Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Pinaki Bhowmick, Founder of DX&Beyond, located in Mumbai, India.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

DX&Beyond is a Digital-age Business Innovation advisory firm - helping organizations make their Technology-led Business Innovation & Transformation initiatives: Faster, Targeted and Frugal. At the same time, we also help organizations develop Design Thinking & Innovation competency & capability to help them build a culture of Innovation. Whether hands-on assistance/coaching needed by project teams in actual huddles & projects (hence our advisory interventions) or learning/Competency development initiatives for cross-functional teams across technology & business functions (and hence our learning programs) – we work boots-on-ground with Enterprise projects teams
stakeholders and even with their customers - to help businesses sharpen their Innovation agenda.

We work with customers across segments and industry sectors. From FinTech & Financial Services to Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, to Information Technology, to Manufacturing - we have experience working with a broad array of customers. In recent years we have worked with some of the major B2B brands, including some unique businesses, e.g., Payment Infra, Credit Bureau, etc.

Tell us about yourself

I am a Management Consultant with nearly 24 years of experience working with cross-functional C-suite executives of medium to large enterprises across the globe and across industry sectors - helping them envision, enabling & strategizing their People, Process, and Technology Visions.

The advent of Digital disruptions and the subsequent Digitalization of industries have changed the way we live and work. For businesses, irrespective of their sectors and sizes, particularly for the legacy ones (that are not born digital) - not being able to adopt & adapt to this massive phenomenon is the biggest threat today, if not an existential one.

During my days as a Digital Strategy & Transformation consultant, and through my interactions with industry thought leaders - I realized while Technology focus and Technology Innovation are supreme - interestingly, this is not an area where most organizations struggle, though! In fact, the real struggle is around the ability to reimagine businesses-as-usual/status-quo, often deliberately, through either external-facing or internal-facing lenses. This is what separates the men from the boys. This is where organizations struggle to yield benefits despite locking-in sizeable tech investments. Today, focusing on Innovation, particularly need-first, human-entered & creative Innovation, is an absolute must in driving Mindful Digital-age Business Innovation.

After working in the industry for over 20 years, in late 2018, I decided to set up DX&Beyond to help businesses focusing on the need for Innovation and to help them build Innovation competency & capabilities through Advisory, Coaching & Learning cohorts & programs in the areas of Design Thinking, Business Innovation, Digital Transformation, and Customer Experience.

I am passionate about the subject of Innovation and believe Innovation is the way forward to thrive in a VUCA/BANI world. I love exploring newer ways of doing things to achieve fresh/new/better results! I am intrigued by the Digital-age disruptions and the tremendous amount of opportunities this phenomenon creates! I strongly believe it is absolutely necessary to question the "Status Quo" in this age of Innovation to create real values for all parties involved! Anyone can Innovate, and Innovation is possible everywhere! It is this belief that motivates me and keeps me focused on what I do.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Even in its 4th year, DX&Beyond is still in incubation - and, much like me, is learning and course-correcting as we move. A black swan event like the Global COVID-19 pandemic too had its toll - like on many other businesses. Despite this, today, we are proud that we worked with some of the biggest brands in the industry in our primary market. And we did it standing strong and equal alongside the bigger & established firms. And as the market opened up & revived post-pandemic - we see good tailwinds too. Starting with absolutely no network or brand recognition, we are proud that today we experience sizeable inbound inquiries for our services!

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

There are many challenges - none are either smaller or bigger than the rest! But for someone like me, without having any history/family background of owning/running a business and living an "employee's life" for nearly two decades… suddenly trying to transition from an "employee mindset" to an "owner mindset" has its own set of challenges. As an employee - the biggest safety-net one has is a monthly inflow (salary) which is the first thing that disappears when one decides to go solo or takes up an entrepreneurial stint. The ability to walk out of my comfort zone and be comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty is one of the hardest things in my mind.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

I think I am miles away from being able to advise someone how to steer a ship. Yet, in the spirit of peer sharing & collaboration, I would probably suggest these:

  1. Start early. Do not keep waiting to be in your sweet spot, financial stability, etc. While these are good concepts - the problem is one often gets trapped in the vicious cycles that get created around these. There is value in starting early, fresh, and raw! One doesn't get too comfortable/create attachments, is not afraid to take bigger risks, and is willing to change course as the market demands!
  2. Keep learning, not only through your failures (as everyone talks about these days) - but also (and certainly) through your success. Adopt a learner's mind and learn "how to learn" in today's world (which you are most certainly not taught during your academic years).
  3. Do not get distracted by the 100 reasons why your business might fail… instead, focus on that one reason that you believe will make you successful (which is why you are here…. Aren't you?).

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.dxandbeyond.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dxandbeyond
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dxandbeyond/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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