Meet Anuroop Kumar

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anuroop Kumar. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Anuroop, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
It’s funny, through the journey of my life, it’s as if I’ve always been the consummate “outsider”. Whether it be my background, education, professional history, cultural heritage, identity, etc.

There are 3 things I will mention that have allowed me to be successful & effective with this:

1) Embrace the Eccentricity: Yes, my background and even my thought process may be different – that is exactly why I belong in the room. What perspectives and experiences can I contribute to the discussion? How does this help move a step closer to the end goal? If not the primary solution – I may still present a powerful counterpoint to the proposed approach. This still provides value to the conversation.

2) Knowing Your Stuff: There is no substitute for competence. If there are strengths you possess, you must have ridiculous confidence in them. For example, I know for a fact the one topic I can keep pace with the best in the world at is digital ads. Expanding on this leads to marketing, business growth, customer behavior, and team dynamics (from an operations standpoint.) By having world-class level expertise in your primary strength, you bring an unquestionable authority to the conversation.

3) Radical Empathy: If you are the person in the room who is different than others, understand that they may not all understand you or give you the room to take up space, given the echo-chamber that is being reinforced. However, try to understand their perspective while embracing your unique perspective. The more bridges you can make in consensus and points of view – the more effective & influential you can be in that situation.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I run a growth marketing agency with my business partner as well as am developing tools to empower people in their relationship to work. In addition to this, I organize community events for entrepreneurs and founders in Phoenix.

Inflect Digital is a growth marketing agency hyper-focused on growth & profitability founded by a team of ex-Facebook workers. We are the country’s fastest-rising culture-focused marketing agency with a specialty focus on BIPOC founders. Today, Inflect Digital works with some of the leading BIPOC founders in the nation, and we have helped them reach the next level in their businesses. We are trusted by CEOs, Venture Capitalists, Angel Investors, and Community Leaders for our growth marketing and customer acquisition expertise.

We’re really excited for the amazing work we have done with this firm + we have recently rolled out our Hourly Growth packages which for the first time allow us to work with early stage entrepreneurs on one off projects and consulting. Several have already seen great results – primarily in getting “unstuck” in their business journeys.

Learn more here: https://inflectdigital.com

Second, is a passion project of mine which I call Moksha or Moksha Work. I really think we are in a unique time when we consider people’s relationship to work. There is general distrust, a sense of disillusionment, and uncertainty. Moksha’s goal will be to develop tools that allow people to find the right opportunities, make the right career moves, explore opportunities to increase their income, diversify their careers, and get the recognition they deserve. Our first tools are cutting edge hiring tools – enabling unbiased hiring and the perfect job <> candidate matches.

One of the products we’re really excited about is a free GPT-4 assistant called “Moksha Career Guru” which allows people to assess where they are in their careers right now and what immediate next steps they should take to move towards their dream roles.

You can try this out here if you have ChatGPT Plus: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-mNP8gvgH8-moksha-career-guru

In addition, we’ll be releasing a series of new events in the Phoenix valley later this year at the intersection of entrepreneurship, tech, art, and culture.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1) Resilience: If you choose the path of entrepreneurship, creativity, or ownership – understand, that it will not have the stability of the 9-5 life. As quick as we are to dub this “boring”, understand that forgoing a steady paycheck, benefits, and earned time off are not easy. In this, an analogy I use is that entrepreneurship isn’t an organized boxing match, it’s a street fight… scoring isn’t as important as it is to be the last one standing. Despite all the planning you will do, things won’t go according to plan. Make your peace with this and keep your lifestyle adaptable.

2) Sales & Communication: I’m not much of a small-talker or enjoy general conversations. As such, I’m not great at parties or striking up new conversations. However, what I am able to do is help identify what are the important questions that get us to understand someone’s challenges and a path towards solutions. Convey what this means for their current state, what can the impact be after they have adopted these solutions, and what have people who have done so experienced. A bit of understanding, a bit of problem-solving, and a bit of presenting a possibility. All of this goes a long way. Some may be naturally gifted at this and some may need to work on it – regardless, it is definitely something you can work on.

3) Learner’s Mindset: You will not know everything, in some cases, it won’t make sense for you to do so and it’s much better to delegate and hire out. However, it is important to maintain a constant knack for learning and expanding your knowledge base. Especially in a world where information is cheap and at your fingertips with AI. Keep an open mind & be willing to have the right approach towards studying & learning.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?
In this phase of my career, the more I can do to multiply output the better.

For my growth marketing firm, founders and entrepreneurs who are looking to take their businesses to the next level, grow profitably, unlock sales and customer acquisition through digital ads, etc. should definitely reach out at experts@inflectdigital.com (Especially with our Hourly Growth packages, there are several ways for us to work together.)

For Moksha – the focus is the future of work and I’d love to collaborate with recruiters, HR, People Ops, Hiring managers, etc. to ensure we build in alignment with the future they see. Moreover, any talented engineers, programmers, community, sales, etc. looking to work on a project at the Ground Zero level should definitely reach out. Email me at: Anuroop@inflectdigital.com.

Contact Info:

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