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An entrepreneurial state of mind 24×7 – my true story

By Vinit B on 28 Comments / 4982 views

Awarded the

“Rodinstar” Post 

of the week!!

Celebrate the small everyday win’s.

Let the win’s overshadow the losses and you will eventually get to a point where the journey will itself be the biggest win!

Here is a short story about what it means for me to be an entrepreneur…

— A true story — happened to me yesterday —

My startup is powering AutoExpo 2014 in Delhi by making it an RFID enabled experience for all visitors and delegates. This is NOT a story about AutoExpo. Heck, it is not even about RFID.

This is a story of what it means to have an entrepreneurial mindset 100% of the time.

So I left home for the airport with 1:30 hours to spare.
Technically, I should have got there in 45 minutes. And I have, for the last 3 trips since the 4 new flyovers opened on Bangalore’s new airport road – it has gotten to be a shorter trip.

Today, however, the BBMP decided that the Hebbal flyover (it’s busy, like Dhaula Kuan in Delhi!) needs a new layer of tar in the middle of a work-day (yup, 12 noon). This lead a massive traffic jam and non-moving traffic.

Waiting in traffic got to a point where I was sure I am going to miss this flight and maybe get shouted at by the organisers of AutoExpo (my customers) for being late, etc, etc.

But then it hit me, I’ve not really worked hard to make this happen. I’ve not tried hard!
I’m just sitting and feeling sorry for myself.

There is no “doer” from the “Thinkers. Doers” in just sitting and feeling sorry for myself.
Why should success come to me for just sitting in an A/C car and being driven around town by someone else?

So I did what I had to do to make a potential negative into a positive …

I decided that I am NOT going to let any outside force (fate, the govt, anything) decide this for me.

1) Got out of the car with my two bags.

2) Started jogging. (between the cars! There is no foot-path on the Hebbal flyover!)

3) Jogged for about a kilometer till I saw some bikers who were out of the traffic jam.

4) Flagged down a few of them. One of them understood my dilemma and let me hitch-hike a ride on his bike.

5) This kind gentleman dropped me off at Yelahanka where I saw a cab parked by the roadside.

6) The cab driver was still having chai, and did not seemed motivated enough.
So I did what anyone does in a negotiation where you “want” something.

From the movie The Godfather, I made “An offer you cannot refuse”!
I offered him a flat 1000 bucks to get me to the airport. This is 3x the normal fare from Yelahanka.

7) Got to the airport fully-well knowing I was too late.

Instead of reaching 45 minutes before departure time. I’ve reached maybe 10-15 minutes late!

8) Even the security guard was like “whats the use of going in? counter bandh ho gaya”
The entrepreneur in me thinks “I’ve not come all this way for nothing. Try to karna padega”

9) Walk up to the lady behind the check-in counter and say “handbags only, can you still let me check-in?”.

She smiles back and says “you just made it with few seconds left. I am just starting to log-off”.
And then she points at the board that says “counter closes 30 minutes prior to flight departure time”.

30 minutes.
Not 45.
 30 minutes.

— end of story —

I am typing this after an on-time arrival at Delhi airport and on the way to Pragati Maidan for the AutoExpo setup.
It’s going to be a great RFID enabled event and I hope I can meet some Dilli-walla Rodinhooders here!

_____________________________________
PS: Indigo allows checkin upto 30 minutes prior to boarding time. I only found this out today.

I believed I knew the fact that the cut-off is 45 minutes. How many of you knew this?

But imagine if I had not done even a single thing right…

1) Waited in the car instead of getting out in the middle of a flyover = Not wanting to think outside the box.

2) Walked instead of jogged on the flyover (it was sunny and I had 2 bags).

3) Spent few minutes negotiating with the cab driver (I’m a Marwari too!)

4) Listened to the negative attitude of the security guard (There will always be people who tell you that you cannot do this or you will not be successful in that)

5) I thought I knew everything. I “knew” the counter closes at 45 minutes cut-off. I was wrong.

The one thing NOT to learn from my story: Do not start going late to the airport assuming 30 minutes is the new cut-off time for all airlines. LOL.

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28 Comments

  1. a truly out of the cab(box) challenge!!!

    vinit you truly rock. cheers.

  2. Wicked… Nice read… Keep Running!

  3. So, what you see above is the Bangalore Open House that was conducted on the 16th of November 2013.

    That day, I had picked up Asha from her hotel in a Meru Cab.

    I did what you are NEVER supposed to do – I NEGOTIATED WITH THE SAME CAB driver to come pick us up after 3 hours.

    I DISOBEYED the system.

    Around the time it was time to leave, I called the Meru Cab Driver.

    HE WAS NOT RESPONSIVE AND LATER SAID “SORRY SAAAR… I AM OUT ETC ETC”

    Asha saw the look on my face and knew our cab was not happening.

    Just then, Vinit like a TRUE ENTREPRENEUR understood the situation and immediately said, “Alok, take my car. Its yours. It will drop you to the Airport.”

    NO FUSS. NO LAFDA. NO OBLIGATION.

    I had no choice and I agreed.

    Vinit’s car and his courteous driver dropped us to the Airport.

    THANK YOU VINIT for being YOU.

  4. Hi Vinit.. what an amazing description of the ‘fighter’ inside an entrepreneur! Hats off sirjee!

    I will definitely meet you at the Auto Expo.. I have heard that the main event would be happening at Expo mart and Pragati Maidan will have only components at display? Is it true? Do let me know where would you be available.. 🙂

  5. vinit,

    adore your “never say die” spirit!

    it’s amazing how we know you through two stories – BOTH BEING AIRPORT STORIES!!!

  6. Amazing vinit…never take a no or negativity until you go out of your comfort zone to make it happen and give more than 100% even your mind would once say it’s over/won’t work now but don’t quit …my take away from this incident…thanks for sharing .
    Wish you best for the expo…with your attitude and passion it would certainly add value to the expo for sure..

  7. Hey Vinit, a really fresh read! You have drafted the entire thing so well that you have unknowingly given us rodinhooders a new perspective to writing – which is to share the incidents where you actually ‘did’ instead of just ‘thinking’. Best of the luck for the auto expo! If possible, would definitely meet yoU!

  8. Vineet Bhai….We all need doses like these to stand up and start kicking. Thanks. Looking forward to meet you at Auto Expo in Delhi/Greater NOIDA!

  9. Now that’s a True State of Affairs of any Entrepreneur!!

    YOU followed your GUT!! and Succeeded! Awesome!! 

    May the Force be with you! Go RFID Enabled ! Cheers!!! 🙂

  10. If you can beat traffic in India, the sky is the limit!

    Way to go.

    Would love to meet you in Del.

    Divya Arora

  11. Wow.. this bought some new energy to my hands Vinit ji.. Thank you 🙂 A great read!

  12. Alok …
    It was nothing.
    In fact I was thinking about it later and I think for the value I have got from your blog and talks … this was nothing at all.

    Just DON’T STOP WRITING for us entrepreneurs.

    – Vinit

  13. Thanks Mohul.

    And yes, the main event (where you go to watch the new cars) is in Greater Noida Expo Mart.
    Pragati Maidan is only the Components event. Mostly for B2B discussions.

    So you will be going to Greater Noida, I’m guessing.

    Don’t know if we can have an impromptu Delhi meetup of Rodinhooders Saturday/Sunday.
    This the pre-event time and I’m open for dinner. Maybe I’ll create a separate discussion for this

  14. Thanks Asha.

    And yes, I recognize what this means … I should really fund teleportation companies!

  15. Thanks Gurpreet.
    Nike didn’t know what they were unleashing for us entrepreneurs when they popularised the term “Just do it”.

  16. No bigger good luck statement to a Star Wars fan-boy like me!
    Thanks, Darshan!

  17. Wish things get simpler, now that I have the superpower to beat the traffic in India.
    Thanks, Divya!

  18. Easier said than done.
    Which is why I limit myself to jogging. ROTFL.

    Thanks, Vivek.

  19. Hello Alok Sir ..

    I just saw 2 winning stories by 2 RodinHooders !!!

    Can we have a Daily-Wins Section ( just like the Celebrate Failure Section ) or something like that where everybody can post their Entrepreneurial or Personal Wins and be happy / motivated ?

    I was inspired to ask because of the first line !

    Celebrate the small everyday win’s.
    Let the win’s overshadow the losses and you will eventually get to a point where the journey will itself be the biggest win!

    Also, by the statement which most start-up guys already know ” You don’t get it if you don’t ask for it ” 🙂

  20. abhishek,

    actually vinit’s story is this week’s RodinStar!

    will add the medallion tomorrow 🙂

  21. For some reason .. I knew that even before I completed the article 🙂 🙂

    Great going Vinit 🙂 !!!! Keep up the spirit !!! 🙂

  22. hey vinit,

    i messed up the top of your post..!!

  23. We’ll let this one slide, Asha.
    Can’t tell you to not make it a habbit, though.

    Thanks a ton!! Really appreciate this, esp. given this was my first post on TRHs.

    This is a perfect place for me to share my entrepreneurial thoughts with like-minded folks who “understand” what it is to be a startup in India!

  24. Wow….:)
    Made my day.

  25. What an amazing read & thanks a million for sharing this. Simple, effective and conveys the point much better than reading a 500 page book on ‘how to take control of what happens next’ 🙂

    Thanks again for sharing and wish you the best of experiences in AutoExpo 2014.

  26. One of the Most Inspiring Real Life Story I have ever read.

    Wonderful Vinitbhai. Keep it up.

  27. Awesome! 🙂 Felt like I was watching and experience your journey with you !

    Thanks for sharing.

  28. Nice! Once you decide to run for it, don’t stop!!! 🙂

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