A Candid Chat with M2P’s Fintech Fanatic, Devang Mehta

Friday vibes just grew stronger post lunchtime. M2Peers geared up for their exciting weekend escapades.

And Devang, our fintech fanatic too had ‘exciting’ plans. He was waiting impatiently to spend his weekend on all things fintech, while sipping his fresh glass of juice. 

That’s Devang Mehta, our Vice President of Business Development in a nutshell.  Devang is popular among M2Peers and industry peers for his fintech-fused mind. He is the go-to person for anything related to fintech and beyond.

We feature this whiz kid and ex-banker as our Star of the Month this June. 

Curious to know what inspires Devang and keeps his going?

Keep scrolling.

How do you usually start your workday?  

I ensure my mornings have a positive start to set my day right. My mornings are filled with prayers and news reading rituals. LinkedIn is my favourite spot to get the hot and happening news around the globe. When we are fast asleep, other countries are up, so there is a lot to catch up on when we wake up. This is my routine before I go to bed as well.  

The to-do list is my saviour for the day. I list all my tasks and ensure those are checked on the same day. Time is limited for all, so I put everything I want to do on my calendar. 

Recently, I have added yoga, workouts and swimming to the morning activities for about 30 minutes daily, which helps me a lot with energy and stamina throughout the day. 

What are your main responsibilities as VP of Business Development?  

The list below pretty much sums up my typical workday. 

• Client meetings 
• Understanding client requirements and offering solutions 
• Brainstorming innovative business ideas, tricks and strategy  

• Competitor analysis 
• Communication of new product developments to potential clients 
• Providing management with feedback 
• Developing entry-level salesforce 
• Collaborating with other companies (M&A) 

How have you grown through the years as an M2Peer?    

Before I started my innings with M2P, I was a banker. I worked with banks like Citi Bank, DCB Bank and RBL Bank, where my core responsibility was managing customers and growing inorganically. In the banking sector, the groundwork was established and all set.

But when I moved to M2P, the environment was completely different. 

I was one of the few early joiners in the M2P family.  I got a lot of exposure to managing difficult clients and ensuring that the business relationship was built firmly. One of my best learnings after stepping into the fintech ecosystem is knowing how to build and manage relationships. 

This helped me to become a “Rainmaker”, i.e., someone who is not just being transactional but following a “Cockroach Startup Approach” (to keep moving and thriving despite changing market conditions, environments, or investment scenarios). 

Is there a quote/saying that motivates you?    

I follow two sayings: 

“Dear self, never try to defeat people; just try to win them.” 

 Another one that motivates me greatly in my career is “Sales Department isn’t the whole company, but the whole company better be the sales department.” 

What’s that one thing your colleagues don’t know about you?  

My friends almost know everything about me, but they were surprised to see my dance video. Most of them don’t know that I  hold a Brown Belt in Karate. 

What inspires you the most about M2P?  

My daily dose of inspiration comes from our very own founders. They taught me three important things.

• Thinking and driving the business forward
• Setting the business expectations right
• Staying grounded in difficult situations

I always think of our founders as the sun, that radiates incredible energy. It’s all about how people absorb this energy. When taken positively- people can feel a spark (motivation to grow) and receive vitamin D. If taken negatively, people would feel burned out.  

What’s your idea of a perfect day?    

Perfect day? I would rather say the perfect start for the day is to wake up without an alarm.  

Recently one piece of advice helped me a lot. And I would like to share it with you too.

Find a peaceful place in your house and sit there for 10-15 mins every day to meditate. This has brought good results, and I’m sure you will realize it too.   

What was your career path before joining M2P, and how has it changed?  

I was in the banking sector before starting my journey with M2P. I am proud to say that I was the best in our team but not in banking. I feel that banks will restrict you to only one ecosystem until you don’t reach the management level, whereas fintech gives you a holistic view of the business. 

While in banking, I received much recognition from the senior leadership team at times like town hall meet or annual days. But vice versa happened in fintech, where you don’t need an award, just learning and working towards improvement is high enough.  Everyone in the team will recognize you due to your hard work, irrespective of your position.

I go by the ideology that, ‘the day the market knows your company because of you, that day will be your career-changing moment’. 

What are your hobbies/ interests?  

I love grooving and dancing whenever I feel like it. I also like to drive and explore new destinations. In addition, learning new is how I spend most of my leisure time.     

Anything else you want to share about M2P?  

M2P will have incredible velocity in the coming days! We are very proud of that.

We are expecting to be Unicorn and Decacorn very soon. In M2P, the best part is right from founders to all our M2Peers, everyone strives to learn new every day. M2P gives you a platform to perform, but it’s up to us to decide if we want to crawl, walk, or run.    

So come on M2Peers, let’s have fun and grow together!

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