NoSmalltalk
June
Real People.
Real Conversations.
Alba’s
with
Albert Schiller
6/25
Alba’s NoSmalltalk
Real People. Real Conversations.
www.planetalba.biz/nos
JUNE ISSUE 2025
Editorial Note
ALBERT SCHILLER
In a world saturated with noise, genuine substance signals o�en get lost. ‘Albas
NoSmalltalk’ is our commitment to amplifying that signal. We lead conversa-
�ons that delve into what drives people, shapes their decisions, and leads to
true innova�on.
The individuals you’ll meet in this June issue embody this ethos. They are not
performers of a rehearsed script but authors of their unconven�onal narra�ves.
From Prateek Narang building a tech tribe rooted in the Indian hills, to Priyanka
Gupta execu�ng a life built on happiness and pragma�c discipline, each story is
a testament to orien�ng di�erently.
They are founders, innovators, and decision-makers who have chosen them-
selves rather than echoing prevailing norms. Dr. Sanjaya Pradhan rede�nes
ability by turning cultural heritage into market value, while Prasanna Akella engi-
neers well-being by fusing hard logic with essen�al empathy. Akshay Deshpande
moves beyond a label to tackle sustainability at its roots. Ratnesh Mathur recon-
structs educa�on based on radical trust in a child’s innate drive.
Every individual I listen to demonstrates meaning in their own right. They
remind us that the most resonant connec�ons and impac�ul endeavors arise
not from super�cial agreement but from the courage to explore complex truths
and challenge the status quo. If you are drawn to the substance beneath the
surface, lean into it. Priori�ze the ideas and the people that ignite your intellect
and spirit. That is where progress lies.
– Albert Schiller, CEO & Founder, Planet Alba BiZ
Table of Content
Building Your Tech Tribe
p.6
p.20
p.32
p.44
p.56
p.64
The Execution of Happiness
The Alchemist of Ability
To Belong
More than a Lake Cleanup Guy
How to get Work Certified
Prateek Narang
ColoredCow
Priyanka Gupta
VegFit
Dr. Sanjaya Pradhan
eKalakaar
Prasanna Akella
Belong
Akshay Deshpande
Switcheko
Ratnesh Mathur
Aarohi Life Education
Building
Your Tech Tribe
MY ENCOUNTER WITH PRATEEK NARANG
By Albert Schiller
ColoredCow and the Indian Hills
From Corporate Corridors to a Hilltop Philosophy
With s�nts at Tata and establishing NCR’s Gurgaon development center,
Prateek’s early career o�ered a deep immersion into corporate mechanics.
However, a growing sense of hi�ng a “treadmill,” a feeling that “this is not what
I want to do,” propelled him towards an unconven�onal path. A solo cycling
trip with Bertrand Russell’s “Conquest for Happiness” provided a cri�cal insight:
“forget about the big plans... You just do whatever you want to do in a simpler
and easier way.” This clarity, born from introspec�on, guided him towards lever-
aging his core coding skills to found ColoredCow.
Tales of urban innova�on hubs and billion-dollar valua�ons o�en dominate
the narra�ve of India’s tech ascendancy. Yet, nestled in the hills, Prateek Narang,
founder of ColoredCow, is authoring a di�erent, perhaps more resonant, story.
His company isn’t just another custom so�ware development �rm; it’s a delib-
erate experiment in social architecture, a “human resource company” disguised
in tech clothing. From a conven�onal engineering path to a self-described “ac-
cidental entrepreneur,” Prateek’s journey has led him to challenge fundamental
assump�ons about where talent resides, how it’s nurtured, and what cons�tutes
genuine business success. By consciously choosing to build his “tribe” away
from the allure of Silicon Valley, real or aspiring, and by priori�zing a�tude over
ap�tude in his hiring, Prateek is not just coding solu�ons but a new model for
sustainable, community-centric enterprise.
The ini�al foray into “Manage My NGO,” a so�ware product for the social
sector, was an “accident” that, despite its limited commercial success (“I don’t
know how to sell. I know how to create”), revealed a crucial market gap and
set the stage for ColoredCow’s referral-driven growth. This experience under-
scored a founda�onal belief: “Once you create a value, people pay back you
The An�-Resume: Hiring for A�tude, Training for Skill
A pivotal divergence from mainstream tech recruitment came from Prateek’s
evolving perspec�ve on talent. Having experienced the pressures of hiring the
“top 1%” in mul�na�onal corpora�ons and �nding the results o�en indis�n-
guishable from hiring less creden�aled individuals, he began to ques�on the
model. “Okay, 1% is �ne,” he thought, “What’s happening with the rest of the
99%?” This led to a radical decision for ColoredCow: instead of “stealing the
talent, we believe in crea�ng the talent.”
This philosophy found its most concrete expression when ColoredCow estab-
lished an incuba�on center in an engineering college in the hills of U�arakhand
in 2017. The ra�onale was clear: “Let’s go to �er N, not �er 2, not �er 3... tradi-
�onally, if there are hills that are normally neglected... it’s more touristry rather
than economy.” This move was not about �nding cheap labor but about unearth-
ing and nurturing poten�al where others weren’t looking. The “CodeTrack” pro-
gram emerged, a hands-on approach where students and fresh graduates work
on real, open-source projects, “pu�ng the code in Github, ge�ng it reviewed,
doing the Devops thing, launching the product.” It starkly contrasts tradi�onal
retraining programs, o�ering immediate, tangible experience. “The beauty was
that... it was the actual thing,” Prateek emphasizes.
The core hiring principle became “hire for a�tude and train for skill.” While ac-
knowledging this is “very tough when you are growing,” ColoredCow remains
commi�ed. They look for individuals who understand their current skill level,
believe in the company’s values, and are open to a learning curve. This approach,
Prateek believes, fosters natural loyalty and has resulted in an a�ri�on rate that
is “probably the lowest in the industry.” People who joined in 2014 are “s�ll
hanging around and they’re building the team further with the same tenacity.”
“Rather than stealing the talent, we believe in creating
the talent. It’s a very long-term approach, but it worked
well for ColoredCow.”
with value.” It also highlighted the unique challenges of the social sector, where
the value of technology o�en clashes with �ght budgets and a primary focus
on bene�ciaries. “For an NGO, the tech is s�ll not the core, right? So the money
should go to the bene�ciary, not to a tech company,” Prateek explains, ar�culat-
ing the �ghtrope he walks in pricing his services to be sustainable yet accessible.
10