July 18, 2007

Is India ready for a(nother) "STARTUP NATION" ?

Startup Nation is one of the best books that I have read in the recent times.Every page in it is worth keeping in your mind.Let's ask some general question-What does a person do when he/she travels to the office?Well,you have multiple options a. Chat with your colleagues b. Read some books c. Do day dreaming d. Listen to radio or e. Any other thing...

One of the radio shows that is really popular in Bangalore is Radio City,91.1 FM.Finally,you get a place where you find your favourite songs, RJ's and also some information on what is happening in your city.Now let's imagine something.....You have a problem in your career or you are looking out for some tips for your business or anything related to business.In this case,the solution left out is discuss with the people whom you know or discuss with experts smile Imagine having a radio show for the same, what could have been a better medium than discussing your business/startup issues with experts on a "Radio Show" lol Should we call it as a "STARTUP SHOW"? This can be related to a show called as "Startup Nation" in the US , which has hosts as the Sloan Brothers - authors of the book "Startup Nation".Not only is the concept of a Radio Show for Entrepreneurs very interesting but the story of that concept is even more interesting (and worth reading):

Back in the year 2000, most of the companies could not withstand the bad weather and had to be shut down/reduce the staff strength.Also,investors hesitated to fund companies and the market was left really dry.The Sloan Brothers who were already successful entrepreneurs with their creation "Battery Buddy" were finding hard to stay in the market.Their business model was solely dependent on Angel Investors and hence,they were left in a very tough spot cry

In order to survive the storm, they had to change their business model !!! After speaking to one of their mentors Sam Valenti,they understood that though business has dried up,there is still a huge demand for assistance in starting & running a small business.Companies weren't hiring -they were only firing.Due to this reason, many people were forced to turn to Entrepreneurship as their solution(to provide them living).Every teacher needs a student and most of the entrepreneurs need mentors(to guide them).This is where they thought of an online radio show called "Startup Nation",where they would use their Entrepreneurial experience to help other entrepreneurs.

Within few months,StartupNation Radio turned into a big community of like minded entrepreneurs seeking new heights in business and life.On their radio show,they had interviewed the country's most successful entrepreneurs - people who lead companies called "Super Startups"

This story is really very interesting as well as inspiring.The radio show started by Sloan Brothers was a result of an "Entrepreneurial" ecosystem that was built around it.Basically,it was the need of that particular hour that gave birth to the show.Now coming back to Radio City 91.1 FM,the question is India ready for an "(Indian) StartupNation"show? Do we have an ecosystem which gives birth to more Entrepreneurs? The following article points out that poverty , lack of consumer base and culture are some of the reasons for not having this ecosystem.

What do you say? Is India ready for an online radio show for Entrepreneurs? Caste your vote and have your say.




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