When I was in college, my ultimate goal was to become an entrepreneur. My friends and I used to sit together on the age-old staircase behind the extended area of our college and used to talk about new ideas, changes, the economy and whatnot. We all had that sparkly eyes when we used to share our dreams, our desires, and our goals. And that phase helped me a lot in phasing the different situations in my life.
Being an entrepreneur has its pros and cons. I've grown up watching traditional entrepreneurs, who were so damn greedy and think about accumulating money as much as they can, without thinking anything else in their life. They used to exploit their employees by not giving them the perks they deserve. They used to exploit their customers by quoting the high price of the products which aren't easily available in the market. Not everyone was like that, but some of them around me were doing that. Black marketing, scams, and all that dark stuff was so common (and is still common) in my growing years that I have doubted my decision to become an entrepreneur, not once but millions of time.
All the books I've read anyhow convinced me to become an entrepreneur and keep searching and discovering new ideas in the field of business I'm in. Honestly, no man whom I've personally met has ever succeeded to convince me to see the bright side of entrepreneurship. And about the successful entrepreneurs, I've read about always ends up disappointing me. Their idea of entrepreneurship is somewhat changing the track and after some point in time, I stop following them.
Let me share my idea of entrepreneurship.
For me, entrepreneurship is not a win-lose game. It's a medium through which you finds a win-win situation for you, as well as your client. It's a medium through which you actively pay back to society, no matter how small your business is. Paying back to society not always mean charity. It's about creating a smart module thorough which everyone moves upwards. It's about creating opportunities for everyone your business touches - without exploiting or pressurising a single party. It's about investing in your dream and investing in someone else's dream, provided it is also for the betterment of everyone.
So after reading innumerable biographies and autobiographies in my late teens and early twenties, I recently got this book which opened a different realm for me.
This lovely book which I'm holding in my hands in the picture is called 'i came upon a lighthouse'.
The book is a memoir written by Mr Shantanu Naidu, in which he not only writes about his journey down the years, but he beautifully writes that how his life overlaps the life of none other than Mr Ratan Naval Tata.
Naidu worked as a Design Engineer in Tata Elxsi, when he co-founded Motopaws' which is an initiative to reduce animal deaths and injuries (specifically dogs) caused by vehicles hitting them. In Motopaws, they brought forward a unique idea of radiant dog collars. This simple idea brought down these accidents by 31 per cent.
My dear readers, this one was the first reason I picked up this book. As a person who gets along with dogs, more than with humans, I was excited reading about that unique idea.
When Ratan Tata came across this simple idea, he called them in his office and with that a unique bond between Mr Tata and the author formed.
Mr Tata became his guardian angel and stood by him as a teacher, as a parent, and as a friend in every situation.
The author decided to go on with his higher education and went to Cornell University, Ithaca for that. Before leaving he decided to come back to India after his education and work for Tata Trust, which is actively involved in Social Services. And yes, he does come back and become an integral part of the institution.
But this book is not only about the author's journey. This book is written about the simplicity, vision, and humility of Mr Tata. His way of handling things, his way of looking at things, are minutely described in the book.
This is one of those books which not only motivates you like those so-called self-help books you see on every bookstall. But this book is a warm hug for those people who love to help others and understand this by heart that Money is a by-product of being an entrepreneur.
So I picked up the book for some of the reasons which I'm mentioning below:-
1) Motopaws
I love the mission behind the initiative of Motopaws. Personally, I've lost count of the dogs I've lost in accidents. I have cried and spent sleepless nights thinking about their sufferings. I have spent countless nights cursing myself on my insufficiency to save them. I'll share a story in my upcoming blog.
2) Simplicity of Mr Tata
You can search for books on Mr Tata on Amazon and Flipkart, believe me, you won't find anything authenticated. As a person, he always thought about doing something rather than blabbering much. He has invested in the technology and modernization of every field. Reading about his life is a treat in itself.
3) The Idea of Entrepreneurship
The initial paragraphs of this post cover what I have always thought about Entrepreneurship. Now you might have been thinking that My idea is nothing but Mr Tata personified. In every industry, in every field, you can see Tatas. He is that 'Win-Win' situation personified who talks less but has a genuine hand in nation-building.
4) Illustrations
The book is beautifully illustrated by Sanjana Desai, which enhances the reading experience. Reading and imagining go hand in hand. You make a picture of what you read in your mind. And when you see a similar picture on the pages you are reading, it's an indescribable experience. You must try it.
So that's all for my side. I would highly recommend this book to each one of you and you can grab your copies from HERE.
Thank you for reading
Love, Laughter, and Peace
HRN
