Why Friends Make Good Business Partners
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NOVEMBER 2013 NOVEMBER You’re not that innovative (and that's ok) Page 30 TECHNOLOGY HOW INSURANCE CAN HElp YOU WHY FRIENDS MAKE GOOD BUSINESS PARTNERS...OR DO THE SURVIVE The Magazine for Growing Companies A CYBER CASE STUDY ATTACK Can an PAGE 42 OEM build TANVeeR SAULAT co-founder & GM, itself into a Synechron consumer brand? Page 39 Y ? WHY FRIENDS MAKE The MAGAZINE MAGAZINE GOOD BUSINESS for GROWING COMPANIES GROWING FAISAL HUSAIN founder & CEO, Synechron PARTNERS... ...OR DO THEY? PAGE 22 NOVEMBER 2013 | `150 | Volume 04 | Issue 10 A 9.9 Media Publication | inc.com Facebook.com/Inc @inc Make it matter. November 2013 CONTENTS 20 Passions With a home library housing 5,000 books, it was only a 22 36 matter of time that Ashutosh Befriending How I Did It Garg, founder, Guardian Profits Rajesh Aggarwal Lifecare, started penning Friendship and business How Rajesh Aggarwal, along with down a few of his own. don’t mix. So, is working his father, built a `650-crore REPORTED BY IRA SWASTI with friends a bad decision? agrochemical business in 11 In this story we explore the years by reviving dead brands economics of this and getting a film star to pose as relationship and see if it’s a farmer. true. AS TOLD TO SONAL KHETARPAL BY SHREYASI SINGH 30 You’re Not That Innovative (And That’s OK) In fact, it might even be an advantage. What the latest research says about innovation—including when you shouldn’t be pursuing it. BY ADAM BLUESTEIN L U pa IT OJ H UB THIS EDITION OF INC. MAGAZINE is published under licence from Mansueto Ventures LLC, New York, New York. Editorial items ON THE COVER S appearing on pages 12-14, 16, 30-34 and 42-43 were all originally published in the United States edition of Inc. magazine and are BY BY Faisal Husain and Tanveer Saulat, co-founders, Synechron. the copyright property of Mansueto Ventures, LLC, which reserves all rights. Copyright © 2009 and 2010 Mansueto Ventures, LLC. APH Photograph by Subhojit Paul. R G The following are trademarks of Mansueto Ventures, LLC: Inc., Inc. 500. O Cover design by Anil VK. Photo imaging by Sristi Maurya. T O PH NOVEMBER 2013 | INC. | 1 CONTENTS November 2013 16 18 42 05 Editor’s Letter 16 Get Real STRATEgy By Jason Fried 06 Behind the Scenes Hey CEOs, get out of the office 39 CaSE STUdy Slinging mud, freezing water and pitch clients face to face. For 20 years, Intec manufactured and raging fire. Companies that You’ll be surprised at what you electronic appliances for top brands. Can invited the devil to this obstacle learn. it now build its own brand without course run. dirsupting its OEM business? 18 lnnovation 42 TECHNOLOgy 09 Launch Music enthusiasts, here’s a How cyberrisk insurance can help New report on what Indian microphone that can help companies deal with the aftermath of a employees are busy doing (or create ambisonic recordings hack attack. not doing) at work without emptying your pockets A Skimmer’s Guide to The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple 44 The Way I Work Truth Behind Extraordinary 48 Founders Forum When he hires, Nickhil Jakatdar, founder Results by Gary Keller and Jay Gaurav Marya would like to of mobile video company Vuclip, trusts his Papasan trade places with Rahul Gandhi gut. When it comes to business, he is all Four American entrepreneurs for a day. Here’s why about the numbers. on their extreme hiring tactics Why Matthew Prince’s company has no job titles 2 | INC. | NOVEMBER 2013 INC.COM Contents INC.COM/LEADERSHIP Top Three Things Videos on Employees Really Want Inc.com Bigger paychecks are nice, but as columnist Marc Barros explains, what your employees really care about goes deeper than money. INC.COM/INC-LIVE CATERINA FAKE Co-founder of Flickr on overcoming naysayers “ The most success- ful entrepreneurs I know are optimis- tic. It’s part of the job description.” INC.COM/INC-LIVE ROBBIE VITRANO Co-founder of Naked Pizza on establishing a company mission “ Finding your purpose is an act of rebellion and that can be very powerful 1. Purpose 2. Autonomy 3. Empathy and awakening.” The fact is, nobody wants As the CEO, you can get Caring about people just a job. People want to caught up in your own doesn’t take money, but it be a part of a company solutions and does take time. It means that is clear about what it inadvertently control the creating an amazing work stands for and where number of decisions your environment, welcoming there is no confusion employees make. people on their first day, about what is right and However, the freedom to being flexible with what is wrong. Start by make their own decisions vacation and letting OM making a list of what you is what leaves people people work from home. C OS. believe in. saying, “I love my job.” T P: PHO P: I RSH E AD E L 4 | INC. | NOVEMBER 2013 EDITOR’S LETTER MANAGING DIRECTOR: DR PRAMATH RAJ SINHA PRINTER & PUBLISHER: ANURADHA DAS MATHUR EDITORIAL managing Editor: SHREYASI SINGH ASSIStant editor: SONAL KHETARPAL FeatURE WRITER: IRA SWASTI DESIGN SR. CreatiVE Director: JAYAN K NARAYANAN SR. ART Director: ANIL VK ASSociate ART Director: ANIL T SR. VISUALISERS: MANAV SACHDEV SHOKEEN SAIFI & SRISTI MAURYA VISUALISER: NV BAIJU SR. DESIGNERS: SHIGIL NARAYANAN HARIDAS BALAN & MANOJ KUMAR VP A friendly DESIGNERS: CHARU DWIVEDI, PETERSON PJ PRADEEP G NAIR, DINESH DEVGAN & VIKAS SHARMA MARCOM business DESIGNER: RAHUL BABU STUDIO CHIEF PHotograpHER: SUBHOJIT PAUL SR. PHotograpHER: JITEN GANDHI India is largely a country of family COMMUNITY TEAM ASSIStant PRODUct manager: RAJAT GUPTA businesses. According to KPMG, SALES & MARKETING 70 per cent of India’s top 250 private companies are family-run. Traditional SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT: KRISHNA KUMAR (+91 98102 06034) wisdom dictated that wealth and property should necessarily be confined BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Manager: within bloodlines. Consequently, mixing friendship with money or business ARJUN SAWHNEY (+91 95822 20507) SENIOR Manager (SOUTH): was deemed almost taboo, and destined to end in legal conflict, personal ANSHU KUMAR (+91 95914 55661) enmity and financial loss. Not anymore, it seems, if you go by the company SENIOR Manager (WEST): DEEPAK PATEL (+91 98207 33448) profiles in our cover story, Befriending Profits, on Page 22. ASSIStant REGIONAL manager (SOUTH & WEST): The wave of entrepreneurship that India witnessed in the past decade RAJESH KANDARI (+91 98111 40424) has been seeded by several first-generation entrepreneurs. In the absence PRODUCTION & LOGISTICS of inheritance and investable cash, many teamed up with friends to SR. GENERAL manager (OperationS): SHIVSHANKAR M HIREMATH substitute the support structure of a family. The benefits are logical, and Manager OperationS: RAKESH UPADHYAY plenty—a sharing of resources, competencies and the fear of the ASSIStant Manager (LogiSTICS): VIJAY MENON EXECUTIVE LogiSTICS: NILESH SHIRAVADEKAR unknown. “Anything is better than going solo,” says Rajat Mohanty, PRODUction EXECUTIVE: VILAS MHATRE co-founder & CEO of Paladion, and one of the entrepreneurs we spoke to LOGISTICS for this story. Really, what can be better than building flourishing MP SINGH, MOHD. ANSARI companies, and doing so with your close friends? Negotiating this buddy OFFICE ADDRESS dynamic though requires a tremendous amount of wisdom, maturity NINE DOT NINE MEDIAWORX PVT LTD and transparency in communication. Find out how the companies we A-262, DEFENCE COLONY, NEW DELHI–110 024 featured managed to do this. FOR ANY QUERIES, PLEASE CONTACT US AT [email protected] The spotlight on friendship in this issue is almost coincidental. After PUBLISHED, PRINTED AND OWNED BY more than two years at Inc. India, and inspired by entrepreneurs she’s met, NINE DOT NINE MEDIAWORX PRIVATE LIMITED. Ira Swasti, our talented feature writer is moving on. She’s contemplating PUBLISHED AND PRINTED ON THEIR BEHALF BY ANURADHA DAS MATHUR. PUBLISHED AT A-262, DEFENCE COLONY, joining her friend’s start-up in Bangalore. Her wonderful repertoire of NEW DELHI–110 024. PRINTED AT TARA ART PRINTERS PVT LTD. stories, her calm, and that easy smile will be much missed on our editorial A-46-47, SECTOR-5, NOIDA (U.P.) 201301 Editor: ANURADHA DAS MATHUR floor. We wish her the very best and hope this cover story serves as her wisdom guide in the months to come. Shreyasi Singh [email protected] NOVEMBER 2013 | INC. | 5 BEHIND THE SCENES Companies at the Heart of Everyday Life Event organiser Devils Circuit was a five kilometre obstacle course run with 15 obstacles including dirty mud, freezing water, fire, ropes and a con- crete wall posing as intimidating barriers to the finish line. The con- cept of this army-style race for civilians was the brainchild of GameOn India, a sports management start-up based in Delhi. Founded by Adnan Adeeb and Zeba Zaidi in 2012, GameOn India’s dozen people team—mainly sports enthusiasts—managed the entire Devils Circuit. The firm also regularly organises amateur sporting leagues for corporates and individuals. Radio partner This obstacle race had two segments—timed, for people who wanted to challenge other athletes by completing the race in the shortest time possible, and untimed for those who wanted to challenge them- selves to finish the race. In this energy-filled atmosphere,Radio One’s RJ Melbin emceed the event for five hours to keep up the morale of the almost 1,600 participants who turned up for the event. Founded by Tariq Ansari in 2005, this 100-people company also cre- ated buzz about the event on its radio channel. 6 | INC. | NOVEMBER 2013 Devils Circuit, Greater Noida 06.10.13, 4:00 P.M.