Calling All Engineers

By Sanjiv Goyal Featuring Naren Gupta

From Engineer To Entrepreneur

Naren Gupta is a technologist, mathematician, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist. Over his expansive career, the founder of Nexus Venture Partners has remained on the cutting edge of tech. He has evolved from engineer to entrepreneur to purposeful investor always keeping one eye on the future.

How does an engineer become an entrepreneur? It’s a matter of mindset. Gupta says, “Entrepreneurship is not about coming up with an idea someday and working on it; it becomes a way of looking at the world differently.”

He started his first company, Integrated Systems, in 1980 because he was curious about the role software could play in our lives. He was able to envision a world in which software became a part of every device. Just as he said, it wasn’t an idea but a shift in his perspective that started it all.

Entrepreneurial Success Secrets

Gupta was successful because he found people to fill in the gaps. He understood his strengths and was honest about his weaknesses. He spent his time focusing on what he excelled at and found people who were skilled at other aspects to play supporting roles.

His advice to entrepreneurs: Find an area you are passionate about, an issue for which the solution isn’t obvious and then begin exploring this realm. Figure out your strengths and uncover your weaknesses then ask for help in those places. It takes a team.