.jpg)
Introduction
Let me get it straight for you - I'm not a professional astrologer. I don't take anything at face value or on faith alone, and neither should you.
I'm here to tell you my story - A story of “peaks” & “valleys” in my life-journeys:
- I am an alumni of Simon Fraser University (Canada), and IIM Bangalore (India).
- I have built and scaled the India base for a multinational company, with over one thousand highly skilled engineers. The company valuation exceeded $ 10 billion.
- Left the corporate world at its peak. Then came an exciting startup journey, reaching a $5.6 billion valuation in just six years.
- Amidst all this, I faced health challenges, leading to a brief sabbatical.
- And I've also experienced the common ups and downs in life-journeys.
As I went through the peaks & valleys, I realized all of them had a major underlying problem that needed to be solved.
The Problem
When you see a problem, you try to find a solution to it. Several problems often require seeking help or guidance. You go to your manager, peers, and friends. Sometimes to family, GOD, and spiritual teachers to fulfill this need. However much you try and convince yourself that the former is sufficient, the latter is not always left behind. Even Steve Jobs went to India to find his spiritual journey.
You are most likely to find Astrology amid the latter. I'll be frank with you - when I started I immediately found astrology as a service is unregulated. You won't find astrologers who can explain exactly their methods in a repeatable fashion and consistently be accurate with their outcomes. More so when there is an acute need to also distance the specific Math from the associated religious rituals.
What is Astrology
Look - I'll be honest with you. Astrology is a belief system at the end of the day. But it is an ancient practice that has been observed and studied in various cultures for centuries.
Astrology operates on the principle that the positions and aspects of celestial bodies at the time of a person's birth can provide insights into their personality, relationships, and life events. Astrologers interpret these celestial configurations, often using complex charts called birth charts or horoscopes, to make predictions or provide guidance about various aspects of life, including career, love, health, and personal growth.
The foundation of astrology lies in the belief that there is a symbolic connection between the celestial realm and human existence. The zodiac, divided into twelve signs, represents different personality traits and archetypal energies. Each sign is associated with one of the four elements (fire, earth, air, and water) and is ruled by a specific planet.
Discovering the Impact of Astrology
Ever since my childhood, I've been intrigued by astrology, thanks to my mother's introduction to this ancient practice. Access to talented astrologers helped me maximize the outcomes of the “peaks”, while minimizing the impact of the “valleys” in my life-journeys. Thus, over the years, astrology became a guiding force in my life, providing guidance on important decisions and helping me understand myself better. Imagine, you have a “meteorologist”, but for all aspects of your life.
However, how do you find talented astrologers with a consistent and accessible presence? Astrology is not something that students who only pass a rigorous testing methodology are capable of absorbing and applying knowledge - Like the prestigious IITs or IIMs or IAS. You don't know if your astrologer has had the capability and capacity to learn Astrology from a scientific perspective.
This realization sparked in me the very idea of breaking down astrology into a series of specific mathematical algorithms, supported by accurate planetary information available to us today, including from NASA. And by using the latest available deep tech (AI), solve the issues of quality, consistency, language barriers, time zones, and accessibility.
.png)
Validating the Idea
To ensure the feasibility of implementing astrology using technology, I delved into studying the subject in-depth through books and educational videos. Thus I discovered that astrology is rooted in mathematics and algorithms, making it suitable for implementation using tech-driven solutions. With this realization, I took the first step toward making astrology a scalable and accessible life management tool.
Building the Dream Founding Team
To bring Melooha to life, I needed a team of experts. Finding a trusted astrologer to join me on this journey was a crucial first step. Fortunately, I had the privilege of consulting with a highly experienced astrologer who had a Ph.D. in Astrology, numerous publications, and extensive teaching experience. Dr. Vineeta Phatak, my co-founder and an accomplished astrologer, agreed to join me, bringing her immense domain expertise and insights.
Completing the founding team required a technical co-founder, and that's where Bhalchandra Patil (Bhala) entered the picture. With 25 years of experience in building B2B & B2C software products and teams, Bhala was the perfect fit. After spending time understanding each other, aligning our values and culture, and establishing mutual trust, Bhala joined as the technical co-founder. His hands-on experience and leadership qualities made him an invaluable addition to the Melooha founding team.
