Being one of the first entrepreneurs from a lesser known engineering college, I am often looked up and approached by batchmates and students of subsequent batches for suggestions on whether to join a job (or look for one), start a small web development studio out of home or a shack with a friend, freelance, pursue a post-graduate course, etc.

It’s interesting to know that a lot of folks *wish* to start their own *business*. That does sound great. Especially, if you’re skillful and can write code, there is no dearth of opportunities on the web to make money. More often than not, you’ll end up making anything over an above 500$ which may be higher than your first salary, in most cases. The pleasures that come associated with it include – working from home/ cafe, deciding on your own timings, no one to boss you around, et al. Not long before all this may appear to be a bubble if you’re good *only* at writing code and not essentially great at doing a *business*. I have examples with me. That is *just* one reason for boredom or moving on from doing freelance work or putting up a startup. There may be many more. Having said that, the journey is no doubt challenging and at the same time, interesting for those who wish to take a plunge.

We can talk endlessly about it. However, I came across a case when a student from my alma mater (someone who would be a couple of years junior to me) got in touch and asked, “I have been picking up web projects online and doing well. I now have 2 of my friends working with me. Should I drop out to continue my business? Does this degree make sense?”.

At the offset, I was surprised by the passion he had. I could understand the fun he had making couple of hundred dollars every month, being an under graduate. The curse he had for the institute that would not allow him to ignore classes and ensure the bare minimum attendance. He had his head held high for he had won several hearts within and outside the college.

Coming back to his question. It took me back in time when I had a fairly similar landscape. Just that I was not trying to build a career into programming the web, but documenting/ publishing about it. I had secured a job out of campus placements into one of the great IT companies. I had no plans to be an entrepreneur for the first 2 years of my engineering course. Even after I was doing fairly good at freelancing while being a sophomore, I *never* thought of dropping out. Ever. Despite of running for life and air when it came to attending classes and touching the mandatory attendance benchmarks, I was keen at making sure that I see through the 4 years of an engineering course. Not that I complain, even today.

I may not be using most of what I was taught/ delivered at the engineering college. But it does give me a lot of confidence to do something on my own. It gives a good feeling when you shape your thoughts into ideas that work. A professional course teaches you how to give that shape. It trains you well enough to address people and more importantly, understand them. It helps you speak in public, if and when needed. More than anything else, it does make sense when you meet someone and he/ she happens to ask you about your academic background. You may not be a graduate from a tier 1 institute, but having pursued a course is no less. In most ways, better than NOT completing it.

In one of the most saddening incidents of my life, I had to drop out of a premier institute, on the grounds of low attendance. It was then, that I could have dropped out and started to do something else. However, I realized early (with the help of some close friends, family and the internet) that there is no shortcut and it makes no sense. No wonder that the entire decision of graduating as an engineer from a different college was kindled by a character in my ex-college. I *did* drop out but then decided to complete the degree. Today, when I look back, I feel glad for what I did.

A lot of people suggest that one should chance upon entrepreneurship after having worked for a few years in an organization. Yeah, that does make sense. But to me, that’s not necessary. A lot of things can be learnt online or otherwise in books. Self confidence is built and basics are often taught at under-graduate levels, across the world. Which to me, are mandatory. Anything beyond, you may choose to learn on your own, at a large organization or at a startup. Vivek Wadhwa, a Visiting Scholar at School of Information, UC-Berkeley wrote a couple of interesting posts last year on the idea of dropping out. I feel you *must* read them, if you’re a student. One of them was – You’re probably not Mark Zukerberg, so stay in school!

Just to close, life is not as short (as they say), so why rush into things? In case you’re not the next Mark Zukerberg but end up having a good education, you’ll not hurt many people. At least not your family, before anyone else.

Reconsider your decision. Cheers!

Image credits: Matt Niemi

While I was reading an interesting essay by Paul Graham, I was deeply touched by these 2 insights;

At any given time there tends to be one problem that’s the most urgent for a startup. This is what you think about as you fall asleep at night and when you take a shower in the morning. And when you start raising money, that becomes the problem you think about. You only take one shower in the morning, and if you’re thinking about investors during it, then you’re not thinking about the product.

Whereas if you can choose when you raise money, you can pick a time when you’re not in the middle of something else, and you can probably also insist that the round close fast. You may even be able to avoid having the round occupy your thoughts, if you don’t care whether it closes.

Is there a downside to ramen profitability? Probably the biggest danger is that it might turn you into a consulting firm. Startups have to be product companies, in the sense of making a single thing that everyone uses. The defining quality of startups is that they grow fast, and consulting just can’t scale the way a product can. But it’s pretty easy to make $3000 a month consulting; in fact, that would be a low rate for contract programming. So there could be a temptation to slide into consulting, and telling yourselves you’re a ramen profitable startup, when in fact you’re not a startup at all.

If you’re a startupper or wish to be one, I am sure this would strike some chords. Do shout back!

We shall row it, on and on.

It’s 3 am and folks at MediaRedefined are at work. A couple of them are out to get some food. No we’re not at Kargil but at our cozy office in Vaishali. Warm jackets, half a dozen notebooks, A4 sheets, music, foot on table and redness in most eyes – guys are striving hard to get the project ready for the release.

A dozen pet bottles, empty packs of smoke and wafers died out midway before they reached the trash can in the kitchen. It’s chaos! But just as I believe, the best of the works one can ever do is done under chaos. No ease or peace can get you productivity as compared to the one achieved when the deadlines make a whistling sound in your ears and pass by.

Tonight is one such night. Yesterday was another one. May be I shall talk about it later sometime.

We’ve read, heard and said countless number of times that life is tough. Yes it is, but there is a toughness you might just love to see in your team. No, this was not to prove that we have one of the toughest teams in the world at work. But yes, there aren’t many I have seen like this before!

It’s been more than 12 hours since folks haven’t moved their asses off the chairs which I feel have lived their age. It’s time to get new chairs for the office. Before that, we need a new office in the first place.

Amongst a dozen people I answered and justified (or atleast, tried to) my choice of being an entrepreneur is that you see and mould things in your own good way and not just wait for them to happen. I know it’s easier said than done but I still love the fact. I am sure you getting it. Did I mention by now that I ain’t high? Trust me, if at all I am, it’s due to the lack of sleep and not an overdose of booze.

I have already crossed 300 words and still not sure of what to title this post as. It happens with me quite a few times that I think of a title when I am done with my appetite of adding words to it. I guess I am not done yet.

Yesterday, I was having a discussion with my co-founder, Gaurav that we could have screwed up the business within 4 months of starting up, or to sum it up, we nearly made no money in the first couple of months and how much is enough! Yeah, there is nothing as enough when you’re out to make money but there is a bare minimum to everything – just as it is 3 pegs to get to the tune – warna to gala bhi gila nahi hota!

I hope the propositions I  am working on mature well enough for us to ram into the projections.

I could go on, but may be the smell of food that the folks have just brought in is tempting enough to put a stop for tonight.

I shall keep them rolling, off and on – something which I love to do the most – wish it was the only thing I had to do – blogging! That get’s me the title of the post

Way to go!

Image credits: Alphageek

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea. – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Thanks to Freeman for getting me to this!

Image credits: Xrrr