Know The Big Shots: Piyush Jain

10 questions with the Co-Founder

Q: How did you start LimeTray?

Me and Akhilesh were sitting at my place, discussing ideas — Akhilesh had already left [his previous venture] by then and I was contemplating leaving and planning to work on an idea of wedding photography. We were drinking our favourite Black Label, and came up with a very basic idea around restaurants — not LimeTray as we know it right now.

The same day we went downstairs and met a restaurant, sometime in June 2013, and figured out where the problem is. Over the next two months we kept meeting more restaurants to see what needs to be done and doing simple pitches on a WordPress website. Then we got the first client.

There was no contemplation — we knew what we had to do, the question was just how to do it.

Q: Who inspires you the most at LimeTray?

I learn from everyone. I make it a point to get people who are better than me in some or the other context — there should be something to learn from that person. As new people with new skills are recruited, the threshold for a potential hire keeps on improving. I look for people who bring something new to the table.

Q: What are your hobbies outside of work?

I’ve not been doing a lot…[me: Would you say you’re a workaholic?] Yeah my college friends and previous colleagues used to say the same thing about me. But I used to be very interested in music, I’m trying to get back into playing the drums. I also used to play table tennis and football.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received and from whom?

I learn from many people…If I had to pick one then my brother. He told me to be very rational and assess myself from an outsider’s perspective. This was back in college.

Q: Who is the funniest person at LimeTray?

Vivek Agarwal…mostly for bad jokes.

Q: Tell us why you are indispensable to LimeTray.

One thing that I bring to the table is team building — the company is big enough that one person does not make or break it. But getting the right people on board is important and this amplifies my impact.

Q: What was the last gift you gave someone?

A necklace for my mom on Diwali — it was the first gift I gave her after I started working.

Q: If you could learn something new, what would it be?

I feel I still think in a very constrained way — I would like to learn to be unconstrained.

Q: What did you want to be after growing up, when you were 8 years old?

I wanted to be a politician. I grew up in Jaipur and saw a lot of big-shot politicians growing up…that’s what I aspired to be.

Q: What is your best piece of advice for someone who wants to get where you are now?

Don’t depend on anyone to get things done.

Bonus Q: Batman vs. Spiderman — who wins?

Batman. Obviously. Just look at my Facebook page.