This may turn out to be quite depressing post for some people because at this very moment I am mix of anger, frustration, hope and delusion. There is no other place on earth that could help me feel better at such a phase but I did any day prefer ranting here rather than explaining it to anyone else. So on this most inauspicious of days, permit me then, in lieu of the more commonplace sobriquet to suggest the character of this dramatic persona.
This is that part of my life where quitting everything seems a rather easy option than to pursue my dream to build a business (No! No! I am not quitting, not now, not yet!) I possibly can’t put forth how I am probably feeling right now. It’s either a mix of all negative emotions or a hangover of it but it’s still there troubling me like anything.
Part 1: When things move too quickly and early, beware something is definitely wrong!
My idea is to create a simple market place website for trading second hand cell phones, Books and Cds/DVDs. This is where I started and then this made me feel like I was doing the right thing. I had an investor willing to provide the seed funding, all ground was done in trying to gauge the market size, potential, etc. in meantime the investor had some spat with his partners and later pulled money from all his porfolio companies and now going abroad. Also I was left as the lone founder as my partner left for doing his MBA. Nothing that I wasn’t aware off but being alone is kinda not advisable. All this happened in a span of three months and trust me not even an MVP was ready as early development was going to be outsourced.
Part 2: Finding a co-founder like finding a wife, if love at first doesn’t happen walking past again won’t help.
After the above episode I have been trying to find a co-founder. Meanwhile I have been waking up on every Monday morning to this:
“Balance in A/c XXXXXXXXXX0990 as of 11-AUG-13 EOD is INR 0.00 . Check A/c for current balance . Credits in A/c are subject to clearing”
Yeah, kinda sucks right! Sooner than later I realised that finding a tech guy is like everyone’s problem hence decided to learn coding. Did the basic HTML from codeacedemy and now learning Python the hard way. Why python because a website similar to what I want to make was coded in Python and Joomla. Spending 4 hrs a day learning to code but still seems like it’s will take a long time to even make a rough MVP.
Part 3: Ideas are bulletproof but they forgot a safety lock.
In February being all super active online in various startup communities I met a guy who had a startup from Delhi (Not taking names) I told him about my Idea and the website (www.projectbazinga.in) he liked it, we talked and I shared my plan mostly because I am that way. That guy suggests me a company which does a similar thing like me but for only CDs/DVDs of games & only in Delhi and is his friend’s startup.
Fast forward to 30th July, I read an article on Yourstory.in about the same CD/DVD startup being renamed and getting into market place for used products. (I discovered that it’s the same company while reading it’s about us and disclaimer stuff. Sometimes I do read that stuff too). Initially I was like oh! another startup like me, then I was like they are pretty similar to my plans and finally I was like yes! they even have the same nuts and bolts like I do. I was at a point happy that my idea got replicated somewhere and also this startup is a funded one so double yeah! for idea validation. But somewhere you feel sad that they copied you. I dug up their achieves and found that they decided to change the company to market place in April, 2013 i.e. after having told the Delhi guy about my idea. I know I know ideas are cent a dozen but when I say nuts and bolts they kinda took some execution too.
Part 4: Currently what I am up to!
It’s evident I need money! I remember reading a tweet from Mr. Kanchan Kumar that sometimes to protect our dream and solve cash crisis you will have to take up other work or may be a part time job. I didn’t take a job but what I am doing is selling second hand phones from a vendors (his inventory) online via eBay. These vendors are the ones I came across during the initial days of my research for the idea. Also I am doing few events under the banner (Mumbai Startups Meetups) because in college I used to be the go-to guy for event management and also the head of annual fest. These events make me meet some interesting people around Mumbai and it helps to keep the tempo alive. These are free events few paid one’s are lined up too.
I am also helping two startups with their marketing and social media efforts. The fourth part has just started in the past month. So it will take some time to pick-up.
So well this is me, falling apart and trying to pick-up. In all these endeavors I have been successful in making precisely 80 contacts who can be useful in my entrepreneurial life or otherwise. Hoping that the otherwise won’t happen. People who meet me talk to me would never be able to make out that I am going through this. It’s kinda very depressing at times and at times makes me feel good that I was able to help some startup or the other in a meaningful way. What really worries me is that it’s been an year since I have left my job and still I am nowhere close to being where I had thought I would be. It is at this stage that I feel like letting it all go but on the other hand my conscience won’t let me quite before falling down on the ground. Sometimes I don’t give up even after losing.
If you guys have any suggestion please do let me know. I am pretty sure a lot of you might have faced similar situations early. Looking for pearls of wisdom, so that I can trade them for cash! 🙂 Happy Independence Day. I am not usually this sad so I will end with a joke: When in life you are losing self-control, take a moment and think about Sunny Leone’s camera Man! Hahaha!!
P.S: I had written this post a week back hoping that I won’t have to ever submit it but here I am, as naked as I can be!
-Ankit Sawant (aka @SatanAtWink)
(Working hard to be called) Founder at Project Bazinga!