As part of our endeavour to identify and share some of the unique and compelling stories from the ecosystem, we invited Rohit Sringeri – Founder and Chief Executive at MAYSONS Realty for an interview with us to understand more about his entrepreneurial journey so far. Rohit is a business management and strategic marketing expert with over a decade long experience in his domain. He has helped several organisations in aligning their financial, marketing and operational plans keeping shareholders’ objectives in mind. His deft understanding of the market, experience in transforming businesses and competency at handling people have been integral to steering Maysons towards its vision. Let’s read more about his interesting journey, way forward and his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs through our exclusive conversation!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Rohit:
Talk us through your background, your journey and your startup Maysons, please;
I was born in a place called Chikmaglur and pursued my Architecture in Hassan, Mysore University. I was keen to pursue my higher studies abroad and always wanted to explore the world. Hence I got through the Master’s Program in Architecture at McGill University, Montreal.
Soon after I finished my Master’s program, I was fortunate to get into one of the top design firms in the world called Perkins+Will, a global firm who does projects more on research-driven and based on Evidence design principles. This inspired me a lot.
Since I was more inclined towards Business and Management, and through the support of Perksins+Will I pursued my MBA program specifically designed for Construction Executives from Manchester Business School. After my stay in Canada for 8 years, I was moved to Dubai to manage their Middle East operations. All these experiences added to my expertise and prepared me for what I call ‘Home calling’, I finally decided to move back to India in 2015 and began my research. As I studied the market in Bangalore, I noticed the urban population here is subjected to a lot of stress-related ailments due to their daily exposure to noise, pollution, traffic, etc. This made me think that the built environments we create should address these stress-related issues and ensure the end users are more Happier, Healthier, Productive in their Work, and More Creative in what they do.
This inspired me to start my brand called MAYSONS in 2015 as a real estate development company. So to summarise what we aspire to achieve in every project we develop be it Residential, Commercial, Work Space, etc, we try to achieve 3 aspects for our end users viz., Well Being, Creative Thought, and Productive Energy (Inspired by Book written by Dr Esther Sternberg’s ‘Healing Spaces: The Science of Space and Wellbeing’).”
The 3 aspects which are highlighted above are achieved in the built environment by stimulating all 5 senses of the occupants. The belief and understanding here are when one is stimulated with their senses in a positive way, he/she experiences more of happiness, becomes more creative, and more productive in their work.
This involves a combined study of Architecture, Behavioral Psychology, and Neuroscience. We derive our inferences from both Primary and Secondary Research and use these as Evidence to implement in the design.
Some of the design strategies we used to stimulate the senses in our first project in Bangalore ‘Maysons Udbhava’ are:
1) Visually connecting the occupants to Green wall and artwork from the living room which stimulates the sense of Vision and in turn helps to distress
2) Positioning of gardens with flowers in the direction of the wind to bring natural fragrance into the house to stimulate Smell
3) Using textured natural stone for flooring which helps for better blood circulation and stimulates the Sense of Touch
Apart from Architects in the team, we have advisors from Behavioral Psychology, Environmental Psychology, and Neuroscience who contribute to our works.
The name MAYSONS originated from the word Masons or Mestry (local word in the southern part of India) who built the buildings. We call ourselves Maysons to tell the people that we take it too personally right from laying the bricks. And the style we deliver is a blend of local flavour with Modern lifestyle hence our tagline is ‘Traditionally Modern’. We have successfully finished and delivered ‘Maysons Udbhava’ in Bangalore and will start a 2nd project in Chikmaglur called ‘Maysons Nirvana‘ with 39 villas as a hospitality destination.
Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?
Being in a corporate world such as Perkins+Will which is a global firm for over 18 years gave me the confidence to set up my own development firm. Also, more importantly, I have a dream to make MAYSONS as one of the sought after firms for professionals to be part of and by bringing in the best corporate culture into the system.
How do you find the industry/niche that you’re in?
We are in the Real Estate sector which as you might have noticed is in a downturn. However, I strongly believe that as long as you bring in any product in the market which is a valuable addition to the consumers then you can establish yourself as a market leader.
This is something I learned in management studies where we call it ‘Blue Ocean Strategy’ which is someone coming out with a ‘disruptive idea’ which brings in value addition/solving problems, becomes an early entrant in the market and eventually becomes a Market Leader.
Therefore we, at Maysons, are aspiring to be the development firm with a disruptive concept and also see ourselves as a development firm with ‘Evidence-Based Design Principles’ and address the stress management inbuilt forms.
What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e. what’s your source of motivation?
My mind is always occupied and it never rests even though I feel my brain battery is low. I take power naps then J.
Usually, I try to sleep 5 to 6 hrs but somehow manage to get only 4 during the night time.
I believe in manifesting things and I dream of making Maysons a global firm. In the real estate industry, it’s tough and time required is also high. However, our vision is to have a footprint in the Middle East, and preferably SAARC nations. And I am also looking for a dynamic person to support me who can help me with this vision. The people who are part of Maysons are not employees rather they are my partners. The vision is to give a stake in Maysons to employees so that we retain the best talents with us.
What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far?
In my opinion, any new venture faces a financial challenge as to how to source the funds. Especially in the realty sector the funding required to do a project is quite substantial compared to other industries.
Two main ingredients for any real estate development is Land and Finance. Since Maysons didn’t have any land nor financial strength when we started, we did the first development in Bangalore based on a Development Consultancy Agreement, wherein our case the landowner invested about 10% of the project cost. Rest of the money came through sales. I am very happy to share that the entire project was done completely on buyers money and they are all very happy with our work and concept. We managed to set a new benchmark in North Bangalore. If you get a chance please see the Maysons Videos on Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC72ZmJIL2b7XpAw5Zu-rMKQ/about
So to answer your question, in the first project we made a very good name and brand but not the financial gain. However, the second project we are working on in Chikmaglur called ‘Maysons Nirvana’ has early buyers who are coming in more as investors. Now, we do understand that for a start-up in the real estate industry the gestation to grow mature is likely to 5 to 8 years, unlike the other industries. We are willing to strongly pursue that.
Apart from finance, the other challenge initially we had to face was explaining our value addition. This is more for a matured audience and they appreciated every bit of what we have done.
What comes first for you – money or emotions?
Good question. I would put this question slightly different – what comes first for you ‘money’ or ‘passion’?
The answer is a combination of both – to give a benchmark product with financial sustenance. Usually, architects are driven by passion and real estate requires greater financial planning. Fortunately, with my Business management background along with Passion for architecture, we are able to deliver a beautiful product. I strongly also believe that where there is PASSION…The money will follow.
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
I am bombarded with a lot of stress and pressure. Every month financial planning, strategic decisions, risk management, project decisions and abiding by the fundamental principles of Maysons is not easy. However, keeping myself high on energy by stimulating our senses, gym in the morning and 30 min meditation after a shower helps me a lot. I would urge all aspiring entrepreneurs to implement exercise, yoga and meditation as part of their lifestyle. This makes you more composed and better equipped to face any difficulty.
What is one strategy that you believe has helped you grow as a person/startup?
Empower your team and delegate. Also, see your early team members as part of your team and not a mere employee. The future is all about sharing and collaborating. So if you want the best in your team then make them part of it by giving them a part of the share which includes top management and senior employees.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
In my opinion, the key to success is ‘Believing in what you want to do and giving 200 per cent to achieve it no matter what. There will be a lot of hurdles to achieve your dream and there will be a lot of people to discourage you. But if you are passionate about what you want to do and are confident to face the challenge then no matter what, you will get there.
What advice would you give to someone starting out as an aspiring entrepreneur?
I have covered this in your previous question. However, one more thing I would like to add apart from the points I have already mentioned is – we all grow up with limiting beliefs without our knowledge which are deeply embedded in our subconscious mind. Meditation is definitely a solution one can look at.
Follow Rohit At:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit-sringeri-41196115/
Follow MAYSONS At:
Website – http://www.maysons.in/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/udbhava/
You may also like ~ Interview With Udit Kukreja | Founder At EST8 And Director of Milestone Ventures
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
