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Time of India
18 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Former Google executive who raised $92 million for a startup backed by Sundar Pichai shares one simple strategy every entrepreneur should know
In today's high-octane startup world, where billion-dollar valuations can vanish overnight and hustle culture dominates, surviving the chaos requires more than grit and strategy. According to Caesar Sengupta , co-founder and CEO of the digital wealth platform Arta Finance said entrepreneurs need something surprisingly simple yet profoundly powerful: stillness. Sengupta believes daily meditation, not constant motion, is his ultimate superpower. And as neuroscience begins to validate this approach, the message is clear: in the noisy, demanding world of startups, mental clarity might be the most underutilized competitive edge. Former Google executive Caesar Sengupta finds startup life more chaotic than expected Before launching Arta Finance in 2021,a fintech company now backed by over $92 million in funding, including support from Sequoia Capital India and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Sengupta spent 15 years at Google. He helped build ChromeOS and co-founded Google Pay, which now serves more than 150 million users across 30+ countries. Despite his impressive resume, Sengupta admits the transition from corporate stability to startup chaos was mentally jarring. 'There are days where you feel 100%, and there are days where you're like, 'Oh my God, what did I just do?'' he confessed. Startups, he explained, can consume founders entirely—damaging health, relationships, and emotional well-being. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo How this one simple habit became Sengupta's superpower His solution wasn't found in a productivity hack or another to-do list app. It was far simpler: five to ten minutes of meditation a day. 'I wish three years back, somebody had sat me down and said: 'Dude… just meditate,'' as reported by CNBC. That small window of silence became his daily anchor, offering mental space amidst a storm of decisions, investor meetings, and constant uncertainty. While Sengupta calls mindfulness his "superpower," neuroscience is catching up to the claim. A recent study by the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, reported by Neuroscience News, found that just 30 days of guided mindfulness meditation significantly enhanced focus and reduced distractibility across all age groups. Using eye-tracking technology, researchers observed improved reaction times and sustained attention—especially linked to changes in the locus coeruleus–noradrenaline system, a brain center critical to focus, memory, and cognitive resilience. As postdoctoral researcher Andy Jeesu Kim put it, 'Mindfulness isn't just about feeling more relaxed — it can literally change the way your brain handles attention.' Why founders need mental clarity now more than ever Founders today are under immense pressure navigating product launches, investor meetings, sleepless nights, and the ever-looming threat of failure. In such an environment, the ability to filter signals from noise isn't just helpful, it's essential for survival. Sengupta also turns to cycling as a form of meditative movement. 'It's one of the only times where no one can reach me,' he says. This physical form of stillness helps him mentally recharge and stay grounded amid the chaos of building a high-stakes startup. Inner stillness as the new startup strategy As mindfulness gains ground in scientific and executive circles alike, Sengupta's approach is emerging as more than just a personal quirk—it's a strategic advantage. While others burn out chasing every opportunity, he's choosing calm over chaos. And it's working. 'Ultimately,' he says, 'it's about how you confront the ups and downs of life.' For today's entrepreneurs, Sengupta's journey offers a profound lesson: in a world obsessed with speed, stillness may be your sharpest edge. Also Read | Mark Zuckerberg doubles down after Rs 800 crore salary to Trapit Bansal with Rs 1,600 crore package to ex-Apple techie AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
CNBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
This CEO's startup has raised $92 million and is backed by Sundar Pichai. He shares his 'superpower' tip for aspiring entrepreneurs
Given the ups and downs of the startup journey, the biggest "superpower" that entrepreneurs can have is the ability to ground themselves, said Caesar Sengupta, co-founder and CEO of fintech startup Arta Finance. "There's so much noise in the world," Sengupta told CNBC Make It. The entrepreneurial path can be highly volatile, and founders will be pulled in many different directions, so being able to filter out what's important from all of the noise is key, he added. His no. 1 strategy for this is simple: "start meditating." "I wish three years back, somebody had sat me down and said: 'Dude, like everything else [will] be fine. Just sit yourself down and meditate ... know when to tune out," he said. Prior to co-founding the fintech startup in 2021, the 49-year-old spent about 15 years at Google where he led major projects such as Google Pay and the company's "Next Billion Users" initiative. It was at that big tech company where Sengupta met his co-founders and some of his first angel investors, including the CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai. To date, Arta Finance has raised over $92 million and is backed by prominent investors such as Sequoia Capital India and Ribbit Capital. There is a massive shift you experience going from working in a big company to building a startup, says Sengupta. Not only can you lose all sense of work-life balance, but risk also takes on an entirely new meaning. In a big company, risk is more contained. At a startup, "you're just much more fragile," said Sengupta. "If you ask any entrepreneur who's been in a large company, it's a pretty scary leap late in your life. I would say there are days where you feel ... 100%, and there are days where you're like: 'Oh my God, what did I just do?' But I think that's what I love about it," he added. Additionally, in a startup environment, it is really easy to get completely drawn in, "to the detriment of yourself, your family, your health [and] your mental health," said Sengupta. "But ultimately, it's about how [you] confront the ups and downs of life." That's why it's important to take care of your mental and physical health, he said. On a daily basis, he tries to allocate five to ten minutes a night to sitting alone and meditating. He also uses exercise as a way to meditate. "I realized [that] cycling, for me, is not just physical exercise, but it's one of the only times where no one can reach me … So forcing myself to be on that thing for an hour or two just makes me meditate," he said.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
5 Ways Trump's Policies Could Reshape Investment Opportunities
Generally, when it comes to the stock market, the president can have a big impact on its ups and downs. However, this position of power is not the only factor, as consumer behavior, the Federal Reserve and global trade all have a strong influence over how your investments will perform. President Trump's floundering and at times confusing tariff announcements do seem to have at least temporarily affected stocks negatively, but this is not necessarily a reason to panic as most investing experts still maintain that you should play the long game. Read Next: Learn More: To better understand how some of Trump's policies could affect investment opportunities throughout the rest of 2025, GOBankingRates spoke with some financial experts for their predictions about what to expect in the months ahead. Samita Malik, head of insurance, tax and estate planning at Arta Finance, said the energy sector is one particularly worth watching now that Trump is back in the White House. 'The energy sector, including fossil fuels, is poised to grow from favorable regulatory policies under the Trump administration, given recent indications from the Department of Energy about natural gas production,' Malik said. However, according to Malik, proposed reductions in federal support for renewable energy, including the elimination of green subsidies and the expansion of tariffs on imports like Chinese solar panels, could slow the growth of the renewable sector. Find Out: For investors interested in tech, Malik said it's still too early to tell which, if any, parts of the sector will benefit disproportionately and sustainably under the current administration. 'On the one hand, imposing tariffs on tech components may disrupt global supply chains, leading to increased production costs and potential delays,' Malik said. 'On the other hand, proposed tax reforms, including possible reductions in corporate tax rates, could increase profitability for tech companies.' Analysts are going to be watching how moves and policies by Trump impact the abilities of businesses to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI). 'AI has, and will continue to, have a profound impact across industries, and investment management is no exception,' Malik said. 'AI is transforming the investment landscape by offering deeper insights, reducing human bias, and enabling faster decision-making — all at a fraction of the cost of traditional human-dependent models.' The expert added AI-driven models are powerful, but they should be used alongside human expertise and market intuition to maximize their effectiveness. Per Malik, retail investors should first focus on the basics: Start investing early, be consistent and diversify the portfolio. Another question on the minds of many investors with the new president in place is how to recalibrate portfolios to capitalize on tax and trade policy shifts. 'It is still unclear which tax and trade policy shifts will be approved and implemented under the current administration,' Malik said. 'For non-institutional investors, that is, people like you and me, investing shouldn't be based on short-term policy or political changes, but on proven, core investing principles, one of which is diversifying investments across sectors and geographies.' According to Zach Shepard, principal at Braddock Investment Group Inc., Trump's trade policies and ongoing negotiations with China are the cause of anxiety for businesses and investors. Shepard pointed to the imposition of duties on a vast range of merchandise and the countermeasures with other nations. 'This has led to the investing community to take pause over a very uncertain environment, particularly deciding on whether or not to reroute their investments, and, thus, the direction of the national economy,' Shepard said. Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article. Editor's note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on More From GOBankingRates 5 Types of Cars Retirees Should Stay Away From Buying This article originally appeared on 5 Ways Trump's Policies Could Reshape Investment Opportunities Sign in to access your portfolio
