Solution to a problem or a sellable product? #SCRealityReports

With starting up becoming the new, to-do thing, it is very important for aspiring entrepreneurs to understand how important it is to have a sellable offering, because you would not want to end up looking like this, would you?

It is a beautiful and a motivational moment, when you hear reputed speakers, speak at events and seminars, especially when you are an aspiring entrepreneur and sitting amongst many similar minds in a beautiful lit hall, at an amazingly well organised event, minds filled with things to remember, hearts with all the push it requires and eyes for meeting the speakers in person and take more info. Even great when the speakers says the similar things which you have been reading about all along, from the time you started exploring, it makes you comfortable, it makes you believe you are on track, it makes you tell yourself, "Hey, Mr./Ms X, your doing good, see, the speaker, who has achieved so much more is saying the same things, I am so right" STOP.... just STOP for a minute...

You have to do an even more important thing, you have to remember, he/she is standing before a huge crowd, with people such as you and he/she has to say things which would keep many of you occupied, sometimes, just sometimes, things would not be the same as what is being said, except, ONLY if it is from experiences, because, experiences are real, are different for all and have lessons for oneself and all rest, said that, this is not what I wanted to write about today, Speakers and their problems (its a topic for some other time). Today, its about solving a problem or having a sellable product?

So, going back a bit, when you hear people say, "Solve a Problem" "Create an idea from a Solution" "Work towards solving the problems the masses have, simple way" we feel, that is so right, true and makes more sense. Once we have an amazing solution on hand, we would not be able to sell hard, the masses would accept it, would realise it, would appreciate it and I would have a winning startup under me. Right? I thought so too, once upon a time, I mentored many a startups with these same lines, I really believed it too. Trust me, I did...

But then, here is #SCRealityReports for you.....

We were proved wrong, we have been officially proved wrong. You can have the world's most easily adoptable solution to the biggest problem most of the masses have, but without making it a sellable product, you have nothing but solutions which are called dreams by many. When the masses, your end users, use your solutions, testify that its the best in the world, that they got the most out of the solution and turn a deaf ear to your cost, use the offering for free, ignore the charges and walk-away as if they least care for it especially when they know they need it most, you stop, you are confused, you as the solution provider are CONFUSED.. You know they need it, you see they benefit from it, you are sure they want it more, then what in the world is stopping them to buy it from you, to take it with a cost, why is it that the moment a cost tag is put on it, it becomes the least wanted, an option  ?

DON'T BE CONFUSED...

The masses are used to be sold at, they are more comfortable when they know that they are being sold at. The great history of businesses is such that, every one sold and sold hard, now, the new kinds, the startups think that they come up with a solution and the masses would adopt them, don't be mistaken. Habits are engraved deep in all.. They need to be sold. They need to feel the power of familiarity in the system. They need to be SOLD at and nothing more. NEW IDEAS, SOLUTIONS, COMFORT, SIMPLICITY, these things do mean a lot, they really really need it and there is no doubt in their minds that they need it, they are dying to adopt it, but they are helpless, they are used to being sold at, its in them, in their deepest of systems and subconscious so you cannot dig that out of them, you need to bloody sell. Sell, the best of offerings, the simple of solutions and the most needed offering, you still need to sell..

That leaves us with a clear answer here, when ever you start to build a solution to a problem the masses have, make sure you are designing it in such a way, that it is a sellable offering, make sure you design the sales strategy to it along with it as you build it. Understand your end users and the depths of their pockets. Talk to them on BUYING the solution you are building, FOR A COST, from the day one of interactions. Never ever in your mind or hearts believe that you are creating real value for money and your users would adopt it the moment they experience it, they WILL NOT. They are not equipped to do so, they are machined towards being sold at, so be an entrepreneur from the day one and that is, learning to SELL... The first step towards you winning is to be ready and well prepared to sell, even if you have the world's best solution to the biggest problem in hand.

The above #SCRealityReport is based out of experience of our own, we understand that it would be questioned by many out here, but that is why, it is considered a Reality Report right? That is why, me the founder are out here, to answer all your questions... Ask us, would be more than happy to answer them all for you...

If you would agree or disagree to this, feel free to mail to startupsclub@gmail.com and we could meet up for a cup of coffee, to brainstorm on this Reality Report from us, the founder and provider of thoughts to www.startupsclubpost.com and hey, don't forget to follow us on Twitter - @SClubPost

Signing off for now... Keep thinking...  

A sell out of a brand or a huge portion of your life

People talk out exits.. People talk about selling business and starting fresh with pride. It sounds so amazing, it sounds so exciting but is it actually that way, especially for those who have crafted a life around the brand, for people who have thought nothing more than the brand itself and not for a year, 2 or 3 but for almost a decade.

How do you get yourself to value the moments which you have lost with your family and loved ones to build this brand?

How do you get yourself to understand that it is most strategically wise decision, financially the most intelligent move but it's okay, if that sell out leaves you to keep taking the brand name by mistake instead of the name you must and say, your sorry and take the name you must?

What is it that matters to the business world? Many say, don't get attached, EMOTIONALLY attached to businesses/startups and build it to make money, to bring value and to exit with style but then, when you start working on it to do all that, you tend to start living it, how do u rip that suit off your body and be proud of it?

What is takes to be a successful Entreprneur... It takes this, the courage to fight yourself, your attachments, your passion and change it towards what's better, for the customers, stake holders and the world, learn to keep your emotional skeletons aside and be an ENTREPRENEUR..

Written on the morning of the day, when I first explored the possibilities of a sell out of MY PRUDENCE....

Love u all... Keep sharing my life with you, in short bits and peaches.... 

Being ALONE... Being ME at 45

Have always heard stories of individuals stepping out into the big bad world when they turn early 20s and have always thought to myself, how does it work? What makes a parent let them to do that, what makes them to choose to face the uncertainty willingly? Who in their sane minds would choose all those difficulties? I remember sitting with Dad in my early 20s, married, with kids but still the young mind wanting answers, asking daddy, why would anybody do that? he would tell me, that the world is anyway, uncertain in every way, there are uncertainty in which ever life we live, so, when someone walks out, they just choose to take a different set of uncertainties for themselves, but I did not believe him then, I laughed at him. I was certain of my life, I was married, happily married, as I think back, with kids, with protective parents, I knew how my life would turn out to be, at least I thought I knew....

Decades past, here I am today writing this blog, writing these thoughts out on paper for the world, for all of you who know me and see me as to what I am, I am 45, I am super ambitious, I am no less than a 25 when it comes to going out there and having fun and making the best of life, I have 3 individuals in my life who are suppose to be my kids but in actual are my guides, my teachers, my motivators and surely my friends, I have 4 BFFs, I have around 40+ close friends, I have around 600+ strong followers who look up to me for every business decision they take and I have around a minimum off 10000 friends and connects who enjoy my existence, yet, I feel the uncertainty in me as I stand in my life at 45, ALONE; thus fearful, nervous and surely sad.

Why is the word, ALONE related to all the negative feelings?? Fearful, Nervous, Sad.. It should not be. ALONE... Means ME, when I see ME, I see so many great people, things, dreams which I have achieved, so who has implanted in us from our childhood that being ALONE, has to be so negative...

So, walking the path in my life, ALONE at 45, I am a PROUD Woman, I am a SUCCESSFUL woman, I am ME....

Love you all for being a part of my journey in finding ME.... 

Dreaming of a great future or building one..

This has been one of the most the most talked about statement, "Dream big things, Coz only if you dream is when you set out to achieve it" it's post Steve Job's statement that dreaming became an even more sexy statement to quote, "only those who dream to change the world, set out to do so" something in those lines but today I understand that there is more to dreaming than just dreaming...

It's exactly 2 years, 9 months, 11 days that I had a dream, a dream which I, along with my co-founder / best friend, Vivek Srinivasan would be these two entities who would reach out to entrepreneurs from across the world, rather, the entrepreneurs from across the world would reach out to us, but yes, it was a dream, if you would have asked me then, I would have had that big smile as I tell you my dream, Coz I really believed that it was a dream, you know what dreams are right, you see them with closed eyes, so here I was seeing a dream with open eyes, so yes, I had that shyness, that, please don't take me to be mad look, when I dreamt this dream. Today, I know a very small portion of entrepreneurs of this world, would do anything to have us talk to them, have us spend an hour with them, have us focus on their startups for just a day and for us to be a small part of their huge growth.. 

So, how did this unbelievable dream become a small reality?? Did I sit on that couch in my small little living room, dreaming and smiling about it?? 

What do you think I did?? 

Yes, I did exactly what you are thinking, I did.. I stopped just dreaming about it and I got these contents of my dream into the real world of mine, which I can assure consisted of evil monsters called - bills, had ugly green beasts called - society, had small but dangerous piranhas called -responsibilities, which could eat me and my dreams along with it with no time, but I dared to bring it out and from that day, it was no more a dream, it was my fight for achieving my dreams, it was my struggle to make Vivek believe it is possible to achieve my dreams, it was the fight which I took on every day. 

Just like an alcoholic fighting hard to stay clean, I fought hard with myself and the monsters around to keep my dream alive in this real world. Every small success, I would jump, I would cheer, I would cry tears of happiness, I would hug my monsters with love, Coz it's them who let my dream grow from a figment of my imagination to this real thing called Startups Club, now I got warriors, an army slowly building within my dream, who would stand by me, when things get rough, who would guard me when I felt scared of these monsters, who would hug me (literally) when I felt lonely, I found my warriors in my Members of Startups Club from across the world. My dream was becoming a reality, a real entity and I was winning it, even today I am. 

So today, sitting in this flight to Pune, writing my blog contents on my phone notes, I have a thought, a day ahead of having 3 events in 3 different locations, 2 different countries and Vivek and I, in a position to reach out to lakhs of entrepreneurs in this world, I think back, is it okay to just dream and only dream? did I know I was practically implementing my dream into a reality? Did the universe play a larger part than I did for this to happen? What is it that has given me, today? 

My monsters, who pushed me to move ahead or else, they would get me down, 

My warriors, whose trust made me to go on? 

My Partner, who stood by me even if he at times did not believe it was possible 

Or ME????

Talking through Mails...

From the time we learned to speak, there has been a constant struggle and yearning in us to make sure the people we speak too, listen to us and remember us too.
- From "Ma, I am hungry" to "Mommmm... I am so very hungry"
- From "You can join me now" to "Hey, lets do it together now"

The story continues even today, with my Clients, my Friends, my Kids, my Co-Founder, my Community Members and so on..

So, what have we learnt from so may years of practice in making people listen to us?

 Today, the platform has changed, everything remains the same and the tactics to make people listen to us also remains the same but still, we just don't seem to get it on how we could make the mails be noticed. So, let us learn to talk through mails.

- Do, what you do best, add your expressions...
- Talk less to be heard more

Expressions through mails.. does matter

Every time we sit down to write mails, especially to a Client, associate or an important connect, the first thing we leave aside, are the expressions. Always remember to put your expressions into the mail. You don't have to send a mail, which just reads out the message, whats a message without an expression.

"Ma, I am hungry" means the same too "Mommmmm I am so very hungry"but the need for your mother to know she has to bring you to eat is more stressed with a little bit of expressions added to it. Said that, for a client, you write a "Would love to meet" and try "Look forward to meeting you eagerly" makes all the difference.

Talk less to be heard more

Take a shape of a blow horn, you must have seen it zillion times, but have you noticed, that the side you speak in is always smaller to the side where it is heard. This is exactly the same. 

Having specific few lines and clear, expressing language leaves behind a very loud, clear and an impressive mail, which can never be ignored. Never ever try to fit in everything into those few lines, a sale pitch, an introduction or an invite, needs to be very specific but definitely not missing out on your feelings, thoughts and passion. 

Try it always and see how magical it is...

Brand Association OR Brand Trust

When we set out to organise events, the first thought which crosses our minds is, will we bring the brand associations for the event, enough for us to be able to take the costs of the event and handle the logistics?

The fact of the story is, that it is never about associations, its about the BRAND TRUST...

What is BRAND TRUST?

Just like every startup has its trusted early users, in any event planning, budgeting, outreach & execution, the only motivation for any organiser is the early sponsors & partners who come forward to join with us. There is no clarity on the number of foot falls at the event, there is no clear Agenda to the event, there is no mention of the speakers, there is nothing, yet, they come forward to join with us for the event, then, what is this? what kind of association would you ever call this? This is nothing but a pure example of BRAND TRUST.

Taking forward this BRAND TRUST, I would like to share brands and their stories who showed to us, what matters is just trust and nothing more for our annual event under Startups Club DemoDay2015 on August 8th & 9th, just a week away...

Lets start with our Event Partners, Ignitus World founded by Anjali & Sarath, driven by pure passion but what stands out very clearly is the ability to adopt an event of their client's as if it was their very own. Taking up every challenge with an intention to bring about a solution for the same. They have in a very little time taken up weddings, corporate events, personal events & launches. But the fact they stood by us from the day they have known us and were very soon able to close on one of our key note speakers, motivated us to move ahead in bringing some of the best line of speakers and panel members.

One brand which just makes me go nostalgic is MyBabyCart headed by Mridula, one of the seasoned members of Startups Club, feels like just yesterday she had visited one of our meetings at Mr. Beans in Koramangala and shared with us on how she intends to start her own portal specially for women entrepreneurs, I remember she had shared "I will not give up, coz my last venture did not do well, learning from those mistakes, I will surely make it this time" those words mean so strong now, because she does not only successfully support many women entrepreneurs by posting their products on her platform but also has made a strong community of Women Entrepreneurs under Mompreneurs and conducts meetings every quarter and has a strong trust which has been built. One mail to Mridula, ensured her partnering with me, if this is not BRAND TRUST, what is??

Finally, last but not the least, a short and sweet story for all of you. I was going through a regular meet one morning, I get a call from a Facebook connect asking me if she was late for the meetup, I tell her that she is, but she must come over, as I get to see her in person and she agrees. Post 15 minutes she walks in, a young entrepreneur, excited and nervous and that moment, my life just became sweeter than I ever thought it could be. She, Priya, founder of KrispandCrumbls makes some of the world's most tasty chocolates and loves exploring with her skills. It has been some 8 months, but it feels like a life time we know each other. All my Club's gifting solutions is without doubt Priya's responsibility and she also makes some really beautiful gift packs as per our very own budgets. Once again coming as our trusted Gifting Partners. Taste it to understand...

With these three beautiful stories, can I confidently come to conclude that Brand Association can be created only if BRAND TRUST exists... Go out and build your trusted associations... without an ounce of fear in you... You never know, who your next title sponsor would be...

My father or my MBA

I have spent all most 25 years telling everyone who asked me what my qualifications are about how working with my father was like doing a MBA, starting today I share the stories (short for sure) my father made me learn working under him, on this special day, his birthday - 23/05 

Kandnery Mohammed Moosa (joined me spiritually on 13/8/2008) was his name, very typical Muslim name and with looks doing complete justice to his name, but for what ever reasons, there was never this one person who would ignore him, make him feel a mis-fit or not listen to him, he always got his way around things and people, so till the point you are done readying these serious of blogs, you would surely know how to get things your way and more.

Here starts my very few but important learnings I will carry all my life from him. Today's blog is for Trusting Yourself.. 

The day he called me to his office for the first time, and just asked me to jump into the car beside him and drive down to Chennai, my journey with him in business started from Chennai and so here I am sitting in Chennai on his birthday, writing this blog. He spoke about his product, a fuel stabiliser for internal combustion engines (could not understand a word what he said) followed by the fact that he was as of now making me the Managing Director of his company (I was exactly 18 years 4 months) and I kept looking at him and was fine it, after all it was just a post under him, I was cool with it. He drove down to IIT-M and in an auditorium full of faculty from mechanical department he put me on the stage announcing I was the MD of his company and will now talk in detail on his upcoming product. I wanted to kill him, myself, that very minute. So here I was on this stage, with no clue on what I am going to speak and I looked at him, my eyes to his, "Dad, I will ruin your chances you or your product have over here in this campus" and he looked back, "it's your dad's product to screw it up, no body else's" I knew he wanted me to do anything which I felt was right, trust myself and never to look back, what ever the outcome be. I did exactly that and I cannot deny that the talk went really well and we signed a R&D contract with IIT-M in not later than a month of that talk, but it's been 26 years and I have never let go of that learning, this is the reason you will never see me fear anything in life, you will never see me hesitate trying out something new, you will never see me doubt myself ever. 

So do that to yourself, trust yourself because the biggest and the most important asset you have with you is yourself and if you doubt that for start, there will be nothing in this world you will ever trust. Move ahead today and never look back and what you carry along with you is THE TRUST YOU HAVE ON YOURSELF..

Next one coming soon...