In 2021, Girish Mathrubootham made it to the cover of Forbes India after he took Freshworks from a small Chennai-based outfit to a $400 million revenue Nasdaq-listed Silicon Valley company. Almost two years and a football academy later, the CEO of Freshworks writes about how making things possible takes just a few people to take the bets no one else dares to
Girish Mathrubootham, CEO and Founder, Freshworks
With a heart brimming with pride, I watched the young Flying Squirrels of FC Madras football team take command of their newly inaugurated field, on the outskirts of Chennai. The growing crowd, bubbling with palpable excitement, eagerly anticipated the clash against Bengaluru FC.
Their presence reminded me of the sceptics who doubted my investment in Indian football, convinced it stood no chance against the European and Latin American titans. Yet, looking into the sea of hopeful faces, I found a thriving ember of faith, challenging the naysayers, flickering in each pair of eager eyes.
(This story appears in the 16 June, 2023 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)