Let me add a disclaimer right at the outset: This post is not intended to be provocative and I definitely do not want to be drawn into a lengthy debate.
My earliest brush with the word IIM was in primary school when my father, an employee in a public sector company, spoke about the time he first stood outside the gates of IIM (Bangalore) many years before his marriage. That image got stuck in my mind and there were many nights when I tried visualizing what my father had described - I wanted to feel the same awe. I got my chance not much later when one fine day, sometime during my middle or high school, my father decided to take me to IIM(B) on his 50CC moped. After what seemed like a very long journey, we reached the imposing gates and a huge signage with the words Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. After a quick chat with the security head, we walked in. I don’t remember how many hours we spent walking around the campus but it was late evening by the time we started our ride back. The return journey seemed a lot shorter - I was just not in my senses. It was a kind of high that I’ve experienced very few times after that (the latest when I was getting my married to my wonderful wife). I was hooked - and from that day forward, all I wanted to do was to force my way through those gates.
Watching the news now - got an idea for a blog post - something that I’ve felt very strongly about for a few years now - details to follow!
In the last 2 years that I’ve been running a startup - though I’m not sure if we can be called a startup anymore, there have been very valuable life lessons. Apart from the usual perks and pitfalls, one thing that has really stood apart for us is the sheer range of people interactions that we’ve had - family, friends, customers, investors, ex-colleagues, business partners, vendors, bankers, lawyers… you get to see people in a whole new light - people who stand behind you like a rock to those who abandon ship at the slightest hint of trouble. From the heady days of 2006-2007 to the dismal lows of 2008-2009, we’ve seen and survived it all.
The secret to this is not money, not luck - but love. Love of your family and love of your friends - probably the most underrated input for survival and success.
Money can be substituted - offer your employees stocks - pay rent using credit card - make your landlord an equity partner - and voila, money does not look all that important. But when you’re down and desperately groping around for motivation, all you need is an arm around your shoulder, a smiling face (and maybe someone to buy you a cold mug of beer) - and that, my friends, is where the game is won. The will to keep going in the face of insurmountable odds cannot be bought with money - the strength to get up, dust off and run again after being repeatedly knocked down requires just on thing - unwavering support - that of your family and your friends. When every single conversation leads to nowhere alley, your family and friends provide the light.
So I have absolutely no doubt in declaring that the single factor that has gotten us thus far is the love of our families and friends. Pleasantly enough, I’ve found new friends along the way - from ex-bosses and ex-colleagues to people I had lost touch over the years. I can narrate extraordinary acts of kindness - but I’ll leave that for another day.
So all you wannabe entrepreneurs out there - speak to family, speak to friends, connect/reconnect with people - go, get some love.
What does a startup need more than anything else ? - not money, not luck - but loads of love and acts of kindness!
Theatre + Restaurant + Bar = One Great Evening!
