We at Superangel are glad to welcome Rahul to Superangel team for the next 8 weeks. Rahul joined us through 101 Fellowship – a practical program designed for young people who are interested in venture capital.
What is Your Background?
I have a complicated international background, being half Indian and half Belgian, living in London, and growing up in Singapore, the Netherlands, and Wales. I’m currently a student at Middlebury College in Vermont, where I study Economics and Philosophy. I’ve had previous internships at two London-based startups, CognitionX and Fractal Labs, where I did all kinds of jobs and learnt a great deal about the startup world, building a company, and cutting-edge technology.
Why Venture Capital?
I’ve always been fascinated by startup culture and technology because of the potential they have for radical change on a massive scale. I consider myself to be an open-minded, out of the box thinker, which I feel lends itself well to the startup and VC environment where a mindset like that is necessary to succeed. To me, VC is an incredible space to be involved in because it gives you the opportunity to work with lots of great people and ideas, and help the best come out of them.
Startup You’d Invest Your Tuition Fee in?
Tesla. I think Elon Musk is a true genius who is doing an incredible amount of good for the world in areas where no one has taken the risks nor been as successful as he has. It’s overwhelmingly clear that electric cars are the future, and Tesla is leading the way and setting the standard for the rest of the industry. Their new Gigafactories in China, Germany, and the US, combined with their recent record production numbers and profits are all signs that the hardships the company faced from 2017-2019 are long gone and the potential for future growth is enormous.
What Book/Podcast Do You Most Frequently Recommend To Friends And Family And Why?
I’m a big fan of the Joe Rogan Experience because it involves a wide range of guests with all kinds of different expertise and talents, making each podcast a real learning experience. My top non-fiction books include AI Superpowers by Kai-fu Lee and the Elon Musk biography by Ashlee Vance, which I both cannot recommend enough. I don’t read a lot of fiction, but when I do I like something a bit philosophical. My favourites include 1984 by George Orwell and Siddartha by Herman Hesse, and I also recently enjoyed Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut.
Welcome Rahul and onwards!