WMW #26: Almitra Karnik, corporate mum turned founder of productivity app, mum of 2
"Motherhood has made me more ambitious"
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We are back in Dubai after quite a few trips in and out. We have had a great summer, but I am happy to be home and in my own bed.
As I find myself in between working on contractual paid-work and my own projects, I find myself having greatly productive days and also days filled with angst.
Between home, kids, errands, work, self-care and time with husband, there is always SO much to do. Even a little bit of procrastination, indecision, bad planning or a bad night’s sleep can really throw you off your schedule.
I had too much to do on my list since we came back from holiday on Tuesday, and to be honest it was an unrealistic list so I shouldn’t beat myself up. But I can’t help feeling behind and discouraged.
I have allocated some me-time tomorrow morning to shake off some stuck energy after which I will map out the new week ahead.
Which brings me to the latest interview for my Working Mums Wisdom series. This interview is some much needed inspiration for me as it is focussed on an incredible woman who seems to have got her productivity system in place, and is now helping us solve our productivity issues as working parents via an app she has recently launched, called Fhynix - The Dream App for Parents.
Parents have superpowers. But superpowers need to be charged too. Fhynix is a personalized, data-driven technology platform that puts parents in control of making optimal choices that matter to them - personally and professionally.
She has nailed her messaging and I am so excited to bring to you her story. If you are looking for some productivity tips, inspiration and motivation, you will love this interview!
Meet Almitra Karnik, corporate mum turned entrepreneur, mum of 2, founder of parent productivity app Fhynix.
Q. Tell us a little bit about yourself (work, family and personal interests/hobbies)
I am a working mom of 2 kids under 10. I did my masters in computer science and MBA from the University of Massachusetts and we lived in the US for 12 years.
We always wanted to explore India as professionals so once we had our kids, we decided to move back. With all the uncertainty, it originally seemed like a 2-year plan but now it's been 6 years that we are back in India!
During my career I have held multiple leadership roles across marketing and engineering at Cisco, Twilio and CleverTap. I also mentor startups on marketing strategies, funding, hiring and building global and diverse teams. The 3 adjectives that describe me best are hustler, persistent and empathetic. I love working out and reading. They really give me a lot of happiness and discipline.
Q. How did you get started on your own business journey? What inspired the launch of Fhynix?
As a parent, I constantly struggled with time. Managing my kids’ schedules across activities like swimming, soccer, home to-dos, meal-planning, work projects, family and social events and me-time, I was constantly swapping between multiple apps like calendars, to-do lists, notes, printouts on kids’ walls, post-its to find information that aligns with my priorities.
I started researching and barely found any apps that focused on parent productivity, organizational and contextual information discovery. After 100+ user interviews and problem validation across US, India, Dubai, Europe and Australia, Fhynix was born to solve this issue.
Q. How did you have the courage to quit your job to launch Fhynix?
I had been working for 12+ years in the US and India and then was helping startups figure out their go-to-market strategy. I have met some incredible folks during my entire career and have learnt a lot from them. The grit and drive to execute on their beliefs is something I have learnt from them.
When I was planning to build Fhynix to support parents with productivity and discovery, I realized that for this to see the light of the day and for me to be honest with the problem, I would have to be full-time at it. As we progress in our careers and lives, there is a lot of uncertainty and there are a lot of commitments but time is always a constraint. So for me, this was the right time to dream big.
Q. What is your best advice to mums looking to achieve their full potential as professionals as well as mums?
Find your WHY.
"For me, being a mother made me a better professional, because coming home every night to my girls reminded me what I was working for. And being a professional made me a better mother, because by pursuing my dreams, I was modeling for my girls how to pursue their dreams." - Michelle Obama.
I love this quote and it summarizes how working mums can get some perspective. It is hard for mums and parents - working or not working. We need to find our why on the choices we make and then many decisions become simpler.
Q. What are the challenges you face yourself as a mum and business owner? What do you do to overcome them?
My main challenges are finding balance between my startup, spending time on myself and my family, and living a holistic life. Startups are 24x7 but so is your personal life. Here are my three hacks:
Define space boundaries: There was a time where I was working the whole day on Fhynix, spending time with the kids and managing home priorities - especially during COVID. What helped me was to use my office for work, kid’s areas for playing with them and not swapping these energies out.
Be patient and kind to yourself: I have recently realized the benefit of mediation to slow my reactions to circumstances. I have always been an impulsive person :) Also we are kinder to others than to ourselves, hence positive affirmations and gratitude is key.
Be vulnerable. Ask for help: My partner, my parents and in-laws are my compass. They call me out when I am not thinking straight and step up to support me when I am drowning. Vulnerability is a muscle. Build it!
Q. How do you manage your time?
I am a big time management nerd! I have my priorities and optimally map them to how I proportionally spend time on them.
I use frameworks like time-blocking to carve out time for workouts, kids, work, family and more. Time blocking involves dividing your day into blocks of time and dedicating tasks to those blocks. The length of the blocks depend on the time it takes to complete the task.
This technique is used by entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Bill Gates.
As author Cal Newport says “A 40 hour time-blocked work week, I estimate, produces the same amount of output as a 60+ hour work week pursued without structure.”
Here is my sample calendar and I use Fhynix to organize and execute on these.
As you can see I have time blocked for workouts, spending time with kids and me-time. This helps me to get a single view of my life and the reminders make sure I don’t forget!
I also use the Eisenhower matrix which is one of the most popular frameworks for time management and can also be used by parents. This is a productivity tool that helps people prioritize tasks based on their level of urgency and importance.
In addition, I highly recommend this book Art of saying no. It’s helped me learn that the time I spend on something that doesn’t matter to me or due to external pressure, takes bandwidth from things that I value.
Q. What is your ultimate goal as a working mum?
I feel I have 2 objectives.
My primary objective is to raise kids that are independent, persistent, empathetic and can rise above failures.
My secondary objective is to be a better version of myself everyday and be honest with all my priorities. Excelling at work gives me a high and so I need to work hard here. I am an extrovert and hence balancing family and social relationships helps me keep people who matter to me closer.
Q. How has motherhood changed your ambitions, if at all?
Honestly, I think it has made me more ambitious. I want to tell my kids that you can excel at anything you do. There is a huge caveat here though - I have been lucky to have amazing parents and in-laws who have encouraged me to set aspirational targets and stepped up every time I’ve needed them.
Q. Where do you get your inspiration? What keeps you motivated?
My motivation is more internal than external since I am an intrinsic person. An example would be weight training. I have been doing this for many years now and once I decide to pursue something, I put my whole energy into it.
This extends to my work too. I have been fortunate to work with amazing leaders and teams at Twilio, CleverTap and Cisco and so many of them have inspired me in many ways - to be a better leader, embrace my identity as a working parent, focus on my happiness and have new hobbies.
I also want to be a role model for my kids where they see their mum as happy and healthy; the struggle is part of it but I want them to see my commitment dare to dream.
Q. What is your best productivity hack for parents?
Daily planning and time blocking are my besties. Here is my schedule:
6:30am: Wake up and get kids ready for school
8:00am: One hour workout - weight-training, running or yoga followed by breakfast with spouse
10am - 4pm: Work starts with meetings, team collaboration, product roadmaps, etc + lunch
4pm: Spend 1 hour with the kids when they come from school
5pm - 7pm: Work and knock-off tasks like research for vacation, book appointments, admin etc
7pm: Dinner with kids and bed-time routine that includes reading, listening to music, story-telling
8:30pm: Ready and planning for the next day
I also make sure weekends are dedicated to kids, partner, extended family and friends. I also make sure to go for coffee with friends on weekdays once in a while :)
Q. What do you do in your 'me-time' and how does it help you?
I do 3 main things that keep me excited.
Working out - weight training and running. Building muscle and strength.
Reading - I had stopped reading after the kids but now I am back to it. My recent favorites are -A short History of Nearly Everything, Iliad by Homer, Meditations, and Zero to One by Peter Thiel. We love reading!
Solo travel. Every year I plan to do one trip alone and it helps me explore places with a new perspective. I am a foodie and love coffee! This was from my last trip to Dubai!
Q. Favorite tool that makes your life / business easier?
I have to say Fhynix. With Fhynix, I can
Organize schedules across work, home, kids schedule, school to-do, events, and self-care
Analyze priorities and incorporate actionable suggestions for better time management and execution
Get personalized recommendations based on insights from local and global peers on activities, products, services, local events in your city
Learn from experts and your trusted community on best practices, counseling, skill-building, nutrition, education, sports, and connect with other parents!
Q. Favorite quote
A latin phrase - Cogito ergo sum which means “I think therefore I am” - from René Descartes who was a French philosopher. He found that he could not doubt that he himself existed, as he was the one doing the doubting in the first place. It means that although everything else could be an illusion, the only thing that is a certainty is that you exist.
I could be in a world of illusion. Even my thoughts could be illusory. But what isn’t an illusion is that there is someone to experience them. I'm experiencing what I think.
The one truth I can be certain of, is that I exist and my thoughts play a big role in who I am.
Q. How can mums access Fhynix?
We have over 200+ mums across India, Dubai, US, Europe, Australia and Canada on the app.
Here is a link to our App Store and link to our website. I would love for all parents to try it out for productivity and discovery. If you face any issues, please email hello@fhynix.com
Hope you enjoyed this interview. If you want to connect with Almitra or want to leave her a message, feel free to leave a comment or reply to this email and I will make sure the message reaches her.
If you think anyone else can benefit from this issue, please share the love!
All for now,
Love
Abha