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Sabeer Bhatia at #TIEKolkata – How he bargained for $400 million when he had only $5000 in bank

He was offered $160 million (WOW), How can someone turn it down and bargain for more … from $160 to $400 millions … Yesterday Abhishek asked him the question in Kolkata and here is the story.

 

Alok Kejriwal:

 

My humble remarks (after getting permission from Aji to post into the body of HIS post):

 

– There is no doubt that Sabeer Bhatia remains etched in the memory of Internet Greatness.

 

Personally I was inspired by him in 97 and hence started contests2win.com. So he is partially the reason of my success.

 

– Post hotmail.com, he has had a string of failures. And that’s fine. As one amazing professor at IIMA told me  – ‘Alok, I believe that every man has ONE song to sing’.

 

– SB must REALIZE NOW:

 

a) Serial Entrepreneurship has its limits.  I mean if you are not successful post a few shots, just move on.

 

Being a one trick pony may not be illustrious. But its the ONE TRICK that made you famous. Don’t dilute even that by playing more tricks

 

 

b) I really don’t know why SB does not have a Venture Fund, and Incubator, a Mentoring business?? I mean sitting in conferences and hearing him narrate this story ( I heard him say this in 2001 in Dubai) is OK – but why not WALK the TALK now??

 

Why not HELP Entrepreneurs with their BUSINESS issues, contacts, advise ON THE JOB – a la sitting with them in their offices rather than have them sit in Auditoriums ALWAYS listening to you?

 

 

c) We need massive evangelisation of Zero to Low revenue, PRODUCT AND PLATFORM INTERNET plays in India – something SB did so well and successfully 12 years ago!!! 

 

Just look at how Sean Parker, Marc Andreseen etc etc are shaping up the USA Start Up Ecosystem.

 

SB should be sitting with VC’s here (assuming he is not interested in putting his money) and helping them UNDERSTAND what it takes to make great INTERNET and not just E-Commerce plays happen. Most VC’s in India just reject ‘audience, platform play’ business models. SB could help change that perception.

 

I think Sabeer Bhatia’s new wave of respect will come when he Re-Invents himself – like all of us – irrespective of what he did in the past.

 

In the next few years people will forget Hotmail. That should not prevent SB from getting forgotten.

 

A humble fan, hoping someone sends him this note.

 

Alok Kejriwal

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11 Comments

  1. Nothing much , its just fun …. how get a call from Microsoft and how they offered $160 million … How Bill gates was looking all around … how his parents reacted when he rejected $350mn deal with Microsoft and how they finally decided for $400mn.

  2. The book is open and free https://community.tiekolkata.com/video :), it was nice talk, not boring at all.

  3. Aji – do u mind if i add my comment just under the video? (rather than comment)

  4. Anytime Alok! No need to ask. I am sure it will add more value to everyone. Please do so. Best Regards, Aji

  5. I can surely pass on this msg to him. I work in his company.

  6. Alok, dont u think Sean Parker is better then SB? he has got series of investments in a dozen odd companies, and SB has hit it only once, Sean Parker has done it several times(including key milestones of FB), dont u think SB might have tried doing what you just said above int he post and got severe cold responses….

  7. I agree with you on this Alok and I believe we really need people like SB and many more Indian Biggies who have made fortune in Valley to support every deserving entrepreneurial effort however the evidence is to the contrary 🙁 these people promise you whole world of advise in their fancy speeches but their executive assistants took that away from you the next day by denying even a short conversation with their bosses (Definitely on specific advise) Why don’t they understand that if they share their wisdom it will only get doubled or even triple. 

  8. I absolutely second you Alok 🙂

  9. Sean Parker = Force of Nature, man !!  What a life, I mean, what a life !!  He’s stuffed like 50 lifetimes into 1 life, man !!

  10. Alok – excellent point !!  Agree with everything you have said.

  11. Brilliant point Alok. May be 200 mil is a lot of money he has not been able to run out of and is enjoying his life 😛

    P.S: I think he also had smaller exit with one of the social network.

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