A few years ago, I was profiled in Prof. Khanjan Mehta’s book titled “Solving Problems that Matter (and Getting Paid for It): STEM Careers in Social Innovation and Global Sustainable Development”. The book was meant to promote STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), and I was asked to pen some advice for students pursuing careers in social development and sustainability.

I wanted to share an extract from this book for YMP’s current and future employees, partners, and collaborators because it is at the heart of our work at Yoma Micro Power.

Align yourself with what you want from within your own heart and what you are passionate about; ask why it matters to you. If it resolves to love and compassion for others—whether be it for your loved ones, friends, or the general masses—go find that work. When we look deeply inside ourselves, we find that love is what makes us go around, so work in service of others can be very fulfilling.

It is about aligning the heart with the work, but it is also important to understand the critical thinking necessary to be able to see problems the way they are and to be able to find solutions. Having both intuition and the analytical skills to be able to dissect the problem into pieces that can be solved is very important.

Charity alone is not sufficient. Charity is okay in some cases, but we cannot give enough. For the solutions we think of, to have a large impact, they must be commercially sustainable. That means that it pays for the goods, it pays for the services, and it pays for some profit for the people involved. It will keep the people motivated and wanting to solve those problems.

– Alakesh Chetia, CEO & Founder of Yoma Micro Power