Serendipity and Learning

A question that I frequently run into is "How should a start up approach LnD". In the last few months I have spoken to a few people who have the responsibility of running LnD for start ups. Here is my take (still evolving): 1. If you apply a big company framework and shrink it for a start up. This may will not work. 2. For instance, in a big company you may train some of the managers every year. In a start up, you almost definitely want to train all of them. Especially if you have the first few hundred on board. And, you might want to repeat this atleast once again or till you have confident of a 'culture'. Measure it using surveys. 3. Training ROI - In general, measure ROI as direct business output. If you do a workshop on problem solving - assign a project and measure its outcome. If you build skill in giving feedback, assess Manager scores. 4. Distinguish between Needs and Wants. Big companies will address wants, but as a startup, you are neither geared for ...

Today I met the founder of a start up. It is a very interesting model that upends the current model. They specialise in supplying daily essentials, fresh from the market. It is a specific location based self service model. Their USP is fresh, handpicked, self delivered vegetables. Users can choose which vegetables they like. Prices are slightly negotiable. All payments accepted. I also met another founder. who is using a different model. They specialise in fresh fruit sold at a really low price. Users locate the vehicle basis approximate time slot (it is slated to become GPS enabled soon) and pick up the fruits during their rounds at the point closed to them - solving the last mile problem by making the user do the work - and reduce costs in the bargain. Fruits are guaranteed fresh, handpicked from the wholesale market a few hours before, user selected, weighed in front of the user, thus assuring users of best quality. Two interesting models in which I have invested early in the m...

Of late, Bangalore has seen quite a few bike sharing companies. They have tried it a while back, but this time Yulu seems to be getting some traction just as Pedl gave up. I never got a chance to try it, but being somewhat of a cyclist myself, I was always in favour of it. And then they launched the Yulu miracle. Stuck as I was between two bus points - I wanted some option and spotted a Miracle there. Decided to take it. And I must admit, I enjoyed the ride. It was slow - any amateur who can balance can ride it - the brake was a bit iffy though. The road was a bit scary given fast motorcycles that zoomed past. But I hope that it reaches a good enough adoption rate for people to be able to use it - both the cycles and the Miracles. And I wish, somehow we could build cycle paths into the current ecosystem (seems impossible I know, but well) PS: Given Bangalores weather, we need more walkways and cycle paths - and that will solve half our commute problems. Given current commute con...

Many years ago, India was primarily a third party services ecosystem. There were a dime a dozen third party IT service companies and BPOs. This wave ran out of steam soon enough,  leaving in its wake unemployable skills and managers. And all around us were complaining op-eds on how India does not have any products and has only services. Cut to today. Whether we have products from India or we dont, we have start-ups.  We have had them for a few years now, but what this ecosystem has created or led to creation is some really cool tech talent. This kind of talent either did not exist or was hidden, but the start up ecosystem has made this the talent very desirable. Start ups are formed, many fall by the wayside, some become big - the ones that fall by the wayside try again, the ones who are big enable many people to make money some of when pour that back into an idea that they are passionate about and every single such action leads to creating an ecosystem. Thoughts as I i...

We all know what is Facebook and the many things about it, especially in the recent past. It was fascinating for me to read the story of the creation of Facebook in the book, the Facebook effect by David Kirkpatrick. Quite a few things struck me. About timing (there were quite a few social networks that fell by the wayside because technology was not good enough). About ideas (Facebook was by no means the first social network, but many things it learnt from others failures made it better). About being able to answer the deeper question (and this is really something - from the time it has started till about today -to think a bunch of college kids could think of something like this is inspiring to say the least). About being to prioritize (instead of trying to do everything - at the start, it was very focussed on a few things and getting those right and then added features). About having a clear direction (what we are, what we are not). A must read for someone who is in the busi...