Age is Just a Number!!

Age is Just a Number!!

11 years Ago, I was 24 years of Age… but behaved like a 35 year old…
Today when I am 35 year of age… I feel like 24 years Young……

Am Glad with this Role Reversal!!

For everything I need to Thank my Intelligent, Caring and Beautiful Wife Gurleen Kaur.

Thanks to Tarun Chawla Photography for this AWESOME CAPTURE and make us Look Good!

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For a Week, My Bathroom became My Classroom!!

Har Cheez kuch Sikhati hai…… Kabhi Chup rehkar, to Kabhi cheekh cheekh kar hume apni baat samjhati hai!!

(Every Thing around us teaches us something or other… Some times by keeping mum and sometimes by shouting from the roof)

 

And this was experienced by me a few days ago…. When my Geyser TALKED to me…. Yes it did and it didn’t only Talk it gave me a lesson too.

And then Every Next Day, I could hear voices from all the Accessories/Fittings in my bathroom and I wondered why I didn’t listen to them earlier.

 

But I am Glad that I did now…. And that I am sharing it with every one….

April 17, Friday
Day 1:: Geyser

 

While I went for a bath….. I heard my Geyser Say…”Gurpreet, It takes me 30 minutes to heat the water in Winters, but in Summers (now)…. I take only 6 minutes to do so. Just goes on to prove that…. Times keep changing…… But if you are consistent with your efforts, the “Target does get met”…… Sometimes Earlier… Sometime Later…..”

Thinking it to be a one off incident, I Moved on, Only to be surprised the next day too.

Just absorb this fully before going to the next day.

April 18 Saturday
Day 2:: Towel 

Next day, when I heard my Bath towel talking to me , I thought … Either I have gone Crazy or everything in my Bathroom has.
Nevertheless, I was Enjoying…and Learning too, so I listened carefully.

My Towel Said “Gurpreet, You use me rarely. May be for Just for 2 mins a day….. But still I am very very important to you. Just imagine… you have taken a Bath and you are without a Towel??”

And that set my mind thinking….

But the Towel Continued.

“So never Take things For Granted…..However small they are or however less they come in Contact with you….. You would realise its importance only when they are not with you”

 

April 19 Sunday
Day 3:: Bathroom Slippers

 

And the trend continued…….. As It was My Slippers Talking to me next.

 

It said…..”Gurpreet…. Each Person/ Object here in this world has come for a specific Motive. And if you try to change its use….Then it may not perform even 1% of what it is designed for.

Jaise ki….. I’m a chappal…. I can only be utilized when I’m on your feet Protecting you from Dust and Nails on the floor. If I think, That I can become and perform the function of a Glove or Cap which are More delicately handled…. Then I may Loose my character completely.
So….“Be Yourself and Excel rather Aping Others and Failing”.

April 2o Monday

Day 4:: Blank

Now, I was sure that today too there would be something and my expectations were very high.

I kept looking around for some inspiration, Kept my ears glued to any voice I may hear.

But nothing, Juts Nothing.
Probably it was also a lesson that “Stop taking things for Granted. If it is happening, then it is not a surety that this may keep happening!!

April 21 Tuesday
Day 5:: Tap

And then the next day I stepped into my Bathroom, Wondering if the saga continues…. And it did. And today I was surprised by my Tap (Mixer/Faucet).

 

I was Busy adjusting my tap to get the right Mix of Luke warm water for my bath….. But I was failing… The flowing water was either too warm or too cold. And after repeated attempts … I got the right mix in 3 Minutes”

On this my Mixer Tap tells me “Gurpreet, Sometimes it is stroke of Luck or sometimes…… It is sheer Hard Work…… which gives u the right Mix in Life.

So, Just “Work Hard” initially and find Best Mix for you and then keep working hard to maintain it… Till your Priorities Change”

Another Lesson Learnt!!

April 22 Wednesday
Day 6:: Mirror

And then the next day when I entered the Bathroom with least expectations to brush my teeth……. I heard another Voice.

And today it was my MIRROR.

As I looked into it and saw myself … I could hear my mirror saying…..

“Come on Gurpreet, let’s talk FACE TO FACE” and then continued….

Each Person has many facets, which is Good…. But Masks over those Facets is not good.

One can fool everyone in this world… but not yourself. Whenever you see the Mirror, You will only see and hear the truth…. Your Real Self……

Remember to “Be Sincere” to yourself, it will show through the Glow on your Face when you see the Mirror Next!!

And remember to “Smile when you see the Mirror….. If you can Smile for Others, You can Smile for yourself too”

And Since then, I can’t Stop Smiling :-)

 

April 23 Thursday
Day 7:: Soap

Unlike other Mornings when I heard a Loud Confident Voice, Today…. It was a very feeble Voice that called me…..

And when I looked around to see where it came from… I noticed it was from the Soap in my hand!!

It had already been used for 5 days and within next 5 days…. It would be used and finished completely.


In its feeble Whisper/sobbing tone… it said to me
Gurpreet, in order to use me… People rub me every day against them and in the process each day I lose a part of me. I cry at times because I will be finished in a few days.

However since I don’t have an option, I try to find a false solace that I am being of use to someone. But the truth is…… It’s good to help someone, but not at the cost of hurting yourself

If you don’t set your own priorities, then someone else will set it for you. It will be obviously that suits THEM, not YOU!
So take your own Decisions, Don’t Exhaust yourself for others!”

Another Lesson Learnt… Was Desperately Required.

Thanks Saabun Didi!

 

And since then…. I have not heard any more voice……. coming from the Bathroom.

But in hindsight I realise.. that many a times in Malls, Cinemas and even my Car I heard some sounds,but ignored it.

Seems… Now I need to convince them to speak to me again so that I could Listen,Talk, Learn and pen down “Mall Tales” and “Cinema Tales” too :-)

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Key Take Aways on Funding from “Google For Entrepreneurs” @ Oberoi, New Delhi

A few days back… I received  a call from “Thot Media Group”…. Probably the agency handling events for various Clients.

And they asked if I would want to be part of an Upcoming Event in Delhi titled “Google for Entrepreneurs?”

I found it interesting… Especially so because Google has been known for some ass kicking Events and their Content, Speakers and Hospitality is always talked about.

And as soon as I registered, being a obedient husband I am, told my Wife Gurleen about it on Phone….. She too said the same and confirmed that she has registered too, a day earlier.

“Women are Smarter” and whoever said this, was a Real Smart Women!!

So… on the appointed hour and time, we did reach the awesome venue and took our seats  Bean Bags…. And the learning flowed.

Ohk let me confess……… I know Google has many products which if we use properly can make our life simpler as an Entrepreneur and I thought that this Event is more so an opportunity to learn more about Google Docs/Google Forms/Google Hangout and other products which we do not know how to utilise in best possible way.

But….. as the event started… I realized that it was more about Finance, Accelerators, VC’s and Nasscom’s Initiative of 10K Start-ups 

And Since me and Gurleen have no Intention to seek funding and frankly at this stage we don’t even deserve to……. We started feeling uneasy on our Square Bright Google Coloured Bean bags and started exchanging notes on the Google Diary…. Something school kids do in School during a boring period and just before recess :-)

But…. Just then the learning’s started flowing…… and here I try to present a Mash up of all that was Said, Observed &  Analysed.

  • Research about VC/Investor as much as he does about your company
  • Any Funding takes 3-6 months of efforts/ Due Diligence etc. Be Prepared
  • Don’t get so involved in the Funding process that you let your Business suffer due to it.
  • Don’t just accept funding because it is available. Accept it when you need it.
  • By the time you are ready for Series A, you should have atleast 70% of the company ownership.
  • Social Presence is Important. If you calling a VC and he is not taking your call. Then you should have enough Social presence and reputation that other people of trade do put your recommendation. It is usually hard to ignore then.
  • In India….. Seek investments only when you have a running model and proof of traction. Nobody is willing to invest in an IDEA.

  • Don’t compare our Entrepreneurial Eco system with USA. They have been going through this for past 40 years….. We are not even 10 years old.
  • When seeking funding look mainly on what comes along with Namely Mentor/Network/Acceptance in Market/ Affiliation. Some times they prove more valuable than the funds themselves
  • If you want to expand overseas or want Foreign Funding…. Then do keep frequenting abroad. The VC’s want to have a regular touch, feel factor.
  • Investors look for Trends. Say a one time 1 crore revenue may not be as attractive as a growing trend which goes from 2 lacs to 12 lacs in one year. Same for Customer traction
  • Nasscom has taken a Big initiative of helping 10,000 start-ups in next 10 years and has partnered with key players to reach this goal. One of it’s Initiatives is a Co-Working space of 150 seats in major cities called the Start-up Warehouse. Where only Start-ups would be allowed to work from… for Max 1 year and Max 5 employees. The charges would be almost half of what others charge. Less than Rs. 4000 a Seat/Month
  • Accelerators are booming and wooing Entrepreneurs. If an Entrepreneur is looking for an Accelerator then One has to do some good Brain Storming while selecting an Accelerator too.
  • The Investor….  Gives a high priority to a TEAM. Most of the Ideas/Business that start initially does not actually go the same path. As per experience they change the plans….. And make a successful product. Only Because the TEAM is good.
  • A Mentor Helps you, Does not Work for you.
  • Any Money you raise…….. Try to raise it for a Particular Goal or Time…because if that’s not met…… Then the prospective Investors may shy off and even the Existing Investor will start suspecting you.
  • Do not think that if an investor is Invested in you…. He will save you from all the Financial Crunches you may face. Investors are here for business…. And he may be better writing off $50K than giving you more and then writing off $100k a year later.

That’s what I could take away from the Event…. And as usual it’s Different Strokes for Different Folks.

If there’s any thing you do not agree or want to add, then please share I am a learner always and you never know who may silently read your view and gain immensely from it.

Oh yes….. The food was yum and why not…… it was being served at the “Oberoi Hotel”….. A Hotel owned by the BEST HOTEL ENTREPRENEUR India may never  have again. Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi, worked as a BELL BOY in Hotel Cecil, Simla and then within 10 years brought the hotel from the owner.


This is True Entrepreneurship and did I forget to mention, there were no VC’s then !!

Tags: 10kAcceleratorsAngelEntrepreneurFundingGoogleGurpreetHotelInvestmentMoney,More…

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