Introduction

Step into the captivating world of Web 3.0 and blockchain as we delve into an extraordinary conversation with none other than Mr. Abhishek Kateliya, a true visionary and the brilliant mind behind the thriving community known as Third Block. Get ready to unlock the secrets of this fascinating technology and gain valuable insights straight from the source!

Let’s Get on with the Interview

AV: Please introduce yourself and shed some light on your background.

Mr. Abhishek: I am Abhishek Kateliya, a full stack software engineer who worked with JPMorgan & Chase for 3 years and then I joined a California based AI in trade finance startup called TradeSun. Meanwhile I have had an elaborated experience in the Non-profit sector. I am the founding team member of Roti Bank Foundation where we worked on creating a leftover food collection based operation model to help feed the hungry around Mumbai. We expanded with sub entities in cities like Hyderabad, Ara, Patna, Nagpur, Pune etc. to reach 1 million meals in 3 years of inception. We also developed stale food alerting devices and Hunger Map for Mumbai as a technical project in collaboration with Engineering colleges in Mumbai.

I was also part of an initiative called Coding4all.in, where we teach basics of coding to high school students for free of cost. We reached a cohort of 200 students in 5 months. We teach students online without them having laptops or computers and via best of tech industry experts across the globe who are also our fellows. Apart from these I started taking interest in Web3 and blockchain technologies, I worked on the JPM coin project which is a digital currency of JPMorgan.  Apart from work I like traveling & trekking and I post stories on instagram (@abhikuchbhi_blog) and my MBA journey on @mbabhikuchbhi  

AV: You are pursuing your MBA in Technology and Business Management; what prompted you to gain an MBA degree?

Mr. Abhishek: I had given up on my MBA plans during COVID, I wanted to go to Wharton to get my MBA but while weighing all my options I felt India is really a place to be for upcoming times and Masters’ Union came across as a promising option for me to get involved into Indian StartupEcosystem. I applied to MU without thinking much and went on a trek in the Himalayas. By the time I was back, I had an Interview call, and in a month I had an Admission. I came here to understand the startup ecosystem better and add more valuable people to my Network. I’d say it was a hell of a journey and a wise decision.

AV: Can you name a few people who have influenced your career, and how have they inspired you?

Mr. Abhishek: When I was small I always used to reply to this question with ‘BATMAN’. I never understood what it meant to have an idol or mentor and I have always admired Batman for his Grit and hardwork. So yes, Batman inspires me to always push and do more. Apart from that Mr. Prafulkumar, who also is my Dad and a serial entrepreneur. None of his ventures made it big but his perseverance and grit still reminds me till this day that So what failed ? Nobody has stopped you from starting all over. Founder of Masters’ Union, Mr. Pratham Mittal, he is young, energetic and has it all. There is nothing i could think of that this man doesn’t have, yet the kind of enthusiasm, energy and efforts he puts in his work is really something and definitely inspiring for me.

Inspiration Behind Becoming Entrepreneur

AV: You have founded two companies- Third Block Community and StockUp. Can you please give a brief description of the companies?

Mr. Abhishek: Third Block Community is India’s first Web3 community and open forum for non-techies. Since web3 and blockchain are considered to be the techies’ game, nobody is paying attention to the needs of a non-technical person to understand Web3 and their challenges. TBC is here to help them break into the ecosystem. For this technology to grow both the players need to perform their part.

For more info: https://abhikuchbhi.notion.site/TBC-Housee2c0b59e05af4df7875aa6ca8f1850f1 

StockUp – is a b2b pharmaceutical stock procurement platform where we provide services like spot-fulfillment and Daily PO-fulfillment along with delivery logistics. We used to operate from Indore as our base location. Along with this we also developed a product called StockTrace – a smart Polygon blockchain based barcoding solution that will solve counterfeit, trust, transparency and expiry of medicine related issues across the supply chain of pharmaceuticals.

AV: What inspired you to start your own companies? What are some of the challenges that you faced, and how did you overcome them?

Mr. Abhishek: The reason why I left a very high paying comfortable job was because I wanted to do something that peaks my interest. Starting a startup or becoming a founder was never a dream, rather doing something radical and taking 1000% risk and convincing others that whatever you are doing is worth something is really really exciting for me. I came to the Masters’ Union because I had some ideas that I wanted to work on.

The convincing part is always the challenge, not everyone will see the worth of what you are doing and yet you have to believe in your efforts, your vision and YOU. I think finding some source of inspiration really helps, like I said for me. My dad has been that person and obviously some nutcase-not-letting-you-give-up co-founders are always good to have:P

AV: What drew you to work with data, and what excites you most about it?

Mr. Abhishek: Creating a business from scratch is nothing but playing around with data and trying to find that 1 consumer insight where you get our “Eureka!!!” moment. In the sea of data (Internet), you just need that single insight which will become the foundation of your business. For StockUp, It was “out of 9 Lakh retail pharmacies, 90% Retail pharmacy procurement in India is unorganized.” and for Third Block community – “There are 500+ communities in India for ~5 mil developer and Zero Community for 470 Mil Non-techies for Web3.” Data is a sea of information and to get a story out of this sea is one of the most exciting things. You really hit Ahhaa! Cords as soon as you see something strange.

AV: You were a speaker for Analytics Vidhya’s Data Hour in November 2022; how was your experience as a guest speaker?

Mr. Abhishek: I have been a student of analytics Vidhya during my engineering days and now being an instructor at Analytics Vidhya is like coming full circle. I have high respect for everything AV does for developer communities and specially freshers. It was pretty exciting to see myself on the other side for a change. 

Impact of Communities

AV: Can you tell us about a particularly successful initiative or project that you have led as the President of Third Block Community and its impact on the community?

Mr. Abhishek: StockTrace – a sub product of StocUp is indeed one of the community driven projects under TBC. We had no clue as to where to start from, but fortunately the community came to our rescue and we did a successful developer hackathon in my alma mater on the same problem statement and we found our very first interns via hackathon. We worked tirelessly for 1.5 months to create a prototype of StockTrace. Ihave created a template for rest of the community members to come together and pickup projects as part of TBC, this initiative will earn community members #TBCrespect and it’s one of the parameters to become a more active member of the TBC Community.

AV: Can you share an example of a difficult decision you had to make as President and how did you navigate the situation to ensure the best outcome for the community?

Mr. Abhishek: We always had a great vision for TBC and want to do more in very less time but speed is not always good for a venture. We had decided to launch TBC #respect tokens and convert TBC into a DAO during April but we had to fall back on our decision as the Community is not mature enough to be converted into a DAO and we’d rather focus on adding more value for existing community members. We also scrapped the hierarchy in the Organisation when we decided that TBC will become an open community to promote decentralization of authority and power. I have high respect for the core team to let go of their positions. 

AV: What are your goals for the Third Block community, and what initiatives or projects do you plan to undertake in the coming years?

Mr. Abhishek: TBC works on 3 pillars – Education, Integrate and Extend. To Educate the community we have started a few initiatives like Community Hours, Third Block Masters – Keynote sessions, Third Block House – a community space where we curate and consolidate knowledge and resources for anybody to kickstart in Web3. To integrate we have started taking up community projects and POC works to test and explore the capabilities of our community members. (Stocktrace is an example of a community project), and to Extend our community knowledge we started partnering with other organizations to do collaborated events as part of Third Block X. We have partnered with The Product House, Blockchained India, Sudan’s Tech to conduct community meetups. TBC will become a go place for any non-techie to understand Web3 and crack a job in Web3 role. 

AV: How do you ensure that your work as President is sustainable over the long term, and what steps do you take to build capacity within the community to continue your initiatives?

Mr. Abhishek: My aim was never to become an authority to control the community, the very definition of community is driven by people in it. I started this initiative and soon I scrapped all the holding positions of authority – thus don’t call me President, I still prefer the founder of TBC but in the long run, this community will become a DAO where a set of most active contributors in the community will call shots. The growth and vision will be led by people who believe in the cause why TBC was started. And I will always be there, not in terms of authority but as one of the most active members of this community. 

AV: Finally, what has been the most rewarding aspect of your work as President, and what motivates you to continue serving the Third Block community?

Mr. Abhishek: We have introduced  more than 150 people to the world of Web3 by now. We have received so much love from other communities and VCs in the Web3 ecosystem, the respect TBC has garnered from these people in such a short period of time is the reward. People reaching out to us to partner/collaborate and contribute to TBC without even spending a single rupee in marketing is a testimony in itself.

The Wise Advise

AV: What is one piece of advice that you got from another person, and how did you implement it? 

Mr. Abhishek: “When you start an initiative for a larger good of people, the initiative will make sure it rewards you the most.”

This is the reason why TBC is an open community and not a startup. 

AV: Additionally, what is one piece of advice you would give students or individuals who are starting their career in Data Science?

Mr. Abhishek: “Data Science is the art of crafting stories from Data, become a storyteller first and then it will all seem like an art. Become a Data Artist!”

Cheers to good communities and good work !

Connect with me on LinkedIn, in case you have any queries or ideas to discuss.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this conversation on data science, communities and insights on Web 3.0 and Blockchain. We hope that we bring you some more interesting success stories, very soon to you!

In conclusion, the success story of our visionary showcases the immense power of data analytics and the transformative influence of communities in the realms of data science, fintech, and blockchain. Through unwavering determination and a keen understanding of the evolving industry landscape, this individual harnessed the potential of data-driven insights to drive innovation and propel their entrepreneurial journey towards remarkable achievements.

By fostering a vibrant community of like-minded individuals, they created a platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and collective growth, unlocking new possibilities and forging unprecedented partnerships. With a deep-rooted passion for leveraging cutting-edge technologies, they not only transformed their own aspirations into reality but also inspired countless others to push the boundaries of what is possible. This success story is a testament to the tremendous impact that data analytics, community-driven initiatives, and emerging technologies can have on shaping a prosperous future.

If you want to become a full stack data scientist, then enrol to our program now!

Sakshi Khanna 03 Jul 2023