Why am I an Entrepreneur...

Ive had many people ask me why I left a decent paying job where I was doing pretty OK and on my way to greater and better things. Infact, I have asked the question to myself... many times. I'll try and articulate it the best way I can.

Before I answer with what I feel is the answer in my mind, let me give you a background about myself. I am an engineer by degree, worked as a software developer at NDS (among other companies) for 5 years post my bachelors, did my MBA from Great Lakes Institute of Management, headed BIG 92.7 FM for Kerala, India for a year. Now I am starting an international standard preschool chain in Trivandrum, Kerala called The Wonder Years - Preschool, Daycare & Children's Library.

As can be seen, I've done my share of industry shifts in a space of 7-8 years. And it all comes down to doing what I love and Loving what I do.

Even since I can remember, I have wanted to do things differently. You see, I come from a family of professionals. My Grandfather was a Doctor, so are my parents, my sisters are engineers. "Business" is something that most in my family do not understand. But I have always been fascinated by it. It is this status quo that I wanted to change. It is this that i wanted different in my life.

Was it because of the money? Not really. Money was never the exciting part for me. Rather, it is seeing something being built from scratch and then going on to becoming a success. I think money will come automatically if you work hard enough and make atleast 30-40% of you moves right.

I have an idealistic view about business. I believe that it should serve a higher purpose than just fill coffers. In short, I am a socialist with a Capitalist bend of mind. Now does that go hand in hand? I think it does. All this CSR that we keep hearing about is an offshoot of the same thinking.

Ofcourse, back when I was a kid and before I did my MBA, I never knew that failure in business is a very high probability, especially for fresh entrepreneurs who are just starting on a new path. But now i know better. and I am ready for the long haul.

I got a taste of running a business when I headed BIG 92.7 FM. I was the P&L head for Kerala. When i took over the station, it was in pretty bad shape. We were at Rs. 300,000 revenue per month. I had just 4 associates (1 RJ!!, 2 sales, 1 technical). Morale was at an all time low. BIG was on the way to disaster. I concentrated on setting the core business right and believed that if that was set right, the sales would fall in place. Over a period of 6 months, I built the team to 8 (4 RJs including a programming head, 3 sales, 1 technical). and what happened when we set the core right was that our revenues shot from a mere Rs 300,000 per month to Rs 2,500,000 per month!!!

So, what did I do at BIG? Nothing much to be honest. I made my share of mistakes (in sales, in hiring) but it was always a continuous learning experience. I trusted my associates and told them so. I made promises to them and made sure that I kept everyone of them. (That is NOT to say I promised them anything and everything! I made difficult but do-able promises... and kept them!) I gave my associates the authority to make the best decisions when it came to work. The only thing I insisted was for them to keep me in the loop. Most of the time I never shot down any of their ideas. If any, I urged them to think differently about implementation. I did not want to curb enthusiasm. I let the creative juices flow (afterall, radio is a creative business). We ensured that our clients were serviced to the MAX. Our servicing levels have not been matched by any other player in the industry and I believe that is our differentiator. And the results came strong at the end. From being one of the worst stations in our 45 station network, by the end of the year, Trivandrum became one of the best among Non-Metros.

Does this mean that as an entrepreneur I am going to be a runaway success. Not really. I do not harbor any such pretenses (though everyday I dream of being on the cover of Forbes ;) ). I understand that working in an established firm with critical backup and help is very different (and easier) than setting a business of my own and growing it.

It is this very challenge that drives me. It is this challenge that makes me get up everyday. It is this challenge that makes me want to vanquish my competition.