We hear all the time about the amount of money that’s available to fund startups. For example, that private equity funds invested over $ 3.3 billion in just the first 3 calendar months of the current year. That VCs are always looking out for good deals as most of the plans they see merit little […]
Governance
GOVERNANCE Sanjay AnandaramThe young founders of the young company looked happy. They had just finished a long meeting with a top class candidate for CEO of one of their soon-to-be-launched businesses. They had decided to bring on board seasoned professionals to help them achieve their long term goal of building a nationally admired and respected […]
BUZZ WORD COMPLIANCE
BUZZWORD COMPLIANCE Sanjay Anandaram A friend narrated this to me this morning. He was on a business trip to Taiwan and bumped into a colleague from a much larger division of the same company at Taipei airport. After exchanging some chit-chat, the colleague told my friend that he was likely to be now based out of […]
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST Sanjay Anandaram Julius Caesar the great Roman emperor divorced his wife Pompeia as heconsidered his honour and position compromised because Pompeia was indirectly associated with a trial for sacrilege. He explained that his wife should not only be free from sin but from suspicion. Given the state of our political system, this […]
INDIAN CRICKET NEEDS A KERRY PACKER
INDIAN CRICKET NEEDS A KERRY PACKER! Sanjay Anandaram That cricket is a religion in India is a cliché. That cricket exists as an “international†sport largely because of India is a fact. More people, perhaps, play cricket in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park than there are first class cricketers in Australia. Yet how is it that the […]
ENTREPRENEURIAL MBA?
ENTREPRENEURIAL MBA? Sanjay Anandaram An increasing number of universities and colleges are offering courses in  “Entrepreneurship†as part of their business education. Around the world, business plan competitions are held by academic institutions at regular intervals. The wide publicity given to “entrepreneurship†in recent times has resulted in entrepreneurs gaining respect and being acknowledged as […]
DIVERSITY IN HIRING
One of the things that intrigued me when I visited a startup recently was the amazing conformity and homogeneity on display. Most of the team members were from a particular community, from a particular part of the country, had studied in the same set of colleges and had worked in similar roles in similar companies […]
Entrepreneur-Board Dynamics
ENTREPRENEUR-BOARD DYNAMICS Sanjay Anandaram  You’re delighted to have successfully raised capital. You can now execute the plan and grow the business. One of the first things you do is hire senior sales and marketing people. You negotiate their compensation with them and are about to issue an employment contract. Then you remember that you’re […]
Right CEO?
The Right CEO? By Sanjay Anandaram __________________________________________________________________________ Most entrepreneurs (especially wannabees) believe that they should naturally be the CEO of their venture because “hey, its my idea and my company!†Really? are you indeed the right CEO to steer your entrepreneurial dreams to success?  Entrepreneurial ventures are usually created in either or both of these […]
Am I Good Enough?
Am I Good Enough? by Sanjay Anandaram Over the weekend I was a panel member at a mentorship event. One of the presenters was the founder of a company whose business card simply read “Chief Architectâ€. On being asked who the CEO of this company was, he surprised all by saying, “I’m looking out for […]