It is a fascinating time to be a part of the world of technology. There are many new areas opening up. There are new markets waiting to be discovered. There are new technologies emerging out of the woodwork. Every entrepreneur tries to build a company in his own image, doing what he is good at. I have identified a few key ideas which work as the framework around which Id like to do my venture. This is what I will share in this weeks columns.
For the past 30+ months, I have shared through these columns my views on what the future portends, much of it based on my reading, thinking and day-to-day experiences being an entrepreneur. Success has been limited, but that has not impacted the dream. If anything, the vision has got wider in its scope. I see each failure as a stepping stone to inevitable success. (Optimism is the second name of entrepreneurship!)
Over the past year, my own thinking has been enriched by the numerous talks that Ive had with many people and the many email interactions Ive had with those who have written in through my weblog. The one thing I have learnt is that being open with ones thinking is perhaps one of the best things an entrepreneur can do in this age. It is a connected world, and a world in which smarter people abound. Their feedback is what can embellish the concept. But they will only reflect and amplify the light that is shone. Darkness needs no mirror.
So, this week, Ill give a peek into my thoughts (and dilemmas). This is my thinking at a point of time – now. Time changes, thinking evolves as it has over the years. But I think it is worth sharing. I for one have believed that ideas get richer when distributed and open-sourced. No one can replicate the identical thinking that an individual has gone through in fact, if an idea were that simple, it is not worth creating a business around.
Personally, I have been looking at and working in four areas: SMEs, RSS, OSS and Rurals. Each is an interesting entrepreneurial opportunity. Each is a world waiting to be built. Here is a one-liner for each of them: SMEs affordable computing solutions and connections for growth, built around the 5KPC ecosystem, Open-Source Software development and support services for Linux and OpenOffice from India, RSS microcontent refinery and the publish-subscribe web, Rurals transforming rural India. I have written about most of these ideas in previous columns. Much of what I share in terms of my thinking and the challenges faced in entrepreneurial activity comes from my earlier efforts in IndiaWorld, and my recent attempts to get these ideas off the ground.
Tomorrow: Part 2
