At 33, I founded ActOnMagic—a cloud technology startup in India. Four years later, I successfully sold it to NTT Netmagic, earning a 4–6x return while providing the India group of NTT with seven years of value. At 44, I stepped away from NTT to start HabitZup—a new journey fueled by purpose.
Looking back, I am deeply grateful for these years. God has given me everything I needed, and I appreciate everyone who taught me valuable lessons along the way. Every entrepreneurial venture is unique, and the seed for HabitZup was planted in an unexpected moment at my son’s school.
One morning, I dropped my son off at 8:01 AM—just one minute late. However, that single minute caused a delay of nine more minutes, as teachers noted down latecomers and wrote remarks in their diaries. I also noticed kids rushing on bicycles, riding recklessly to avoid being marked late. This made me wonder:
- Could schools handle punctuality differently?
- Could parents help their children manage time better?
- Could the last-minute scramble at home be avoided?
I spoke with the school coordinator and suggested an alternative:
“Instead of writing a remark in the diary and delaying kids further, why not give them a simple reminder card—something positive that encourages them to be on time tomorrow?”
As followers of our Guru’s teachings, we practice the power of positive affirmations. In this case, an affirmation like “I am always on time” felt appropriate. This led to the idea of “Card2Win”—a small, impactful card that children could take home, read aloud three times, and discuss with their parents. This way, families could work together to instill better habits.
Reflecting on my journey with ActOnMagic, I recall the challenges of building a tech product. Despite following Lean Startup principles, I took longer than expected. As an introvert, I struggled to ask the right questions to stakeholders. Our revenue in the first 10 months was just 2,000 AED (~₹1L) after an investment of ₹3–4L—a tough lesson.
Having experienced both the struggles of an early-stage startup and the financial highs of NTT, I wanted to test the waters before launching HabitZup. I reached out to friends—primarily through WhatsApp status—to gauge interest in Card2Win.
The response was encouraging! Before even manufacturing the product, we sold 70 sets, generating ₹40K in the first month.
Reaching this stage has been a test for both me and my family. I am incredibly grateful to the early adopters of HabitZup who believed in our vision—to help the new generation build better habits through a fun and engaging card game.
Would love to hear, How are you helping your child ?
