MACONZA March Issue
March Issue
EDITORIAL NOTE Greetings from Team Maconza! Come March and we are all set to welcome spring. The birdsâ€&#x; songs, the green leaves and a GREETINGS TO ALL
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TECHNOPRENEURSHIP
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DARING SPIRITS
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cold chill of winter. We present to you the March issue of Maconza, hoping that stories about entrepreneurs would be like fresh air in the predomi-
THE SCOPE AND EFFECT OF COMPETITION ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP
breath of fresh air in the morning sun after the
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nant mundaneness of life. In this issue, we present to you a variety of in-
AN INTERVIEW WITH SWAGAT BOSE DEFINING AN ENTREPRENEUR
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PREPAID VEGGIES
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INTERVIEW WITH VAMSHI KRISHNA REDDY
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SELF BELIEF IS THE KEY
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A TECHNOPRENEUR BY THE NAME OF
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THOMAS ALVA EDISON
teresting reads from interviews of budding and successful entrepreneurs and greeting card industries to charitable work and new forms and ventures of entrepreneurship with Technopreneurship finding special focus in this issue As always, the articles, through the stories they tell encourage and portray entrepreneurial spirit. We hope you enjoy reading the magazine as much as we enjoyed writing for it.
I WANT TO BREAK FREE
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DON'T WAKE ME FROM FANTASY!
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Please mail your suggestions and comments to maconza.feedback@gmail.com
Happy Reading Team Maconza
Note: All Images found in the magazine are either non-copyrighted or have been given the license by the respective publisher to be used freely.
Maconza
MACON
The Entrepreneurship Cell
“Macon” means „to Create or to Build‟. The objective of launching the cell is to provide the common platform to those who aspire to be an entrepreneur and want to bring change in the society in a different way. These people can come together, express their views, show their passion, share their ideas, and nurture their dreams to see them turning into reality with the help of Macon. Through Macon‟s initiative, we try to bring out the entrepreneurial skills and provide with the vital support system that a budding entrepreneur demands. The Vision “MACON is a conglomerate of individuals with a vision, a dream which surely can come true. It is a place for all those who want to create their own path and leave behind the trails of success. The Cell aims at nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit and tremendous energy among individual to a level where they can bring about a positive change in the society…a change that we all aspire for. MACON believes an entrepreneurial mind is a mind of original ideas and aspires to extend all possible support to it‟s student and alumni members, in association with it‟s strategic partner, NEN, and enable them to realize their dreams.” The Mission “To ignite the spark of entrepreneurship amongst students from IBS and other institutes and provide a common platform for individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit to develop, nurture, share and grow their ideas.” Establishing a new enterprise requires skills that have to be nurtured from a very early stage. The huge potential and skills of management graduate of India needs to be tapped and each and every college has to take up initiatives of creating not just job seekers but also job providers. However motivation and information at the right stage could lead to birth and nurturing of future entrepreneurs at the graduate level. Even for those who do not aim to start an enterprise immediately, the cell will help in providing them the platform to demonstrate their entrepreneurial skills. Page|3
March Issue
Opinion Greetings to all!
By Aveena Ghosh Remember the days when we used to go for Christmas and New Year card shopping? A few years ago, everyone used to go and buy greeting cards for our near and dear ones sending our love and affection through this wonderful piece of paper. There is a card for every occasion and an occasion for every card. This in itself is enough for a fivefold growth in business. Let it be a New Year , Christmas, Birthdays, Valentines Day , Diwali, Teacher‟s Day, Mother‟s Day or any other day, there is a card for each of these occasions. Now we don‟t have to wait for an occasion to buy cards and send them to our dear ones because according to the people in Archie‟s every day has got its own significance and a reason to send cards to your loved ones. According to them, there is a Boss Day, Forgiveness Day, Divorce Day, Doctors Day, Secretary Day etc which people are starting to celebrate. These days all of us just need a reason to celebrate and this trend is being capitalized upon by all the greeting card giants channelling huge profits out of it.
dustry in India is fairly new. A couple of decades ago, there were just some small-time players. One chose from some staid floral designs and pictorial cards to go with any occasion (Season's Greetings, Happy Birthday, and so on). The scene saw a big change when Archie‟s entered the market in 1980, bringing in its wake fresh looking cards in all sizes with smart legends in them. There followed even musical cards, pop-ups, and brilliant designs from many players. Simple designs gave way to stylish and contemporary ones. The two-word legend was substituted by more substantial
Although greeting cards have
words that ranged from the mawkish to the
been around for a couple of centuries, the inPage |4
Maconza
tongue-in-cheek.
while Hallmark has an agreement with Vin-
The late Eighties and early Nineties
tage cards.
was boom time for the industry with growing
However, the arrival of the Internet
sales. International tie-ups brought big names
spoiled the party for the "social expression" in-
to India and one could pick cards ranging from
dustry. Pretty paper cards soon gave way to
Rs.5 to Rs.550 for a card with embellishments.
digital postcards, electronic postcards, e-cards,
Clearly, the Rs.250crore industry got a boost
e-greetings, Netograms, and the more recent
with westernization and urbanization of the
SMS and MMS. The greeting card industry is
population. The unorganized sector in the
going through its own set of challenges. The
greeting card market would be close to 40%.
challenge lies in growing the size of this indus-
Here the organized sector is better placed
try by making cards more relevant to consum-
commanding 60% market share. The two large
ers. Consumers are looking for convenience
international greetings brands are Hallmark
and instant gratification. Mediums like the
and American Greetings. American Greetings
telephone and email facilitate this communica-
has a licensing arrangement with Archieâ€&#x;s Page|5
March Issue tion to a great extent. The traditional greeting
fices here". Perhaps that is why only fewer eve-
card is the most personal, affectionate and ex-
ryday cards are mailed and most handed over
pressive point of communication. Clearly, the
personally. Quite a contradiction this, since the
greeting card is facing great challenges.
very purpose of these cards is to help people
Consequently, greeting card manufac-
connect and stay in touch with each other be-
turers have to really work at ensuring that sales
cause they don't meet. Of course, our postal sys-
don't fall. The industry leaders now trail fashion
tem works overtime for seasonal cards, which
apparel trends and colours (currently white
are a big business in India, and delivers 99 per
backgrounds and pastel shades are in). Styling
cent of our seasonal mail.
varies from plain cards, die-cuts, pop-ups, and to cards with inserts to booklet kinds with fourfold inserts with funky, sober, and subtle designs. Industry loyalists believe that even though technology affected their sales by almost 20-25 per cent, spam, junk SMS, choked cellular lines, the download time of e-cards and viruses have dented the novelty value of these alternative forms of greetings. Though Indian companies such as Archieâ€&#x;s have
Today, greeting card manufacturers are fighting
gone online with their paid e-cards like their
back with innovative cards in Indian languages.
counterparts in the West (American Greetings,
Their fortunes may be turning again even as they
Blue Mountain Arts, Hallmark Online), they be-
look at different approaches like moving from
lieve there is a "small town" market out there for
retail approach to institution-driven sales.
whom they have tailored cards with generic flo-
Added to this they also have the huge support
ral patterns and restricted humour, unlike the
from a section of people who still believe in
unrestricted version of metros.
sending cards and letting their loved ones feel
The industry blames falling sales on increased
their love and affection.
postal rates and the "inconvenience of post ofPage |6
Maconza
Feature Technopreneurship
By Gayatri Bose Technology is a magical word that has transformed the world today. Not only has it made life easier, in fact much easier, it has also accelerated it. Most of the work is do ne simply in minutes without much ado. Technology is nothing but the usage and knowledge of tools, crafts, organizational methods and systems to solve certain problems or provide services. Entrepreneurship, like technology has added another dimension to the human life. It is impossible to not notice that all forms of employment today have arisen from some or other form of entrepreneurial venture. Entrepreneurship and technology both are products of the human genius and equally marvellous is the compound that is formed by merging the two together for benefit of the society. There have been various forms of entrepreneurship that have developed over the ages. From entrepreneurship for profitable purposes to social entrepreneurship, the world is now welcoming technopreneuship. Technopreneurship is a jargon that stands for the merging of technology with the entrepreneurial skills. Simply put, a Technopreneur is an entrepreneur who is tech savvy and is using
technology for the purpose of entrepreneurship. Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Yahoo and Apple are household brands today and perhaps the biggest and most well known examples of Technopreneurship. Steve Jobs, Bill Clinton, Larry Page, Michael Dell are Technopreneurs who have changed the face of entrepreneurship. From the clichĂŠd definition, they have brought forth a form of entrepreneurship so remarkable. They have cleared in minds of everyday people the doubt of whether it was possible to earn from technology. Various websites that enable online education through student teacher interactions or other services that are provided online are other examples of Technopreneurship Page|7
ventures.
Naukri.com,
March Issue ebay.com and other such sites also serve the
example a simple device known as a mobile
same purpose.
phone. Industry giants like Nokia, Samsung,
Recently, renowned Indian singer, Shankar
Sony and Motorola innovate their exiting
Mahadevan has expressed his interest in start-
models or invent new ones rather frequently.
ing a Technopreneurship venture to provide
These handsets having become as essential as
coaching in the field of music to students from
food or water and so common that even a beg-
all corners of the world for a fixed amount de-
gar on the streets possess one of these. How-
cided upon the nature and duration of train-
ever, has anyone considered the health hazard
ing.
that one faces due to continuous and excessive
Technopreneurship has assumed more impor-
usage of these devices? A lot of messages have
tance today for the role it plays. It provides the much needed employment to thousands who despite of being a part of the „educated elite‟ do not have jobs to fulfil their needs. Secondly, this form of entrepreneurship has also enabled the centralization of resources. By allowing almost all forms of services to be available
been issued by authorities in about the same and yet we hold on to them with our dear lives and refuse to let go off them even for a moment. It causes great concern and a feeling of loneliness for many if one does not receive a message. It is then as if the whole world has resorted to ignoring the person. Such is the ex-
online and technically advanced, pooling in
tent of addiction.
resources is not so much of an arduous task as
Facebook is another form of Technopreneur-
it used to be. Moreover, with the internet and
ship which has become an addiction amongst
rapidly changing technology assuming utmost
most people today. Critics openly announce
importance in everyday lives, Technopreneur-
the „faceless‟ world we live in today. It is evi-
ship is bound to encourage and kindle the en-
dent that we have become too dependent on
trepreneurial spirit within many.
technology and our world is far worse than in-
However, as gory as Technopreneurship and
complete without it.
technology in particular might seem, it too has
Of course, all a Technopreneur is doing is to
a dark side that most choose to ignore or
take advantage of this booby trap mankind
rather overlook. The most obvious of these is
laid for itself.
the fact that technology and hence some forms of Technopreneurship is addictive. Take for
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Maconza
Opinion Daring Spirits others. It is the passion for something that makes them shed of their skin of inertia and complacency and act and do what they wish to on the professional front. They choose not the path that most of their friends and contemporaries take. Instead, they make their own path. In simple words, entrepreneurs dare. They dare to sometimes go against the expectations many have from them. They dare to start a venture despite the fact that risk is inherent in business. Returns, too like the risk is fluctuating. In addition, they are required to put in their own capital and even if it is funded by venture capitalists, it is needed to be paid back.
By Gayatri Bose Newtonâ€&#x;s first law of motion talks about an important concept called „inertiaâ€&#x;, a term quite forgotten in the daily race of our lives. Inertia is the unwillingness of a body to change the state of its motion. As kids, off course, we had also read the examples of a moving bus coming to a halt or turning around a corner. But this is not about another science lesson from the childhood days but just a thought as to how entrepreneurship has related one of its most important concepts to it. One of the things most people admire most about entrepreneurs is their willingness and ability to dare. Their willingness and sheer energy to do something which is different from
It is this daring spirit that makes them believe in their dream. Everybody has a dream about
Page|9
March Issue something they might have wanted to do in life. Everybody also has a spark of entrepreneurship in them. But it is the very few who take the risk and take that step towards making that realty. It is all on dependent on how big a risk are you ready to take? Are you ready to lose it all and yet start off new and not lose hope? Are you willing to sacrifice for your dream and perhaps lose some of the comforts in your life? Entrepreneurship is not necessarily about hardships and losing everything but it‟s not about wining the game every time either. It‟s not just about the free spirit but also about the passion for the dream you hold. We often get so used to doing something in our life that that important idea takes a back seat. We get busy with our jobs and then we forget that little childhood venture we treasured. We keep trying to win a race against the rest of the world, against our next door neighbor, against a competing firm but we forget the race we are running with ourselves and by letting go our that spark of entrepreneurship, we become the hare in the race. One might feel that by means of this article, employees are made to feel like unimportant entities. That however, is not the case. Employees are the backbone of the system and an entrepreneur would be quite incomplete without them. If everyone was to follow the path of entrepreneurship and become daring one fine
day, how indeed would the economy run? It would in effect return to the barter system we left back in the pages of history. But it still holds true that many in our society have forgotten what it is to risk and have fun. The enjoyment and happiness one receives at the end of succeeding in something that involves extreme risk is incomparable. It is perhaps precisely this very reason that we need to shed off our skin and ‟go have some fun‟. It‟s what links us to that little entrepreneur who lives within us.
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Maconza THE SCOPE AND EFFECT OF COMPETITION ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP am I offering a product in existence? What is the density of availability and of the providers of these goods or services? Will I have the sufficient capital to involve in promotional activities if such density is high? What could be the life cycle of my product or service? Will it be long enough to get adequate ROI in the current competitive environment? What is the scope for entry and exit of firms in the industry I am entering?
Divya Anne Selvaraj With the growth of opportunities has come the growth of people who are ready to take the plunge. Perhaps a century back when an individual decided to set up something of his/her own he/she simply had to think about the sufficiency of capital and the saleability of the good or service that would be offered by the individual. Since then much has changed. The expansion and development of the market has made the setting up of even a simple venture an intricate and difficult task it is now not enough just to have a vision of sufficient magnitude. Practical aspects have to be given careful thought.
These additional criteria would definitely re-
There is nothing new under the sun is a much used phrase which is in part very true. All entrepreneurs do not come with unique ideas of revolutionary technologies or services. Sometimes joining the bandwagon is a more practical choice. If the industry provides promise and one has the sufficient expertise it is really not a bad idea.
In this business, by the time you realize you're in trouble, it's too late to save yourself. Unless you're running scared all the time, you're gone. Bill Gates
In the above scenario the questions that an entrepreneur needs to ask himself would include the following: Am I offering an innovative product or Page|11
March Issue
Opinion
quire the use of market research techniques in the form of surveys and other mediums. It is possible that professional assistance for such research may also become necessary. To recognize competition as a factor while setting up ones own business has become critical. It may serve as the decisive factor in the survival and success of a business. To go by actual numerical evidence such as market share, consumer preference and market penetration is important to decide whether to make the plunge or not. There is sufficient evidence of this phenomenon in every aspect of the market. The example of a small town market would be appropriate here. Say a certain individual sets up a grocery shop and is the first person to do so in the particular locality. After a couple of years another entrepreneur seeing the profitability of the business decides to do the same. Loyal customers remain with first store but there will be many who will go for the new store maybe because of its competitive pricing. This will ensure that the new store makes profit without harming the profitability of the first store substantially. After a certain period two more entrepreneurs decide to set up shop. This is the beginning of the glut and a signal that there is no more market share left to take. Despite this if more entrepreneurs without doing sufficient research enter the arena they will become sore losers. In this scenario the customers will prefer only the old players or diffusion will take place causing a loss to all the players. It is therefore clearly an unwise decision
to enter such a market scenario. It is also important to focus on the advantages of competition in an entrepreneurial environment. Competition is sure to keep any business robust and ready to face challenges. This would lead to better product and service quality and ensure customer preference when it comes to gaining market share. Without competition a business might become sluggish. It is important to keep up with the market if a venture is to be actually commended for the service it provides. An entrepreneur facing competition and who is an existing market player needs to ask himself the following questions: Am I ready for the competition? Are other contenders proving a better good or service? Is my technology up to date to keep up with the developments in the market? Is my capital sustainable to remind customers of my existence? How much margin do I possess and how much can I currently sacrifice? Is it wiser to exit now than continue and incur potential losses? It is also in part necessary for an entrepreneur to be competitive. It may not be possible to find a competition free environment.
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Maconza
The story of a young Entrepreneur An interview with Swagat Bose
By: Gayatri Bose
tem. So we decided to create our own system… building up the big picture!!
Q1) Good evening, Mr.Bose. In your own words, describe your business?
Q5) How did you fund your business?
Ans. Well, we are into the business of Corporate Training, Enterprise Learning Solutions, Project Management; Project Consulting and Outsourcing Services (Non-Voice). Hope that‟s not a lot of words!! Q2) You were in college doing your graduation when you started your business. What was your inspiration behind it? What sparked the idea for it? Ans. Since my schooldays, I always had a hobby of entering into Science model competitions where we had to conceive an idea; make a team with unique areas of expertise; develop a concept and design a working model. Now it‟s just the „bottom line‟ that has come into picture!!! So, just doing what I‟ve always liked to do… guess love and support of everyone around me has been the inspiration. Q3) As a young entrepreneur, did u face any difficulties in setting up your business? Ans. I am still facing them!!! But that‟s the fun part… isn‟t it??!! Q4)How did you convince your business partners about your idea and to join you? Ans. I never had to convince my partner. We just got tired of being a small part of a big sysPage|13
Ans. Savings from previous jobs… borrowings… I am yet to repay all of it (I still owe a of mine friend a grand)!! Q6) What is the scope of your business right now? Ans. I don‟t think you can ever define the scope of a business in a country which is shaping the future of the world. You just try to do everything to become a part of that future… that‟s the scope of our business!! Q7) How do you attract clients? Ans. Being honest; being responsible; being dedicated and most importantly… being „Young‟. I guess that‟s what works for us. Q8) What are your future plans? Ans. Just looking forward to things the way they come… But definitely there is no looking back. Q9) A word of Advise for the young entrepreneurs… Ans. Stop taking advices… just follow your heart and feel what the world is like. Even if you fall down… always remember… there are people who believe in you. Its our duty to go ahead as we are responsible for crafting a brighter future… Become what you are truly capable of being. Its not just work for us guys.. its what makes us what we are.
March Issue
Opinion Prepaid Veggies
By Gayatri Bose It is a world of speed and convenience that is working all twenty four hours a day. Almost everyone wants all possible services at their fingertips and to work as per their convenience. To save on time most consumer oriented industries started providing prepaid services. A prepaid service is in simple terms a form of service where the customer is required to pay before enjoying or benefiting from the service. Today, one of the most common forms of prepaid card is the one in which the customer is required to recharge once the prepaid amounts‟ worth of service has been consumed. However, Inspite all the conveniences, there are certain areas where, even in their wildest of dreams, the customer would not have imagined a prepaid service. Kaushalendra from Nalanda, Bihar and a student of IIM-A, one of the premier and most reputed B-schools of India did. His idea was a marvellous innovation of the prepaid service. He has tweaked the prepaid service to now cater to the vegetable markets. The project is known as ORVEM, standing for Organized Vegetable Marketing and issues a prepaid card for purchasing vegetables. All that a customer has to do is swipe the card every time he or she purchases the vegetables. One may purchase the cards either from the vendors who are situated at various locations in the cities in which ORVEM is operating or from the office in the
city directly. An additional benefit that is being provided is that the cards are home delivered. The carts are fibre bodied and are such that they are able to keep vegetables fresh for long. The vegetables are procured directly from the farmers in the surrounding districts without any interference or involvement of middle men. ORVEM has successfully established its operations in Bihar and is now planning to expand to Lucknow. Kaushalendra, the brain behind the idea says “Our upcoming project will surely become quite popular as it will make vegetable shopping easy and simple. I think housewives will particularly like the project as the normally face the task of selecting fresh vegetables and fruits before purchasing them.” One of the main advantages of this initiative is that it is time saving in today‟s world where time constraints worry one and all. Additionally the requirement and presence of middlemen has been eliminated in this venture. Fresh and better quality vegetables than that available in with the local vegetable vendors shall also be available. However, here, the local vegetable vendors might lose out on some business as these carts take over some of their share of the market. Kaushalendra and his brainchild of a prepaid vegetable card have once again reiterated the confidence in business innovation and is encouragement for all the young entrepreneurs. Page |14
Maconza
Interview
Interview with Vamshi Krishna Reddy By Manohar S Vamshi Krishna Reddy is the Director and Co-
porate strategy and Business Development in the firm.
The first issue was obviously that of money. For any business, you need capital. That was the time when Banks were not that helpful. But I had worked for eleven years and had a group of friends so the “initial capital” problem was not that big. But we did spend frugally and did not enter into the business outright with all the resources at our disposal.
Mr. Vamshi before heading the company worked with
What about the trust levels with friends es-
CISCO systems in Information Technology manage-
pecially for a technologically innovative venture?
founder of Apalya Technologies. Apalya Technologies provides ”wholesome, interactive Television entertainment to Mobile phones at affordable prices”. It won the TATA NEN hottest Startup award in 2005 and has almost all major mobile service providers as its business partner. Vamshi Reddy heads efforts in Cor-
ment in San Francisco Bay Area. His stints include AT&T, USA and Ernst and Young, USA. He was also named the Voice & Data Technovator of the year 2010. Mr. Vamshi, what is your opinion about the difficulty faced by people employed in organizations due to their double mindedness on whether to start their own venture? I was working with CISCO for nine years. The work was good in the initial stages but there came a stage in my job where you do not know what the organization is unto and the tasks become mundane. That is the stage where I decided to start my own venture. What were the initial problems faced?
Trust is not dependent on the venture but more about the individual. If a person can trust others, he will do it irrespective of what the venture is. How is the Business environment now compared to that of which that existed when you started the business? Very Good. Business is easy to run nowadays as the environment does not impact the business in the negative way these days. Moreover, irrespective of the environment, if you have a good idea and back it by effort, it is bound to succeed. Could you please comment on the recent trends in the telecom industry?
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March Issue We did face problems when the corruption in the issue of 2G licenses surfaced out. But, with the issue of 3G licenses, our business has turned really profitable and more people are willing to use mobile television on the go as more and more service providers are rendering
nologically advanced? As long as your product is good, they donâ€&#x;t worry about the country of origin. What do you feel about the importance of education in entrepreneurship? I did my engineering in Computer Science and that really helped me run the business. So, I do believe that education plays an important role in starting and running a venture. But, there are always people who would say that one of the more successful entrepreneurs lack education. Education des not teach how to run a business. It just helps you run a business. Impact of recession on your business‌ Telecom is an evergreen industry, at least in
the service. The growth in the industry is bound to go northward as more and more cities are brought under the 3G coverage. What are your future plans as regards your venture? We are thinking of going into international markets and we see a lot of potential in the rural markets of India too owing to the tremendous interest in sports, especially cricket. Do you think the International markets will accept Indian products and services, given the fact that they are perceived to be tech-
India. So, we werenâ€&#x;t impacted by the recession. How did you foresee a demand for such a futuristic technology like mobile television in India? In our case , I think we created a demand. We believed the product was good and we made sure it was marketed well and we succeeded. How do you handle conflicts in business? It is something that you learn by experience. But, I just make sure that I listen to every ones opinion.
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Maconza Don’t you think sometimes a lot of opinions
Famous Quotes
hamper the business?
There are no failures - just experiences
I think it does, especially when you are run-
and your reactions to them.
ning a start up, lot of ideas actually end up re-
Tom Krause
ducing your productivity. How do you think your work experience
To err is human; to admit it, superhuman.
helped you in running the business?
Doug Larson
I actually learned a lot of things from my work experience right from dealing with conflicts to
Courage is not the absence of fear, but
the other small intricacies in running a busi-
simply moving on with dignity despite that
ness to the extent that I would say working in
fear.
an organization is one of the most important
Pat Riley
things for my success. What would you suggest for people want-
He who has never learned to obey cannot
ing to start ventures based on technological
be a good commander.
innovation?
Aristotle
Donâ€&#x;t focus too much on the technology in isolation. Rather, make sure it is go market. As in
Anyone who says "Easy as taking candy
take the market into consideration as well.
from a baby" has never tried it.
When do you reckon people should start
Author Unknown
with their ventures? It is better for people to start early, meet fail-
We are responsible for what we are, and
ures early and then be successful. Or who
whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are
knows they might be among the lucky 2-3% of
now has been the result of our own past ac-
the entrepreneurs who are successful in their
tions, it certainly follows that whatever we
first attempt.
wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act. Swami Vivekananda
Page|17
March Issue
Opinion Self Belief is the KEY
By Kunaall Jumani slow and steady masses form part of a rat race It is experimentation that brings out the good, the bad and the ugly in us. We know where we rock and where we lack, only by trial and error. The right way to learn how to live is by going through the hurdles of life and not treading the path already travelled by other people. Each one of us is here for a purpose, a purpose we all are, unconsciously, well aware of and as time passes, and we get aware of it consciously too. There is no fun in doing what our elders tell us to do every single time because they give us advice based on the knowledge they possess which by all means is the best to their knowledge. They have fallen by trying, by experimenting and treading the path less travelled so why shouldnâ€&#x;t we? These words have transformed individuals over the years and have made them stand out of the crowd as they decided to take the onus for their life and not let others live for them. We are not born to live for others or let others live for us. We are born to live for ourselves and complete the purpose for which we are on this planet. In this competitive world, where fast and furious have started ruling over, the
chasing a common goal. In this chase, some end up winning while the others keep running until they attain the same goal. However, there are a few people who very smartly do not join the rat race and follow self made principles to success. These people are better known as Entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs believe in deviating from the rat race and weaving out a path for themselves. Their stories are commendable and whether small or big, their journeys are worth appreciating. Going against the tide, fighting all odds and turning them favorably even, believing in oneself and making others believe the same is certainly Entrepreneurial Material. In a small village of Adavi in Karnataka, lived a very respectable family of eight people. There were two brothers who were farmers and they managed just sufficient income to support the family on a daily basis. They also had to take care of their ailing father who required treatment every month for a very rare lung disease. The brothers had decided that no matter what the younger members of the family should have a very good educational background in the loPage |18
Maconza
cal language of the state, Kannada. The elder
one new thing that was noticeable, a sudden
brother had a son named Ravi. He wasn‟t in-
spark in his eyes.
terested in being educated in the way others at
He had an argument with his family and man-
school were. He was the kind that always
aged to stay back in Chitradurga for two days,
wanted to do things differently. Since his
with the condition that Shekhar would be
childhood, he would roam around the village
with him. Those two days showed Ravi what
and look for strange things that he had not
exactly he was looking for, when he went to an
seen before. Only his best friend, Shekhar
electronics store and was awestruck when he
knew about this behavior. Shekhar was from a
saw a device that could capture and store mo-
well off family in the village. Very soon roam-
ments forever, that could make moments last
ing around the village became Ravi‟s daily rou-
more than a lifetime and be passed on from
tine as it really fascinated him. Everyone in the
generation to generation. It was a device that
village started noticing him and felt that he
was never seen by anyone in the village. His
was crazy and took him to the village doctor
eyes fell on a camera. That very moment, Shek-
for consultation. The doctor suggested that he
har took him back to Adavi so that he doesn‟t
should be taken to the hospital in Chitradurga,
do anything else that is as different as he was.
a nearby city. As Shekhar expected, Ravi‟s
Six months passed by and Ravi would dream
medical reports were normal but there was Page|19
March Issue about the camera every single day. He began
Rs.450 and his new found love, his camera. He
wondering why this happened. He spoke to
started learning how to use the camera all by
Shekhar about it too. Shekhar, with some
himself and slowly began to master it. He be-
amount of an educated mind, thought over it
gan to apply for jobs and to his good luck he
and told Ravi that this is probably the path he
managed to get a job as a passport photogra-
should not travel because it gives him night-
pher. He could now prove that he was always
mares and doesn‟t let him sleep. At that very
meant to be a photographer. Since then, Ravi
instant, Ravi realized that it was a something
started working in three outlets in time shifts.
he wanted to do, something he will love doing
After two years of working as a freelance pho-
and also a driving force that will not let him
tographer, Ravi started his own company in
sleep. He realized that this force was the pas-
the Chitradurga district. People were very
sion which can drive him and not let him sleep
happy with the way he worked. He also
till he achieves something. It was never a
started teaching photography in the district
nightmare. He always had a pleasant feeling
and made the students work for him. This
when he dreamt of it.
way, he managed to open 24 photography out-
The cat was out of the basket. Ravi told his
lets all over Karnataka in a span of 3 years and
family about his fascination towards the cam-
his photographs featured in over 50 top maga-
era. He didn‟t even know how to hold it, let
zines across the country.
alone use it and capture real life moments to
Today Ravi is a well established Entrepreneur
treasure them forever. But, there was one thing
and also employs educated people to handle
in the young lad that kept him going strong. It
his business while he continues to follow his
was his vision and he knew he had a creative
passion – Photography. There is nothing to do
eye. He felt he could do many things that were
with being educated or uneducated; it is all
good for mankind just by using that one elec-
about self belief and confidence in one‟s capa-
tronic device. A month later was Ravi‟s birth-
bilities. If a person like Ravi can achieve so
day and the greatest ever surprise he got was
much by going against all odds then I feel each
from Shekhar, who bought him the exact cam-
one of us is even more capable than Ravi. Self
era that they saw in Chitradurga.
Belief is the key to success and achievement.
Exactly a week later, Ravi left his house with
Keep it intact. Page |20
Maconza
Successful Entrepreneur
A Technopreneur by the name of Thomas Alva Edison By Manohar S Let us just look around us. How many technological inventions and innovations do we see? The answer (though clichéd) is umpteen. But in the list that we would conjure up, there is a high probability that at least a quarter of them would have something to do with Thomas Alva Edison, one of the few mortals who had the license to say “Let there be light”! Thomas Alva Edison, born on February 11, 1847 is undoubtedly one of the greatest inventors the world has seen being credited with a little more than a thousand innovations which
A Technopreneur is an entrepreneur who deals
would range from revolutionizing ones like the
with technology products. Many a time, the
electric bulb (which is now used to symbolize
word Technology takes precedence over En-
a new idea and reportedly took him 10001 at-
trepreneurship in the definition of a Techno-
tempts!) to lesser known ones like stock tick-
preneur. But, Entrepreneurship is in many
ers.
ways as important as Technology for a Tech-
But not many would recall Edison as an entre-
nopreneur especially nowadays where there
preneur as much as a technologist In fact, Tho-
are very few standalone technologists.
mas Edison is a perfect example of a Technopre-
But, this has not been the case in those days
neur, a word coined more than half a century
where there was a clear demarcation between
after his demise in 1931.
innovators and entrepreneurs. Scientists pre-
Page|21
March Issue ferred to spend their time in the laboratories
He was also one of the first inventors who
than in the market. Edison was among the first
went for mass production going against the
exceptions. He showed that an innovator
prevalent practice of inventors satisfied with
could use his innovation to make a successful
the invention and selling the patents to busi-
venture.
ness men. He bought patents for himself and
Not just the way he built a venture, but also the way he went about his researches demands attention from prospective Technopreneurs. He emphasized on team work and found people who had the ability to think differently to work with him. He looked at those peopleâ€&#x;s talent and skill level than their educational qualification reflecting his own success despite the lack of formal education.
had setup manufacturing facilities to mass produce those innovations himself leading to unchallenged leadership in some products. The way he dealt with the trade-off between maintaining secrecy about the innovation and at the same time creating awareness about the innovation after its completion was classic. His laboratories were conveniently in discreet locations and he would shroud the ongoing Page |22
Maconza research in secrecy and immediately after com-
(NYSE) and him merging his General electric
pletion he would get a patent for it. Then his
illuminating
firm would go about holding public exhibition
Houston Electric Company to infuse capital
of the products pre-empting the competitor‟s
and thus enabling public distribution of DC
ability to imitate the product legally and even
electricity.
brand-wise as people would have already asso-
Edison‟s success story holds remarkable les-
ciated the product with Edison‟s firm.
sons for entrepreneurs with his hard work and
He also had the ability to value his innovations
perseverance being the first of many. He fa-
perfectly. This attribute is important for a
mously remarked, “Genius is one percent inspira-
Technopreneurs as he has to understand the
tion, ninety-nine percent perspiration”. This remark
value of his innovation first before teaching the
narrates a lot about the man. One can see that
market the value of the product.
he had focused on all areas of management.
Another important skill is the art of network-
Human resources-wise he employed the right
ing with people. He knew the right people in
people, Marketing-wise he satisfied the need
the right places. He had Henry Ford, JP Morgan,
of the market helped by appropriate promo-
the members of Vanderbilt family in his friend‟s
tional activities, Finance-wise he had the great
list. They mutually helped each other case in
gift of valuating his “asset” accurately and Op-
point being Edison helping Henry Ford‟s auto-
eration-wise he was the pioneer of mass pro-
mobile with his technology and Ford, Morgan
duction.
standing by Edison in his infamous feud with
Thus Edison is an inspiration not only to Sci-
Nikola Tesla.
entists and academicians but also to entrepre-
Edison, though being a genius and being at-
neurs with him being a model Technopreneur.
tributed with the phenomena like Edison ef-
Now with inspiration derived from him, let
fect, focused more on improvement on existing
prospective entrepreneurs do the rest 99%.
products to make it more useable serving
The part which is called PERSPIRATION!
company
with
Thompson-
niches initially and then expanding the market base. Edison‟s interest in investments and financial aspects could be gauged from his keen interest in the activities of New York Stock Exchange
“Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success”. Thomas A. Edison
Page|23
March Issue
Opinion I want to Break Free!
By Subhashree Srinivasan
crashed down the door. Still, in one corner of the heart, an annoying call of guilty retains.
Of lately, there have been instances when I
Should I have done things I really wanted to
have been vexed up just because of ego prob-
do? I remember telling my neighbour that I
lems. Not ready to accept what the other person says. In the course of such actions and in spite of it being my entire fault, I have never blamed myself for that. Why? Because I have listened enough to others that my life has been led by other people‟s advises and suggestions. Now, when I seem mature enough to make own decisions, people ask questions and are able to find problems I was never sure if I did want to do biology in my twelfth standard or hold a yet another engineering degree till end of my life. I am still not sure. Those were days when decisions were made for me. I have no regrets; I never have regrets with things I have done but to
would become a „forensic detective‟ someday.
think of the fact that I could have done some-
It was triggered plainly by some Enid Blyton
thing else and been someone else makes me
books which I used to adore and follow relig-
wonder. Everything I have done so far in my
iously. I still smile at that remark made. But, I
life has had significance and I have done quite
haven‟t changed since then. I still would love
well. When I look at the profile that has been
to be a forensic detective because I still love
prepared now, I think I have quite justified
those books. Do childish ambitions like this
with
ever come true? I have not been able to answer
whatever
opportunities
that
have
Page |24
Maconza Don't wake me from fantasy!
that in 24 years. I have often seen parents imposing their ambitions on their children. The most surprising
The world is gory dark, you make me visible,
part is that they are eventually achieved. It is
Deep oceans and farthest skies,
because parents go to any extent of sacrifices
Can you measure it all?
to get the best out of their progeny. In this vi-
That is the intensity of my affection for you.
vacious cycle of desires, do the children fail to know what they want? Have I forgotten what I
You can't read me, neither can I show it,
wanted?
If given a chance, would die thousand deaths for you.
20 years down the lane, will I be doing the
Life was simple, you complicated it,
same? I have told myself that I would teach my
Added oodles of expectations and surprises.
children dance and a music instrument. Have I
I was sane till you came into my life,
forgotten the golden rule of respecting a child‟s
Despite that, burden seemed less and strength I
wishes? But my child wouldn‟t what he/she
gained.
wants. Was it same with my parents? Didn‟t I
You are the only one to make me cry,
know what I wanted? Questions have been un-
Yet, you are the first one to wipe them away.
glorified and in the end it has been what others have wanted. They have what they wanted.
Where would I place all the gratitude?
Here is a girl of their wishes and will carry the
Which told me that life was worth living.
torch of family forward.
If words meant all, I shall string together, For them to end, even universe is negligible.
I wonder what I am filled with. Guilt? Annoyance? Ignorance? Ambitions? All I want to do
A request I place, till the journey to my grave,
right now is run away from the world and
Don't leave me to tackle the world all by myself,
make time to introspect.
Don't challenge, It is not that I can't,
“Discontent is the first step in progress. No one knows what is in him till he tries, and many would never try if they were not forced to.”
But if you did, I would be only half a human!
Subhashree Srinivasan
Basil W. Maturin
Page|25