"Be a risk-taker but make sure that you are also a planner."
Anup Kayastha is the founder and Web Designer of HeightComparison and the Chief Editor at AllTimeMac.
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Table of Contents
Let’s start with a brief introduction first. Introduce yourself to our readers.
Anup Kayastha: I am Anup Kayastha and I am the Founder and Web Designer of HeightComparison. I studied at Trinity International College and I’m also the Chief Editor at AllTimeMac.com which is a news site where we provide updates about the Apple ecosystem.
Our audience is interested to know about how you got started in the first place. Did you always want to become a CEO or was it something you were led to? Our readers would love to know your story!
Anup Kayastha: It was something that I was led to. When you are running your own business, you are mostly focused on making it stable. You aim to make it recognized by customers for its quality products or services. A CEO wasn’t what I had in mind in the beginning because it was more of a label or a position for me. I was more focused on building my business and making sure its progress would be continuous.
“Selfmade” is a myth. We all received help, no doubt you love to show appreciation to those who supported you when the going got tough, who has been your most important professional inspiration?
Anup Kayastha: My most important inspiration has been my family. It has been helpful to be in an environment where support is given whether or not you ask kindly for it. When the business was gaining traction, it was important for me to remind myself that the recognition also goes to my family because I probably wouldn’t be as much determined and dedicated with work if they didn’t teach me those values and gave me the motivation to continue.
How did your journey lead you to become a CEO? What difficulties did you face along the way and what did you learn from them?
Anup Kayastha: The doubt has been a challenge. Will I be able to establish a good and stable footing? Am I capable of starting a business and making sure it will at least have some recognition? What if I suddenly realize that I’m not cut out for this and should I just find another job? The lack of engagement from consumers, in the beginning, was also hard because it only fueled the doubt. Gradually, I realized that it was also doubted that helped me push forward. I didn’t want to give up so I tried to think of more ideas and strategies. I took risks that I believed would have helped me, especially with experience. I learned that fears and doubt will remain as they are unless you use them and turn them into your weapon.
Tell us about your company. What does your business do and what are your responsibilities as a CEO?
Anup Kayastha: HeightComparison.com is an accurate tool on the internet to compare height between people, or objects. It is an intuitive comparison tool that allows you to visualize how tall or short you would look in front of the people you choose to compare height with.
What does CEO stand for? Beyond the dictionary definition, how would you define it?
Anup Kayastha: A CEO is the chief executive officer. They have the highest position in the company and are responsible for making the big decisions. Before, I used to only see it as just a label or a position. In a way, that’s how I still see it but it now also translates to me as a responsibility. I’m in this position where I am looking over the company, the systems, and the people who are working with me. You make decisions and you manage but you are responsible for making sure that the decisions are right and will produce good results and that the people under your management are also in good condition.
When you first became a CEO, how was it different from what you expected? What surprised you?
Anup Kayastha: You see CEOs in movies and they are depicted as well-dressed people, well put together, and they have the aura of someone rich and successful. That can happen in real life but for me, it was simpler. There was no moment of realization that I’m truly in this position. It might sound less exciting but it was really what happened. It was probably the work that we had to handle after because the business has to keep growing and to do that, you have to think of new ideas and strategies to apply.
There are many schools of thought as to what a CEO’s core roles and responsibilities are. Based on your experience, what are the main things a CEO should focus on? Explain and please share examples or stories to illustrate your vision.
Anup Kayastha: CEOs should focus on their products/services, their customers, and their employees. I think that it’s a given when they say that you should focus on your goals and try to make them big. That’s what everyone is aiming for but to do that, you have to care for what you have now. I think there should be three priorities. CEOs should continue to improve their products/services. They should make sure that the working environment is healthy and professional and that the employees are well. Customers must have an excellent experience when interacting with your business so you always have to think about what they will enjoy, how to make their navigations easier, and such.
Share with us one of the most difficult decisions you had to make for your company that benefited your employees or customers. What made this decision so difficult and what were the positive impacts?
Anup Kayastha: Outsourcing is one of the most difficult decisions. There was a time when additional skills were needed but it was also difficult because you are sharing the control and the power of decision making. There’s also the cost. However, when you find someone you can trust, the process and results will be good. Fortunately, that is what happened and it benefited us in a way that we learned more and our customers now have a better experience.
How would you define success? Does it mean generating a certain amount of wealth, gaining a certain level of popularity, or helping a certain number of people?
Anup Kayastha: I would say that for me, success is the third definition that was mentioned. It is more on making sure that what you offer has helped those who availed or purchased it. Success is knowing that someone or certain demographic trusts you after giving you a chance because they have discovered that what you offer can help them in particular areas of their life.
Some leadership skills are innate while others can be learned. What leadership skills do you possess innately and what skills have you cultivated over the years as a CEO?
Anup Kayastha: Problem-solving seemed natural for me which, I think, has been helpful from the start because when you’re at the beginning, you’re already encountering problems like how will you be able to garner a following, how you’re going to present your services and such. The skills I have cultivated were my learning agility and teambuilding. As time passed, I learned from the working environment I was in. I interacted with those around me and learned from them too.
How did your role as a CEO help your business overcome challenges caused by the pandemic? Explain with practical examples.
Anup Kayastha: Being a CEO means that you have to be good at problem-solving so when you’re faced with a pandemic, you have to think of how your business can help in reducing the problems faced by your customers or how will you be able to recover your losses. It was important to think of new ways on how to reach more people so being strategic helped and continues to help. You also have to consider the condition of your employees. It’s a matter of checking in with everyone in your workplace, making sure that they are safe and healthy so that all of you can continue to keep the place running.
Do you have any advice for aspiring CEOs and future leaders? What advice would you give a CEO that is just starting on their journey?
Anup Kayastha: I would say that they should always have their priorities set straight. You are carrying a responsibility so you must be taking your position seriously. Study risks and if you believe that it will benefit you, take them. Be a risk-taker but make sure that you are also a planner. It’s also good if you take breaks. That should also be one of your priorities: your health. Always keep in shape and train yourself to have a healthy mindset.
Thank you for sharing some of your knowledge with our readers! They would also like to know, what is one skill that you’ve always wanted to acquire but never really could?
Anup Kayastha: Mastering the art of patience. I think I could be better at managing mine.
Before we finish things off, we have one final question for you. If you wrote a book about your life today, what would the title be?
Anup Kayastha: “Turning Doubt Around”
Mike Weiss, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Anup Kayastha for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Anup Kayastha or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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