{"id":18513,"date":"2024-02-05T13:58:22","date_gmt":"2024-02-05T13:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.matsio.com\/matsio\/saasboomi\/?p=18513"},"modified":"2024-05-16T12:07:03","modified_gmt":"2024-05-16T12:07:03","slug":"meet-shoba-girish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.matsio.com\/matsio\/saasboomi\/saas\/community\/meet-shoba-girish\/","title":{"rendered":"TheBetterHalf: Shoba Girish \u2014 From dreams to reality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
I hail from Madurai, a place where life moves at its own pace, following the footsteps of tradition. Growing up, I was the eldest of three daughters, living a simple, South Indian way of life, guided by my father\u2019s wishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had an arranged marriage, following the customary steps after matching our horoscopes. I saw Girish\u2019s photograph just hours before we met in person for the first time on May 5th, 2002. Our chat that day lasted over 55 minutes, and time flew by like magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Girish spoke about his habit of jotting down all his big dreams in a notebook and ticking them off one by one. I said didn\u2019t have many dreams, except for one picture of a Mercedes E class that caught my eye in a magazine. He asked me for the clipping so he could add it to his notebook, so we could make that dream of mine a reality in the future. That\u2019s when I realized Girish was different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Quite contrary to my father\u2019s upbringing, Girish pushed me to dream big, to be myself.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
We tied the knot in Trichy, on October 31st, 2002, and moved to Chennai. Our family grew with the arrival of our sons, Charan and Sanjay. Life felt stable, everything falling into place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then came October 2010, and Girish dropped a bombshell \u2014 he wanted to quit his job at Zoho and start his own company. It shook me up; I didn\u2019t see it coming. He tried explaining his plans, the product, the market, Ruby on Rails, and so on. But honestly, most of it went over my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He even asked me what I thought of the name \u201cFreshdesk\u201d. I said it sounded more like a juice company than a tech startup!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I did understand one thing: Girish\u2019s intention behind building a company. He wanted to build something meaningful. Something that could change lives. Something that could help every future employee of the company buy their own houses and BMW cars. And that sense of purpose was enough for me to trust his decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our Honda Civic was on company lease, so we had to return it to Zoho. We couldn\u2019t afford a big car, so we settled for a smaller Ford Figo. I still remember Girish, a six-footer, cramped up behind the wheel. It reminded me of that particular scene from the movie \u201cIncredibles\u201d where Mr. Incredible, a huge man, squeezes into a tiny car and drives to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being the spouse of a startup founder came with its own challenges. I took care of most things at home. I often found myself attending weddings and social events alone, while Girish was busy with work. He even missed our first anniversary because that was the day his first product, Opmanager, launched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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There were moments when I wished for more of his time, more of his presence. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019d dress up and ask him how I looked, he\u2019d say I looked great, all while glued to his computer screen and barely paying attention. At home, he would hardly speak; a far cry from the confident speaker he was, who\u2019d talk for hours straight on stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes, it would upset me, and make me angry. I would throw a fit. But it would fizzle out as quickly as it started. After all, it takes two to argue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Girish, he was always patient. He\u2019d listen to my rants without uttering a word and then after I had finished, he would calmly ask if I was okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He has always been like that. Those who know Girish well, know that he hardly ever loses his cool, no matter how difficult a situation or challenge is, whether at home or work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Freshdesk was just six months old, the CEO of Zendesk called the company a rip-off. A situation like that could easily rile someone up. But Girish took it in absolute stride. Instead of getting mad, he saw it as an opportunity to turn things around for the better. That\u2019s just how he is, a chess player \u2014 always looking for the next best move possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fast forward to over a decade, and Freshworks got listed on Nasdaq. I was there at the bell-ringing ceremony, wearing a saree, representing our country on the global stage. It was surreal, a culmination of years of collective hard work and dedication. Every single detail of that day is etched in my memory; it was an experience of a lifetime, and there are no two ways about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And despite all the success, we\u2019ve always kept a low profile in social circles. I tend not to share much information about my family or my husband\u2019s career with friends and relatives; I am always cautious to avoid coming across as boastful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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To this day, when someone asks me what my husband does for work, I just tell them that he works for a software company. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
In fact, one of my friends was quite confused when she saw a photo of Girish and me waving the national flag at the Nasdaq MarketSite. She phoned me, asking if we were on vacation and what was happening in the photo. When I explained it to her, she was completely taken aback; she had no idea about any of this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looking back, I realize how insignificant our past struggles seem now. Life has a funny way of putting things into perspective. It has taught me to let go of expectations, to cherish what we have instead of longing for what we don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s an Akbar and Birbal story I always go back to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the fable, Akbar once draws a line on the wall and asks his subjects to make the line shorter, without touching the line or erasing a part of it. Birbal takes up the challenge and draws a longer line parallel to the first one. And that automatically makes Akbar\u2019s line shorter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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That’s one lesson I always take with me. Everything is subjective, including the problems you face in life. What may seem unbearable right now, will appear insignificant down the line. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s equally important to not tie your happiness to specific outcomes. Not everyone gets everything in life, and we need to be okay with certain things not coming to fruition the way we expected. We need to make peace with whatever hand we\u2019re dealt with. And that brings happiness and humility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And to be honest, I don\u2019t believe I\u2019ve made any \u201csacrifices\u201d, per se, in life. Everything I\u2019ve done has been for my family\u2019s well-being, which doesn\u2019t feel like a sacrifice, especially when compared to the genuine sacrifices many people make for the betterment of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Girish made his fair share of compromises too \u2014 missing out on family time, and putting his passions on hold \u2014 all to build his company. And as his partner, it was my responsibility to support him and take care of things at home, so he could focus on his work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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That\u2019s what being a team is all about, isn\u2019t it? It\u2019s about understanding each other, giving each other space to grow, and pushing each other to be the best version of ourselves.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
As we look to the future, I\u2019ll keep urging Girish to work harder, not just for our sake but for all those who believe in him and the company. Because in the end, it\u2019s not about fame or fortune; it\u2019s about making dreams come true for everyone around us. And that, to me, is the greatest reward of our journey together.<\/p>\n\n\n\nShoba with Girish, Charan, and Sanjay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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