Sugar Cosmetics CEO Vinita Singh, one of the investors on the popular TV show Shark Tank, has taken to LinkedIn to express her admiration for Flatheads founder Ganesh Balakrishnan.
In an emotional post, Singh praised Balakrishnan’s “courage, clarity, and honesty” in choosing to prioritize his family’s well-being over his own business ambitions. She went on to describe the struggles of entrepreneurship, including the fear of failure, the challenges of paying salaries, and the pressure of pitches, saying that Balakrishnan’s experiences resonated with her own.
“I don’t have words to describe the courage, clarity, and honesty of the entrepreneur who under the glare of 14 cameras is able to make the choice to be a better provider for his family rather than continuing to go after his dream,” wrote Singh. “Working hard to get into an IIT, then being seen as a hero for taking the road less taken but struggling to scale multiple businesses, getting some momentum and then the big setbacks, the massive fear of being written off as a failed entrepreneur, the terror of the 1st week of every month where somehow you’ve to put together the teams’ salaries, the nervousness at every pitch where you’ve to pretend to not look desperate but you know payroll depends on the outcome, borrowing money from friends and family knowing that whatever happens, you can’t lose their money – it sounds like Ganesh’s story but it’s also mine. And is also that if so many entrepreneurs out there. And hence I felt his pain in my gut.”
Despite the challenges, Singh expressed her pride in Balakrishnan for making the right decision and her hope that he will be able to pursue his dreams again in the future. “I’m proud of you, Ganesh, for doing the right thing,” she wrote. “You have far more courage than me. And I do hope to see you build your dream again someday!”
