Roj

For example, he says

Having said that, here is my second piece of advice, if you are 20 something, don’t be in a big hurry to be another Bill Gates. You should work for a while, for somebody because you know that in today’s world, you have 40, 50, 60 years.

But Paul Graham says (from http://www.paulgraham.com/notnot.html)

I still think 23 is a better age than 21. But the best way to get experience if you’re 21 is to start a startup. So, paradoxically, if you’re too inexperienced to start a startup, what you should do is start one.

Both have been successful by following their own rule.

Again take the case of process heavy companies like Indian services companies, and at the opposite end, take Google. They are complete opposites as far as process is concerned… but both make money.

In the end, there are no “golden rules” that are the “right” way to do things. Everything depends on a large number of factors.

Thanks. I appreciate your comments. Lets understand things from the Indian spectrum about his views. Very few Indian companies create something worthwhile, while others talk about cost arbitrage. But process is an important task which we need to take the cue from Baguchi.

Entrepreneurship need not always be doing “something different” its about understanding the market and solving problems. Baazee was a sucessful exit, which is not cutting-edge technonlogy or “something different”. Take Rediff or Indiatimes, everything falls into the same trap. Point of view is, what is the value you are able to create for your enterprise.

As an entrepreneur myself, the adrenalin is definitely kicks your butt, but your balance sheet & burn outs brings you back to the reality Entrepreneurship is not like cinematics or heroics, it involves a lot of dirty, boring job including managing a lot more things, which i believe Baguchi has clearly outlined in his discussion.

The reason being very few Indian tech companies create something new that their employees can learn and become entrepreneurial. I am yet to meet a mindtree employee who says his experience at mindtree is helping him/her to create new technologies and become entrepreneurs! The IT/BPO teaches more about process innovation.. Its all about cost arbitrage, adding people, executing projects and building scale!
So the prospective entrepreneurs in India can follow their heart RIGHT NOW rather than working somewhere just because someone has told them…