A Salute To The Start Ups
This time I'm here to pay a tribute. But this is not a tribute to any normal kind of people. This is a tribute to an extraordinary breed of people who decide they will make their own road. They ignore the lessons of their teachers, forsake the advice of their parents, put aside the common sense of their friends and decide to start on a journey
To find out what their world is all about let's break down Start Ups.
S stands for Stark Raving Crazy. It's true. You have to have a screw loose somewhere to venture into a startup. It's an established fact that the failure rate is above 90% in the first year alone. I mean you probably have better chance of crossing the street in Nairobi. However by any chance if you're not crazy when you begin you are guaranteed to start going crazy as the journey progresses. I don't agree to any brain scans or MRIs nowadays. They're sure to find out.
T is for Tired of the same old sh*&. This is probably the main reason that anyone gets into a start up. They're just tired of the same old same old. When you're in a job you have security but you more or less know for sure where you'll be at the end of the year or three years later. Hell in some cases you more or less know where you'll be at 60. Retired.
With a start up it's the opposite-forget next year - you don't know where you'll be next month. Ten years later - you may be broke or you may be a billionaire. At 60 you could be on an island - but no guarantee whether its Caymans or Chowpatty!
A is for Agility. The Start Up that is not thinking agile is finished. What is Plan A, Plan B, Plan C and Plan D? If the problem cannot be solved can I change the problem? Do I need to twist turn or stay. Think in the box, out of the box or throw away the damn box. But don't stop thinking with agility.
Raging Optimists. To run a Start Up you have to be a raging optimist. It will work, it has to work, it is working. Failure is not an option. I will beat the odds. Achchey Din - that's yesterday - for me Awesome Astonishing Amazing Achchey Din is coming.
T is for Trouble makers. I am a trouble maker. I trouble my funding company, I trouble my directors, I trouble my shareholders, I trouble my team. I will trouble as many people as possible in all possible ways to succeed and survive. They will curse me now but thank me later.
U is for Underestimation. Come one let's be frank here. Did you know what you were really getting into when you launched the start up journey?
P is for Paranoia. Actually this is another way to survive which is the opposite of optimism. You just stay so wary, so fearful and so resouceful that you're ready for the semi worst all the time. On a scale of 1 to 100 you're planning for a perpetual 33%.
S. Super stars. That's what you are. For trying. For daring. For believing. For leaping. For leading. For planning. For fighting back. For staying on course. For staying alive. For giving it your all. For being you.
I salute you all.
