Two Much: Product Designer On Weekdays And Race Car Driver On Weekends Lee Keshav leads an unconventional life. When not playing the role of product design leader in the startup space, he is a race car driver - not something we get to hear about very often.
By Kabir Singh Bhandari •
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Lee Keshav leads an unconventional life. When not playing the role of product design leader in the startup space, he is a race car driver - not something we get to hear about very often.
Keshav started his journey in the racing arena soon after taking professional training in Thailand and was invited to a selection event by the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in Spain. Though he couldn't make it to the academy, Keshav continued his journey. Switching from superbikes to cars, he earned the title of India's Fastest and Fittest Young Driver' at the competitive JK Tyre Volkswagen Motorsport Polo R Cup championship. Having competed in several top-tier championships such as JK Formula BMW and MRF Formula Ford 1600 championship, Keshav had also managed a last-minute entry in the acclaimed MRF Challenge winter championship, which marked his debut in international racing and made him one of the fastest-progressing drivers from India.
Then ofcourse there is his life as a product designer, starting to work in the tech industry from a young age, teaching himself how to design and code, eventually turning entrepreneur and founding his app design firm when he was just 16. He joined Hike at the age of 19, marking the beginning of his professional career, in part because he wanted to fund his racing dreams, going on to lead Product Design for Hike Messenger and Airtel Wynk Music under the mentorship of Kavin Bharti Mittal. He also led
product design teams for other startups in India like OYO Rooms, Foxy India, and most prominently NITI Aayog.
But how did the balance between being a product designer and a race car driver come about?
"I saw racing on the TV as a kid and was truly fascinated. Growing up in India, I avidly followed MotoGP and Formula One, inspiring me to explore the possibility of making racing a reality. Through online research and the discovery of valuable resources, I realized that pursuing a career in motorsports was feasible. This revelation led me to transition from a spectator to an active participant, embarking on a journey to fulfil my aspirations as a racing driver," Keshav told us.
Currently, he is preparing to race in Europe next year and exploring a couple of championships, simultaneously juggling the role of Creative Head at Rush Gaming Universe, a skill-based gaming platform.
