A v touching email… the kind that I open up and read whenever I need an energy boost. To keep walking, keep writing..

Dear Rashmi

Rashmi, I want to congratulate you for your book “STAY HUNGRY STAY FOOLISH”. Its an excellent book with  different and interesting experience from different IIM-A  graduate entrepreneurs. People who knew that entrepreneurship was their chosen path.
 
I personally have a library at my home for most of the business and success books. Several books changed my course of my life. “Good to great” and “Rich dad poor dad” are couple of it. As we as a company (I own a real estate company in Dubai)  deal with most of the international clients based, I have never read any  book authored by Indian author.  In last visit to  Mumbai I visited crosswords and bought your book as it says on cover that it’s a story of 25 IIM-A Graduates.

After graduation I have given CAT , as to graduate from IIM-A was always my dream. Also I was born and brought up in Ahmedabad. I was not selected by any IIMJ .In fact my general knowledge was very poor. I am talking about the year 1999. At present I am 31 years of age being born in 1978.
 
Your book is truly fascinating. You have presented the story and experience of different entrepreneurs from different field in a very lucid and interesting way. You wont believe I have read your book in 3 nights.. I slept couple of nights after 4.00 am.. I really cannot put your book down. The best thing about your book is your narration of the stories. You narrated story of different entrepreneur  and their “real life business facts” in their unique way. I really learnt a lot from this book.

The best section of the book is “Advice to young entrepreneurs”. Sometimes without reading the whole story I use to jump on this section to collect the Pearls of wisdom. You have truly written a classic. I have read  many international business books but after reading your book I felt that may be I have missed some good classics Indian business books.
 
I always want to come back to my roots to India, as from year 2000, I am in Dubai, immediately after my graduation. Your book made me took this decision now. Real Estate is totally crashed in Dubai and I have personally lost  Millions of dollars investing in real estate. As I have ample of time for last 6 months to think about my passion, I was always thinking to come back to india, especially in Bombay.

Infact after reading your book, I took this decision very firmly. Now I am closing my company in Dubai, I would have keep it open but I think I totally want to focus on doing my MBA and I want to permanently settle in India.
 
I really like to have advice/help and suggestion on one very important thing. I personally feel (and this is my personal view) that entrance test are not properly design. They are mostly loaded with quantitative, qualitative and verbal ability. They also stress much on General Knowledge.  I am very successful as an entrepreneur without an MBA. I have poor upbringing as my father was a “street hawker” and when I was 7 years, my father and his 3 brother family use to stay in one room, having curtains separating their family in night. I never had enough money to pay fees for my MBA as I use to earn on roads selling cutlery items on my father “Laari galla”.Infact in last couple of years I have earned millions of dollars but there is no “Real joy”. I always wanted to do something in my country and make a difference to my own people.
 
Further, I am doing research on several MBA institute nowadays and I am in Mumbai at present. Now I wanted to do an executive MBA which is full time for 1 year. I wanted your advice as to which business school should I prefer? (Thank god at age 31 I have that choice of preferring business school). I can also go for 2 years full time MBA if that is truly required. I can even continue on “payment seat” as I am well off now. Your suggestion will be highly appreciated as this stage of life I don’t want to make wrong choice.

Personally I am married and I am going to be proud father in September 2009.  I will surely complete my MBA now and then do something in India only and Rashmi I promise you that you will hear about me in next 3 to 4 years. I personally wanted to meet you but thought that email will be suffice for now..
 
Your earliest reply on business school advice/help will be highly appreciated
 
Best Regards
 
XX YY

My advice to XX YY: Personally I dont think you need an MBA degree,.. at all. All you need to learn you can, from life and many wonderful people, their thoughts, interactions, writings.  Here’s a recent blogpost by me on this subject which has some food for thought: http://youthcurry.blogspot.com/2009/04/friends-romans-greedy-mbas.html. Wish you all the best in whatever you do!

Well that email came in April. I just touched base with Abby again (end July 2009) and he says:

Mumbai is treating me great. Made some investment which is already profitable. Also meeting some excellent people and learning from them. Planning to open my company operations in India soon.  At present roaming different cities in India, just to have a feel of india.

Wonderful – am sure great things lie ahead!

This entry was posted Sunday, August 2nd, 2009 at 5:39 pm and is filed under Blog. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.