3 Years On My Own a.k.a An M 80, a 2008 Laptop & Raja

It was on an afternoon one day in spring three years ago that I gingerly stepped outside the office that had virtually been my home for little more than 10 years.A reflective look at the office building was followed by a reverential salutation to an organization I loved very much (and perhaps always will),then a deep breath and it was time to go home.

A business consulting engagement in regulatory reporting with a startup based in the United States (they had an office in Pune) and quiet confidence regarding a venture in corporate training came to mind as the auto-rickshaw made its way over busy evening roads in Pune.

Upon reaching home,tea was sipped quietly with the knowledge that the next day there would be no office.The following morning that realization did an encore for a few seconds and then it was gone.

A meeting in the afternoon related to the regulatory reporting engagement ended the sense of bemusement that pervaded that Thursday morning of April 16.Our M80,a sturdy Bajaj two wheeler of the 1990’s era,well maintained by my father was pressed in to service,as was an HP laptop that had been purchased during an on site stint in Vancouver in 2008.

That regulatory reporting meeting set the ball rolling and the next day the founder CEO of another startup who had attended a 'Managerial Mahabharata' session a few years earlier requested for a training session.That went well enough for him to suggest that an alternate career stream known as 'Life Coach' was worth a look.“You will likely do well …” he said quietly.“ No…thank you….it’s not my line of work...” went the measured reply.

The decision to resign from a job of ten years to start an independent practice had been an informed one.However the formal structure within which to progress that practice still needed to be finalized.One option was to take a formal Certificate of Practice from Institute of Cost Accountants of India,another option was to form a company and a third option was to keep things simple,accept work as an Independent Consultant on a contract basis and go with the flow as an organized freelancer to begin with.The last option eventually got the nod.

A program titled 'Career Yoga' for startup aspirants was definitely helpful.A well wisher advised,"If you are contemplating striking out on your own be sure that now is the time."A former colleague (sadly no more) who had successfully started an on line book service offering Ramakrishna-Vivekananda literature nation wide emphasized the need to stay occupied as much as possible,not sit at home and stay open to venturing in to relatively less known areas such as providing guidance to civil service aspirants in India."Feel free to come by my office whenever you feel the need to talk to someone.",he had said at the time and it had really been very nice of him.There were others who felt that after 20 + years in service,it was time to do something different, at least for a short while.

In the months that followed,things gradually fell in to place.The regulatory reporting engagement started to gain momentum.In October came the first corporate training inquiry.Solitude was the order of day for a good part of those first six months since my parents were in the US.It was quite an experience cooking meals twice a day and going to bed not knowing what lay ahead, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.Occasionally, lunch would be eaten quietly at a restaurant named ‘Tasty Bites’ that offered home cooked family meals and was a stone’s throw away from the client’s office.

A maiden training engagement towards the end of 2015 with an organization named 'Opus Consulting' went well enough to provide a shot in the arm.Meanwhile,work continued serenely in the regulatory reporting space.Agile came to be learnt and appreciated as a software development methodology especially in the arena of product development,steps were initiated to complete CBAP re-certification and technology was understood better first hand.

The unique advantage of working in a startup environment is that there are no egos and people are always aware that their work impacts the organization’s very survival and welfare.In one sense,everything is your work.Startups are fueled by funding and funding is fueled by visible results at work.Working out of two rooms and refining requirements on Skype is an experience in itself.Product development was an entirely new experience at the time.

Since the business consulting engagement would be extended depending purely on business needs,there was an urgent need to throw the net far and wide for work.It was felt that a website would prove beneficial.A friend helped me put it together and it was really very kind of him.Visiting cards were printed and shared office spaces explored in Pune,from Wagholi (where a former colleague had set up a facility) to Senapati Bapat Road.They offered flexibility and were reasonably priced.

The inevitable happened in January 2016 when business trends in the US reduced the regulatory reporting engagement to half a day.It stayed that way throughout 2016 which proved to be a year of unfulfilled opportunities that came from Bangalore,Mangalore and Gurgaon.Each time pricing proved critical and no headway was made.A demo at an MNC in Pune did not prove fruitful either.They were interesting times.

However,the US regulatory reporting work still occupied half of the day and we had a fun team that generated lots of laughter through mimicry and good natured humour.Corporate training engagements kept coming every now and then,including one with 'Dana IT' in Hinjewadi but revenues nonetheless took a hit.A peer who was established in the same line of business advised ,"Persevere.The market is large and the cake is so big that no matter how many people jump in there will still be lots left.You will likely be happier being on your own than in a job in the long run."That was worth remembering.

There was no reason to be unduly perturbed because there was precious little that could be done except to wait and watch.Meanwhile a FinTech conference for startups offered a chance to interact with industry.A senior manager who worked in an IT MNC felt that it made sense to keep going as long as the work was enjoyable and financially sustainable.Still another suggested that in so far as he was concerned Rs2 lacs revenue per month indicated sound success.I wondered how he arrived at that amount.A book titled ‘The Personal MBA’ offered sagely advice - if you are self-sufficient in your enterprise consider yourself successful.

The second half of the day would be spent studying,designing content and taking long walks in a nearby park thinking about strategy.It was during the course of one such walk that ‘Raja’entered the picture and the story would be substantially incomplete without a mention of this lovely dog’s contribution to what happened next.

When you have had a dog at home for more than 9 years you start to believe that you know a thing or two about the species.This fellow however provided altogether new learning.Although he had been staying in that park with his owner since 2008-09, Raja somehow never got noticed before 2016 which is an amazing thing in itself.Friendship was established over a few 'Parle-G' biscuits.In the days that followed Raja proved to be a business mentor of a high order - one who communicated through his eyes.

He would come and sit beside me,wag his tail and look me straight in the eye as if to say,“These things happen. It will work out.”A visit to that park became an everyday affair. Raja would touch me gently with his wet nose and convey,“ Don’t worry …stay there….things will work out….look at me….I am basically a stray dog…but I am taken care of. Relax.”. It was difficult to tell whether it was all imagination or reality.

Trips to Indore and then Chennai mostly for work in December 2016 proved beneficial as they introduced Pithampura ,a large industrial complex in Madhya Pradesh and Taramani, Chennai's IT equivalent of Pune's Kalyani Nagar.A smattering of basic Tamil learn't on line helped in Chennai.Hindi was widely spoken in Indore and did not pose a problem.An important lesson garnered was that opportunities do not necessarily materialize even if you travel and meet people in person.Skype became the preferred first option for business meetings thereafter.

It was quite an experience savoring the food at Indore's 'Shree Maya' (recommended by two fellow Business Analysts originally from Indore),staying at 'Ginger' in Taramani instead of in Vadapalani (something I became aware of only on my way to the hotel from the airport), interacting with a local coconut seller and also observing that Chennai's metro railway was largely unused.I wondered whether Pune's metro would meet with the same fate.Traditional music being played from a temple loudspeaker greeted hotel guests in the mornings.A former colleague who had relocated to Chennai from Pune helped me by arranging for taxi bookings.On the way back to Chennai airport the taxi driver told me that one of the front tyres was probably punctured and that it wouldn't make much of a difference!

Then,in January 2017,things changed swiftly.A second Pune based business consulting engagement,one that would keep me busy for the other half of the day materialized.In April,a training engagement came along, one that would keep me busy for 4 hours each on Saturdays and Sundays.Meanwhile,the first business consulting engagement was still in progress.This meant that there would be work on all 7 days of the week,except for weekend half days.

From February 1,2017 to December 31,2017, all 7 days a week were spent at work.There was no reason to complain because this was an opportunity to make up for the relatively lean patch of 2016.Fatigue started to set in by the end of December and it was decided to conclude the first regulatory reporting engagement as it had reached a logical end at the time.Interactions took place with a lot of people from different industries during this period – publishing,payments,product development,consulting,banking as also education bringing with it the realization that technology was disrupting work spaces rapidly,making old roles redundant,creating new ones in parallel.

The busy schedule during this period meant that there was no bandwidth to accept additional opportunities.The need was felt to rest and also stay mindful of quality.

The good news was duly conveyed to Raja with a joyful,“You were right.You are a real gem!”.His owner,a garden hand explained that he had found Raja on the road as a helpless puppy nine years earlier.Apparently, the puppy had followed him to the park and had stayed on since.It was a common feeling in that park that Raja spoke through his eyes and people felt at times that there was a mature human being in that dog’s body.

By January 2018 GST registration had become necessary as also a full time CA and the growing compliance now included Professional Tax .It had been a complete turnaround.By April 2018 the first GST return had been filed and the training practice expanded further following the completion of a basic certification in risk from GARP.

Meanwhile our M80 broke down and needed to be repaired.My Smartphone no longer supported Whats App.Investments in a trendy new phone,laptop and two wheeler were recommended.However a simple life was more appealing.The M80 was duly repaired and continued to be used to travel to nearby client locations.Auto rickshaws continued to be used to travel to relatively far away client locations such as Baner because it was more economical than hiring a driver, as had been suggested by some.The same Smartphone came to be retained because it fulfilled all basic needs.

There was no knowing how long a purple patch would last.The practice was being progressed month by month,quarter by quarter and the situation was being periodically reviewed.There was no guarantee that contracts would be renewed.Hence it was felt that while long term investments were necessary they were not a priority and could be postponed for a while.That there existed in Pune in 2015-16 startups that needed business analysis/consulting and training skills was providential.God had been gracious.

It was amazing to learn that in Mumbai and Dubai people rented expensive cars so that they could be seen alighting from them by prospective clients.Another way of looking at it is that if your work is good and you are sensibly attired the client doesn’t care what you wear or how you travel to his office.One strategy is to 'think big' (as for example, invest Rs 2 lacs/-only on marketing and sales to attract business) but many prefer to start small,make best use of what they have at the time and then go with the flow,adjusting and expanding as appropriate without being flamboyant about anything.That approach suited my temperament better.

My laptop completed its 10th year with me in February 2018.Two former colleagues (who had been with me in the department store in Vancouver back in 2008 when it was purchased) were invited for a small celebration but it wasn't possible to get together due to work commitments.

It has not been an easy journey and it is difficult to say how long it will continue.Its immense evolutionary potential has made it worthwhile and enjoyable.Circumstances as much as a desire to be independent in the long run are two principal reasons why many individuals attempt to strike out on their own at some stage of their lives,looking ahead at the next ten years.

When you are on your own you grow from within,developing big picture awareness,the ability to take decisions independently,listening skills and a more wholesome appreciation of emotional intelligence.You get to realize your true worth and also understand yourself better by getting introduced to capabilities you always possessed but which remained largely hidden in the depths of your being whilst you were in a job.Necessity is the mother of invention or so the saying goes and you instinctively invent and innovate to survive,learning to 'connect the dots' more quickly,so to speak.

That said,a few people reminded me that it may not have been possible to strike out on my own if I hadn't been single.Am not sure whether that is completely true but they may be right.Then again, the grass always looks green on the other side.We live in a world of perception where contentment may well be misinterpreted as relative lack of ambition, so much so that people may actually try and avoid interacting with you,especially in India.

Was my old organization missed ?Honestly, no.Was there a desire to try and go back to it?Not really, unless it were a really good proposition.Would a full time job be worth exploring again?That is a tough question to answer and pretty much situation based.It makes sense to keep an open mind.Were the first three years in independent practice expected to be successful ?The answer is that there was quiet confidence and also apprehension how things would actually span out.After all,freelancing as a Business Analyst Lead/Consultant and doubling up as a Corporate Trainer was a relatively novel path to tread in Pune,even in early 2015.

Were job opportunities actively sought during these 3 years?For the most part no – it wasn't necessary because opportunities would come along by themselves.Most of them were explored but funnily enough a recruitment freeze at senior levels ended the process each time.There it ended and it really is the bare truth.That said, the opportunities did provide an insight in to different work cultures and communication etiquette's prevalent at different organizations as also the infrastructure in place at different locations in Pune.

Moreover, there was always encouragement from mentors and well wishers to keep going for at least two or three years instead of taking an easy road.In the process reverence for organizations came to be lost.When you are younger there is a natural tendency to be in awe of institutions,people as well as designations.

Is independent business consulting practice a viable option?Not unless you have niche skills and have reached a stage in your career when you badly want to work for yourself for at least a couple of years.You will face challenges of the most unusual type such as designing 30 minute training modules for super busy development teams that have only half an hour to spare.It’s not easy to design something like that at short notice.

Similarly,it is not easy to work on a business consulting engagement in the US regulatory reporting space in one part of town in the morning,then travel to another part of town in the second half and work in the payments domain,aligning requirements to product development on both engagements.The daily travel itself can be quite tiring.Then there are standalone engagements that test your experience to the fullest such as designing Balanced Score Cards for different types of organizations and departments.

There is a lot of good work in the market but you need to be in the right place at the right time,up skill,demonstrate versatility and remain 'hands on'.It is a one man show initially because you have to network intelligently,generate your own work pipeline,take care of invoicing as well as receivables,manage cash flows and floats,invest wisely,control spending,minimize tax liability,analyze the market and create emergency back ups.As a founder you learn with experience and it is largely unfamiliar terrain.

The good part is that you end up creating a viable 'Plan B',one that can last as long as you would like to work.After all,it doesn't make sense to be in a situation where the well being of your family depends entirely on your job.Ideally speaking,that is acceptable up to a certain stage in your life but not beyond it.A viable 'Plan B' also insulates you from incompetent and roguish managers.The not so good part is that you have to learn to live with uncertainty and be mentally prepared to get back in to a job if things don't work out as well as you would like them to.

Three years on my own with an M80,a 2008 laptop,an old SmartPhone and .... Raja.I guess I didn't do too badly for starters.

---------------------------------