A mentor is someone who guides a younger or less experienced person, with help and advice, over many years.
I have been lucky. At every stage of my life, someone stood beside me, shared what they knew and asked for nothing back. Everything I am today carries a part of them.
I can never repay that debt. The only way I know to say thank you is to do what they did: share what I know, freely, with anyone who asks.
Life Mentors
Amit Sanghavi — friend, critic, companion
Some people come into your life for a season. Amit came for a lifetime.
He is my friend, my best critic and my companion. When I was comfortable, he pushed me. When I needed honesty, he criticised me, even when it was not easy to hear. And through every stage of my life, the good years and the hard ones, he stayed.
Amit never wanted me to beat anyone else. He only wanted me to beat the person I was yesterday. That one thought has pushed me further than any competition ever could.
Many of my ideas were first spoken aloud in our conversations. The idea of WhatsApp Wisdom was born there, long before it became a book.
Through Amit, I also found two more mentors: his father, Bapa, and his uncle, Arvind Sanghvi. One friend, and a whole family that shaped me.
Amit is in my story because he is in my life. That is not just friendship. That is something deeper. 🙂
Bapa — Mahashukbhai (Amit’s father)
Since childhood, I have watched Bapa give to others without expecting anything in return. He treats everyone the same, whoever they are. Nobody leaves his home without eating, and he insists so warmly that you cannot say no.
From him I learned how to give myself to others and how to treat people with kindness. If you want to learn kindness, learn it from him.
Anand Shukla — “5 No. Wale Uncle”, retired TC of Rajdhani
Uncle taught me to live without expectations and to let go of the self. He always brings happiness with him.
He once reminded me that one day we all leave this earth, so be careful what you carry: hatred, lust and anger, or love, peace and happiness. His lesson stays with me:
“You will receive what you give and you can give only what you have.”
Bapa and Uncle both taught me the same thing: to think only of giving.
Professional Mentors
Jayesh Khagram — CEO, Binary Web Solutions
I have worked with Jayesh since 2001. That is more than half of my working life, side by side.
When we started, I was raw coal. He saw something in me that I could not see myself, and he patiently shaped it, year after year, into a diamond. Everything I know about management, leadership and building and leading a team, I learned by watching him and working with him.
Together we built Binary Web Solutions. But what I value most is not what we built. It is how he stood by me while we built it.
His faith in me gave me strength. His patience with my madness gave me space. When I wanted to write books, practise Vipassana and follow ideas far outside our business, he never stopped me. He is not in my books, but he is in everything behind them.
And he accepted all my weaknesses without ever making me feel small. That is a gift I can never repay.
Arvind Sanghvi (ARS) and Maheshmama
Arvind Sanghvi, entrepreneur, MD of Welpack Industries and Amit’s uncle, and my own uncle, Maheshmama, taught me business. Their advice was simple: follow your passion and walk your own path.
“Take a risk. Do it now. Work on yourself and improve.”
They taught me to act and to keep my eyes on results.
Pratik Shah — my cousin, businessman and investor
When I knew nothing about the real world, Pratik taught me computers, software and keyboard shortcuts. Those small skills made me faster and better at my work, and gave my career its first push.
Spiritual Mentors
S. N. Goenka — Vipassana teacher
Goenkaji brought Vipassana meditation back to India. Through his teaching, I learned Vipassana and began my journey of self-discovery, a practice I have followed for 18 years.
Surendar Singh — copywriter and visualiser
Surendar introduced me to Vipassana. That one introduction changed my life.
To everyone named here: thank you. Whatever I share, I learned from you.
Be happy!