Personally Tech With Coverfox CEO Varun Dua

Ever wondered which apps and devices the heads of companies and the people behind your favourite gadgets are using? That's where our weekly column Personally Tech comes into the picture, as we take you behind the scenes to see what products leaders from different walks of life love and swear by.

We've taken you inside the backpacks of the leaders of startups such as MySmartPrice, research firms like Soft Machines, and well-known names in consumer tech, such as Nvidia. This week, we caught up with Coverfox CEO Varun Dua, to get a look at the apps and gadgets that he loves. Coverfox is an online portal that helps you buy insurance - life, health, property, and more - through its website or apps. Here's what he told us about the contents of his backpack.

Describe your technology setup - what computer/ phone/ tablet/ camera/ gaming console/ other gadgets do you use and why?
Varun Dua: I'm completely on the Apple ecosystem. I use a 12-inch MacBook, an iPhone 6 and an iPad mini 3. The stability and intuitiveness of these devices is what makes life easy. Also the new MacBook is lighter than even the MacBook Air. With 8GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, it packs enough power and at that size and weight is super easy to move around with, and has great battery life too. That's the perfect combination for me as I travel frequently.

I also use Sennheiser MM 100 headphones. I'm not a big fan of bulky over-ear headphones and also hate dangling wires. The MM 100 is compact, wireless and serves the need for reasonably good sound quality for calls, or music and movies.

What are three apps (mobile/ tablet or PC/ Mac) you couldn't live without and why?
Varun Dua: There are some apps that I completely rely on. First up, is Sunrise. It's a calendar app that is compatible with all mobile and desktop calendars, and supports Google and Apple calendars and most mail clients too. It's simple, neat to look at, and helps manage my schedule, no matter which device I'm currently using.

Uber is another essential app for me - I have a car, but I've practically stopped using it. I don't think there has been a better example of disruption in commuting behaviour. It's just so easy. The third app I really rely on all the time is Google Drive. All my critical data and presentations get dumped on to Google Drive. In fact things are working so seamlessly that when I switched my MacBook Air to my new MacBook, I did not do any data transfer, for the first time ever. Plus I can access the files on my phone, or tablet, or even someone else's computer.

Which is the one gadget (other than your phone) you never travel without and why?
Varun Dua: I carry everything all the time. I need to have access to my laptop, iPad and phone and headphones. All of them are in my backpack, always. If I'm stepping out for an hour or two - then my phone suffices. But anything longer and I need all my gear.

What is your dream gadget/ technology setup?
Varun Dua: I love the gadgets that I currently have. In fact every year, the way technology upgrades, it makes life easier than what you imagine.

What I would love to see is a day, where a physical Google exists. We don't need order or a place for everything in our digital lives. We just search, get to what we want instantly. Think of how amazing it would be if real life could work like that!

How has technology changed the way in which you work?
Varun Dua: Connectivity and specific tools for practically everything are changing work lives very quickly. I feel that email's relevance is becoming limited to external communication. Internally - documents are shared on Google Drive, projects, tasks and deadlines are getting tracked on a tool called Asana, and our team has been able to build a live mobile dashboard to track key business numbers. Email is becoming less important - which personally I find great.