Shark Tank India's Namita Thapar breaks down her investment strategy, shares secrets of entrepreneurship

How did you end up being a judge on Shark Tank India (the Indian Hindi-language business reality television series that airs on Sony Entertainment Television) ?

Regarding Shark Tank, I had gotten in touch with one of the Venture Capitalists firms who were in charge of auditing all the applications to inform them about Thapar Academy for entrepreneurs that caters to the age bracket of 11 to 18 year-olds.

I wanted my children to have a chance to pitch their ideas, therefore, I went to visit them but it turned out that within five minutes of the conversation they wanted me to become a shark.

So, it was luck more than calculated steps on my part.

As an investor on the show, what are the aspects that you focus on before betting on any entrepreneur?

In a larger context, I have broken down my investment strategy into four F's- founder, foundation, financials, and fit.

The founder needs to have the hunger and be passionate, humble, and driven. They should also be able to answer every question without hesitation in their three minutes pitch.

Next comes foundation by this I mean what is it that drives them and what's the reason behind their venture. I also look at the deep rooted problem that founders are looking to solve.

Financials are an equally important part. I typically don't go in for pre revenue company prototypes. It's very important that the founder has figured out his market fit, has ready customer insights and has done those hard knocks. You will rarely find a founder fumbling at that stage.

More importantly, you need to show your investors a cash flow which is a clear path to profitability in a realistic time otherwise you're going to lose them.

What I look for other than that is the perfect fit.

They need to fit with me as an investor as I am not looking to be a passive investor who will flip it in the next six or nine months. The reason I invest is to be their friend, offer my business acumen and open up my world of networks.

Networks go a long way and one should never undermine its value.

What is the lesson that you hold close to heart from your experience as a judge on Shark Tank India?

I think the most important lesson is empathy. The founder's lives are full of sacrifices, setbacks and financial issues. Even if you don't invest in them because they don't fit with your model, it's important to give them respect, positive feedback and be kind to them.

What is a major learning in life that has stuck with you?

It took me many years to learn and I wish people would learn this sooner and anyone who has my phone number knows my favourite quote- Be you, the world will adjust.

In life, there are a lot of times we live for external validation.

After a few grey hairs, you get thick skinned and you realise that you need just to be who you are and don't really care.

How have you kept your ambition alive over the course of your professional journey?

I am just wired that way and I am very driven by nature plus having a super achiever dad who at 71 works harder than all of us put together helps.

When you have a role model like that it fills you with extreme levels of hunger to succeed and passion.

I have always seen my dad being open to learning new things in life irrespective of his age this allows no room for excuse for someone half his age.

So, witnessing your father's day-to-day activities, what have you personally tried to imbibe?

Humility is the foremost quality. More than his office, you will find my dad on the shop floor and more than five star board rooms you will find him in doctor clinics.

He has this customer obsession and understands the pulse and all of it comes from his grounded and humble personality. Our company is worth Rs 7,000 crore and is present in 70 nations, till date these facts have not changed who he is.

He even dances to the tunes of his favourite Bollywood songs along with his employees and starts addressing them with his booming voice at every town hall. And this is the kind of humility that makes you approachable and builds winning teams.

Lastly, do you believe people with not the right degrees can find enormous levels of success in their business ventures?

I always say that there are C's of becoming a great entrepreneur. You need to have courage as one needs to step out of their comfort zone and be ready to face those failures that come your way that will teach more than any MBA can.

You need to have competence so that you're on top of your financials, market research, and competition as you can't fumble while pitching an investment opportunity.

The third and most important being compassion. When you have a deep rooted purpose and you're solving a problem along with empathy it's a game changer for both investors and founders.

These three skills are very important for any young individual looking to succeed.