Morning Stars | For Drip Capital CEO Pushkar Mukewar, sight of early morning Mumbai is worth the chaos that follows

Pushkar Mukewar’s job profile is such that he prefers working till late in the night.

Note to readers: Morning Stars is a series of interviews with achievers across fields about their morning routine and how they get ready for the day ahead. Mornings bring optimism and a fresh start. And how we spend them sets the tone for the day.

Mornings are not his cup of tea, although tea very much is. Pushkar Mukewar’s job profile is such that he prefers working till late in the night. Whenever he starts his day though, a cup of tea is a must. Often, nursery rhymes play in the background.

“My kids take command over Alexa early mornings and play Baby Shark and Down by the Bay,” says the co-founder and CEO, Drip Capital. “So, I wake up to these tunes and my day often begins on a very pleasant note.”

Here’s what the Mumbai-based Mukewar has to say about his morning routine.

Where are you currently? Please describe in brief the scene and mood around you?

I am in the office right now which has lately become my second home. Since the lockdown began (in 2020), my employees have been working remotely. But today, our doors are open for those who wish to drop in. With not many team members around currently, my office is filled with a rare silence.

Are you a morning person?

Mornings are not my cup of tea. This is largely because I prefer to work late at night. My work schedule requires me to be on calls, coordinating with several of my team members across various time zones. So, by default, my mornings tend to be a bit more relaxed.

How many hours of sleep do you need?

A healthy dose of sleep is essential for me to feel re-energized. I try to get six to eight hours of sleep every night.

What would mornings be like at Wharton or some other institutions you studied at? Can you share a funny anecdote?

Interestingly, at Wharton, we had classes four days a week and those too began sometime after 9 am. So mornings for me usually kicked off late. We also had a flexible routine as classes were held only four hours a day and a lot of focus was on project work, which was done outside of classes.

Sometimes when I would wake up late and miss my bus to school, I would take a cab. Being a student tight on budget, I was forced to skip breakfast that day as I had already spent the food money on the cab fare.

Do you reach for your phone for news/ messages right away or do you stay offline for a while?

Being the founder of a start-up, there is always something or the other that needs my attention on an immediate basis. I guess I have naturally tuned myself to be connected all the time. It has become my habit to check my emails before I fall asleep and also first thing in the morning when I wake up.

What are the two or three things you do in the morning that are important for you to start the day on the right note?

I cannot start functioning without a cup of tea. It is what rejuvenates me. If I do not have any early meeting planned, I like to go for a walk or a jog for about 30-45 minutes to prepare myself for the day ahead. Tracking key company metrics daily and checking Slack for alerts is also an integral part of my morning routine.

What is your regular news source in the morning?

I am accustomed to reading newspapers and other online portals to get my daily dose of industry news. There is a specific channel on our company Slack --“Trade News” -- where my team members and I post news relevant to our domain.

What do you like to see on the breakfast table?

I mostly skip breakfast as I follow intermittent fasting. I eat lunch at around 1.30 pm and then have dinner at home with my family by 9.30 pm.

Are there two or three cities that you worked in and know well? If yes, what did you like about mornings in those places?

San Francisco, Dubai, and Mumbai are very close to my heart for different reasons. Being metropolises, these places are synonymous with the hustle and bustle of city life. Nevertheless, there is something pleasant about the mornings of these destinations.

When I used to go to the office in San Francisco, I would walk down the street in the morning, grab my breakfast on the way and take the cable car to work, which was unique to the city. The one thing I cherished about the commute most was the picturesque landscape of the city.

Dubai was another interesting experience where I was working as a consultant and staying in a hotel. While my stay was short, I enjoyed the local culture and the vibe of the city.
Mumbai feels much more like home as I have grown up in India. Even though people crib about the city’s pollution, traffic snarls, to witness the few minutes just before the city wakes up is worth all the chaos that happens later through the day.

Any song or tune that you like to listen to in the morning, or which captures the morning mood for you?

My kids take command over Alexa early mornings and play Baby Shark and Down by the Bay. So, I wake up to these tunes and my day often begins on a very pleasant note.

What do you look forward to on weekend mornings?

Because of my busy schedule during the week, I don’t get to spend as much time as I would like to with my kids. So, the weekends are dedicated to them, whether it is having breakfast together, taking them to the grocery store or out somewhere in the city.

Which celebrity would you like to have breakfast with and why?

Elon Musk. He is one of the most innovative and impactful entrepreneurs of this generation. I’d love to have breakfast with him and learn about his operating style.