KOCHI:This must be one of the most popular inspirational stories doing the rounds in the tech world. How a Kannur-based Byju Raveendran started Think and Learn Pvt Ltd, educational technology and online tutoring company, from scratch. For the uninitiated, Byju's Think and Learn Pvt Ltd spent four years preparing Byju's Learning App, which went on to revolutionise education technology in India.
The startup success tales don't end there. Rithesh Agarwal, an engineering drop-out (he quit the course in two days) is just 22 years old but is already the founder of OYO Rooms, the budget hotel network, while Malayali trio Sanjay Vijayakumar, Sony Joy and Vivek Steve Francis formed MobMe, a young and vibrant mobile internet company, with roots all over India.
What's common in all their tales is the determination and ability to bounce back from failures. And, it is this relentless spirit that R Roshan's book, 'Startup- Thudangam Puthusamrambhangal'' chronicles for aspiring entrepreneurs.
A go-to guide for those aspiring to launch startups, the book packs in information, including on how to nurture an idea into an entrepreneurship, register a company, source funds and to build a market.
In this 104-page self-help book, the author lists every step towards a successful establishment of a startup, the foremost being the idea. He does it effectively, citing how Americans Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, after being stranded in a cold Paris night without a taxi, stumbled on the idea of an online taxi service, which resulted in the founding of Uber.
So, got an idea? Now, check its feasibility. Only then does everything, including capital, comes. If your idea is sellable, then it's time to check whether the product can be taken to its potential customers, and that too at a rate higher than the production cost, so as to ensure a profit. Then comes the right time and place aka the market.
'Startup- Thudangam Puthusamrambhangal'' delves deep into many such nuances, like the proprietorship, partnership and the significance of attaching oneself to an incubator programme, all simplified for a layman's perusal.
While dealing with its technical side, the book does touch upon the personal stories of success too where tales of everyone from Byju Raveendran to P C Musthafa, who through the brand iD, gave the dosa batter business a makeover, find a mention.
And, the author says it is these tales that prompted him to talk about them in the first place. "As a journalist, I have had opportunities to meet many entrepreneurs. It is their inspiring lives that prompted me to pen this book. We have many talents around us, with unparalleled talent and determination. The book is for them," says Roshan. The book has been published by Aspire and is priced at Rs 110.