For this entrepreneur, her startup team is her family

For

Naiyya Saggi

, building a team for her online parenting startup

BabyChakra

has been the closest thing to rearing a child. “A lot of entrepreneurs compare their startups to babies. But for me, it was starting a team that was like raising a child,” says the 33-year-old who is married and doesn’t have children.


A startup team tends to comprise young people on their first job. “Teaching them the job, showing tough love when required, and helping them grow — it’s taking on the role of a mother. The team members then become the children,” says the

Mumbai-based entrepreneur

.

Growing a family within the company is similar to rearing one in the home. “You all learn together and work together. Parents also build a team within a family. It’s all based on trust,” says Saggi, who has an MBA from

Harvard

and a law degree from

NLSIU

, Bengaluru.

Despite the fact that she’s built a company from scratch within three years having raised $650,000 from investors, Saggi still has to dodge constant questions about motherhood from her family. “It’s not a trade-off,” she says, explaining that a career and motherhood go hand-in-hand. But for now, she is focused on bringing up her company and her 50-member team.