About Beyond Cubicles
đ˘ #BeyondCubicles is a weekly LinkedIn series created by Carolina DâSouza, born out of her own experience transitioning from a corporate career to independent consulting. Since its launch in June 2024, the series has evolved into a platform that showcases the inspiring journeys of several founders who have redefined the traditional 9-to-5.
Through authentic narratives, #BeyondCubicles highlights themes of courage, resilience, and purpose. The stories feature individuals from diverse industriesâranging from tech and education to wellness and adventureâwho share their experiences of stepping away from conventional roles to pursue passion-driven careers.Â
⨠Note: All features in this series are unpaid and shared as a way to honor and amplify real stories of transformation.
âDonât build for hype, build for usefulness.â
Bhuvan Batra never set out to build a hospitality tech company, but every hotel stay nudged him closer.
âLong wait times, stretched staff, language barriers⌠I realized I was spending a lot of time dreaming about fixing these problems,â he says.
That tipping point became too loud to ignore. He didnât want to look back wondering âwhat ifâ at 50, so he jumped.
Drawing on his experience at several tech startups across the GCC and India including Yabi, Souqalmal, and Carcrew, he co-founded bellboy.
âOur mission is to reimagine guest experiences without increasing headcount,â he says, explaining it is an AI voice and messaging solution for hotels and vacation homes that handles guest requests, reservations, and complaints in over 60 languages, 24/7. The name âBellboyâ is a tribute to the most trusted face in hospitality, now cloud-based and multilingual.
Turning an idea into a product, and then a company, was far from smooth.
âThe mix of self-doubt, financial anxiety, and the sheer uncertainty of entrepreneurship was quite intense,â he says.
There were days he missed the comfort of a paycheck. On others, he questioned whether he was good enough. Support from co-founders, investors, mentors, and his wife along with learning to be okay with “not having all the answers” carried him through.
Validation came when a hotel in Oman signed a three-year deal and said, âThis changes how we operateâ. Smaller moments also mattered like watching the management get âwow-edâ when they experience the product.
Even with traction, the journey has its slumps. âI wish someone told me that you just never arrive. The goal post keeps moving. Youâll never feel ready, and thatâs okay. My advice: donât build for hype, build for usefulness.â
Bhuvan had to become comfortable with uncertainty. âI had to learn to trust my gut more than the playbook,â he says.
The journey has also reshaped his identity and personal branding efforts. âI went from being invisible to intentional. It has turned me into someone who asks better questions, listens harder, and leads with clarity even when things are messy.â
Originally from India, he moved to Dubai in 2018 for a fintech role. For him fulfillment is watching an idea take shape âin the real world and having customers thank you for itâ.