The first time I was at crossroads in my career and chose entrepreneurship, it was not really a difficult choice (in hindsight that is how everything looks like, I guess). That was because I was doing exactly what I was doing earlier but in a new skin – my own company. Otherwise, I had the years of experience and founding team that comes from similar background and an idea of what we were getting into.
Fast forward a few years, I am back at that crossroads. But now, I am a bit more ambitious (and you thought people become wiser as they age :))
Just to get a hang of how ambitious this is (for me), let me list down a few focus areas of this new venture – Virtual Reality, Content Creation, Mental Health, Mind Health, Psychiatrists, Practitioners, Psychological Health in Workplaces, New forms of therapy like Music
Looks daunting?
But then, anyone who knows me decently well will know that if I pick up something (an idea even), I wouldn’t let go of it that easily!
So, here I am, working with a bunch of amazing folks doing stuff that I’ve never done before – building a product and a platform in Mind Health space called AVIKA
There’s a lot to write about what Avika is and I can go on and on about that, but then, we’ve spent time creating a website, a LinkedIn profile so you’ll be better off getting more details there!
Thought I’d talk through why I think THIS IS IT
Unknowns are always fascinating and intriguing. There’s a lot about human mind that needs understanding. In fact, the more you read about it, the more you realise that there’s so much more to learn.
Why do each of us react to a similar situation differently? Why is someone more “stressed” than others? What makes someone have a higher resilience than others? What can we do to be a bit more open and understanding to people suffering from issues like depression? How do we in large organisations and this busy world understand the cues? What can we do to know more about this area and manage our mind health better?
I always had this niggling idea in my head that this probably is a good area to build a product. I was, of course not sure about the what, the how or the why either. It was just a thought that was triggered by a visit that I made to a mental rehabilitation centre in Vijayawada many, many years ago.
Cut to late 2023 and the idea is now a reality.
The landscape of technology and mental health has evolved remarkably. The timing is just right. Today, technology is not just a tool, it is a facilitator; a catalyst even!
We’re at a crossroads where the dialogue shifts from technology versus people to technology empowering people. This intersection is where Avika thrives.
Maybe this path I am taking is timely or maybe it’s destiny!
This venture for me; it’s a commitment to leveraging technology for mental wellness, ensuring that we’re not just creating another tool, but a meaningful platform for transformation and healing.