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Founder15: Srikant Chellappa, Engagedly

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The Founder15 is a blog series where we profile founders of Work Tech companies in their own words. Today, we bring you Srikant Chellappa, the President and Co-Founder of Engagedly, a people strategy platform software that redefines performance appraisals by simplifying and incorporating elements of employee engagement and development into the performance review process.

  1. “Tell me about you.” How do you answer that question? I am a human who believes there is a gift and potential in all of us that is only limited by our imagination and will. Both of which are in our control.
  2. What’s your company’s origin story? Engagedly started with the realization that people need to feel connected and fulfilled at work to be fully engaged. When I met my co-founder, Jay Balaraman, who had this idea to build a platform that could enable organizations to improve employee engagement, I was excited since I saw so many workplaces that could benefit from this. 
  3. Why is your company different? Our organization is quite different from many other startups. Jay and I were 40-something when we started it, and though we didn’t have youth, we had battle scars to leverage from working in different environments – and we more than made it.
  4. Why do you do what you do? When you wake up in the morning, you realize that people spend their best hours and years at work, though many are not finding fulfillment. We aspire to change that.
  5. What do you know now that you wish you had known before you started your company?Few startups are overnight successes or “unicorns,” even though those are the ones that make the headlines. Don’t be misled that this is the norm. There’s a long tail of success stories, but they take years to build. Be prepared for the long haul, and don’t rely on VCs to write your success story.
  6. What is your favorite Work Tech application that isn’t yours? HubSpot. 
  7. Who is your go-to person for professional advice? My mentor, Gordon Rapkin
  8. Number of unread emails at your work email? Four. 
  9. What’s your favorite album, and why? Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd. The composition and the feel transport you to another world.
  10. iPhone or Android? iPhone.
  11. Mac or PC? Mac.
  12. What book are you reading now? The Founder’s Mentality: How to Overcome the Predictable Crises of Growth by Chris Zook and James Allen.
  13. What time do you usually wake up in the morning? 5:30 AM, usually. I’m a morning person. 
  14. What was your worst job? Waiting tables at an Indian restaurant. 
  15. What do you eat for breakfast? I don’t eat breakfast. 

Note to readers: This is a series for Work Tech Founders. If you’re interested in being a part of it, email us at ocho@thestarrconspiracy.com.

Joanna Castle

Account Manager

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