Q 1. Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
Ans: I’m in the media publishing business, specifically in creating websites focused on online gaming and cryptocurrencies. I came into this purely by chance after several business acquaintances approached me to set up websites for them. I’m currently working from a modest office unit in my hometown of Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Q 2. Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
Ans: My name is Krishnan Subramaniam. I’m 29 this year (2021). I have a Masters degree in Computer Science. I used to work for one of the top global IT companies in India, but I’m passionate about doing my own thing, and that is why, now I’m the owner of a start-up media publishing company in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Q 3. What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
Ans: As mentioned, I got into this media publishing business when some business friends approached me to create online gaming websites for them. Eventually, these website owners confided in me that their portals weren’t attracting the number of visitors they hope to get. So, it struck me then to create a casino review website called Royaltoken.org where I could advertise these online casinos while doing reviews, providing game guides, amongst other things. Royaltoken.org gave me the idea to set up my next website called Kriptoslots.com where my focus is on attracting slot players who want to dabble in cryptocurrencies.
Q 4. What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Ans: I must admit that going from having a steady monthly paycheck to starting up a business of your own is a pretty daunting experience. For the first eight months, I went without an income and yet, I had to pay rent, salary and other overheads. What kept me going was my passion in working for myself. Somehow the prospect of climbing the corporate career ladder isn’t that enticing to me. So, my advice to budding entrepreneurs is “to know what you want and to go for it”. Don’t look back once you’ve set your mind to doing it. Having said that though, you have to be realistic and have a back-up plan in place. For me, since I’m still young, I can always go back to the job market if this venture falls through. Lastly, I would say that it is important to surround yourself with good people, be they mentors, business partners or employees. It’s the good relationships that we cultivate along the way that makes the ride less bumpy, and more fulfilling and satisfying.
Q 5. What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Ans: For me, the first of the three is to be able to win people over to your cause. People have to believe in you; have trust and faith in your potential. Then, of course, you need the technical skills. People can smell a fraud a few miles away. You have to be able to be the best among the best in the industry because it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. Finally, you must be adaptable to change. Nobody foresaw Covid-19, but one must learn to adapt to current circumstances, and work with the flow rather than against it.
Q 6. How many hours do you work a day on average?
Ans: I’m a self-confessed workaholic. I love my work, so I don’t look at the clock when I’m at my job. If there are things to be done, it doesn’t matter how much time I need to invest in it, I’ll just do it. However, I also make sure that I don’t neglect the other aspects of my life, like staying healthy, spending time with my family, and indulging in some hobbies. Before the pandemic struck, I enjoyed adventure sports. That has to take a backseat now, but I also love photography, which I do from time to time nowadays.
Q 7. To what do you most attribute your success?
Ans: I owe everything to my family who has showered me with love, care and attention from the day I was born. Dad owns a small business and mum is a homemaker. Though we live modestly, my siblings and I have almost all that we need growing up. My parents have always instilled in us the importance of education and doing our bit for society.
Q 8. How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Ans: Being a millennial, I come from the so-called “most connected generation”. I’m well-exposed to the power of social media to reach out to almost anyone on this planet. That is why, I harness the power of social media to market my business. I also believe that the internet has brought unimaginable transformation to this world in respect of information dissemination. I’ve used whatever I know about SEO to boost my web presence and drive in organic traffic.
Q 9. Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
Ans: Fortunately, my business doesn’t require a huge capital. I used my own savings to fund this venture, and so far, I’ve been able to stay afloat.
Q 10. What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Ans: Well, this is a tough one. I guess the power to adapt comes up tops for me when it comes to long-term success. You can’t plan everything from Day 1 and expect to follow that to a “T”. You have to acknowledge that life always throws up surprises, and you should not fear the unknown, but instead, expect change to be part and parcel of life, and adapt and grow along with change.
Q 11. Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
Ans: I’m first and foremost a media publisher. My job is to help businesses build their web presence. Although my business is centred around online gaming at this moment, I see myself serving business people from other business arenas in the future.
Q 12. Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Ans: As a matter of fact, I admire all businesses, big and small. It takes guts to start something of your own, so it doesn’t matter if you rise into the next global phenomenon or just serve your own community well. Every legal business that is well run will always earn my admiration.
Q 13. How important have good employees been to your success?
Ans: At the moment, we are a two-man outfit – just me and an associate. He has been a godsend. We complement each other very well. We each have our own strengths and weaknesses, and where I’m less well-versed in, I can always rely on Kumar – my good friend and partner – to fill in the blanks. You don’t run into good people like these all the time, so I hope that when I eventually expand my business, I’ll have the foresight to hire diligent and dedicated people like Kumar, and not just bring in those with the right paper qualifications and a glowing resume.
Q 14. How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
Ans: It really depends on what we’re talking about here, but I suppose a good rule of thumb would be half a year, maybe. It’s really hard to pin down a fixed time frame for this one, honestly.
Q 15. What motivates you?
Ans: For me, success builds upon success. An earlier success would motivate me to plough ahead and do better.
Q 16. What are your ideals?
Ans: A great business partner to bounce ideas off, a dedicated team who do what they love and loves what they do – for the moment, these are my ideals.
Q 17. How do you generate new ideas?
Ans: Ideas can come from anywhere. It is the art of having an open mind that is important. I get my ideas from scouring the internet, from chats with friends, from reading the news… the list is endless.
Q 18. How do you define success?
Ans: Success, for me, is not to have everything that you want, but to be happy with what you have, and to work towards what you want.
Q 19. How do you build a successful customer base?
Ans: Customers are people. As human relations go, they have to trust you and like you. With that, anything is possible. Through the power of word of mouth, your existing customers can bring in more customers for you.
Q 20. What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Ans: I get to set the rules!
Q 21. What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Ans: My most satisfying moments are when a client calls up to thank me for a job well done.
Q 22. What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
Ans: Entrepreneurs set the rules while employees abide by rules.
Q 23. What kind of culture exists in your organization? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?
Ans: Since it’s just my partner and I for now, it’s a culture of camaraderie, chemistry and comradeship. We can almost read each other’s minds.
Q 24. In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Ans: Fun.
Q 25. If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
Ans: I’m happy with the path I’d taken. I’d the opportunity to work for a great company, and tasted what corporate life is. Now that I’m working for myself, I focus all my energy on this venture, and have not looked back since.
Q 26. How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
Ans: I am still single, so there’s not much of sacrifices in terms of couple time or family time. I still spend quality time with my parents and siblings, as well as friends during my off hours.
Q 27. What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?
Ans: Right now, my greatest fear is for myself, Kumar and my family to contract Covid-19. May God help us all.
Q 28. How did you decide on the location for your business?
Ans: I want to be close to my family, so choosing my current location (my hometown) is a no-brainer.
Q 29. Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
Ans: Luck + hard work + good people = Business success
Q 30. If you could talk to one person from history, who would it be and why?
Ans: Mohandas Gandhi – the great father of my nation – for his humility and great love for humanity.
Q 31. Who has been your greatest inspiration?
Ans: My mother.
Q 32. What book has inspired you the most? (OR what is your favorite book?)
Ans: The Bhagavad Gita.
Q 33. What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?
Ans: I’m only 29. Praise be to God, I have not made many big mistakes in life yet.
Q 34. How can you prevent mistakes or do damage control?
Ans: To have foresight, to listen to good advice, and to ask for good advice.
Q 35. What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?
Ans: As mentioned, adventure sports and photography.
Q 36. What makes you happy?
Ans: Little blessings make me happy. To wake up each day knowing that I’m the architect of my own destiny, and to set out to do what I want to.
Q 37. What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?
Ans: To give up a well-paying job with a prestigious company.
Q 38. If you were conducting this interview, what question would you ask?
Ans: How do you see an end to this dreadful pandemic?
Company Detail:
Company : https://www.kriptoslots.com/