I have had over 20 years of experience in financial and payment services, working with companies such as ICICI, PineLabs and American Express across positions and roles as team leader, strategic sales, and more.
Nitin and I have always been close friends since our American Express days; we have been talking, strategizing and working together on a very regular basis. There after he worked for over 7 years with Axis bank and one fine day he told me that he wanted to take a risk by joining a start-up which was still in its premature stage. He expressed his opinions towards Aquapay, a start-up which has been around for 3 year at the time and he saw a great opportunity to explore and grow himself. Slowly, I too began to connect to the vision at a deeper level and felt that it was time to take the risk and try something new.
I’m glad I did so. Sure, the journey could have gone either way, and I had a tiny bit of doubt about the decision, because it had come from a point slightly more south of the mind and closer to the heart, but then, what sealed it for me was Nitin’s belief in, and his presence and leadership of Aquapay. Which had convinced me, and it was an excellent initiative that offered well to people and would help organizations to grow.
Well, having worked with this organization for just over two months now, I have nothing but praise for the atmosphere, work culture and work ethic. And of course, for me, kudos for taking the perfect decision. I’ve never felt out of place, and there’s something new to learn here every day.
Let me tick off five important things that working at Aqauapay involves, and what everyone subconsciously does. These are five verbs we work and live by
1. Collaborate
There is a great deal of collaboration between the team and the other teams. Each and every individual fits perfectly seamlessly as a positive and complementary link that strengthens the rest of the chain. At Aquapay, we work with each other to complement each other. We conduct team calls almost every day, and we have a structured and systematic way to carry out our daily tasks. In a truly collaborative spirit, with an individual responsibility.
2. Stretch
Stretch out your role. Don’t put it in your KRAs straitjacket of points. Sure, working to achieve those in a focused way, but what I’ve seen happening to a great overall advantage at Aquapay is a work culture that someone like me from a corporate background has learned from a start-up work culture: your role is not only defined by what your title is, but each and every individual works hard together, and it’s this team effort that pays off in the long run. Be prepared to go beyond the job description, to stretch it in such a way that the true value of having a smaller team of skilled professionals helps everyone to be closer and more responsible for their tasks, while helping others.
3. Solve
Yes, this, too, sounds like a basic job description mandate, and yes, when I was part of a company, too, we’d set out to find ways to provide solutions to our customers. But at Aquapay, for each and every customer, there can and will be a customized solution to their specific problems or needs. And the Aquapay DNA that is intertwined with that of every worker here is – to try to offer specific, customized solutions, so that the solution you offer is the best there can be.
4. Process
At Aquapay, the fundamentals remain the same, but the implementation of a solution for each customer varies depending on the customized – or, more precisely, the individual specific – problem they face. This has led me to learn how to proceed with the evaluation and processing of new alternatives and ways of doing things, using new processes every day. Fintech as a sector is truly amoeba-like – it changes every month, and working with Aquapay helped me learn everything firsthand. Process the options and processes, and create your own, and move forward positively and effectively.
5. Love
I know this might sound like a plug, but hey, that’s true. I love working here, and I see that as a result of teamwork, having one-and-one backs of capable and effective teammates, all equally driven by a belief in Aquapay and one another, and a combined vision. What else could that evoke but love? I see the love of the company, of teammates, the concern and love of our customers and partners, in never-ending abundance.
So, yes, I am very grateful to be part of this change, and I love having the opportunity to grow and continue my efforts in this field.