In this interview, we are very excited to talk to Utkrist Arvind, the Co-Founder and head of marketing of Cywreck +, a cybersecurity solutions company! Utkrist is passionate about the world of marketing and has experiences in paid media, strategy, business development and product management. Take a look at this interview to find out how he got started in this field and his advice for fellow marketing enthusiasts.
Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started in your field?
My story is pretty wild I guess. In high school I was studying stem and biology, then in college I gave a try to computer science engineering, but I did everything else other than studying. I was an active athlete in basketball, badminton and chess and discovered my love for game development in college where I created glitch, the largest game development society in that state.
I also published a paper in ML, my professors thought that I’ll for sure be a good developer. But my mind went into the more creative side, into sales and marketing. I’m Covid I will still in college but we were sent home, so I used that time to create a good resume and learn as much. There were times where I did multiple courses and 2 jobs at the same time!
I’ve had the opportunity to spearhead marketing many times and to run multiple side hustles as well!
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your career, and how did you overcome them?
I think the first biggest challenge I faced was to switch from tech to growth without having any experience or support. At this time networking, upskilling and working for experience are the best things to do. The second-biggest issue I’ve faced was a legal suite wherein my entire team was fired due to financial issues, wherein I quit in response and had to fight for my colleagues.
What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned throughout your career, and how have they influenced your approach to leadership?
It would be hard to jot down lessons because trust me, I’ve learnt a lot! But if someone is starting off or even if you meet someone doing better than you, LISTEN! Don’t always try to market yourself, listen as well, and always try to connect with industry leaders, people are much nicer than one thinks. Leadership doesn’t always come from having more experience or even being smarter or more qualified, leadership can start from the smallest of tasks, it requires discipline and the ability to work together. From my own life, I used to be the extra energetic guy who has to get all the work done immediately, this sounds good on paper but that’s not how it works in the industry. Patience, revisions and reviews are extremely important especially if you’re leading said project or task.
I would say the best thing I did, since I was leading at a much younger age was upskilling really fast. I got most courses done, I learnt all the new AI tools, I started blogging, doing side gigs etc, this isn’t just good for your work but also great in case one wants to become an entrepreneur one day!
One thing that people don’t know about you?
This is funny, apart from my closest friends, a lot of people think that I’m some big shot involved in a lot of things. I am involved in a lot but I’m no big shot. Because of my persona I’ve been perceived as a confident “he can easily do it” kind of guy. That so far from the truth, I’ve had multiple moments of weakness where I just wanted to give up. In the end friends and family come and rescue you, I think that’s more important than any form of success.
What advice would you give to young professionals or entrepreneurs who are just starting out in your field?
Although most of what I said seems to be free advice, but here is what I suggest to people starting off…
- network network network
- upskill, keep yourself updated with the latest trends, news and events.
- 18 to 25 is the age where you can take risk, so aim for excellence not stability.
- learn finance, money management and sales well, no matter what your background is. Money and the ability to talk or sell are an entrepreneur’s best friends!
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