When my VC friend did not like the idea of my business plan, I was deeply hurt. It was like not receiving any comment on your child’s first photograph at your Facebook page from any of your 1000 friends. It was like receiving a regret letter from your first crush. Well, it was almost like failing the driving test. It was an inexplicable emotion when you want to look up to the night sky and say “those who were dancing were thought insane by those who couldn't hear the music”.
I told my father that I want to do entrepreneurship after graduate school. He agreed that economy has not recovered yet and I need some more time to find a job. I made a faint attempt to make him happy by explaining him the fancy title I gave myself in my company. He finally smiled when I told him that Steve Jobs and I have exactly the same bank balance at the beginning of our entrepreneurial journey.
Few friends at my prior job, that were vegetating in large fat organizations congratulated me for taking the bold step and I suddenly felt, in their mind, I represent the freedom, they never had. My old boss was happy that he no longer needed to manage a spoilt brat. Some of my friends, mainly the ones with underdeveloped listening skills, started avoiding me when I started sharing “my big idea” with them at groceries, restaurants, swimming pools and at bars. I did not care.
My girlfriend asked me about my salary. I replied fearlessly”Salary now or salary after seven years when we go public? ” Her confused face reminded me the moment I proposed her the first time near her high school gate. However, I assured her that we need not defer our engagement till we get our first customer.
Every time I got together with my other bold and equally naïve teammates (dreammates), we had this strange feeling as if we were on a mission to moon. During our strategy session at Starbucks, others used to give us a suspicious look as if we were planning the next the twin tower attack. But we were lost in our own little world. We believed that the future of the world rests in our hands. We wanted to make this world a better place. We thought, if not us, nobody can.
When we met our first customer, I relived my moments of first love. Both parties felt that we were made for each other. The emotion changed when we started the pricing negotiation and became a little bitter when we delayed our first shipment by a few weeks. But we were married to each other by then and switching cost was more than Brad Pitts-Angelina Jolie divorce settlement. So we stayed with each other as not-so-ideal married couples do in their late forties.
We are still smaller than Google. Our company shows up in the third search page if you Google us. I still am a few billion dollars away from Steve Jobs. My kind wife has forgiven me for all the nights I did not spend with her on our anniversary days during the past five years. I think she considers entrepreneurship to be a lesser sin than an extra marital affair.
My son has asked me several times why I could never attend his parents-teachers meeting like other fathers religiously do. But when he grows up he will probably understand that his father made an honest attempt to change the world. And in this process I had to make tough choices.
But I hope my son would never feel shy to take the path, less traveled in the journey of his life . He would try to find a meaningful purpose and pursue that with passion.
Despite the things I do not have in my life, I lead a regret free life. Life is probably too short for regrets. Actually,the VCs and the angels do not give you enough time to relax,reflect and regret.
I just finished writing my second business plan. I felt as if I fell in love, yet again….
By Mrinmoy Chakraborty, VP Petari Inc(yet another guy trying to change the world)
