Why I Built Sirpi

I ran marathons in my 20s and early 30s. I was that guy who never missed a workout, tracked every meal, and genuinely loved staying fit. Health was my priority.

Then life happened. Kids arrived. Startups demanded everything. Career responsibilities multiplied. Suddenly, those 2-hour training sessions became impossible luxuries.

By my late 30s and early 40s, my body was sending clear signals: persistent shoulder pain, recurring lower back issues, and knee pain that reminded me I wasn't 25 anymore. The daily aches became my new normal as I poured everything into building companies.

At 200 pounds, my annual checkup revealed elevated cholesterol. Watching my father navigate his own health challenges, I knew this was my tipping point.

As a 2x founder and VP of Engineering at companies serving millions, I realized something troubling: I could optimize complex systems and scale technology, but I couldn't figure out my own health. The standard advice wasn't working for me—or for other South Asians I knew facing similar struggles.

A trip to India became an unintentional experiment. I maintained my usual workout routine but ate traditional South Indian home cooking. The result? I gained 13 pounds in one month. From abs to a belly I hadn't seen since college.

That's when it hit me: our bodies respond differently. The same foods that my non-South Asian friends could eat without issue were affecting my metabolism in ways that generic health advice never addressed. We needed solutions built for our genetic reality.

I started researching. South Asians develop diabetes 10 years earlier than other populations. We have 4x higher rates of heart disease, even at normal BMI. Our bodies store fat differently, particularly around the midsection, creating hidden health risks.

Yet every health app, every piece of advice, every solution was built for the general population. Where was the health advocacy specifically designed for our genetic and cultural reality?