Not one to watch too much of TV – surprisingly whenever I sit in front of it I run into some real gems. 
Last Saturday a casual channel surf got me to Star World where I saw actor Boman Irani as the interviewer. Obviously this got me interested as I thought he would be the other party in a typical interview – getting interviewed. It turns out that the feature was on achiever’s club – awards for excellence in various fields. And that day they were interviewing Ronnie Screwvala. The program had already started but I got riveted due to some statements made by Ronnie Screwvala. Obviously out came my notebook and I noted some points that stuck me hard. Though I am sure there were many take-aways, these were the one’s that connected with me at the level of an entrepreneur and strategist.
- There is a thin line between being before time and being a pioneer
- However big you are – you need to have an eye on cost
- It is very easy to get first level funding – but to sustain till the next is the issue. You cannot run out of cash while running
- There were 100 moments in the first 5 years when I wanted to go back.
- Art of convincing is not about winning an argument. It is about being tenacious enough to last till the end.
- I don’t understand the compulsion to unwind. You have to unwind only if you are wound up.
- Advice for young India: Stop Talking About Potential: Act!
- Be Consistent!
Please note these are not verbatim statements – but are faithful to the speed at which my hands could write what my ears were capturing. As I was sitting down to share these with you, I found a link on youtube where the interview is up. You may want to listen to the man himself speak: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTVKUMW6Vlo
On playing with these statements in my mind the last few days – I believe many of these are something that entrepreneurs and business owners will connect to and appreciate. But they are also equally true for anyone who wants to do something useful in their lifetime. Will I see this Saturday interview? – I am not sure. But If I do – be sure I will share my learning with you!
Raj's Lab 