Facing Stammering Publicly
Deepinder Goyal, the founder of Zomato, revealed his journey with stammering in a podcast interview. He admitted that the issue persists, causing him to feel
self-conscious and nervous. Goyal emphasized that he has to mentally prepare for conversations, as it requires considerable effort, often described as “calories” in his words. He has dealt with this since childhood, but has learned to overcome the challenges. He has embraced the necessity of speaking up, regardless of the hurdles. His approach involved consciously avoiding certain syllables during conversations and years of practice to improve his communication.
Avoiding Public Appearances
Goyal attributed his limited public appearances to his stammering. He explained that he hasn’t been visible at many events due to his condition. He noted that his ability to speak fluently is strongly linked to his composure. Speaking slowly helps him maintain control, and he consciously avoids certain syllables. He also highlighted the years of practice that have helped him mitigate the effects of stammering. This approach has allowed him to navigate his personal and professional life despite the challenges.
From IIT to Zomato
Deepinder graduated in Computer Science from IIT Delhi in 2004. After college, he started his career as a Senior Associate Consultant at Bain & Company. He and his colleague Pankaj started FoodieBay.com, an internal food ordering system for Bain employees, to address the long queues at Bain. The platform's popularity led to its rebranding as Zomato.com, which would eventually transform the food tech industry. This shift reflects his entrepreneurial journey from a consultant to a leading figure in the food tech sector.
