5 reasons why you should work with passionate people

This January we complete a year of existence as The Potter's Earth, and a little more than that for me personally as a corporate-to-startup convertee. The start-up bug is the biggest flu-of-the-season for Indians these past few years, and all around in my circle of friends and acquaintances who have taken the ubiquitous 'plunge', one gets to hear stories of personal joys and travails, of start-ups, wind-downs and re-started-ups. I recently read a good piece on 5 reasons you will be grateful you choose to work for a startup, and it got me thinking how many of these reasons hold true for us at The Potter's Earth.

As we roll out of one hectic year into another even more hectic one, with my team of colleagues - family, friends, family-of-friends, and colleagues-now-turned-friends :-) - as fellow travelers, here's my own 5 reasons why 2014 was an awesome year and why I know 2015 is going to be an even better one.

My Adventures of flying solo

So there I was, 13-odd years into a corporate career, finally deciding to take the plunge into the vast and unpredictable world of entrepreneurship. True to my meticulous nature and my ever-present excel sheet, I had spent time examining my options, done my SWOT analysis, worked out the financials…basically I had done all possible left-brain thinking and created scenarios, sub-scenarios and counter-scenarios. And I sat back and wondered why this was the nth time I was doing this same exercise when I hadn't moved a muscle in the right direction in the past, and what was so different about this one time that I was willing to take the plunge now, when I did nothing about it all those other times. For all you employees-turned-entrepreneurs out there, what is that one moment - the trigger - that gave you the courage (or the foolhardiness?) to 'just do it'?

My Epiphany

Career choices as anyone will tell you are difficult ones to make. It is a common sight to see youngsters especially in high school sit and talk about what subjects to choose in 11^th, what specialization to study with in graduation, and which professional course to pursue. In my case it was a bit different – or at least it felt at that time like I’m the only one going through this dilemma – do I know better today? I hope to find out soon! But before that, here’s my story…

Are you getting brainwashed to pursue a career?

So are you in high school, waiting to speed through college and join the workforce? If yes, then which profession are you dreaming of signing up for? Do you want to suit up for a corporate career because of the moolah you can make or head overseas to carve out a career in software because a NRI status seems prestigious? Do you want to teach in a college, because that seems like a flexible career for a woman, or do you want to do an MBA because everyone seems to be doing so? But at the end of the day, is your choice of career dictated by passion, peer or parental pressure or popularity?

Save me, oh father!

One of the evenings when my wife was away travelling out of town on work, I sat down in front of the TV, dealing with the prospect of feeding dinner to our two boys. I sat on the bed with a plate of food in my hand, as our 7-year old had successfully negotiated for himself the No-TV-No-Dinner clause. Lacking adequate backup support, I gave in rather easily - only to pull rank and insist that we watch Mahabharat (yes, I am a keen follower) instead of Doremon. For those of you who are new to this series of Mahabharat, it is a welcome change from the BR Chopra fare that most of us grew up on. It is refreshing to watch a series that captures the true essence of the multi-faceted characters in all their various shades – good, bad and ugly (my parents’ generation completely disagrees with me though).

5 ways to find a line of work for yourself!

Is work just about earning a pay cheque? Or, can work really mean more than this? While, several professionals will tell you that your work is a way to put bread (and bacon or beans) on the table, your line of work can be made to work for you. How’s that possible, you may ask? Here are five ways to find out if the boot fits you right…err, I mean, how you can find a line of work that suits you the T.

Action step: Get a notebook and pen for this ‘session’.

My Muse - Part 2

I loved watching tv, and I read many books. Books about how people would have an unhappy time working for a company, and then they would suddenly find an outlet for their creativity and end up doing that. These stories made me think a lot. Will I be happy doing law? Fighting for justice?

I had already started studying for my entrance exams, but I did not like the process. I continued writing, because that was my only escape from legal aptitude tests. I wrote when I fought with friends, when I was hurt, when I was so happy that I could dance. I put down questions regarding myself, and I ended up answering them by the end of the page. It was a crazy feeling.

Numbers numbers everywhere!

Who invented these numbers? They have been sources of worry for us ever since we were born. Imagine a hospital labor room; the first-timer daddy is totally nervous and walking up and down the corridor while his wifey dear is screaming her lungs out in the deep scary room. He waits patiently not letting the banshee screams get to him. Then the door swings open and the weary looking doctor comes out with a smile. "Congratulations! You have a son! He's 3.3 kg!" Ah, the relief! Then comes the stressful reports, birth certificates, noting the time of birth, the day of birth, etc.

His age is counted in days, then weeks, then months and finally after 12 months, the 1st birthday finally arrives!! Where relatives and family members may give nice little toys or jewellery for the young toddler, the more hopeless gifters like me stick to money: Rs. 101 (or a bit more if they are not as broke as I am :D). The years add up and the kid joins preschool. Games and frolic keep him safely away from the scary world of digits for some time. But then he joins school and his affair with numbers starts.

My Muse: My Story

I decided at the age of 8, that I wanted to become a doctor because they saved people’s lives. By the age of 13, I realized I did not like science at all. So instead, I wanted to become a lawyer; I read about how they fought for justice and how much they earned. One of my aunt’s friends was a lawyer, and somehow I saw the exciting part of law by how much she had to travel. I was set, my dream from then on was to become a lawyer.

Little did I know, that It was just the beginning of the journey: of utter confusion, to sudden realizations and major decisions.

Know No Neighbors!

I drove down the picturesque Mumbai-Pune Expressway, thinking about the meeting that had gone well that day, the client that we had bagged, and longing for a hot shower and a good book. Taking the sharp bend where the expressway ends and Pune begins, I smiled as I remembered how, not so long back, this little stretch was a deserted piece of land, with a single two-lane road running through it, the monotony interspersed by the occasional village kaka wobbling past on a decrepit bicycle, or the desultory horn of an aging truck. Today, thanks to the super-boom of real estate that Pune and other similar Indian cities are experiencing, this once-desolate stretch of Wakad has turned into an unrecognizable melee of construction and hoardings promising swanky lifestyles to Pune’s up and coming urban populace.

MBA gyan part 2

Continuing the second section of the blog post, we spoke to Siddhartha Sen.

So you've decided to pursue your MBA abroad and taken the GMAT. Congratulations! You have a head-start. But please remember, you've won the battle not the war. GMAT is just a screening/ eligibility  criteria, and would be only 20% of your application to a B-school. Surprised? Well, that's reality.

Now, the most important part of your application will be your essays. Out of the essays too, your statement of purpose or the "Why MBA" essay as it is popularly known as, is the single most important document. That is your story and it should be interesting enough to spark interest among the admissions committee to want to speak to you. That is how you will bag an interview. 

A day in the life of a fighter pilot!

Flight Lieutenant Siddharth Singh, 26, is a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force. Posted to an elite Mig-29 squadron in the north of India, Sid, as he’s known by his squadron mates, has been flying the aircraft for the past three years. While, becoming a fighter pilot has been his childhood dream, flying these complex aircrafts is more than just excitement and thrill – it is also a responsibility and commitment to his country. Having passed out from the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla and then from the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Hyderabad, Sid has the same grit, determination and commitment to the service and the nation, that every pilot has. And like every fighter pilot, Sid also has a streak of flamboyance in him. He loves leather jackets, Ray Bans and his Royal Enfield. And it goes without saying that this dashing and debonair young man with brown eyes, rugged features and dimpled smile is a great hit with women! But sorry ladies, he already has a girl friend in the other corner of the country, who keeps him up till the wee hours of the night, chatting on the phone.

MBA Gyan – Part 1

The mid twenties is not really a great age to be in; your ex girlfriends/crushes are getting married. Aunties seem to always ask you the same question - When are you tying the knot? And to top it all, uncles and elders only seem to ask you about your career - which, let's face it, is not the same as that you'd dreamed of.

How to love the work you do

Whether your work place is a cubicle shared between a couple of colleagues, a plush office with a swivel chair and Macbook, or the corner of your dining table, the work you do can be more than a way to earn a living and pay the bills. With the array of career choices available these days, you don’t need to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer or even an MBA to earn a decent living while loving what you do. So how do you hit the jackpot – find a career that appeals to you and love the work you do without getting bored or bogged down by the daily nature of a job?

The new meaning of “Social”

I am not one to bore my readers with my own opinion of whether this is good or bad (or maybe just a little, since I rule the roost, at least in my own blog space J). But what I do feel strongly about is the impact this breakdown of traditional social structures is bound to have on the next generation.

What we are looking at here, is a future where my sons spend as much time, if not more, with their virtual circle of friends, partaking of games like penguins, online cricket, farmhouse or a host of other admittedly interesting occupations, than with the neighbourhood kids, and giving me weird looks when I force them to plug off and go spend an hour in a real playground. I have been pestering my six-year-old son to reply to his grandparents’ letter that they painstakingly wrote to their grandson and posted (yes, Indian Post still exists!). He gives me ‘the look’ and asks me innocently to help him log on to his email account so he can mail back to them (Indian Post, you better watch out).