Unravelling the secrets of converting a small business into a large corporate, in an interview with Shinjini Ganguli, Vineet talks about the story in and behind the book.
 |
| Vineet Bajpai |
Tell us about The Street to the Highway.
This book shatters the myth that business success is a matter of destiny for a few chosen corporate barons. It shows that stellar business growth is not the result of some supernormal capabilities of a few super-individuals but is an outcome of a systematic construct of proven strategies and determined actions. Every small business can be transformed into a mega-corporation one day. And this book shows HOW!
How much research went into writing this book?
My first book, ‘Build From Scratch’ was released 7 years ago. So it has taken me that long to create ‘The Street to the Highway’. I say ‘create’ and not ‘write’ because today it takes a lot more to develop a book than just ‘writing’.
I spent several weeks interacting with entrepreneurs, family business owners, employees/promoters of small and mid-sized businesses and management pundits.And since this book is not just surgical business learning and addresses numerous human facets of entrepreneurship and organization-building, I had to spend time understanding the challenges that most stagnating small businesses face and had to get an insight into the socio-psychological reasons behind entrepreneurial decision making.
How did you finalise on the title? How many times did you change it before sticking to this last one?
Since this is a management cum inspirational book, I wanted to keep the title racy. But it also had to clearly carry the philosophy and spirit of the book.
‘The Street to the Highway’ is a simple metaphor. Most ‘streets’ are slow and repetitive, leading to meaningless destinations and have mostly the same people traversing them every day. They represent conventional methods that most businesses follow – businesses that stagnate and keep doing the same things for years. But then there is this chosen street; this street that leads us to that high-acceleration, multilane highway. The highway that allows only the most vigorous drivers to enter. This symbolizes the world of winning companies that discover the true path to unstoppable growth. This book will show you that chosen ‘street’ to the ‘Highway’.
What drove you to write this book?
My own experience of starting my companies Magnon Solutions and Magnon International with two rickety, rented computers from a generator shed 10 years ago with an equivalent of three hundred dollars in my pocket and transforming it, of course with the help of my team and the faith of our esteemed clients, into one of the most respected digital media companies in India was the real inspiration or drive. Our 2 member outfit in the year 2000 today has nearly 150 professionals employed, with offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and 1600 clients across five continents. We’ve been ranked in the top 25 Internet companies in the country recently. This journey made me think about sharing this struggle with people like what I was eight or ten years ago.
Can you spill some of the prized secrets from your book?
Sure. Let me take one simple aspect of organization building that a majority of entrepreneurs fail to grasp. This is discussed in the third chapter of my book titled ‘People –Are You Still the CEO, CFO, CIO and Sales Head of Your Company?’
Consider this – when an entrepreneur starts his or her journey, he initially manages most critical responsibilities of the business himself. And rightly so, since the business needs the direct guidance of the promoter. Also because the business can perhaps not afford to hire high-quality talent at the outset. I used to do the same at my company many years ago. In 2006, I remember, in a TV channel interview, the host asked me what role I played in the company. To this I answered, “In the early couple of years of the business I used to be the salesman, the receptionist, the accountant, the operations manager – all in one. However, that changed radically and today I play a more directional role”. Now this is the transition a lot of entrepreneurs are not able to make.
This aspect is analyzed in great detail in the book and clear solutions and alerts are offered to entrepreneurs.
 |
How did you convert your startup into a large one?
I wish there was any one plan that had worked or any one strategy that was transformational. But that never happens. Organizational growth is a complex mesh of numerous tactics, plans, execution, discipline, focus and much more. Yes but if you ask me the two most crucial factors that propelled our growth, they would be as follows – a) Clarity of goals and objectives in the immediate and medium terms and b) retention and development of quality leaders.
Give us the single biggest reason why no startup should miss on this book?
A startup may not find so many aspects of organizational growth and business success being discussed within the covers of a single book. However, in 266 pages, this book guides the reader through a holistic journey of enterprise building. Aspects like a personal orientation for entrepreneurial growth, organizational preparedness and culture for growth, people, empowerment, financial management, branding for SMEs, smart use of the Internet and digital technologies and finally some gritty human aspects of creating an execution culture. I feel such a comprehensive ‘encyclopaedia for SMEs’ shouldn’t be missed.
What is the best compliment you have received so far on this latest accomplishment?
While a lot of accomplished people have said very kind words, I cannot forget this particular email I received from a 25 year old entrepreneur who wrote to me from Mumbai. His words were--Vineet this book is the greatest gift God could have sent to me at this time when I am struggling with my small startup. I wish I had read it two years ago. It would have changed where my business is today”. This kind of response from a reader is ALL that a writer truly writes for.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
