Stay Hungry Stay Foolish By Rashmi Bansal

Why I read this book: My laptop was out of order and I just got over with my tests so had nothing better to pass my time. Moreover this book has 25 short stories, pardon me, 25 real inspiring stories of IIM-A alumni who took the way of entrepreneurship instead of easy campus placement. One of my friend said that this book was rated as best seller on the World Wide Web. So taking her words into consideration I finally got down reading it.

After the first chapter of a person who started naukri.com in India way back when Internet was not a very familiar term in our country I was taken into a motivating world to do something useful out of my life (a question that dangles in many minds of my age). Then hopping to a different chapter not in sequence I read about the Baljees who are engaged in hotel line of business starting from Shimla(H.P.).[This had to be mentioned to remind / inform you that I study in the hills of Shimla].

Later I read the most interesting story of a person who does not own Sintex but has been given full managing and other decision making power and full freedom to run Sintex Industries Limited. The chapter was aptly titled as “Sense of Ownership”. Also in one chapter the interesting lines that got my attention was the message of a graduate who even asked the young and old readers to even go out and follow the rat race if their heart pounds for such an achievement rather than going out for entrepreneurship like the few others.

The writer herself being an IIM-A graduate when gets down to write about her successful seniors and juniors helping society by setting up schools or starting up ideas like EduComp crafts her write-up in the best possible manner with the apt title to gather and hook readers. Steve Jobs summed up his commencement speech in Stanford (2005) with these four magical words “Stay Hungry Stay Foolish” which are meant to tickle the motivating senses inside you.


>> Go Read

All planned ... yet unpredictable!

Today was my second day of 5th semester and I was attending my lecture on social and legal issues. Our teacher explained why we students pursuing a course in Computer science engineering were made to study a course like this. She said the course would help us widen our horizon on corporate laws and was helpful for those who wanted to go in for entrepreneurship in future. Immediately my dad and his business struck my mind. His business is going well and I hope it continues to do so. Thousands of thoughts started running in my mind and I began planning my future in father’s business after my graduation and perhaps an MBA degree. I cursed my decision for not opting mechanical engineering which would have helped me join him in his business later on.
These summer vacations I have seen my dad working extremely hard which made me think of how things will be “super cool” if I join his business instead of wasting my energy in some other company. Today hearing the word “entrepreneurship” my nervous system got excited and my heart signed a deal with my brain to finally follow what my random thoughts were trying to communicate.

I think that everything is planned up above by the superpowers. Our life is a jigsaw puzzle which we have to solve and once all pieces are arranged in their correct order the game ends. Not many people believe in stars influencing a person’s future but I do and hence would like to mention some facts someone told me once when I was in my 11th standard. He said that my career will be something related to iron. Those were the days when I used to dream about a career in photojournalism and hence immediately related iron with the tripod stand used to arrange a camera. But my life had to arrange itself according to the puzzle picture designed by Him and therefore got into a university which helped me decide to join my father’s business which revolves all around iron!

I have seen a lot of struggle in this business, limited profit and such facts make my brain to think over and over about this new thought, for this looks like a stupid dream to me right now. Again I would say this word “entrepreneurship” is like a new toy for a small kid. This word will make me explore it more in my life, till then I will wait, to check, if it fits well in the picture!