Stay humble and focused, work hard and think strategically. These are just some of the pearls of wisdom, Giri Balasubramaniam, Quizmaster, Entrepreneur, Ex-Walt Disney, Harvard University Alum shared with students at the i5 Summit at IIM Indore. In the 2nd part of his talk, Giri shares some key lessons he learned from all his failures as an entrepreneur. If you want to know what it takes to persevere when all the odds seem stacked against you, check out this talk!
Summary of the video:
Giri Balasubramaniam, quizmaster and entrepreneur talks about starting his own company that creates bespoke quizzes and other products. He talks about doing business in India, especially in the education sector. He shares how Indian education as a whole thrives on rules and regulations and how there is a structure to the system.
Giri talks about key learnings working in the education sector in India. He shares how India is not an English speaking country with a large majority transacting in regional languages. He shares how Indians businesses need to cater to this aspect of customer service and provide services in not just English and Hindi but other Indian languages too.
Next, Giri talks about elearning and the opportunities it brings for entrepreneurs. Finally, he imparts some pearls of wisdom after running a startup for 15 years. He talks about starting up early if you wish to be an entrepreneur. He encourages you to think before you act in order to make the right and profitable decisions.
To end it all, Giri talks about time and its importance to human lives. He shares how we only have so much time to survive and it’s up to each one of us how we utilise. He concludes with a poetic quip that leaves you thinking about the future - you’re time starts now!
If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, this is a must watch for you.
Key Takeaways:
1. If the rules are not favourable to you, create your own rules.
2. Doing business in India can be augmented if you use local languages.
3. Never focus on what you do; always focus on what’s the experience of what you do.
4. It’s meaningful engagement that creates great value.
5. Don’t keep revisiting the past; Boot up for the future.
6. If you wish to be an entrepreneur, start early.
7. Don’t give up on your business, if your paying customer base is growing.
8. You can charge in advance, provided your offering is so solid.
9. Go back to school and learn new skills after some time in your career.
10. Stay humble; stay focused.
11. Time is the only thing that you’ve got; so don’t waste it.
