I vividly remember my first memory of Zomato – I was enjoying my mid-term break from the Indian Military Academy (IMA) and was craving some greasy North Indian food in Delhi, to redeem the calories I had burnt at the Academy. Of course, the universal question of ‘where should I eat’ dawned on me. A visiting friend informed me of a website that could help answer just that, and tada! My love affair with Zomato began.

A year later, I again found myself on the Zomato website, looking for the best restaurants in Pune this time. I had left IMA by now and somehow stumbled upon the About Us page. In no time, I was deep into reading about the story of the founding team and this unique product that was helping people when they were hungry and angry (aka hangry). 

Suddenly I knew what I wanted to do next – help build Zomato. I spent hours searching for the most suitable role, and couple of days later, I was on a call with the People team (HR) to convince them why I wanted to be part of this mission. Luck played a part (yet again), and I made it to the Zomato headquarters (HQ) for an interview.

Chatting with some of the most amazing people, I knew that this was the place I wanted to be at and where I wanted to start the next chapter of my life. I was so excited to become a Zoman! Little did I know that the best 10 years of my life would start from a quaint little farmhouse in Chattarpur, New Delhi (HQ back then).

10 years later, here I am. I have worked in 8 different functions, launched Zomato in 10 different countries, and have worked on a variety of problems and products that truly, in every sense of the word, change people’s lives for the better. But if there’s one piece that stands out for me – it is the phenomenal and incredibly driven people I’ve had the fortune to work with over the decade. 

And that’s why I always say, Zomato is not just a product or an app or a workplace, it is a sum total of its people. 

Looking back, I can say a lot has changed over these 10 years – offices, people, our apps, and business models. But what has stayed evergreen has been its Culture – full of hustle, humility, and resilience. We have built this culture on trust and belief in one another. Someone famous once said – A lot of companies and businesses talk of building a relationship with their clients and customers, the ones that succeed are those who build one with their people first.

I’ve seen it all here, the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, but with the support of the people, Zomato and I have always come back stronger, sharper and more driven. And I have loved every bit of my time here. 

​​I’ll leave you all with a beautiful quote in French, that’s been the source of my drive over the last many years: “Vous n’êtes pas encore arrivés, mais vous êtes plus proche qu’hier.” In English, it roughly translates to: “you haven’t arrived yet, but you are closer than yesterday.” 

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This article is written by Prakhar Mishra and is part of a series called ‘A Slice of Zoman Life’ wherein Zomans share their journeys, learnings, and experiences at Zomato. Stay tuned to know more about the life and culture at Z.

_{All images were consented to and sourced from Prakhar Mishra’s personal image library.}