Dear Readers,
This blog has been moved to a new domain www.ruraltrack.com
All the old posts are available and also with some new and thought provoking articles.
Do leave your comments on the new website www.ruraltrack.com
Nischala
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Book Review: Stay Hungry Stay Foolish
In the Indian entrepreneurial scenario, IIMs always play a strong role in connecting various groups in the entrepreneurial ecosytem. It sometimes builds a platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their b-plans and sometimes organizes events for like minded people to meet, grow and establish as entrepreneurs.
Where is all this going to....it is leading to a book called "Stay Hungry Stay Foolish" written by Rashmi Bansal, an IIM-A alumni. She has taken time off and scripted this book with a lot of valuable inputs from different entrepreneurs (commanality is all the entrepreneurs belong to IIM-A alumni). It is a compendium of certainly 25 inspiring stories of entrepreneurs. It is not just their entrepreneurial journey but also what are their learnings out of it and what do they have to give as a lesson of the day for their fellow entrepreneurs. The layout is interesting and leaves a message behind for the reader.
Uh! this must be one of the articles on my blog which has the word "entrepreneur" repeated the maximum number of times. That is because the book is all about ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
I strongly recommend this book for people of all ages but, the most important thing they should have to read this book is "entrepreneurial spirit".
Where is all this going to....it is leading to a book called "Stay Hungry Stay Foolish" written by Rashmi Bansal, an IIM-A alumni. She has taken time off and scripted this book with a lot of valuable inputs from different entrepreneurs (commanality is all the entrepreneurs belong to IIM-A alumni). It is a compendium of certainly 25 inspiring stories of entrepreneurs. It is not just their entrepreneurial journey but also what are their learnings out of it and what do they have to give as a lesson of the day for their fellow entrepreneurs. The layout is interesting and leaves a message behind for the reader.
Uh! this must be one of the articles on my blog which has the word "entrepreneur" repeated the maximum number of times. That is because the book is all about ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
I strongly recommend this book for people of all ages but, the most important thing they should have to read this book is "entrepreneurial spirit".
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Book Review: A Better India A Better World
Good foundation, value-based system, good management and entrepreneurship are the elements dealt in this book. This is a must read for all entrepreneurs (be it a well-established entrepreneur or not). I am not saying this because it is written by a successful entrepreneur, Mr.Narayana Murthy but, because it contains the right ingredients for an entrepreneur to build his/her business. The book has chapters arranged in a perfect order and gives content feeling at the end of the book. Following is the order:
Address to Students
Values
Important National Issues
Education
Leadership Challenges
Corporate and Public Governance
Corporate Social Responsibility and Philanthropy
Entrepreneurship
Globalization
Infosys
My favourite topics are: the sub - chapter Compassionate Capitalism, all chapters of Education and Values.
Typically entrepreneurs brag about their company and the road they have taken, it is more about their own story. This book is not about Infosys, it is about building a value based enterprise. Infact you will see only two chapters speaking about Infosys towards the end.
This is a compendium of the speeches delivered by Mr.Narayana Murthy and to me they are more than just facts. The speeches and filled with words of wisdom.
In short the book moves us to the next level of revelation....as an entrepreneur.
Address to Students
Values
Important National Issues
Education
Leadership Challenges
Corporate and Public Governance
Corporate Social Responsibility and Philanthropy
Entrepreneurship
Globalization
Infosys
My favourite topics are: the sub - chapter Compassionate Capitalism, all chapters of Education and Values.
Typically entrepreneurs brag about their company and the road they have taken, it is more about their own story. This book is not about Infosys, it is about building a value based enterprise. Infact you will see only two chapters speaking about Infosys towards the end.
This is a compendium of the speeches delivered by Mr.Narayana Murthy and to me they are more than just facts. The speeches and filled with words of wisdom.
In short the book moves us to the next level of revelation....as an entrepreneur.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
First online microfinance platform
I stumbled over an interesting student start up called KIVA.
This is a person-to-person micro lending online platform.
It has created great transperancy for the lenders to choose whom they wish to lend money. The website provides list of entrepreneurs all over the world, description of their business and loan amount they need.
Once the loan is made the lender can track the progress of the entrepreneur. He will receive his money back over time and can re-lend to the entrepreneurs on the website.
This starts from a small amount of $25 (~Rs.1000). Each $25 goes to a larger loan which helps the entrepreneurs in the developing economies to grow and establish their businesses. All the money crunch a developing economy experiences will be wiped out with this concept. It is very exciting for the entrepreneurs as well as the lenders.
This is a person-to-person micro lending online platform.
It has created great transperancy for the lenders to choose whom they wish to lend money. The website provides list of entrepreneurs all over the world, description of their business and loan amount they need.
Once the loan is made the lender can track the progress of the entrepreneur. He will receive his money back over time and can re-lend to the entrepreneurs on the website.
This starts from a small amount of $25 (~Rs.1000). Each $25 goes to a larger loan which helps the entrepreneurs in the developing economies to grow and establish their businesses. All the money crunch a developing economy experiences will be wiped out with this concept. It is very exciting for the entrepreneurs as well as the lenders.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Environment Conscious: Paper waste
Global Warming, acidification, waste lands, are the hot words being discussed now a days. Clean tech is the next big bubble most VCs and investors are watching out for....
People see a saucy opportunity in this field, especially in India. Here is a random overview about the recycling paper industry and activities happening around it.
For 80% of the 630 paper mills in India waste paper is a a key raw material. Ragpicking is a great occupation supporting this. Around 4.6 million tonne of waste paper gets imported from Europe every year.
India Opportunity: 8.5 million tonne of paper consumed every year in the country, only 1.4 million gets recycled back to the industry..ITC launched WOW in April 2007 which aims to inculcate a habit of segregating waste and increasing the level of recycling garbage.
Interesting startup: Daily Dump
More info on the following blogs
http://greentechindia.blogspot.com/
http://www.cleantechblog.com/2006/04/indias-growing-renewable-energy-market.html
People see a saucy opportunity in this field, especially in India. Here is a random overview about the recycling paper industry and activities happening around it.
For 80% of the 630 paper mills in India waste paper is a a key raw material. Ragpicking is a great occupation supporting this. Around 4.6 million tonne of waste paper gets imported from Europe every year.
India Opportunity: 8.5 million tonne of paper consumed every year in the country, only 1.4 million gets recycled back to the industry..ITC launched WOW in April 2007 which aims to inculcate a habit of segregating waste and increasing the level of recycling garbage.
Interesting startup: Daily Dump
More info on the following blogs
http://greentechindia.blogspot.com/
http://www.cleantechblog.com/2006/04/indias-growing-renewable-energy-market.html
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
OUTLIERS
Dear Friends,
I am reading the book OUTLIERS written by Malcolm Gladwell. Here is an excerpt from the book that turned like a driller into my head. The head is filled with strong ideas which make us feel that we are great or that we are not so great.
Especially as successful entrepreneurs we need to be always alert to help the budding entrepreneurs. You will know why when you read this excerpt.
Malcolm Gladwell says "I want to convince you that these kinds of personal explanations of success don't work. People don't rise from nothing. We do owe to something to parentage and patronage. The people who stand before kings may look like they did it all by themselves. But in fact they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot. It makes a difference where and when we grew up. The culture we belong to and the legacies passed down by our forebears shape the patterns of our achievement in ways we cannot begin to imagine. It's not enough to ask what successful people are like, in other words. It is only by asking where they are from that we can unravel the logic behind who succeeds and who doesn't.
Biologists often talk about the "ecology" of an organism: the tallest oak in the forest is the tallest not just because it grew from the hardiest acorn; it is the tallest also because no other trees blocked sunlight, the soil around it was deep and rich, no rabbit chewed through its bark as a sapling, and no lumberjack cut it down before it matured. We all know that successful people come from hardy seeds. But do we know enough about the sunlight that warned them, the soil in which they put down the roots and the rabbits and lunberjacks they were lucky enough to avoid?"
Hope the positive side of every entrepreneur is kindled.
I am reading the book OUTLIERS written by Malcolm Gladwell. Here is an excerpt from the book that turned like a driller into my head. The head is filled with strong ideas which make us feel that we are great or that we are not so great.
Especially as successful entrepreneurs we need to be always alert to help the budding entrepreneurs. You will know why when you read this excerpt.
Malcolm Gladwell says "I want to convince you that these kinds of personal explanations of success don't work. People don't rise from nothing. We do owe to something to parentage and patronage. The people who stand before kings may look like they did it all by themselves. But in fact they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot. It makes a difference where and when we grew up. The culture we belong to and the legacies passed down by our forebears shape the patterns of our achievement in ways we cannot begin to imagine. It's not enough to ask what successful people are like, in other words. It is only by asking where they are from that we can unravel the logic behind who succeeds and who doesn't.
Biologists often talk about the "ecology" of an organism: the tallest oak in the forest is the tallest not just because it grew from the hardiest acorn; it is the tallest also because no other trees blocked sunlight, the soil around it was deep and rich, no rabbit chewed through its bark as a sapling, and no lumberjack cut it down before it matured. We all know that successful people come from hardy seeds. But do we know enough about the sunlight that warned them, the soil in which they put down the roots and the rabbits and lunberjacks they were lucky enough to avoid?"
Hope the positive side of every entrepreneur is kindled.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Business Plan Template
This is another stop where I felt knowledge sharing is required.
As entrepreneurs we all have to prepare a business plan at some point of time.
I am also at this juncture. I will be soon updating a business plan template for all my blog readers which is specific for idea stage firms, looking for funding and with a market focus being India.
This would be helpful to technical and non-technical folks.
As entrepreneurs we all have to prepare a business plan at some point of time.
I am also at this juncture. I will be soon updating a business plan template for all my blog readers which is specific for idea stage firms, looking for funding and with a market focus being India.
This would be helpful to technical and non-technical folks.
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