2024: The year technology transforms the talent market – Five predictions
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Vikram's stories from VatorNews
Vikram Ashok
I'm Founder/CEO of Graphite.com, a global technology platform for on-demand work. I have prior experience in private equity. I enjoy talking about and writing about the future of work, marketplaces, the gig economy and HR tech.
Social Media:
Oakland, California, United States
Member since February 05, 2024
I'm an entrepreneur and technology executive building a global platform for on-demand work.
Investor interests
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| Credentials |
Education
2008 Columbia University Applied Mathematics
I am a(n):
Entrepreneur
If you`re an entrepreneur or corporate innovator, why?
I want to change the world.
What`s most frustrating and rewarding about entrepreneurship/innovation?
The most frustrating aspect of entrepreneurship is the series of ups and downs - it's a true emotional roller coaster. The most rewarding aspect of entrepreneurship is bringing your ideas to reality and seeing the impact that they have on other people's lives.
What`s the No. 1 mistake entrepreneurs/innovators make?
Overbuilding their MVP based on their own vision rather than what customers want/need.
What are the top three lessons you`ve learned as an entrepreneur?
1. Talk to as many customers/prospects as possible before writing a line of code.
2. Customer retention is one of the most important startup metrics and for good reason.
3. Once you have established product/market fit, focus on building the best executive team you can.
2. Customer retention is one of the most important startup metrics and for good reason.
3. Once you have established product/market fit, focus on building the best executive team you can.
My favorite startups
Airbnb, Uber, Slack, Zoominfo
Why did you start your company or why do you want to innovate inside your company?
I enjoy building. I saw a problem in the market around the way companies access talent that I felt uniquely positioned to solve. I am passionate about leveraging technology to transform antiquated, high friction processes.
Full Bio:
I am a technology entrepreneur, growth-stage CEO, advisor to early stage startups and angel investor.
My career started in private equity at a large family office called Quilvest Private Equity with $36B of assets under management. I spent half of my time on private equity acquisitions and half of my time supporting portfolio companies. Through my work with portfolio companies, I discovered a huge unmet need in the market for flexible talent on demand. I then set out to build Graphite, a global technology platform for on-demand work.
I also advise and invest in early stage companies where I feel I can add unique value. Most of these companies have one or more of the following attributes: HR tech, B2B SaaS, marketplaces, future of work, gig economy.
Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, biking, playing tennis, traveling and visiting America's National Parks.