Confusions

I have been fairly troubled with my confusions eternally. They keep haunting me. Although I know its good to be confused at the first step. Clear them out and move to new confusions. But the process being eternal in nature is quite stressful.

This time it is about sacrifices.
It’s always nice to get yourself a priority order in life. I have a list of activities that I think should be completed in organized manner. I am thankful that sufficient lucidity and motivation assists me in my approach and the objectives have now grown more clear and differentiating. I might sound too taken away by treating life as a task list.

I have learned this the hard way. There were times when these first, second and further objectives colluded to make my confusions bitter. Things got really messed up when there were an additional social and emotional priority list merging with the previous list (you may call the previous one, ambitions list). The times have been too boggling. Thus I have messed up numerous things to breathe with current clarity.

However what haunts me now are the sacrifices I have been making to attempt things one by one, or by not paying sufficient attention to secondary list objectives. I understand that it leads me to the same previous confused state but I can’t help it. On the other hand I know I am not God, and it would not be possible to manage several objectives together.

In short it is the basic priority confusion every individual goes through (atleast I suppose so). But I have been particularly pissed by the fact that I always thought I had overcome it but it just persists.

I am so confused, again.

Entrepreneur of the Day | Mentorpolis | 03 Jan 2009

This is a post on Paritosh and me based on a interview by Partho, a media freelancer. The conversation took place on the Tata Jagriti Yatra.

Entrepreneur of the Day: MENTORPOLIS

Avijit and Paritosh, 24, alumni of IIT Delhi

The entrepreneurial bug bit Avijit and Paritosh in their final year at IIT Delhi. In a situation that TATA Jagriti Yatra hopes to replicate, Avijit and Paritosh were inspired by their seniors’ successful forays into starting enterprises. “Amit Sethi and Vishal Chandra acted as our mentors in our efforts to start new enterprises. We could go to them for advice and they gave us their opinions. They were also harsh critics – it wasn’t easy to convince them of our idea and our solutions to key challenges. But once we managed to convince them, they backed us and encouraged us.”

While several ideas came up and faded away in the course of their final year, including a sports initiative as Avijit is an avid footballer, the idea they decided to stick with was a shared passion

By that time, both had gained some amount of work experience. Avijit was working with ZINNOV in Bangalore and Paritosh was at Dunhumby in Delhi. The two recalled the days they worked together as Placements Co-ordinators, and remembered the number of IITians who were disgruntled with the jobs they found themselves in. Many IITians took up jobs without really knowing what to expect, and had to plan their careers on the fly because they did not have relevant information.

Nevertheless, there was at least a community of ex-IITians to mentor the existing IITians, but students from other schools and colleges did not have this kind of advice to draw on. Recognizing needs at various levels, the duo decided to start something called Mentorpolis.

A service that connected mentors to mentees willing to pay for the mentors’ time was conceived. The social angle was a percentage of sessions with mentors provided free of cost.

While the duo were unwilling to reveal the specific processes they had conceived to make this project viable on the ground, they did give us a glimpse into what it is to be young entrepreneurs in India today.

Paritosh is still working full time and then working on Mentorpolis. Avijit, however, has quit his job and is working full time. “I had a really hard time convincing my father”, he said. “I do not have a business background, and he was worried. He wanted me to take up a job in Delhi. But I told him, there are so many layers of security that we keep aiming for. I had the resources that helped me get into IIT, and that in itself should be enough security. Now I can take some time and some risks and do my own thing. When I said that, my father was convinced and let me go ahead with my plan.”

From the start, Avijit and Paritosh recognized their individual strengths and defined their roles. Paritosh looks at the Marketing side while Avijit looks at Operations and Technology. Both take care of market research and honing the idea further. “I had no idea of the technical side when I started out”, said Avijit, “but my mentors insisted I learn it. As an entrepreneur I needed to know every aspect of my enterprise. Only if I knew my stuff could I tell other people how to go about their jobs.”

As of now, no money sharing agreements have been signed, and very few other employees have been taken on. The idea is still to take off, though the website is ready. Any time now we should see a pilot programme. “We have a team of mentors from various sectors.” Now they are looking at a potential market.

What better than the TATA Jagriti Yatra? The Yatra is proving to be a wonderful testing ground for this and other enterprises. Entrepreneurs have been advised to use this as a potential test market for their ideas. Avijit and Paritosh are doing just that. “By speaking to people from diverse backgrounds, we get to gauge the demand for the product we are offering.”

Apart from this, interactions like those with Mr. Vijayraghavan gave them a lot of insight into what they can or cannot do. Avijit even managed to put a question to the man who founded Technopark. He asked him how to find committed and motivated people to drive his idea as he had a lot of other things to attend to. Mr. Vijayraghavan’s answer was clear: “Nobody else can translate your idea like you can. You will have to do it yourself. At the start of your enterprise, expect to do everything yourself.” The answer was not an easy one, but Avijit had more evidence to suggest he had no way out of his heavy workload. “Every interaction on the yatra is causing a delta shift in my understanding, and over time this accumulates into a sure influence that will change the course of my enterprise”, he said.

It is clear that an information gap exists between students and the quality of potential employers and career paths. The advice of nearly every mentor so far has been to focus on fulfilling a need, as money will surely come when a need is being fulfilled. Avijit and Paritosh are focusing on addressing the need in as professional and comprehensive a manner as is possible. The money will follow later.

- Partho PC

I like it!

Just a short one.

Parinda.
Happened to see movie Parinda a little while ago. Read about it in Maximum city, and surprisingly never knew about this one before. And now I am all praise for the movie, the director,complete cast.
I never knew Vidhu Vinod Chopra can be so good. The approach towards every shot taken looks so fresh inspite of being a twenty year old movie.

About movies.
Seeing a good movie can be an enormous bliss. Everytime I see one of them I dont wish to sleep. Feels as if more should continue. You feel a positivity in yourself, a bent towards exploring things, writing, reading, feeling, observing.... You stop caring about your time restrictions and your work ahead.


I berate myself over such indulgence afterwards, but I think in the end I just like it.

Jagriti Yatra – Bombay Ist Leg

I hate Bombay.
So less is my rational that I don’t know why I hate it. I think it emerges because I live in Delhi.

Paritosh and I got down at Bandra station. I could not believe when I saw only hundreds of people, instead of millions. “People must be partying because of we are visiting the city“. We were almost expecting banners ‘Bombay Municipal Corporation Aapka Hardik Swagat karti Hai’. No, we didn’t find any. We like subtle love.

It wasn’t very long when the dream was shattered as soon we reached outside the station. Loads of people, here, there, every where! It reminds you of your country’s burgeoning population. Why everybody has to come to Bombay? These stupids, cant they work in their cities happily. Don’t they have families back there? Oh I remember, they don’t have big cities in their states. Their leaders don’t believe in making cities. The story of ‘Stupids and the Leaders’.

But I wanted to get out of this place as fast as possible. The constant look at them gives me guilty feeling. We in Delhi don’t even look at them. I hate Bombay.

Paritosh has his elder brother living in Bombay. He came with on a car and on a phone. He took us on a car and on a phone. Paritosh meanwhile convinced me to come with him to brother’s place. “We would come out from their in an hour.”

Bhaiyya wanted Paritosh to be with him for dinner and, the night. The fun with Paritosh and his married brother surfaced in front of my eyes. I was ecstatic. Next moment I was on ‘Andheri’ road looking for rickshaws.

I have lots of very close friends in Bombay. They asked me to take a
ric and reach Carter Road. “Its pretty close.”

I inquired a driver if he would go to Carter road on meter. He smiled, “We only go on meters, but take a left and the station is ‘bajoo me’. Go by train it will be much fast. “ I was irritated. I don’t like people smiling on me. What big deal if you go on meter? And then you are confusing me to go by train. In our Delhi we have enterprising auto wallahs. They are focused, don’t know the alternate ways and will make sure you go with them. I pity Bombay.

I took a ric for carter road. We drove and drove. We almost reached Goa. That was pretty close.

A couple of hours here and there in Bombay and we were back on the regular work of booze and laughter. Now such an ass I have become I don’t like these parties. So what happened then, trust me I don’t remember, but must have had the same usual ingredients. All I remember is that they were complaining about their jobs. I smile
secretly when they crib about jobs. Main panchhi unmukt gagan ka!

I reached IIT Bombay around 11 AM. Did I tell you I hate IIT Bombay? Oh no, it is actually a love hate relationship. But I should not venture there because it can be separate story altogether, and lots of emotional clashing.

Paritosh was missing. He didn’t come in the night to our friends places as promised by him (to them). I did not enter the premises where everyone was standing. I was shy. Or to be true I was shy because I did not brush in the morning, nor did I take a bath and neither was I shaved. “My shirt looked as if it was taken out from a
Matka” I was conscious of first impression. Paritosh was my shield.

I dry-cleaned myself when Paritosh came and was relieved. “I had my counseling for JEE here”, Paritosh said with beaming smile. As if it was due to him I was getting to use the restroom. I know he loves IIT Bombay. Actually he loved his gf in IIT Bombay. Love retarded soul. I feel for him.

We started looking for our groups as we were told. Paritosh went around and found his group. Luck eludes me everywhere. There is something in Bombay’s air.

I was told that group F is sitting in the bus. A Kamaal Khan look alike was standing in front of the bus no. 3. He looked puzzled. I got close to him, he tossed a question with a paper in his hand, “Yeh Avijit Sharma Kaun hai, kuch pata hai kya?”. You should be in demand, but only for right reasons. I stared him, looked down and then again into his face. I was gauging his emotions before I say anything.
“Hi Prabal, I am Avijit”. He looked down, then up and then smiled. You touch somebody, even before he comes to know, when you call him by name. He put a hand on my shoulder and said “kahan tha YAR tu”?

He took me to the bus and introduced me to everyone. I came to know later that nobody had introduced themselves, and I got the first chance. As they later told me, Anup asked Amar “Yeh kahan se aaya” and Amar replied “Lucky Draw”. For the first time since I came to Bombay, luck and I got associated together.

The evening then went on with interactions. I came to know we had a sardar in our group, Satvinder and I knew the trip was already made. This sardar who I would describe in greater detail in coming posts is a master craftsman when it comes to talking to people.

There are two things of that evening which I distinctly remember because of emotional surge.

We danced on Jagriti Song.

I get emotional on seeing happiness around. The jagriti yatra song was taught and we were dancing on it for the first time. I liked emotions flowing everywhere. You can gauge someone’s emotions through dance. I kept dancing while glancing here and there seeing people in full command and involvement. I felt elated. I was smiling and dancing, knowing that I can’t dance well.

Somewhere in between I turned to Paritosh. I felt quickest emotional change. The dude had camera in his hand and smile on his face. He was making my video with his own commentary in the back. And soon his muted laughter turned on with vocals. There was a call made to everyone of our friends about the Avijit MMS. I didn’t know who to
hate: Bombay, IIT Bombay or Pari.

But you know I don’t lose. I got avenged later when I made a video on him too. Unfortunately his was a more decent one.

The train entered the platform.

I have had the fortune of organizing several fests in my college. Things never go as planned. Somehow since starting I had the internal feeling that it would be a difficult to manage affair.

We saw the train coming on the platform. The atmosphere was euphoric. Photographs getting clicked. People managing their way into the station. Some HIs and Hellos getting exchanged. Id cards getting distributed. Calls for group to sit together. Organizers rushing here and there. Some folks describing the train on phone to their parents, friends. Even more buses coming in. Parents and outsiders amazed to see youth energy.

There was a small glitch with some yatris without seat. They were running here and there. We were all helping them to get accommodated. Everyone wanted to help to make it unadulterated success for the organizers. They deserved it.

Soon we were all told to get on the train. Close to 450 people with different cultures, education, expectations then started on a journey which each one would definitely look back to draw inspiration, direction and reason for one’s life.

Swapnil in the morning had declared that it they might be moist eyed when the train would roll out of the station. I did not see him as they were busy. But they had all the reasons.

-
A

How Jagriti Yatra Started? – Delhi Leg

This entry is coming at a time when I think I am almost broke to start my start up work back. I have been at the receiving end from my mentors about the effort I have been putting in the work. In their words “ If you want to go and do jagriti, don’t fool yourself and stop saying to people that you are working on an idea”.
I just wish they are a little more supportive. If they are not…Damn them, I don’t want such strict, sick, senseless mentors !! ( Ha! love when i bash them publicly)
I just love the feeling to go along what my heart says. I think it goes for everybody. So I go on.

Before going the yatra I was trying not to be judgmental on what possibly could be the outcomes of the yatra. From the mail threads and Paritosh’s feedback I was getting a feeling that this could turn out to be “Tata JagRatta Yatra”. Songs and antaksharis and tick tick ones and twos, with whistles in between, catching attention here and there. And the way Patil sir put it afterwards, finding the extra
special good friend.

I heard that people were meeting before the yatra’s to discuss about the issues of the nation and what not! I was skeptical if people were getting too enthusiastic or was it signs of immaturity. My pea sized intellect failed to understand the reason behind their efforts. A part in me kept asking to consider the decision to reconsider the
plan.

Even more interesting things happened with my parents much before this.

I tell you these parents are so confused. The day I came I across the idea of trip, I shared it with my parents. “Do you think you have left the job to roam around India” This was my Dad who can be crudest at times. “If you think you can go on passing your jobless time like this, let me remind you are left only two months times for your deadline.” This is the deadline which he has given me for my experimentation with the life and ideas post I left the job. Mom who is much innocent added, “Bittoo I think papa is right to some extent”. Stubbornness comes at this age. Am I listening?

Now how views might change positions you never know. While filling the application my Dad kept taunting me about my inability to write such detailed answers to the yatra questions. He was very sure that I would lose my interest while writing the answers and thus the interest would wean away.

In one of the answers I wrote my role model as Mahatma Gandhi. This was true to me and had written it most genuinely. Some more answers elaborated on how Gandhi had affected my thought process and my feelings to contribute to India. Before sending my dad wanted to see the answers, and from that moment I knew it would not see the next day’s light. So before sending it to him I posted it to the website.

Ha! You mess with me, I would not even come near you. :)

Now my dad is one of the very serious gandhian. He must have got a satisfaction of the life, might not even when I got through IIT. My own son, admiring Gandhi, trying to adapt his values! Oh my god, I just did it. Luck by chance!!

Reversal of tone like this was beyond imagination. “I think you could add one more point here (unknowing that I have already sent the application) Gokhale, Gandhi’s political advisor asked him to go an India wide tour to get the feel of real India”. This was his addition to answer why I wanted to be on trip. Can you imagine it? And the moment they heard it had TATA’s name to it, woh to jaise ganga naha liye ho..

I always wanted to be on the yatra since the time I heard about it. But you know we kids can be real asses. I started thinking as to how to avoid to go on this yatra. And then I got through the application process also and all of sudden the value of the yatra decreased enormously. Pari said “saala kal apply kiye aaj ho gaya, kya mamla hai yeh”.

I think me and Paritosh both always wanted to go on the yatra, but kept avoiding from each other thinking this could look as unprofessionalism towards our startup.

We tried convincing each other that we were looking this trip as our business opportunity. We discussed that this opportunity would never be possible to market our business plan and to get more inputs on it. Paritosh came up with an idea that I would go to the trip and Pari would remain in Delhi to look after the work.

I think Pari realized in some time what blunder he had committed. Avijit on a trip to India meeting new people, entrepreneurs. Paritosh working in office, working for the start-up! I am sure this would have given him a nightmare. So next day he comes up with a logic. “Yar I have been 24 and I have never gone beyond Bombay, don’t you think thats too much!” Did I just hear what you said! I have heard people comparing their ages and their virginity before, par yeh kya!!!!

And then the last thing I remember was Pari was waiting for me on Nizammuddin station to get on the train with the widest possible grin.

The next discussions were soon started on how to smoke on the Jagriti Yatra train. I know we kids are asses!!!

Free and Secure

Free people don't know the value of freedom.

-Arvind Adiga, The White Tiger

Secure people eternally push their limits of security.

Fir ek Shuruaat

Fir se shuruaat karne ki tamanna hai
apni abhivyakti ko tatolne ki iraada hai

is safar me galti karna chahenge..
magar galti karke, fir khada hone ka madda hai.

Unpublished post - Letter to Editor

Unfettered letter

TATAs remain unparalleled. This time it is not with trucks or chemicals or tea. They find their new ways to contribute. The letter to Bengali masses speaks volumes about TATAs character, passion for Indian growth, forgetful Bengal experience and inspite of everything their will to contribute to masses. I am sure there would have been cases where business houses would have suffered from political parties, but it takes courage to speak. Even if it comes out of distasteful experience, the common man needs to know the story. The only thought which looms large in my head is, till when we will keep suffering defeats from wily politicians and keep compromising ambitions for a new strong India?

-
Avijit Sharma
Delhi

Post in Indian Express -Thursday , Feb 08, 2007

Retail ogres

THE surreptitious entry into the Indian markets by the supply chain giant, Wal-Mart, is going to have serious repercussions. In India, where the employment scenario is already grim, it will cause havoc. The local ‘apna bhaiya’ shops would find themselves out of business.

— Avijit Sharma, Delhi

Letter to Editor - Indian Express - Unpublished

When some people say that wiping out of pseudo national parties like BSP is in the benefit of the country, intellectuals question their sanity.
Mayawati refuses to make sane comments when so ever. The comment on specific likes of a community and the later clarification adds to her list. She once said that everything that goes in India should be in benefit of the Bahujan Samaj whether it is repeated conduction of elections till BSP gains a majority in Indian politics. Don't we really want the parties like of her to be out of the politics space so that new brighter minds come and fill the long floating vacuum? Can some intellectuals to help me gauge my sanity.

- Avijit Sharma, Delhi