Deepinder Goyal, the founder and CEO of Zomato, recently talked candidly with Raj Shamani about a dark phase of his childhood. where his school years were marked with bullying, shyness, and nervousness.

He shared that during his younger years, his small body build, dark skin, and stammer often made him a prime target for others. He was not taken seriously by many. Many would interrupt him mid-sentence or stop listening altogether, assuming that what he was saying did not matter. Goyal said this was more painful than direct insults, as it made him feel invisible.

The bullying extended beyond classmates. He recalled that even friends’ parents discouraged their children from being close to him, believing that only academically strong and confident kids were worth associating with. With low marks and constant judgment, his self belief took a hit early in life.

“So right now you can see that I am 6 ft tall, but basically I gained about a foot and a half when I was 12 years old. I used to be a very short, dark, and stammering kid. People would taunt me, saying that I am short, dark, stammer, and I was also bad at studies as well. My friend’s parents used to tell them not to be friends with me as I wasn’t good at studies.”
— Deepinder Goyal in conversation with Raj Shamani

But at home, things were different. His parents provided him assistance and told him that his stammering was not a permanent flaw. Even as a youngster, he found it difficult to ignore the voices outside telling him differently.

His experience highlighted the negative impact that bullying has on a youngster and the way it goes unreported. It also reminds us that every achievement story has a human in the back of it who has been shaped by way of worry, tenacity, and quiet resilience.

During the interview, Deepinder subtly promoted his “Temple” wearable health device by wearing it near his temple. The device measures real-time blood flow in the brain region, which can help in gauging the well-being of an individual.