Romancing!

The truth of the matter is that entrepreneurship is hard. It’s really hard. Venturing out on your own. No steady stream of income. No way to know that your idea will be the one that works, not the one that fails. No stability. No demarcation between life and work. People constantly questioning your progress. You get the picture. It’s hard.

Despite this, entrepreneurship, and particularly social entrepreneurship, is in vogue. They are cool. Everyone wants a piece of the action. What is cooler than chasing your dreams and having a social impact? No one is ever going to accuse you of selling out to the machine, of being a slave to the man.

Instead, you are going to sit and shape one’s career. In our case, the ones are increasing, day by day! ;)

Yet it is increasingly becoming clear to me that the western conception of entrepreneurship is having a powerful influence on minds. You need to have an air conditioned office and that too at a nice location, a brand laptop, and what not. Lot of people ask me, “Where is your office?” I respond saying ‘Mmmm, Office cum hall at Jilebi Chowk, Miraj!” They exclaim, “Miraj?? Why don’t you go to Pune/Mumbai??”

Office location, interiors, the laptop you use, the mobile you use, etc make a difference. I do not disagree. But many young minds are having these ‘material’ as their first priority, which according to me is very risky. This way you lose your focus on the ‘idea’ that you set out to implement at the first place. I see people romancing all these ‘stuff’ and when they do not make it ‘big’, they think that the ‘idea’ itself was not class.

Valentine day is nearing. Our business, with a social impact, slowly is gaining pace. I am happy that I am romancing the ‘morals’ rather the ‘materials’ of being an entrepreneur. The holy grail of individuality, of being your own person, of choosing your own path is my muscle power.

Those who wish to experience this ‘moral satisfaction’ do visit our office/hall at Jilebi Chowk, Miraj. You need to call me to reach here; you won’t get this address on Google maps!   ;)

Happy Valentine day! Happy Romancing!

I Have A Great Idea and Need An Investor: NO YOU DON'T!

Although, I have not made it ‘big’ yet, I am taking the liberty to write few lines on something called ‘Finding an investor for a business’!

Recently a business plan was emailed to me, and I told this person that although the business concept was good, they shouldn't pursue this idea because it required that they find an outside investor. You should only look for an outside investor if you have already successfully started your business and need additional capital to grow, if you have experience launching at least one but preferably more businesses on your own (the more complex the better), or if you have accumulated enough experience in your industry to truly be considered an expert.  Otherwise, don't look for an investor, and find a business that you can fund on your own!

First of all the chances of you finding an investor are almost slim to none, unless you can get your family or friends to invest.  Personally I would never take money from family or friends, because statistically the chances of failing are great, and what are you going to say to your friends or family when you lose their money (I might make an exception for someone that truly understands business)?  If you can't get investment from family or friends, then you will have to find an outside investor.  You've never started a business before, and you aren't an expert in your field, so why would any intelligent person (intelligent people are usually the ones with money  J ) invest in your idea?

Even if you were able to find an investor I wouldn't recommend it.  An investor means you have just been bought and instead of having the freedom of being an entrepreneur, you now have a new boss.  Nobody is going to give you money without putting extreme pressure on you to earn a profit on their investment. They invest to earn and not to learn!

Right now I'm having fun launching 'O₂; Breathing Brain, Respiring Career!  and learning about business.  If I had an investor, I certainly wouldn't have the luxury of launching the business at the more modest pace that I have launched O₂. When you acquire an investor there are future goals that are set that will allow the investor to profit off of their investment.  Then the investment capital is used to hire staff, pay for research, launch products, introduce new services etc, depending on what kind of business you are in..., all towards the objective of meeting the goals agreed upon with the investor.

The problem is that it’s a start-up and many of your guesses are just assumptions.  You received money to reach your goals, so you are obviously going to invest in recruiting new staff, infrastructure etc. Once you launch your product/service you will realize that at least some of your assumptions were incorrect.  Unfortunately you have already hired staff, setup your office and invested money in resources aimed at targeting an incorrect assumption.  It won't be that easy to just fire staff that you spent months recruiting and/or training or just to change your office location.  It also won't be easy to explain to your investor that you just wasted her or his money on an incorrect assumption.  Best case scenario is you fire the staff you didn't need; just change the office location just because things were not going good and you annoy your investor by admitting that you wasted their money.  Worst case scenario you get so trapped in the world of your poor allocation of resources that you continue down the incorrect path.

With O₂, I am using my own money and along with my partner.

When I realized something wasn't working, the worse thing that I had to deal with was the disappointment of my partner or staff that they had been wasting time down the wrong path. Same is the case with my partner. However, that’s a much easier problem to manage than having an investor that doesn't completely understand what’s going on, and you have to go to them and explain that you have been wasting thousands or lacs pursuing the wrong path.

I don't care how frugal you are, but I can bet you are going to spend one lack given to you by an investor differently than you are going to spend one lack of your own money!

If you are not an expert or don't have entrepreneurial experience, I don't think having an investor increases your likelihood of success.  It's a far better idea to start a business in which you have the financial means to fund on your own.  You will learn a lot more, you will have more fun, and if your idea is successful then you will have a lot more equity.

Starting a business with your own savings is like creating true art for the love of it.  It’s truly a beautiful endeavour, you and your team against the world, fighting and scraping to figure out how to make your venture a success.  Not just for the money but for the love and the passion of what you are doing.  Introducing an investor in the beginning makes it all about the money from day one, and you have corrupted the process from the beginning.

Cheers, I don’t need an investor! And I’ll make it big, very big!

Let the ideas flourish

Everyone’s first experience in the job world is different. Some have an awful boss or unbearable coworkers, others have an average time, and some even have a good first job. But there are a few people whose very first employment is one of the greatest experiences of their life. I am one of these lucky few, my first job is well described, and with all due respect, I thank to all my past and present bosses and peers who gave me the freedom to live, in my small cubicle; who honoured my capabilities and had trust in me that the freedom I enjoy will never be tangential to what they expect. And did I live up to it? Yes, I did (at least according to me)! They say this is great. Then where is the problem?

Problem is with me. I do not find this ‘cubicle freedom’ sufficient. I’ve had my own ideas of living life, though weird for you all, they are like freedom to me. They are still there, they are there for the past 2 years, but as they say, on ‘hold’. And guess what, these ‘ideas’ are going to give my bread and butter (perhaps some toppings as well) for the rest of my life.

If you’re like most of us, you have a hectic work day filled to the brim with activity, meetings, issues, deadlines, etc. It’s easy in our chaotic work life to get tuned-out from our personal goals and even easier to lose sight of the big picture of what we truly want in life. So while I’d love to say: I’ll do less, create more free time. In fact, I’ve always liked fast-paced jobs. I enjoy being busy and having new challenges pop-up in my day as they tend to bring new energy and opportunities along with them. However, with this busy environment, it’s easy to get caught up in the commotion, and to lose sight of how we want to be living our lives, impacting others, and reaching our dreams.

We all realise all this and still work like donkeys and eat like dogs? For? For that Louise Philippe apparel or those hush puppies from red tape or the newly launched BMW or to have a date at The Leela? Is it all? Brand does not make a person. Even though one can wear the most expensive clothes far out of the budget of many, but if one’s character is proud, unkind and manipulates others, it is difficult for one to find someone who genuinely respects the person. Respect is earned, no forced or bought. If we feel people do not like us and instead of trying to hunt for that perfect dress, why not instead try to hunt for the personality traits within us that may put other people off? Then there would be no never ending quest for more cash and credit to fuel that shopping habit. I know some people need to spend extra months or weeks to work off enough money to pay for that expensive shoes, gown or handbag for that one night’s glory that goes forgotten by others. Is it really worth the effort?

There is so much liberation in opting for the life style you want. It is not the clothes you wear or just the shoes you wear or the restaurant you dine, it is also the time you wake up, time you have lunch, time you go on a date, time you sleep, time to hangout, time to booze, time to play with pets along with the chai ki tapri, man me aya ghumne chale things, and yes time to work and most important, time to spend time!

The cost of life that I am paying to earn money is a going beyond the boundaries that I had set. My last blog was in the month of Oct’11. WTF!

My ‘ideas’ are getting suffocated in my head. Got to set them free before they rot in there!

Speak up pal, only then will happen the lokpal!

Apparently, a new party is rising, lead by Mr. Anna Hazare. The series of occurrences in and for his team, not personifying it as a party yet, for the benefit of the larger whole, has more or less lead us to believe that it is not heading on the right track. Or who knows, it was planned to be heading this way and it is precisely on track? Let us assume that it was not planned to be heading this way so that the dust on my keyboard is wiped!

The key spark hit the roof when Anna went on for a hunger strike and was stay put in Ramlila Maidan. But, then onwards, lack of coherence in the team is evident and I wish to take congruence of most political parties in democratic India within which such conduct is a norm and hence  the term ‘party’ presumably, has started to encompass bondage with team Anna! I recently, planted on my face book wall whether team Anna is for the Lokpal or against the ruling party! Two members have already stepped down, chappals hurled on one, one suffering from physical bruises and now, it’s Ms. Bedi!

Ms. Bedi, an ex-DG of the police; a Magsaysay Award winner; an important and much hunted pal party member! She’s over-claiming and her (ill) logical argument is that she’s not pocketing anything personally but passing every bit of the saving on to her NGO!

“Because if one chooses to buy the argument what is stopping DMK from saying that the money made from 2G scam was used for distributing free sewing machines to the poor? Or Congress, from saying that the money from the CWG scam was spent to fund some such poor-friendly initiative. Do A Raja, Kanimozhi, Suresh Kalmadi and the lot in Tihar, then get a clean chit? What is Anna Hazare agitating against then?” (Abantika Ghosh – Corruption is in the way Ms Bedi – dated 20^th October)….

Ms. Bedi, who’s NGO has helping hands of Bharti Walmart, Lehmann Brothers, Infosys foundation, will have obviously lofty powers. Let’s accept this and treat her as high profile case, as we have already, for many who are/were in jail with AC’s and TV’s!

Anna, break the silence, restructure the team!

Ms. Bedi morally has to step down or must apologize for the discounted act. Bhusan, take a break, go for a trip (please, on personal funding!) Hegde, might take a sabbatical as there is a possible downturn ahead and I doubt if Anna’s payroll will bear with him or vice versa.

Anna, you , Speak up pal, only then will happen the lokpal!

WOW!

College to corporate world was a drastic change in my life. Teachers teaching how to study,solve problems, learn apptitude,whatever to mentor/bosses teaching,sharing the experience actually, about 'creating the WOW factor' amongst your collegues. Not much fundas in my current organisation,Siemens Ltd with, my boss,Rahul,a very artistic person, an ideal in himself. By saying artistic it ofcourse includes the so called art in it,painting to be specific,but I would like to address him as an artist of his life in totality. He is aware of and pays attention to the smallest of the small things. Practically speaking, it is not possible to be an ideal artist of life, but but he is one,to the extent one can be. These were office hours.

What about the WOW factor under our shelter? Lives have become so fast in these 'cities' to the extent that you spare time first to tell your expectations,problems,fun,happenings,sorrow or ask the same.Descending comes the step of the solving if a problem, realising if an expectation or enjoying if fun or happenings. Gone are days,in time and space too,when partners or so called closed ones realised the fun,sorrow,happenings,expectations,by merely looking onto them,their gestures and their 'nayans'.Though, people say, love can be sensed by looking into each other eyes, but that is a exaggeration,at least to me,now. I doubt whether there is any WOW factor in relations existing in this world ,this world circumscribe in its scope the busy city lives. Nowadays, you judge the quantum of drinks you gulped down by staring at the lovers/partners eyes. Not that this wasnt a case in the days back,but it can be said that such conclusions are drawn exclusively when 'nayan' are in context."Jaanu,tere naino me daaru dikh rahi hai!"

Now comes the term 'fidelity', which is playing in and around the knots existing in todays relations,especially couples. The importance of fidelity cannot be understated today, typically for couples. Far away,in space and time,people have and had time, to set expectations and then realise it,as stated above. This bolstered the relations making them grow healthier. But,now, it is undemanded fidelity that keeps the relations healthy and rich. Fidelity,just fidelity rather,can put couples to slowly witness distance amongst themselves,morally. They tend to feel that the partner is demanding,suspiciously or kind of ruling us.But,undemanded fidelity,in itself, the greatest stimulant to make the beautiful rose blossom and spread the essence of love blossom.

I had in no way intended to sway my thoughts into what about fidelity I wrote above. But, I was just now having a text chat with my weird girlfriend. She has been alloted to some data archival project under BNYM by Cognizant and was just introduced to her team with 2 girls and 4 boys. This looks a simple line, but it took me 5 interrogative texts , to 'extract' this information. Did I mention weird? Yes, he he ...This is beacuse, I am in a meeting, she calls and starts talking and talking and talking , without even knowing, rather caring to know, where I am. Everybody stare at me, constantly, unless I cut the call. Now, here, I need just one exclamation text, to stop her, keep her on hold and continue, when I am free. A gemini girl, Linda goodman says, is actually 12 personalities into one. I guess I know about 4-5 out of the 12. Agreed!

I digressed a lot, WOW to a girlfriend! LOL! It isnt laugh out loudly, it is lots of love!

Enrouted to eternal peace?

If the youth today cannot sustain mere three minutes of meditation, how can they enjoy 3 hours of a idiot movie, hours in front of something around 20' desktop playing games and hours of staring into so called lover's eyes?

Sentience of home…

          It can be anywhere in the world. As long as you get the feeling of belonging. Sometimes this happens by meeting and connecting with new, wonderful people,visiting another city or country that really feels comfortable to you. You cannot exactly describe why you get that nice, warm fuzzy feeling, but you know that you get. That’s true, far more than true!
          In the world of today more people than ever are relocating, moving, immigrating and traveling. It always comes along with “Do I get that same feeling of belonging again”?

Many people may advocate that one’s home is a geographical location, four walls, a huge TV, an air conditioner, a false ceiling and the interiors which have become a status-quo factor now, all the techie gadgets, etc. A place where you get all the comfort, though material, inside four walls. You can live in this material for decades together.

But, there are some whoi advocate a ‘home’ ,within the soul characterized by family and memories, or somewhere that safety and love abound. Home may exist on several levels, such as cultural, societal, familial, and/or political.

          Material objects and the physical actions of making and using them are a fundamental part of how forced migrants, far from being passive victims of circumstance, seek to make the best of – and make a home in – their displacement. But, there is also something, an inner feeling of insecurity which keeps us killing, provided me have time to think. Lives have become so fast that we do not even think of taking a pause and think and ask ourselves where we are heading to, what do we want, what do we need?

          The ratio of people changing the state of living a life at home from moral to material is increasing exponentially as the materials are taking over morals, in ma ny cases. You gradually start adapting yourself to these modern lives, unknowingly or knowingly, the change fascinates you, and your actions now start aiming towards ‘achievement’ of these goals. This is inevitable! I can say that  ‘this life’ has become the ‘life’ of the our generation.

          Although, there are very few, who run  behind what they wanted their life to be without succumbing to the lucrative material around. Sad to say, out of the few, very rare are ‘happy’ and ‘proud’ that they are living the life they wanted, and they had dreamed iof far before and not,just before. Because there is a thin line between far before and just before, on which you pull the plug of life or you end up being pulled up by life!

          The  line, the thin line, is everything you should be aware of. Everyone, in his lifetime, goes ‘through’ this line, time passes and then you realize how you lived the ‘thin line’ and that decided how you will be living then after!