you know, everyone has their own timelines and your time to be in the spotlight will come one day too! Most importantly, believe in yourself!

We always believe in the luck factor. But we should be focused on Hard work and passion for doing our work, and by keeping the example of Mr. Saurabh Tiwari.

When we do hard work with smartness, success comes to us and embraces us. That's the key factor of any goal.