Innov8 co-working’s Russell LongJam talks to us about winning the award for SuperStartups

Innov8 co-working recently won the Superbrands award for SuperStartups – becoming the first recipient of this award. The SuperBrand stamp is recognised across Canada, Croatia, Australia to Austria and Malaysia to Mexico and for the first time they have introduced the SuperStartups category, to honour the best in the startup world.

Russell Longjam receiving the award

The award is not selected by a panel of judges but rather by the netizens from across 15 metros and smaller cities in India. The initiative gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to stand alongside Superbrands like Wipro, Pepsi, ITC, Lakme, Maruti, and hundreds of others that have earned that right. Being the first startup brand to receive the award, we spoke with Russell LongJam, Chief Marketing Officer at Innov8, on the same:

You are the first recipient of this award, how does it feel?

We are really Proud and Happy. The whole team is to be appreciated for it. We want to create the most trusted brand when it comes to office spaces in the country. It’s a multiple decade vision not a sprint of a couple of years.

Innov8 won the award for SuperStartups, what is it that makes you one?

Our product, the passion we see and the team we work with.

• Our Core Passion for creating the best workplaces for India
• Our Ideology on product first than quantity or market share
• Our Internal culture at HQ and Community collaboration of Co-workers

What is your mantra for becoming a Superbrand and how do you maintain that?

We are fanatics about product quality and don’t ease until we have achieved perfection in the eyes of our customers. We are building a culture where people are happy, productive and take ownership in what they do. We are creating a workstyle for the future.

• Focus on Company values
• Building Community & creating Networks
• Design and product implementation
• Use of Technology for scaling and process improvisation
• Customer delight

How does it feel to have received a globally recognised award like this?

We are honoured and humbled to be recognised by a program and international organisation such as Superbrands. When the award is decided by the votes of thousands of internet users in 25 cities all over India, it is something special and validates our values.

While awards such as these bring a sense validation, others may hold a different point of view. What is your definition of an ‘award’?

When a customer is delighted by our services and refer our brand to another potential customer, it is like an ultimate award or satisfaction. It is also a sense of recognition.

Moreover, an award like this decided by customers or potential customer themselves is something to cherished and probably affirmation of making the right decisions we made.

The startup ecosystem has rapidly expanded over the last few years, while we have a high number of startups in the country what would it take before India becomes the ‘Startup Capital of the World’?

In this well-connected world and dissemination of knowledge and experience, India is not far behind in getting such a tag. We need more people solving real problems catering to many people innovatively.