EP 105 Building the World’s First Massive Multiplayer Online Workplace

Why did an MD leave medicine for an EdTech company... that pivoted into a “World of Workplace” virtual platform to help companies and teammates connect, build culture, form communities, and get work done?

Our guest, Vishal (Vish) Punwani, reveals all in this dynamic startup life interview!

Vish is the CEO and co-founder of Sophya, the Harvard Innovation Labs alumnus that powers the leading virtual world (“surreal estate”) used by Fortune 50 companies and startups alike for work, social, community, and events. Sophya was part of the iLab’s inaugural Launch Lab X program in 2018-19.

Vish is also a medical doctor by training and leader in tech startups and AI. He became one of the highest-rated Teaching Fellows at Khan Academy, worked in data/edu at the World Health Organization, and has been an invited speaker at The Radcliffe Institute, MIT, and Harvard Medical School.

Vish is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence with Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs, a Mentor at the Oxford University Foundry, and Alumni Advisor at MassChallenge Boston.

During our delicious conversation Vish reveals:

* how his parents' entrepreneurial live prepared him for being a founder
* why the advice from dying patients had him rethink his career in medicine
* how remote work collaboration using a "world of workcraft space" turned his edtech startup into a vibrant, connected team
* the founder support community created from the Harvard Innovation Lab cohort
* the conversation he had with investors when the team pivoted from an edtech startup to a "world of workcraft" startup
* it's not about what people say, it's about what people do... and often the venn diagram of what people say, what people do and what people pay for... never meet.
* the best advice for onboarding talent, including his offer letter clause: glad you've made it this far, but you should turn back now if you want to be comfortable
* Stitch that on a Pillow: You Want People to Punch You in the Face with the Truth
* how he begins each day ... you will not believe his morning routine to get his mind focused!

Please visit https://sophya.world​ to learn more about this vibrant platform and its proven ability to help remote teams soar!

Follow Sophya via:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/soph...​
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophya_ai​
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asksophya​

Thank you for carving out time to improve your Founder Game - when you do better, your business will do better - cheers!

Ande Lyons
http://andelyons.com​
#videochannelforstartups​ #worldofworkcraft​ #MMOforWork​

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