What was hobby years ago has turned into money spinner for 29 year old Vizag based Purna Chandra Rao Duggirala today. He has done his MBA from IIM Indore. He started blogging about the his B school experiences and registered the domain "chandoo.org" in 2004.
Then he started blogging about the technology and in March 2008, lifehacker.com reprinted one of his articles, bringing more traffic on his blog. This is a time when he monetized his blog. While he was working with TCS after his MBA, his job entailed extensive work on MS excel. Over a period of time his proficiency in excel improved a lot and he started offering advice on how to master spreadsheets on his blogs. He went a step ahead to release an Excel-related e-book in February 2009 and priced it $5.The product was received very well and he soon doubled its price. He still sells around 20 copies of this book every month. In September 2009, he launched a set of project management templates catering to analysts and project managers and priced it at $30. The product was runaway success and in 2010, he launched his best selling product, an online training program for Excel, "Excel School" and priced it at $97 per student. In a year from September 2009, he has earned over $100,000 from his online business. He is now focusing on improving his blog and boosting his revenue stream. Now he is full time entrepreneur.
Source: The Economic Times Wealth (13 Dec 2010) and Chandoo.org
No idea is small idea. What matters is where do you want to take it and how do you want to take it. If you understand these two things, you can build a big empire through that small idea. This is what Chandoo has taught us, isn't it?
Minuted by Dileep Ranjekar(CEO of Ajim Premji Foundation) October 10, 2009
Meeting with H N Srinivas – Senior Executive Vice President, Taj Group of Hotels
Last evening, I had a dinner meeting with HNS in Goa (I was there for a National Institute of Personnel Management conference – as a speaker).
He narrated the 26th November 2008 terror attack on Taj Mumbai and there were some important points.
A.Terrorist entry
1.They entered from the Leopold Colaba hotel entrance and also from the northern entrance – spraying indiscriminate bullets on the Taj security personnel and guests in general.
2.Though Taj had a reasonable security – they were surely not equipped to deal with terrorists who were spraying 6 bullets per trigger.
3.The strategy of the terrorists was to throw chunks of RDX in an open area that will explode and burn – creating chaos so that the guests and staff run helter skelter so that the terrorists could kill them. The idea was to create maximum casualties.
4.There were several critical gatherings and functions happening in the hotel on that day – a Bohra wedding, global meet of Unilever CEOs and Board members and 2 other corporate meetings were being held in the hotel – besides the usual crowd.
5.The firing and chaos began at about 8.30 p.m. and the staff including employees on casual and contract basis displayed exemplary presence of mind, courage and sacrifice to protect the guests who were in various halls and conference rooms.
B.Stories of Staff Heroics
1.A young lady guest relation executive with the HLL gathering stopped any of the members going out and volunteered 3 times to go out and get stuff such as ice cubes for whiskey of the guests when the situation outside the hall was very explosives and she could have been easily the target of the bullets
2.Thomas George a captain escorted 54 guests from a backdoor staircase and when he was going down last he was shot by the terrorists
3.There were 500 emails from various guests narrating heroics of the staff and thanking them for saving their lives
4.In a subsequent function, Ratan Tata broke down in full public view and sobbed saying – “the company belongs to these people”. The wife of Thomas George who laid his life saving others said, she and the kids were proud of the man and that she did not know that for 25 years she lived with a man who was so courageous and brave
5.The episode happened on 26th November, a significant part of the hotel was burnt down and destroyed – the hotel was re-opened on 21st December and all the employees of the hotel were paraded in front of the guests
6.It was clearly a saga of extra-ordinary heroics by ordinary people for their organisation and in a way for their country. The sense of duty and service was unprecedented
7.The young lady who protected and looked after the HLL guests was a management trainee and we often speak of juniority and seniority in the organisation. She had no instructions from any supervisor to do what she did
a.She took just 3 minutes to rescue the entire team through the kitchen
b.Cars were organised outside the hotel as per seniority of the members
c.In the peak of the crisis, she stepped out and got the right wine glass for the guest
8.People who exhibited courage included janitors, waiters, directors, artisans and captains – all level of people
C.The Tata Gesture
1.All category of employees including those who had completed even 1 day as casuals were treated on duty during the time the hotel was closed
2.Relief and assistance to all those who were injured and killed
3.The relief and assistance was extended to all those who died at the railway station, surroundings including the “Pav-Bhaji” vendor and the pan shop owners
4.During the time the hotel was closed, the salaries were sent by money order
5.A psychiatric cell was established in collaboration with Tata Institute of Social Sciences to counsel those who needed such help
6.The thoughts and anxieties going on people’s mind was constantly tracked and where needed psychological help provided
7.Employee outreach centers were opened where all help, food, water, sanitation, first aid and counseling was provided. 1600 employees were covered by this facility
8.Every employee was assigned to one mentor and it was that person’s responsibility to act as a “single window” clearance for any help that the person required
9.Ratan Tata personally visited the families of all the 80 employees who in some manner – either through injury or getting killed – were affected.
10.The dependents of the employees were flown from outside Mumbai to Mumbai and taken care off in terms of ensuring mental assurance and peace. They were all accommodated in Hotel President for 3 weeks
11.Ratan Tata himself asked the families and dependents – as to what they wanted him to do.
12.In a record time of 20 days, a new trust was created by the Tatas for the purpose of relief of employees.
13.What is unique is that even the other people, the railway employees, the police staff, the pedestrians who had nothing to do with Tatas were covered by compensation. Each one of them was provided subsistence allowance of Rs. 10K per month for all these people for 6 months.
14.A 4 year old granddaughter of a vendor got 4 bullets in her and only one was removed in the Government hospital. She was taken to Bombay hospital and several lacs were spent by the Tatas on her to fully recover her
15.New hand carts were provided to several vendors who lost their carts
16.Tata will take responsibility of life education of 46 children of the victims of the terror
17.This was the most trying period in the life of the organisation. Senior managers including Ratan Tata were visiting funeral to funeral over the 3 days that were most horrible
18.The settlement for every deceased member ranged from Rs. 36 to 85 lacs in addition to the following benefits:
a.Full last salary for life for the family and dependents
b.Complete responsibility of education of children and dependents – anywhere in the world
c.Full Medical facility for the whole family and dependents for rest of their life
d.All loans and advances were waived off – irrespective of the amount
e.Counselor for life for each person
D.Epilogue
1.How was such passion created among the employees? How and why did they behave the way they did?
2.The organisation is clear that it is not something that someone can take credit for. It is not some training and development that created such behaviour. If someone suggests that – everyone laughs
3.It has to do with the DNA of the organisation, with the way Tata culture exists and above all with the situation that prevailed that time. The organisation has always been telling that customers and guests are #1 priority
4.The hotel business was started by Jamshedji Tata when he was insulted in one of the British hotels and not allowed to stay there.
5.He created several institutions which later became icons of progress, culture and modernity. IISc is one such institute. He was told by the rulers that time that he can acquire land for IISc to the extent he could fence the same. He could afford fencing only 400 acres.
6.When the HR function hesitatingly made a very rich proposal to Ratan – he said – do you think we are doing enough?
7.The whole approach was that the organisation would spend several hundred crore in re-building the property – why not spend equally on the employees who gave their life?
Inspiring excerpts from the address by Azim Premji , founder, Wipro , at IIT Delhi's convocation ceremony.
The funny thing about life is that you realise the value of something only when it begins to leave you. As my hair turned from black, to salt and pepper and finally salt without the pepper, I have begun to realise the enthusiasm and excitement of youth. At the same time, I have begun to truly appreciate some of the lessons I have learnt along the way. As you embark on your careers, I would like to share them with you. I am hoping that you will find them as useful as I have.
The world you are entering is in many ways very different now from what it was when I began my career. It was the late sixties and India still depended on other countries for something as basic as food. We aroused sympathy, not admiration whenever we went overseas. Recently, someone told me, that when visitors came to India then, they came to see what they could do for India. Now, they come to see what India can do for them. As a hopeful Indian, I look at our country as one which is rich in ethnic and cultural diversity and one that has an effective, secular democracy which will help us build an enduring society.
Lesson 1: Take charge
This was the first thought that came to me, when over four decades ago, I stepped into Wipro factory at Amalner. I was 21 and had spent the last few years in Stanford University Engineering School at California. Many people advised me to take up a nice, cushy job rather than face the challenges of running a hydrogenated oil business. Looking back, I am glad I decided to take charge instead. Essentially, leadership begins from within. It is a small voice that tells you where to go when you feel lost. If you believe in that voice, you believe in yourself. When it comes to choosing your careers, you have to take charge of your own destiny.
Lesson 2: Earn your happiness
The second lesson I have learnt is that a rupee earned is of far more value than five found. In fact, what is gifted or inherited follows the old rule of come easy, go easy. I guess we only know the value of what we have if we have struggled to earn it.
Lesson 3: Nothing succeeds like failure
The third lesson I have learnt is no one bats a hundred every time. Life has many challenges. You win some and lose some. You must enjoy winning. But do not let it go to the head. The moment it does, you are already on your way to failure. And if you do encounter failure along the way, treat it as an equally natural phenomenon. The important thing is, when you lose, do not lose the lesson.
Lesson 4: Nothing fails like success
The fourth lesson I have learnt is the importance of humility. There is a thin line of difference between confidence and arrogance. Confident people are always open to learn. A recent survey of executives in Europe showed that the single most important quality needed for leadership success was the willingness to learn from any situation. Arrogance on the other hand stops learning. It comes with a feeling that one knows all that needs to be known and has done all that needs to be done.
Lesson 5: There has to be a better way
Partly as a corollary to what I have just said, we must remember that no matter how well we do something there has to be a better way! Excellence is not a destination but a journey. Creativity and innovation sometimes need inspiration from other disciplines. It is probably not a chance that Einstein's interest in music was as much as his interest in Physics. Bertrand Russell was as much a mathematician as a philosopher. Excellence and creativity go hand in hand.
Lesson 6: Respond, not react
There is a world of difference between the two and in terms of success and failure. The difference is that the mind comes in between responding and reacting. When we respond, we evaluate with a calm mind and do whatever is most appropriate. We are in control of our actions. When we react, we are still doing what the other person wants us to do.
Lesson 7: Remain physically active It is easy to take health for granted when you are young. I have found that exercise not only improves the quality of time but also reduces the time you need for sleep. The truth is that stress will only increase in a global world. You must have your own mechanism to deal with it.
Lesson 8: Never compromise on your core values
Mahatma Gandhiji often said that you must open the windows of your mind, but you must not be swept off your feet by the breeze. One must define what you stand for. This is not difficult. But values lie, not in the words used to describe them, as much as in the simple acts. And that is the hard part. Like someone said, "I could not hear what you said because what you did was coming out far too loud".
Lesson 9: Play to win
Playing to win brings out the best in us and in our teams. It brings out the desire to stretch, to achieve that which seems beyond our grasp. However, it is not about winning at any cost. It is not about winning every time. It is not about winning at the expense of others. It is about innovating all the time. It is a continuous endeavour to do better than last time.
Lesson 10: Give back to society
All of us have a collective social responsibility towards doing our bit to address them. Of all the challenges, the key to me is education. We have a paradoxical situation, where on the one hand we have jobs chasing scarce talent and on the other, rampant unemployment and poverty. The only way to bridge these two ends of the pole is by providing quality education that is accessible by all.
