Meet Beejal Shah | President of North America, Launch Ventures

We had the good fortune of connecting with Beejal Shah and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Beejal, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I always expected to have a corporate career. I have a technical background, with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Master of Financial Engineering. Since I didn’t want to build my own tech startup or investment firm, starting a business never seemed like an option.

I started my career as a software engineer at American Express, here in Phoenix. I worked in a few other corporates as my role transformed into investment research and analytics. However, across my roles, rather than building products and investment strategies, I was more interested in how business teams made the high-level decisions that guided the organization. With an engineering background, though, and not a business management degree, I didn’t see a career path in that direction.

Then, in 2020, while job searching, I randomly reconnected with a former colleague to check if anyone in his network was hiring. He, instead, asked me if I was wanted to start the North American business for his software development firm, Launch Ventures. This was completely unexpected. The thought of entrepreneurship was scary and exciting. I feared failure, but idolized the fantasy. I always wanted to be on the business side of products and technology, and lead instead of implement, but I could never find the path. Knowing this opportunity may not come again, I jumped in and started Launch Ventures’ North American business.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Launch Ventures, North America is a software development firm that partners with companies to build and grow their technology products. We are motivated to help businesses succeed with high-performing product and engineering teams. We specialize in strategic technology implementation and high-quality, scalable software engineering.

Starting a business was definitely a risk. I don’t take a lot of risks; I’ve always been more comfortable with predictability and stability. So, it is ironic that risk-taking led me to the career I have now, especially because this career is more rewarding than any role I had before. I’ve had to embrace the uncertainty of entrepreneurship, and that uncertainty has made the journey exciting.

My background and upbringing definitely impacted where I am today as well. I am from Arizona, born and raised. Both of my parents were software engineers that had successful corporate careers. As a child, their careers sparked a curiosity in me. I loved computers and wanted to know how software works. This led me to pursue a computer science degree, and even today, I continue to build and lead a custom software development business. Being local has helped me give clients the comfort of having a partner in their neighborhood. It helps bridge the gap between vendor and partner.

While immensely satisfying, the journey surely hasn’t been easy. The most important factors to overcome challenges have been:
1. Persistence – Building a business is hard, but focusing on the long-term goals and persisting through the doubts and disappointments is crucial.
2. Client-centricity – There is nothing more satisfying than hearing clients say this is the best experience they have had. Caring for customers proactively, instead of reactively, has been a huge factor of success.
3. Trust-building – When I started, I had zero experience with business development; I had never even interacted with clients. I had heard the saying “Your network is your net worth,” but I did not understand it until I jumped in. Referrals have been crucial to our success, and they come solely from building trust.

Some lessons I have learned along the way have definitely shaped my experience. The most important one is to sow seeds and build bridges. You never know where the connections will lead, and these connections have brought opportunities and experiences that I could not have anticipated. I never imagined that a brief internship and a LinkedIn message to my former colleague would lead me to an entrepreneurial career years later. I’ve also learned not to dismiss the signals around me, but rather, to embrace them because every experience matters, even the ones that didn’t turn out how I would have liked. Lastly, I’ve learned that it never hurts to ask. Ask for opportunities, advice, and help. You can only find what you need if you look and ask.

My vision is to build a business that is highly recommended and known throughout Arizona, North America, and globally. I want companies to think of Launch Ventures as their true technology partner, one they could not imagine life without, and not just another vendor. I want the world to know that Launch Ventures is committed to helping companies build and scale their technology the right way while ensuring client success and happiness. Moreover, with me, they have someone in their corner that truly cares about delivering value while also making the experience rewarding and seamless.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would love to show them Arizona’s natural beauty. I’d take them to Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell, Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon, and Sedona first. I’d also love to show them Scottsdale and take them to some of our wonderful farmers markets.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First off, I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my parents, Anil and Surekha, for always encouraging me and supporting me. They provided me with every opportunity possible growing up, so that I could build a rewarding career and life. Their unwavering belief in me has been invaluable. They have been pillars through every doubt and every endeavor.

I’d also like to dedicate this shoutout to my sister-in-law, Hetal, for her continuous motivation and support. When I was stuck in a challenging period of job searching, she encouraged me to reach out to my former colleague, which directly resulted in me starting Launch Ventures, North America. Her encouragement and true friendship have been immeasurable.

Lastly, I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my business partner, Karan. He has helped me grow the business from the ground up, offering unconditional guidance and motivation throughout the journey. His confidence in me has been instrumental.

Website: https://www.launchventures.co/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beejal-shah-0a94a659/