26th May 2021

Stepping Out

Having read the Winds of Change, hope you resonated with the Uncertainties and Anxieties that constant Change is bringing about in our lives.

 

Disruptive Change is a Constant. we must develop the Skills needed to adapt and Hold Steady. These Skills develop over a period of time. You need to repeatedly master the cycle of ...

 

 

Locating the Challenge / Understanding / Learning / Discovering / Mastering

 

 

Though you don't need to wait for the Change to impact you. You don't want to be scrambling when the disruption lands.

 

 

Throughout my Corporate career of more than 25 years; most of my roles were out of my comfort zone ... a new business category, a new market or uncovering new growth strategies. Whether it was scaling a startup within Hewlett Packard across Asia, strategizing the printing annuity business model across Global Emering Markets, or launching Branded textiles in Indonesia in a non-existent branded fabrics category. With this repeated Steppng Out, the Out is the Comfort zone! It was much easier to transition to an Entrepreneurial journey.

 

 

Of course an Entrepreneurial journey is much more. See Do not become an Entrepreneur, Yet!

 

 

That is the only way for you to future proof yourself, by constantly Stepping Out. You may be a Student, a fresh Graduate or a mid Career professional or at Home. Find your own method, define your own Stepping Out. Some options..

 

 

Become an Intrapreneur - an Entrepreneur within your organization

 

 

Start a Side Hustle - working on an idea while holding onto a job

 

 

Provide Mentorship or Advice

 

 

Take an idea either at work or at college or in your community, build a team and start. Find something you have never done before and dive in. That will give you the context to Learn and Discover. This will bring you upclose with the Changes and Trends in your ecosystem today.

 

 

Fun and Energising

 

 

There is a big momentum across stakeholders starting from the Government, Industry Leaders, your Organization for innovation and ideas. Investment monies are looking for good solutions.

 

 

Seize this.

 

 

Opportunity

 

 

India is rapidly changing and market is big. Given this size and complexity, there is so much available. There are many challenges, and many breath-through ideas are needed, in a manner that is unique to India. The enablers are in place.

 

 

Technology is becoming accessible at low costs, even to the non Techie. Many complex challenges can now be addressed efficiently and cost effectively, with scale. Globally, teams of 3 to 4, some still in college, are launching solutions that are scaling across borders within 6 months.

 

 

India has the Aadhar, UPI and very soon will have the Health Identity. These are powerful engines for transformation and are available for you to access.

 

 

You don't need a lot of investment. You have the advantage of low costs in India. You can therefore test your ideas at lower costs and keep sharpening the product for the right fit.

 

 

The timing cannot be sweeter.

 

 

Hunger

 

 

One often hears that the youngsters don’t want to work hard and chase instant gratification. I suspect it is more to do with purpose. Given the right purpose and freedoms, they can be transformative.

 

 

They are full of grit and determination. As amply proven by India's unique brand of cricketers, many want to make it...especially those breaking out of tough circumstances. With the correct guidance and with their unquestionable innate skills and talent; they don’t easily give up.

 

 

This Hunger is essential when Stepping Out.

 

 

It isn’t Easy

 

 

My experiences have taken me to many regions and ecosystems. Each ecosystem has its levels of maturity, joys and pains. There are many differences between an India and other ecosystems like Scandinavia or the US. Some questions worth pondering about...

 

 

Is a Side Hustle realistic in India? We know how tough a week in India can be? We learn to thrive at work with a 70 to 80 hour week? Is it any wonder that Spotify, a big Side Hustle, is Scandinavian...where a 40 hour week is the norm with social security thrown in.

 

 

The Family responsibilities are inescapable. Children need much attention. Plus we cannot ignore our ageing parents. Juggling these can be challenging. Do the Elon Musk(s) have to deal with such, I wonder?

 

 

There are more pressures to avoid risk, there is a taboo about failures; and god help you if after taking a risk, you fail! A Senior Executive role has far more status than a Startup Founder. It is far easier to get a “marriage” lined up for a MNC executive. So why step out of your Job space?

 

 

The odds are stacked against you, I get it. It is tough to negotiate. But today, standing still is not an option. Change is coming thick and fast, as you are well experiencing.

 

 

You and your team, colleagues at work or friends; have to access your hunger, your innate strengths of Jugaad and evolve your own brand of Stepping Out.

 

 

Mentorship and Guidance

 

 

A Mentor can be a great resource and guide. Somebody who has a broader perspective, who has seen more life. This mentor can be accessed online as well. Try and get one.

 

 

I will provide more contexts to prepare for Stepping Out in my next blog.

 

 

This Stepping Out is what will ultimately give you the Steadiness, and make you truly comfortable with Uncertainties and Change.

 

 

Now is the time. With the pandemic, you have the time and the energy. God Speed.

 

 

 

 

 

Love to hear your thoughts!