I recently had the opportunity to speak to Dr Srinivas Rao, the Operating Partner at Phoenix Venture Partners. Over his long career, he has occupied several senior management positions in corporates and has mentored several start-ups.

For Dr Rao, innovation is more than just an approach to problem-solving, it is part of the DNA of all human beings. It is not a business process, but the fundamental desire within each of us to improve our condition. We just need to mindfully experience the world, reflect on it, learn from it, and grow.

Snippet- Understand your market: His advice to new founders would be to understand what problem the project is solving and tweak the product accordingly. Finding the perfect product–market fit is like finding diamonds in the rough and cleaning, polishing, and embellishing the product, based on active feedback. To learn, absorb, and put things into practice is to constantly keep innovating to improve. About the interviewer: The podcast host, Vidyangi Patil, is a coach and co-author of The Solution Book.