For this entrepreneur, her startup team is her family

For Naiyya Saggi, building a team for her online parenting startup BabyChakra has been the closest thing to rearing a child. “A lot of entrepreneurs compare their startups to babies. But for me, it was starting a team that was like raising a child,” says the 33-yearold who is married and doesn’t have children.

A startup team tends to comprise young people on their first job. “Teaching them the job, showing tough love when required, and helping them grow — it’s taking on the role of a mother. The team members then become the children,” says the Mumbai-based entrepreneur.

Growing a family within the company is similar to rearing one in the home. “You all learn together and work together. Parents also build a team within a family. It’s all based on trust,” says Saggi, who has an MBA from Harvard and a law degree from NLSIU, Bengaluru.


Despite the fact that she’s built a company from scratch within three years having raised $650,000 from investors, Saggi still has to dodge constant questions about motherhood from her family. “It’s not a trade-off,” she says, explaining that a career and motherhood go hand-inhand. But for now, she is focused on bringing up her company and her 50-member team.