Entrepreneurship Ke Side Effects – my life’s release, every Friday!
This weekend saw the release of a new film, with Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan in the lead, called Shaadi (marriage)Ke Side effects, perhaps a Sequel to Pyaar (Love) Ke Side effects because you often see love culminating into marriage.
What motivated my chain of thought was the old Hindi adage “Shaadi Ka Laddoo, Jo Khaaye Woh Pachtaye, Joh Na Khaye woh Bhi Pachtaye”. (Marriage is like that dessert, which if you eat, you suffer, if you don’t, you feel deprived). And the movie’s title brought about my inspiration for this article as well as the similarities that marriage and entrepreneurship have.
(Image Ref : www.koimoi.com)
This is my first attempt at writing, so please excuse if my thoughts waiver often during the course of this article.
Just like marriage isn’t smooth sailing, running your own business and your entrepreneurial journey sees similar ups and downs.
What as married men and entrepreneurs can we learn from the ‘side effects’ of life’s two glorious adventures?
- Entrepreneurship is a journey which is exciting but has it side effects and it the entrepreneurial convict which allows it to be glorified
- Marriages works with passion &trust, not strategy. Similarly entrepreneurs who follow their heart are more successful. You can’t become an entrepreneur with just a business plan.
- Passion will supersede all strategy and no strategy can work if you do not have passion in a relationship or business.
- Business plans are important but an Entrepreneur needs to have conviction and should be an out of the box thinker. The same out of the box approach can save you from your wife’s wrath on many occasions.
- Advisors whom you may look up to may be successful because of circumstances around them and their aspirations and they might not fit your aspirations and culture. Listen to them but follow your heart. You are unique.
- Like you hear for every successful entrepreneur many have failed but only gloried stories are talked about.
- Truth and faith in a relationship are the key ingredients. In business, trust and faith towards all your customers, employees and investors is the key as well.
- How you execute a task is your vision and that will lead you to successful completion as well but one must be alert to uncertainty, and be adept to handle dynamic situation with tact.
- As your family grows you have new challenges and you have to find innovative ways of solving the challenges. Similarly, in an organization, there might be inexperience, in the shape of new employees. A family and a company is made up of individuals and it’s important for an entrepreneur to know that.
- When your family grows, you make new relationships and through your family you are exposed to newer people all the time. Similarly, in an organization we come across new people and relationships. Thus it becomes important in both cases to learn new ways to adapt and unlearn old ideas and keep moving ahead. There is no comfort zone.
Marriage is fun and kids add spice to your life and make you complete. I have been happily married to Dhanlaxmi and am blessed with 2 daughters . Similarly Entrepreneurship is a journey which gives you a sense of fulfillment and in creating new things as you work towards having a successful family, but you also have to be prepared to sacrifice and lead.