This cycle went on and soon when we thought of offering new services was important, there was significant cash crunch. I was shy enough not to be in Delhi’s Entrepreneur/VC circle and seeing no other avenue, I took loans. Loans from all those who could lend, my friends, my family, my family friends. Without any credit history banks were not there for any debt funding so these loans came at all costs including the biggest being the costliest (as high as 24% ROI) . And now I was cash crunched and had additional burden to service loan.

I loved the business, liked the opportunity and absolutely didn’t want to give up for some such constraints, yet. Finally I got some respite and had my angel investor. An investor who will let me work for him and pay back additional money and later help with investing critical lifesaving capital. I find myself absolutely lucky to have that junction in my life. I am sure I would have been doing something somewhere else if that small but so critical investment did not come. I remember him saying: “I do not know what business you are doing, but excitement and conviction in your eyes makes me think, it must be something worthwhile to invest.”

One97 today is journey  of such conviction and faith put in by investors and colleagues alike. I thought about doing our bit as company  and support those who dare to come out of luxuries of life and commit to their long lingering dream of creating a great start up, creating a worthwhile business out of their passion.

I found echo of planning in Ravi Adusumali of SAIF Partners & Ash Lilani of Silicon Valley Bank. A few days back we signed an mou for creating an $100M early stage mobile value added services investment initiative : One97 Mobility Fund.

Beyond capital investment from USD500k to $5Million, we will offer the One97 capabilities/networks advantages, telecom know-how, go to market, hands on helps on every day business issues like hiring, cash flow management, fund raising and so on.

If your company provides services/offerings to consumers or enterprise via mobile and you are planning to raise capital, I am sure we must talk. I am available on vss@one97.net

See www.One97MobilityFund.com for more.

People don’t have to say that they are having fun at work. If they are, it shows. Is work only work, or could it be fun too? How does work become fun? My take: Of course, we all make our choices early in our career. But even the most seemingly fun jobs have their share of pain behind them. In such a scenario, what makes it real fun is different for different people. For some, a word of appreciation works wonders, while for others it may be a reward.

People travel hard, work hard and sometimes sacrifice on sleep during weekdays. If after a week of filled with work, one is exposed to some fun element, it only makes one look forward to Mondays, instead of hating them. And the week I do not hate my Mondays, I have figured out that I give more of myself to my work.

We have these Fun-Fridays at work, where we gather and do fun things like games, singing, dancing, quiz and much more. Not just de-stressing, it also helps us know more people who are our colleagues.

So fun helps with work. Fair deal, what say?

What should be the other values that make our cult the *cult*?

A compilation of values discussed already:

2. Transparency
If you have seen the new One97 building, you could not have missed its glass facade. If you have ventured inside, you would have seen a sea of spaces lined with open work stations and cabins made of glass walls. A zero-barrier, open, transparent office.

This is what Wikipedia says about Corporate transparency: a form of radical transparency is the construct of removing all barriers to —and facilitating of— free and easy public access to corporate, political and personal information and the laws, rules, social connivance and processes that facilitate and protect those individuals and corporations who freely join, develop and embellish the process.

So are we really as transparent as our “look”? What does it take for us to become a  zero-barrier, open, transparent company? Is it enough that our “top brass” is easily accessible? Is it enough that expression has its close friend: freedom at hand?
1. Freedom
It also takes freedom for talent to flourish in a corporate workspace. Freedom to think; the confidence that you will be heard, and the sub conscious belief that you share a mission with others, to realize a vision … I think this is an outcome of culture.

Our culture.

This is what Wikipedia says about Corporate transparency: a form of radical transparency is the construct of removing all barriers to —and facilitating of— free and easy public access to corporate, political and personal information and the laws, rules, social connivance and processes that facilitate and protect those individuals and corporations who freely join, develop and embellish the process.

So are we really as transparent as our “look”? What does it take for us to become a  zero-barrier, open, transparent company? Is it enough that our “top brass” is easily accessible? Is it enough that expression has its close friend: freedom at hand?