Chandra Rajaraman's Story
The Journey So Far:
I liked being hands-on in information technology and solving software problems. So, I grew from an entry-level software professional to a systems architect. I have worked at reputed companies including IBM, EDS and major banks in Canada. I have also worked for the Canadian government.
Job Profile:
I am the founder CEO of LoftyVistas.com and Property-Heaven.com.My responsibilities include supervision of website development, marketing, forging partnerships with real estate developers, agencies, and brokers around the world.I also communicate my vision to my team and empower them to achieve it.
The Decisions That Matter
I took a leap of faith in 2006 to start my first venture - LoftyVistas.com
After growing it using funds from completing software contracts in Toronto area for 2 years, I made a big decision to work on it full-time due to steady, incoming revenues. In retrospect, I would say it was well worth it.
Career Profile:
When I started the entrepreneurial venture LoftyVistas.com I had to wear different hats including sales,marketing, website development, data entry, customer service. Now I have a team for such tasks. My previous profile was as a software engineer. I have a Bachelor's and Master's in computer science
Working Life Management:
One of the payoffs of becoming a successful entrepreneur is having the financial ability to achieve more balance in work and life, when working to make a living is no longer an issue. I have a supportive family (wife and son) who rarely minded my long work hours. Now I am able to give back to them.
Done Differently:
I would have worked harder in finding real world problems to solve using technology and used them as the backbone of an entrepreneurial venture. However,this may not always work since individuals will learn only by experience about their capabilities and about worthy problems, profitable to solve.
Plans For The Future:
We have achieved penetration into real estate markets in India, Turkey, Florida, Thailand, UAE and others. We want to gain a stronger foothold into many more markets, especially emerging ones. We want to have country-specific websites in the local language with local content, and a local team too.
Prized Accomplishment(s):
There are many accomplishments..One of them is growing LoftyVistas.com from the ground-up to contain 52000 property listings in 114 countries. (site visitors from over 200 countries)
This gives us a vast portfolio of high-quality properties to present to potential real estate buyers and investors.
Changes In The Professional Environment:
I started my professional life in early 90s.The major change is the growing numbers of professionals going the entrepreneurial route, though part of the reason for that is the internet revolution and the new paradigm allowing one to become successful with much less financial investment in a venture.
Other Thoughts:
I was always taught by my mother to think and dream big. She belonged to the generation which deified Tatas and Birlas. (My dad worked for the Birlas for about 5 years) She was probably hoping deep down that she would light a spark in me and my brother to embark on some ambitious venture in life.
Required Reading:
ted.com is one of my favorites. I would also recommend reading all you can about Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Sergey Brin, Mark Zuckerberg and others. I have found some excellent content in SiliconIndia daily emails as well. Books or talks by motivational speakers are useful as well.
Advice For New Professionals:
I believe that industry experience is very important and you can gain a great deal in various respects from it. But I feel you should not approach it as a lifelong activity. You should always be on the lookout for real world problems to solve (using technology) and move down the entrepreneurial path
Role Model:
One is Viswanathan Anand (chess) and the other is Rahul Dravid. Their superlative achievements, overcoming lean phases successfully, modesty inspire me.It is always a matter of pride and inspiration for me that in an intellectual sport like chess an Indian is the undisputed world champion many times
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