Enterprenuer
Giri Devanur, the founder and CEO ReAlpha is a cutting-edge technology firm that aims to make it easy for everyone to invest in the $1.2 billion short-term rental markets.
Before founding reAlpha he was the President and CEO at Ameri100 Inc., where he scaled Ameri from $50M to $50M in revenues and completed the Nasdaq IPO in less than four years.
Giri was named the E&Y Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 and wrote a book entitled “Nothing to Nasdaq.”
Giri has over two decades of experience working in the information technology sector.
He founded WinHire Inc. and Ivega Corporation. In 2004, Ivega was merged with TCG, creating a unique IT consulting firm that employs over 1,000 people.
Giri holds a Master’s degree in Technology Management from Columbia University. A M.S. in Technology Management from Columbia University and a B.S.
In Computer Engineering, University of Mysore.
He was also a graduate of the Harvard Law School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Executive Education Programs.
What is the story of reAlpha?
A friend called me to inquire about buying an Airbnb property worth $400k.
She didn’t have the $100k down payment and 25% deposit at that time.
After some time, she approached me to ask if I could help her.
The idea to create a platform that allows people to invest in real property without spending thousands or millions of dollars upfront was born.
Soon after, I was joined by several other like-minded individuals to create reAlpha.
This started our journey to decentralize real estate investment in the rapidly growing Airbnb short-term rental sector.
How do you stay productive?
No two days are the same, and no two leaves are exactly alike.
Although my schedule is sometimes chaotic, I do my best to maintain a routine to take care of my body and mind while excelling at work.
My day begins at 5 AM. After meditation, I go to the gym and listen to podcasts while working out.
Then I call our teams in India and Nepal. Next, I tackle finance-related items. Then, it’s on to marketing.
This is how I spend most of my mornings. Operational issues are my priority in the afternoons.
Evenings are reserved for new product ideas and so forth.
To make myself more accountable and productive, I keep track of my top 20 tasks for each day.
It is practical to have the top 20 things I need to accomplish in a given day. This has been hugely beneficial.
How do you bring ideas to life?
My mind is constantly flooded with ideas as a tech entrepreneur.
After starting my career as a programmer, I realized that I wanted to help others through technology.
I was inspired by this idea to become an entrepreneur.
I’ve created companies, been CEO of many others, and pushed the ball to the finish line for a Nasdaq IPO.
I’m currently writing “How to Who,” a book as a writer.
It is not about how to bring ideas to life.
It’s about assembling a great group, and they will figure it out! Talent and teamwork are what I believe in.
What’s your favorite trend?
Marc Andressen says, “Software will eat all things.” This excites me.
At heart, I am a programmer. The world has seen significant technological advances in the last few years.
I want to be part of the positive changes.
What habits make you productive?
Being a better leader than I was yesterday keeps me productive as an entrepreneur.
Every day, 1% improvement Every day, I tell myself to improve by at least 1 percent.
Although 1% doesn’t mean you have to make huge strides, minor improvements every day help me be a better leader and make my business more profitable.
What’s your advice for the Noob?
You can find the best talent in the world. Your business can be made or broken by skill.
What is one thing we can all agree on?
In 20 years, humans will settle on Mars.
What do you recommend as an entrepreneur?
Hire people who are better than you.
I am fortunate to have so many brilliant minds working together on our dreams.
What’s your rich strategy?
Concentrate on one thing at a time. This gives clarity to the whole team.
Multitasking is critical to productivity, many would argue.
We pay little attention to the essential things, especially when we’re just starting.
reAlpha is currently in the first round of Reg A+ funding.
We can’t expect to be an internationally recognized company overnight.
However, we must focus our efforts on the first and second steps.
How do you overcome Failure?
Entrepreneurship is about making mistakes and learning from them.
I can recall when I failed to complete a $1.2 billion project.
It wasn’t very comfortable. Some people might give up.
I was also skeptical. After a careful assessment of my mistakes, I used what I learned to strengthen my strategies.
I worked tirelessly for seven more years and eventually took my company to Nasdaq.
Can you share a business idea?
Develop software that will allow you to hire more people than yourself.
It is crucial to attract and retain top talent.
The success of a company is directly tied to its employees.
They are the building blocks for a skyscraper.
What’s your recent best buy?
I spent $100 on Upwork to find a talented engineering team worth several million dollars.
Because I paid $100, Naamche from Nepal helped us tremendously build an AI platform.
What are your favorite Softwares or Apps?
Slack! It’s used for everything. It allows remote workers to connect.
Another thing my team members love is Notion, a project management tool.
Which book would you recommend?
A lighter note: ” Everything to Nasdaq” — Because I wrote it after taking a company to Nasdaq.
I hope my experience will provide insights to start-ups looking to achieve their IPOs.
Gary Keller’s The One Thing is a great book.
It will help you focus and get better results in a shorter time.
What’s your favorite quote?
It’s better to be lucky than brilliant.
TL;DR by Giri Devanur
- Everyday, 1% improvement is important.
- You can find the best talent in the world. Hire the best talent possible.
- Concentrate on one thing at the time.
- Entrepreneurship is about making mistakes and learning from them.
