I started out with Anankha Data Works with my friend Ananth Menon. We started out as suppliers of hard drives, and then pivoted to website design development, along with surveillance systems. We are also currently working on several concepts especially in-house products on project management and medicine delivery domain. One freaky project SirfAds was one such product that we thought of at some odd moment, while brainstorming on another project (ideas are like sparks when two stones create an impact) It shall be live in a week, you can check it out at www.sirfads.com
That’s our venture!
Apart from being from the Golden Jubilee Batch (50th batch) of JBIMS, I am also a core member of the E-Cell and we are engaged in building and contributing to the entrepreneurial eco-system of our college. Even if you don’t start up it’s the attitude that matters and the thinking that leads to value generation in business – that’s what the E-Cell stands for at JBIMS. Me and my batchmate Ramalingam Subramanian who himself has the entrepreneurial streak in him and is my fellow core member of E-Cell, are currently working on an idea codenamed Zoopky (Link: www.zoopky.com) We were one of the national finalists at Novatia – BITS Pilani Goa B-Plan competition this year (2014) for this same idea. You shall come to know more about it on 1st November when the site goes live, till then keep on guessing!
Zoopky!
E-Cell JBIMS logo
2.What was it that prompted you to take the entrepreneurial plunge? Were you afraid about how things would pan out?
It was in 2012 when while working on the job I realised that there was something more to do in life. I was in search of ideas to execute and was looking for a change, and so decided that the next 1 year would be dedicated to experimentation. I decided to do those things that I couldn’t give time for earlier, along with studying for CAT, CMAT and other entrance exams. So with my fellow engineering friend Ananth I decided to start a venture which was my first step in the entrepreneurial journey. The next thing I did was to form a professional band, which I did with Vivek Swamy who was also a fellow software engineer. It was a period filled with experimentation and it really did change my perspective of life and taught me the importance of DOING than THINKING!
As far as being afraid is concerned, it’s a matter of taking a decision. If the outcome turns out to be right with whatever analysis of information you did at hand, then good you are lucky to have it right this time and there are more decisions to be taken henceforth. But if it turns out wrong, don’t worry; consider it as a learning but again more decisions to be taken to move ahead. Moral - “Daron nahi, Karo!”
3.What was the best moment in your entrepreneurial journey?
When we say entrepreneur, we think of words like business, money, customer, self made blah blah. Now, take the first three words BUSINESS – MONEY – CUSTOMER and add FIRST to it, and we get “FIRST CUSTOMER to give MONEY for the BUSINESS value that you provide”. Yes, for me the best moment was to get that first cheque (some real money inflow into your account) from our first client that really made me feel amazing! And when your product is being used by so many people, it’s another thrill!
4.Tell us something about your musical pursuits (about the band and the project).
Oh Mango Man! The name itself is very interesting if you literally translate in hindi (Aam Aadmi) The music project was started in the experimentation year as stated earlier, when out of a random jam with my friend Vivek, we came out with a rhythm pattern and tune for “Kaisa Yeh Ghotala” (link for video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnP9rAb_v5w) He too needed to do something tangible in music than just recording stupid audio tracks in bedroom. We caught hold of our friends Akash-Abhishek who helped us out in recording a professional quality soundscape (aka audio production) for the song. We were running on a tight budget, thanks to the savings we had from our jobs that time, and so while filming the video we took maximum help of our circle of friends to bring it to conclusion. So when you see the actors, you will find me, Vivek, his friends from office as the chaprasi, police, mantra in the video and none other than the producers aka Akash – Abhishek as Krishna and beggar in the video!
Yep, that’s me behind the scenes of “Kaisa yeh ghotala”
For the first time I realised that if you have an idea and if you try and tell the people around you about it and ask for their contribution to fulfil it, you really would be at a better position than just keeping it in your head and doing nothing about it. Trust me, no one has got the time in the world to make your idea as theirs and go about executing it, so don’t be under the assumption that people steal ideas. The result was so epic, that MTV Roots took the video up for their on air programming, and currently you can find our song when your remote takes you to PEPSI MTV Indies on your Indian Television as well as on International programming.
We are currently working on our second single and planning a bigger release!
Do check out our pages:
5.How does music help you in your professional and academic pursuits?
There are two angles to music that influence professional and academic pursuits:
1. One is the process of making the product i.e. a song, video, live performance etc
2. Enjoying the output: either your creation or someone else
The process of creation is something that has to be experienced. You know how a tea is made right? Take some tea leaves, add it to a water filled utensil, put it on the gas, boil it, add milk (or don’t) add some sugar (or don’t) pour it in the cup and tada you have some tea monsieur!
Now take something like making a song. The very act of coming out with either the tune or the lyrics requires a surreal combination of your experiences, your own knowledge, what you are feeling at that moment, improvisation skills, teamwork when playing out with the other band members, communication skills to make each other understand what the song has to be or what you visualise the song should be and the list goes on and on.
And when you talk about making the video, it needs thorough planning, visualisation, communication, patience, financial, marketing skills a lot. If you lack in one, delegate to others. If one fellow didn’t make it to the shoot, arrange for someone else! If things are not going right, make them happen! That’s what you learn in the process. So now I don’t even have to tell you how much this helps in a professional and academic environment. There are people, there is work, and there is an objective. In short – shit needs to be done! Just peeping in those books won’t make you anything than a mere store of some static information! When the wheels turn, you move and so does the world a revolution at a time!
As far as listening to music is considered, nothing like taking a break from the usual day to day working of the B School. I won’t be wrong if I say that your problems are solved by sometimes listening to songs, and songs mind you have a two way impact: you pick a song according to your mood, and the song influences you according to its content and music.
6.If not MBA, then what would you have pursued?
If not MBA, it would have been a trip to the Himalayas filled with meditation! You never know what may strike you there. For example take the case Manoj Bhargava’s Living Essentials ( Go google it and thank me later to have read his story)
7.What is your suggestion to those who want to make a career in music?
There are different ways in which you can make a career in music. First is by being one of those who create music, and that requires some talent like singing, instrument playing skills depending in whether you want to be a singer or an instrument player. There are positions of arrangers, music producers where you have to have different other skill sets apart from the above. To make it big, I don’t know what is that important ingredient, but they say “Patience with hard work pays off” So being good at what you are and sticking out there through thick and thin, and making the world know that you are there, should ideally take you to a position that you would like to be in the domain of music.
Now you can even be working in music labels or production houses if you don’t want to be playing music but like being around it. And if you can exploit any shortcoming in the current scene, you can really start off with your own thing. So opportunities are immense, just be around.
8.How do you think the MBA has helped you in your entrepreneurial venture?
MBA education does give you a holistic view point when running a business right from the working capital decisions to the 4/8/16/infinite Ps of marketing ( yes, you will know which Ps to take from an MBA if you do it right) So yes, MBA does help you out in a venture.
9.Did you have to convince your parents and family to accept the risks you took with your decision?
Before you convince others, convince yourself! Then it becomes easy whether it is your parents or the client that you want to convert. I was lucky to have a rational set of parents who were in for me to take risks.
10. How do I contact you?
You can get in touch with me for any queries you have with regards to starting up, music, or anything under the sun. I don’t know if I can provide answers to all your queries but the conversation itself will surely help you to understand the issue. You can find me at the following places:
http://in.linkedin.com/in/nandankhade/
Email me: nandankhade15 (at) jbims (dot) edu
Read the interview with Vineet Ranade - first year MBA topper from JBIMS here
Read the Interview with Ramalingam Subramanian - entrepreneur from JBIMS here.
Read the Interview with Tushar Singh – blogger, actor and dramatist from JBIMS here.
Read everything about JBIMS here.
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