Why I joined Plum

Health insurance wasn't really a topic of discussion growing up. The only way we knew how to deal with healthcare costs were rainy-day deposits, unless, of course, you were fortunate enough to have a family member employed with the government. It wasn't until I joined my first corporate job at the age of 28 that I had some coverage for my family and me, and it was through my employer. While it was a neat perk, admittedly, I didn't spend too much time learning about it. ?

However, in early 2020, I switched jobs and found myself remotely leading a team based out of Mumbai. Unfortunately, Mumbai saw the worst of the pandemic, and almost every day, we'd hear news about friends and family members being adversely affected. A lot of these conversations were also about hospital costs, insurance coverage, and challenges with claims. I couldn't help but think about my own health plans; I knew we had some coverage, but I had never bothered to check. My lifestyle wasn't particularly healthy, and neither were the circumstances. Amidst all the chaos, during one of our all-hands meetings, a colleague vocally thanked the HR team for introducing Plum to the org. He said it made dealing with an otherwise harrowing experience a little simpler.?

This was the second time I was hearing something positive about Plum. The first was when they partnered with RazorpayX — a platform I worked on not too long ago. My former colleagues said some very flattering things about Plum, which got me to look them up. What started as a casual ping between Abhishek and me ended up in an opportunity to lead the marketing efforts at Plum.

During the early days of my conversations with Abhishek, I tried reading up a bit and talking to folks about the industry, the offering, the company, people and whatever else I could think of. While it was interesting to learn about the industry and how it was getting disrupted with Plum leading the charge, what stood out was how everyone I spoke to unequivocally mentioned how great the people behind Plum were. These commendations acted as an early green check for me in an otherwise elaborate process.

Around the same time, Plum raised their Series A, and press coverage mentioned Plum's ambitions of bringing insurance to 10 million Indians by 2025. I asked Abhishek about how they hoped to achieve this huge target. His pitch was unreasonably ambitious and unmistakably well-meaning, which to me seemed like the perfect recipe for an exciting and inspiring startup that's also committed to the vision.?The opportunity wasn't just for my growth anymore; it was to create some real last-mile impact. I just couldn't turn it down. As my colleague Akshay has written in the past, ?

Disrupting the employee healthcare industry will not be an easy feat. In addition to building excellent tech-first wellness and insurance products, we will have to demonstrate how overall healthcare and well-being is vital for employees and employers. Marketing will have to play a crucial role in refining the narrative, building a scalable demand engine, unlocking new channels for growth, and helping make Plum the most recognizable and loved employee healthcare brand in the country. It won't be easy, but it'll be exciting and rewarding, for sure. We're trying to put our best foot forward and if you'd like to join us on this exciting journey, check our Careers page for open roles.?