When you Jump from 3000 FT, DO NOT CALCULATE ROI…Results are not inspiring !

Hi Rodinhooders,

This is my first post ever, and I really wanted to share how a start up experience ruined my paragliding experience 🙂  …in my next post, I will share what the limitations I am facing as an entrepreneur, and my questions.

 I like what Alok Does, and have lotsa respect for him. I do not like when he talks a lot about Arvind …but they share the same surname 🙂  …I will leave it on them to decide 🙂 …Alok: thank you for creating TRHS. 

 I run a company named PythaGURUS Education( www.pythagurus.com) , and we deliver GMAT, GRE, and SAT Training and Application Services to students aspiring to go to premier Global Universities. Some of our offerings are limited to Brick and Mortar Model, and others are online( Online GMAT Testing and Application services) and are delivered across the country, and we have been able to generate some traction in US and Europe( Primarily Indians Settled abroad).  We are making money…but I am a micro-manager that restricts our growth….I will ask lots of questions in my next post.

 My Recent experience: I have a very irrational fear of heights( FYI: I have a decent appetite for a lot of adventurous sports: So, DO not JUDGE J ). However, to be very honest, I really am afraid of heights. When I saw Tom Cruise jump from Bhuj Khalifa, I got slightly moved and touched 🙂  ( I was outside the screen).

 4 days ago, I jumped ( with a professional) from 3000 Ft and for the first time in my life, decided to confront it. The first two minutes were not as tough, but as I started to look down, I realized that I probably made a mistake.  That was a moment in my life when I started to think about “What were some of the things I could have done differently in life?”…/”What is my motivation?”…” Did I like Money?” or “Did I like admiration/Fame( whatever level of it)?” …and I did not know why am I doing whatever I am doing?…Not sure if I am trying to prove myself.  I used past tense in all these questions as I had doubts of survival.

 Anyway….I started to assess the business model and check the robustness of the product I was hanging onto…. We were approximately at 3500 FT( he ascended 500 FT after the jump- Standard procedure I was told), and I asked

 Jatin: “Kitne Ka Parachute Hai?” ( How much does the parachute cost?)

 Professional: “Sadey Teen Lakh” ( 3.5 lacs).

Jatin: Aap 2000 lete ho…Mahiney mein Kitna Jump maarte ho? ( You take 2000 INR…how many times do you jump in a month)

 Professional: “ Aaj kal season hai to 10 -12 baar….Sardee mein kam hojata hai”  ( It is the season time and we do 10-12 times a month…it goes down in winters)

 I did math at 3500 FT for the first time in my life….Remember …I have an acute ACROPHOBIA….

 The Math that Scared me:

 1. He was making 20K from that parachute per month in season…and lets say 10 K during the off season…. ( 1.8 lacs a year approx.)

2, It would take him approximately 2 years to recover the cost of that parachute

 3. He will start making his first Moolah after two years and will definitely want to go 100% of the initial investment( That makes it 4 years).

 4. He did not look like someone who was well spoken or did any other job in life. I guessed that the parachute was the only bread and butter for him…what are the odds that he would want to retain that parachute for another 2 years( get 200% return in 6 years).

 5. What are the odds that he would not invest another 3.5 lacs  even after 6-7 years?

 That is when I just decided to ask him:

 “Bhaiya ! Ye parachute Kitna Purana hai? Reliable hai?”…. ( How old is this Parachute?…is it reliable?

 He said…” 10 Saal Purana hai Shayad…Maine Second hand liya tha…Daro Mat ! Ikkatthe Jayenge agar kuch hua to…main bhi to hoon”     ( Probably 10 years old…I bought a used one….Do not worry…..if we go……we will go together…I will go with you too”

 I think I had my moment then….I imagined all the strings of the parachute coming out together….I also imagined the harness will come out while we were talking. I liked maths and statistics in schools….but I never wanted to be known as the “One who fell last year” 🙂 

 25 minutes of gliding….We landed safely..I was happy..VERY HAPPY ! I Jumped ! …and btw…he did CROSS-SELL me a Video and some pics of an amazing landing( happy ending) …etc…..for a 2000 INR RIDE…he sold another 1200 of stuff that I could not have said no to…( I wanted to watch myself JUMP )

Anyway…I wanted to share this experience and introduce myself.. I want to confess..I have had no reasons to be not active on RodinHoods…and I will continue to write more. I do not visit Facebook as much as I visit Rodinhoods.

 I need help. A lot of help. I am married to my organization and I have been resisting raising capital for a long time now as this company gives us decent butter and bread.  I have a partner who is now very keen on our raising funds, and he is absolutely right. He and I both went to the same business school( I am Darden Class of 2008 and he is class of 1997). Raising capital and trying it out for the first time makes me wonder if everything will go right.  I know I am not taking that jump in a lot of areas of my life…and raising capital is definitely one of them.

Thanks, Jatin

*****

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