Under the smooth façade of any entrepreneur lies a story of grit and grind. Rajesh Sharma, co-founder of ProHance, shares his journey of switching careers, the lessons he learned along the way and tips for aspirants in his book, The Impossible Startup: How Real Founders Build Real Companies from Scratch.
From idea to execution and eventual growth, Sharma’s book offers more than a story about moving from a secure career to becoming a service provider. It is also a practical account of what it takes to build and sustain a business.
As a B2B service provider, the foundations of SaaS startup ProHance lie in firm belief, flexibility and business prudence. It was probably the unlikeliest of partnerships that led to the company’s success, but, as Sharma points out, complementary founders can be a company’s biggest asset.
In October 2008, Kishore Reddy announced his plans to start something of his own over a friendly dinner. The next day, Sharma landed at his door with a decisive stance.
Sharma, an engineering graduate, had resigned from his secure job at Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, a reputed public sector undertaking. Reddy, an MBBS graduate working in the IT sector, had decided to switch gears too. Sharma was 45 and Reddy 36.
This wasn’t a decision driven by Silicon Valley starry-eyed ambition, but a conscious choice to do something more, something bigger and better: offer a world-class software product from India. As Kishore says, he found Sharma’s decision a daredevil act.
However, their differences proved to be strengths, as Sharma narrates later in the book. More than a history of his journey, the book aims to serve as an actionable guide for those jumping onto the entrepreneurship bandwagon.
The most crucial aspect, Sharma puts it lightly, peon to president, the founders have to be in the thick of things in the initial stages, perform all roles unwaveringly.
Unlike many business books, this one is simply written from lived experience. Broken into 10 easy-to-follow chapters, it fulfils its aim. Even if you are not a B-school student, the book holds value.
The foundation starts with an idea, anchors itself in belief and progresses step-by-step. There are measurable, actionable lessons: listen to the customer, create value to gain trust, learn from the market as you move ahead, build the right team, manage finances wisely, overcome doubts and setbacks, scale slowly and, once you reach the goalpost, keep the cycle going by giving back.
Sharma has a distinct conversational approach to writing. He cites examples of large-scale companies such as GoPro, Yelp and LinkedIn, along with stories of first-generation entrepreneurs, and ends each chapter with key takeaways. These are companies that emerged after the technology revolution and have become part of our daily lives.
Another aspect worth reading is the book’s prudent stance on growth: not to scale unwisely or too quickly in anticipation of market projections. The growth of a startup that survives and scales up lies in many things: never backing down, remaining customer-friendly, giving back and, until the product takes off, building a creative second track for funds. He also talks about hiccups and failures, pivoting when needed.
Along the way, networking and being part of new technologies are important. As Sharma writes, “Isolation amplifies doubt. Connection brings perspective.”
It is also important to pay attention to non-verbal cues: “Always focus on what people do, not just what they say.”
Running a business is tough. Taking it a notch higher is even tougher. But what Sharma and Reddy promised, they delivered, says their CEO Ankur Dhingra.
The Impossible Startup is an educational and practical read for anyone keen to take the road less explored, particularly those contemplating the leap from a secure career into entrepreneurship.
Book Details
- Publisher: Stardom Books
- Language: English
- Print length: 142 pages
- Price: INR 400
