#JeenaIsiKaNaamHain — Amarpreet Kalkat
I am starting a series called Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai, a name that would resonate with folks of my generation. There was a TV serial back in the 80s with this name and viewers would recollect that it had very high TRPs. It featured off-beat stories of individuals who chose to walk the road less traveled. It was hugely popular and inspiring as well because at the end of it there was a powerful message i.e., success can be achieved by not being a part of the herd. It was simple enough — choose your path, choose it well, don’t be afraid if it’s uncommon, and be confident that it will lead you to a fulfilling life, as many others had experienced.
We have entered a world of instant gratification. We want results at the earliest. At times even a work-in-progress is up for grabs and people fall over themselves to dole out laudatory comments. There’s an emoji for every emotion and all that one has to do is copy/paste and click. People find it hard to express themselves (at times) but using emojis generously, is very common. Again, is it a part of herd-mentality thinking? It’s there, others are using it so should I. We have crafted acronyms such as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to ensure just that — we don’t miss out on anything however inconsequential it may be to our lives.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not against instant success. Especially after the pandemic, life has become so uncertain that one must seize every opportunity. And yet, I keep asking myself, are we not losing out on something vital? The game of long-haul and those who are prepared to wait. I am going to use this space to showcase real people, folks that I have met during my 25-year old career who have touched me in ways more than one and left a lasting impression. You may not see their profiles on the covers of international magazines but if there’s an accolade for consistency, such people would be right up there. Not that they haven’t got it already and in many ways, they have created deep impacts.
Today’s story is about Amarpreet Kalkat who I have known for well over twelve years. So let us get started. He is the Founder of a company called Frrole & Humantic which provides data & insights on consumers by mining social media information through AI.
I met him the first time when I was running the NASSCOM Product Conclave way back in 2009 and it was in one of the ballrooms where he was showcasing his product to the CIO community. I found him very impressive — a physical specimen with a very high level of fitness — which I learned subsequently, as a result of practicing Karate; he is a Black Belt. He spoke English with a mild Punjabi accent — he still does — and the kind of passion that he displayed was rather contagious. Needless to say, we struck off remarkably well right at the very first instance, and it was to be a friendship which I have cherished in all these years.
Till about 2014 or thereabouts, along with his team, he operated out of a shared space in Koramangala in Bangalore. Later, he got funding and set up offices. His early mooring was in a company called Trilogy (circa 2006) which spawned several entrepreneurs in the later years. That company was known for hiring smart engineers and product marketing folks and he must have picked up some of the crucial learnings, there.
In all these years, what I found quite remarkable was his cool confidence to stay on with his principles and not waver from his chosen path. This is possible when one has a deep-rooted belief in capabilities. Of course, the flip side is you don’t make too many friends, especially the hangers-on. You attract the like-minded and I can tell you it’s not easy when every day you are enticed into taking an easier path with great promise of short-term gains. Not for our man here though, he stuck on.
His journey was filled with challenges too and he has written many blogs, articulating some of his learnings. We connected often, and it was always very interesting to listen to what he had to say. Two years back, he launched another company — Humantic. It uses cutting-edge technology to understand human behaviour.
He is an individual who impressed me with his never-say-die attitude and an unwillingness to compromise on principles. It’s refreshing to see that AI today is in the hands of such people who themselves live by ethical standards.
Frrole is now an old company and Humantic is also gaining momentum quite rapidly. Amarpreet is our man for the long haul and I would like to take this opportunity to convey my best wishes and I am confident he will leave a great legacy behind.
My friend here’s wishing you good health as well and more power to you for the LONG HAUL!
