Does it take a lot of guts to give up a cushy job and plunge into entrepreneurship? Does it hurt to trade a fat pay packet for an uncertain future? Of course, you will say. But had you attended TiE Entrepreneurial Summit held in Mumbai's Grand Hyatt, your opinion would have stood on its head.
In a scintillating discussion, chaired by K V Kamath, MD and CEO of ICICI Bank; Haresh Chawla, CEO of TV-18; Sanjeev Bikchandani, founder of Naukri.com; and Sushil Mehta of Ranbaxy Fine Chemicals shared their experiences of intrapreneurship.
In a blog available on the Net, veteran venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki writes, "Intrapreneurs don't have it better -- at best, they simply have it different. Indeed, they probably have it worse because they are fighting against ingrained, inbred, and inept management. There are lots of guys/gals inside established companies who are as innovative and revolutionary as their bootstrapping, soy-sauce-and-rice-subsisting counterparts." So much for the definition of the not-so-familiar term.
Familiar or not, the discussion on intrapreneurship did turn out to be quite entertaining and the audience listened to the panellists spellbound as Chawla stated how he once used to run TV-18 operations out of two huts; how Bikchandani felt embarrassed to draw up the first business plan to invite funds for business or how Mehta appealed to his colleagues to lend their wallets to resuscitate Ranbaxy Fine Chemicals.
So what makes one's dream come true? A nervous energy that keeps you going despite all odds, a passion to do something different and above all, the grit to tide over any crisis.
"Intrapreneurship is all about courage, determination, love and support," said the naukri.com boss. "You cannot make it happen unless you have a hugely supportive family who goes on patting you on the back to keep trying, come what may."
His words were supported by Chawla, who stated, "Intrapreneurship has lot to do about self-evolution. There comes a time in one's career when the CEO stops being the boss and assumes the role of a cheerleader." He drew instances from his personal notebook and recounted how he inspires each colleague of his to look within himself or herself and bring out the best. "After all, intrapreneurship is not about attaining success, it's about achieving it your own way."
According to Chawla, "The key to success lies not in the greed to earn a lot but in the drive to create a business which is viable, profit-making and satisfactory." Talking about the Ranbaxy turnaround story, he was too happy to recall those hard days when each one of his colleagues had to pinch a penny to breathe fresh life into the dying organisation.
While the three bosses exchanged notes about their individual success stories, Kamath deftly held on to the thread of the conversation preventing digression. He also wore a satisfied smile all through as his bank (ICICI Bank) had been associated with the funding of the all three organisations.
Answering one of the audience queries if a would-be entrepreneur's resignation mean failure on the respective company's part to hold on to a skilled mind, Kamath did not mince his words. "Of course, such a case does mean an organisation's failure to retain a talented person. It is the duty of the human resource departments of corporates to seek the entrepreneurial passion of their employees and make the best use of them."
Photograph: K V Kamath, MD and CEO, ICICI Bank, chairing the panel on Intrapreneurship with Sushil Mehta, Ranbaxy Fine Chemicals (from left), Haresh Chawla, CEO, TV 18 and Sanjeev Bikchandani, co-founder and CEO, Naukri.com (extreme right) at the TiE Entrepreneurial Summit 2006.
