Nihaal Mariwala takes work breaks on his L-shaped couch, plays the piano to relax

The Setu co-founders door is always open for people.

BCCL
Nihaal-Mariwala describes his den as 'a relaxed fit’.
By Shashi Sunny

Nihaal Mariwala, co-founder of Setu, says his personal space is a place where family and friends are always welcome.

Me time
“My room has a beige tone to the walls and there is wooden flooring for simplicity. There are many elements and accessories that make a statement, be it a centre-table, a vintage light, a few paintings and family photo frames, or even my piano. A nice printed carpet and simple sofas with cushions complete the picture. There is also some art that my father Sanjaya lent to me, and some pictures of my family.

“The cushions and paintings are subtle and blend into the overall ambience, which makes it calming and soothes frayed nerves. I feel one’s home needs to be warm and welcoming for friends and family.


“My room is also my relaxation zone, where I watch shows, play video games, or just give myself the ‘me-time’ I need.”

Piano breaks
“I have a huge L-shaped couch with a footrest to relax on. That is my favourite spot in the house, where I am most likely to be found after a work day. There is also a desk to work on, and a piano where I take my breaks. These musical breaks mean a lot to me and I enjoy the sound of music when I play the keys. The kind of music depends on my mood; it could be anything from pop, film or classical.”

Entertainment essentials
“My laptop, television, a gaming console and a piano are all bare essentials. I need these to keep myself entertained, occupied, busy and relaxed. What I will never have in my den are cards and poker chips. I am not much of a gambler.”
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Sign on my door
“I am not a person who thrives in silence and isolation. I constantly need interaction with family and friends. My door is always open, and I love it when people drop in. I guess the sign on my door would read: ‘Always Open’

In one phrase
“The term ‘a relaxed fit’ would perfectly describe my den and its interiors.”

Frequent Guests
“Classmates from my school and my fiancée Trisha are often here. I also spend a lot of time with my father in my den. If I could invite any personality, I would probably call on Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates or Elon Musk.”

Jack Ma, Bezos, Travis Kalanick: Top Bosses Who Promoted Hostile Work Culture
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Being an industry leader is not child's play. Apart from taking one's business ahead and dealing with the complications that come along with it, inculcating a healthy work culture is also extremely important.

Recently, Alibaba Group boss Jack Ma received flak on social media for promoting a 12-hour-a-day and six-days-a-week work routine for success. However, he isn't the only one who, in an effort to be on the top, ended up promoting a hostile work culture.

Here's a look at some top bosses who haven't been appreciated for their leadership qualities.

(In pic from left: Jeff Bezos, Jack Ma, Travis Kalanick)

Being an industry leader is not child's play. Apart from taking one's business ahead and dealing with the complications that come along with it, inculcating a healthy work culture is also extremely i..
Read More

Jack Ma recently faced flak for his blog post endorsing the tech industry's overtime culture.

The 54-year-old encouraged employees to embrace the overtime culture if they wished to flourish in the tech world. He was also known to dismiss people expecting a typical, eight-hours-a-day work routine.

Earlier, China's richest man said that people who can stick to a hectic schedule are the ones that have found their passion beyond monetary gains.

Jack Ma recently faced flak for his blog post endorsing the tech industry's overtime culture. The 54-year-old encouraged employees to embrace the overtime culture if they wished to flourish in the te..
Read More

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is known for his temper outbursts, and his 'rage firings' have often made headlines. The 47-year-old, whose employees have reported incidents of extreme yelling, allegedly fires any employee who comes his way on a bad-temper day.

Earlier this month, Musk reportedly pushed a former employee who was saying goodbye to colleagues after having resigned from the company.

In another example, it was reported last December that the auto giant's employees were asked not to walk past Musk's desk in case it ruined their career.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is known for his temper outbursts, and his 'rage firings' have often made headlines. The 47-year-old, whose employees have reported incidents of extreme yelling, allegedly fires a..
Read More

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is known for his cut-throat management style as much as he is known for being the world's richest man. The top boss doesn't mince his words, and the e-commerce giant has gained a reputation for having a ruthless work culture.

As a leader, the 55-year-old is reported to be a difficult-to-please boss - who is easy to agitate. Stories of his comments including, "I'm sorry, did I take my stupid pills today?" and "Why are you ruining my life?" have often made it out of Amazon's office.

Bezos has reportedly been this way from the start. In 1997, three years after launching the company, in a letter to the shareholders, he had revealed that while interviewing prospective employees he always tells them, “You can work long, hard, or smart, but at Amazon.com you can't choose two out of three.”

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is known for his cut-throat management style as much as he is known for being the world's richest man. The top boss doesn't mince his words, and the e-commerce giant has gained ..
Read More

In 2017, Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick was forced to exit from the company. The decision was made after he was accused of sexual harassment by an ex-employee, Susan Fowler. But Fowler's account of her time at the company was just a trigger that led to a chain of reactions including complaints of a ‘toxic bro culture’ at Uber.

Soon stories highlighting the unhealthy, sexist work culture that had flourished for years under Kalanick made headlines.

In 2017, Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick was forced to exit from the company. The decision was made after he was accused of sexual harassment by an ex-employee, Susan Fowler. But Fowler's account of ..
Read More

Uber's former Chief People Office Liane Hornsey was forced to leave the company in July last year on grounds of poor management of discrimination complaints filed within the company.

Ironically, Hornsey was Uber's spokesperson on diversity and discrimination. She was also accused of making derogatory comments against the global head of diversity and inclusion.

Uber's former Chief People Office Liane Hornsey was forced to leave the company in July last year on grounds of poor management of discrimination complaints filed within the company. Ironically, Horn..
Read More

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