Growing Up

It has taken me some time to write my next comment, and you may think (with a wry smile), "commerce has won!". Well, that is correct for the time being at least.

But honestly, all that I have been doing in this state of e-hibernation has been actually meeting tonnes and tonnes of people - those that I knew, those that I am only getting to know now..and in all these instances, trying to discover the persons and of course myself.

And this has been my process of growing up! What do I do differently from what I used to do before? Well, here is a list of some of them:
1. Freedom of thought: I do not now worry about whether my thoughts fit into a particular organisational norm. If, at that moment, I believe that what I am planning has a good objective, I go ahead and pursue the idea without worrying about other consequences.
2. 24/7, and I mean it: Life has actually become 24/7. This means that I constantly keep thinking of what all I can or should do. Earlier, I used to insist that I would not take any calls after 6:30 p.m. in the evening. Sadly, I do not think I can insist on that any more.
3. Manage all and everything: Suddenly, I realise that there is no one else to seek advice from (actually now others seek advice from me). Therefore, I am both the initiator and a decision maker. It feels funny initially, but I am slowly getting used to it.
4. Agendas and agendas: Meeting so many people has also cautioned me about possible agendas of people. Now, when someone wants to meet me or talk to me, the first thing that I ask for is a clearly spelt out agenda. No more meetings and discussions which are endless and meaningless (unless of course, the client pays for them)
5. Possibilities: I have discovered that possibilities are endless, means to acheive them are limited. I am certain that ideas are generated at the drop of a hat. Everyone that I meet appears to have a brilliant idea that no one else has ever thought about. He is sure that this wil be world-changing and a sure success. In reality, they turn out to be only dreams. Now, when I meet such persons, I ask them to meet me after 6-9 months and explore whether the fervour of the idea stil exists or is replaced with a new one!

I dig therefore I am

Someone once told me that I do'nt have the bxxxs to be an entrepreneur. The thought bothered me for quite some time; I could not take it as a challenge thrown at me and neither could I accept it without at least questioning myself.



Well, here I am now, an entrepreneur in the making. The past few months I have been digging deep into the business of enterprise creation. I have realised that the size of the bxxxs has nothing to do with the ability to run a business. The few things that are required for making a success in a business are:

• perseverance
• persuasiveness
• perspiration
• perspicacity

Not necessarily in that order, of course. But then, as you notice, there are no B words in my list! once I knew that I had all the above, the next serious question for me was, what business should I get into. Somethings, I knew that I could not do without were:

• If I had to be in a business, I would need to be in one which gives me joy. If I am not excited by the prospect of being in that business for the rest of my life, it was probably not worth attempting it at all.
• I had to ensure that there was at least one genuine consumer for what I wanted to offer. This is only a business necessity, since otherwise, I would be out of business even before I started!
• For example, if one has a hobby of collecting matchboxes (and enjoys doing so), there better be someone who is interested in the trade of match boxes. My passion, as you will not from other postings, is collection of customer feedback questionnaires. I am therefore trying to make a business out of it.
• Business cannot happen in a rush. One has to let the feeling seep through you, savour the experience, see if it feels right, and then plunge in slowly.
• The main motive need not be to make money. If all the above P's were in place, money would be a natural outcome. Therefore, among the initial criteria, money could not be a major one.

What I intend doing for the next few months is to continue to explore this space. See if it continues to excite me, and feel my way through. I will, of course, require help from other like minded people (and I hope to meet more in the course of the next few months) and also financial resources.

As they say, watch this space!

Free!?

It is a very peculiar feeling that one has during the period that you decide to leave the company and you have not yet left it. I have resigned from my current position about a few days ago and am serving my notice period.

The first question that is asked by everyone to whom you mention about your resignation is "where are you joining?" I have no ready answers, because, for a change, I have decided not to look out for a job. I want to spend the next few months doing just NOTHING. It is perhaps easier said than done, especially for a career professional.

Suddenly, there is a sense of vacuum, not knowing what is the expected role that I will play in the next few days within the company. On the one hand, I am elated at the thought of breaking free (?) and on the other hand, there is the anxiety of not knowing what next to expect.

It is almost the same sensation as when you go bungee jumping and are in the state of free-float. There is the occasional heart-in-the-mouth feeling mixed with the exhilaration of knowing that you are hurtling down.

I wonder what others who have decided to similarly cast away their current jobs feel!