"Innovation doesnt matter much in India"
This is a reply to a very pertinent comment made by Aditya, to my last post.
>I am not sure whether we are ready to say India stands for Innovation. Well, I have seen innovation doesn't matter much.
>We are a country ruled by money, short term gains impair us from seeing long term visions.
Aditya, *every* country is ruled by money. The only reason some countries seem to have more innovations is that the cost of taking a risk there is much less.
In the US (I assume that you're copmparing India with the US) it has been possible to start up a garage company, try to implement your idea, live off one's savings for a while, and abandon the whole thing in a year if it doesnt work out. The moment one thought his idea wasnt working he could forget it and jump into a job waiting for him. There're jobs in plenty waiting. What is the result of this freedom? Ten thousand people start up little firms. 5 of them have good ideas, good people and good marketing, and survive to become the next Microsoft. The remaining go back to some job.
This was not the case in India. Leaving a secure job was unthinkable here till recently, because it was difficult to find another one. Besides, the hassles of starting a business scared anyone without contacts (anyone else watches Office Office here? :) ) You didn't have ten thousand people in a position to take a risk on their idea. That's why, as you say, we had to concentrate on the short term.
Now, look at the situation today of an average software engineer in an outsourcing company in India. He's been earning decently for the past few years and has probably got some savings. He is up to date on the markets, and has ideas on what might work. Best of all, with the BPO boom, he knows there are a half-dozen jobs waiting for him if his idea doesnt work. It's the ideal climate. And there are millions of these people, all wanting to do something big. Of all of them, there will be atleast some who will try it and make it. My mom used to say "Bhookhe pety bhajan na hoye", meaning you cant chant hymns on an emtpy stomach. You cant think of long term visions unless your short term status is resolved. And it is being resolved, for more and more people.
To prove my theory, I point you to the number of new innovative products that came out of the US during the recent downturn. It was way, way less than what you'd expect. (okay, I cant give you number, but as a fellow techie you know what I mean) Why was that? Because the risk associated with leaving your job was way too high. Also, your savings were not enough to let you start your company. What has happened in the US to techies since those 3-odd years was about the same as the Indian economy since forever, more or less.
>To make money you don't have to be creative. Just keep your eye and ears open. When you spot someone's innovative idea, copy it, mass produce it, market it.
Agreed, agreed, agreed. You might say the same thing for Microsoft - google for all those things like Windows and Excel which they copied off other innovative people. Microsoft's genius is in packaging, not just innovation. So what's wrong with that? Happens everywhere. Packaging and selling is an integral part of having a product, not just dreaming up ideas. If you think Indians are good at it, more power to us.
>In software industry, guys with ideas aren't valued. Guys who get more work from client are.
This is the problem with Passive voice - you havent stated "guys with ideas arent valued" by WHOM. That makes all the difference. Your statement is true if you're talking of managers of Outsourcee companies doing the valuing. I mean delivering to the client makes their company run, so of course they're value such people. It is false for companies that live on ideas, like the startups owned by people who left their jobs and took risks on their own ideas.
I know, I know, these startups are few and far between. But they're no longer considered crackpot ideas - as the Rediff article proves, they are considered A Good Thing To Try. Now more than ever is the time to use your experience to try out your own idea.
>I am not sure whether we are ready to say India stands for Innovation. Well, I have seen innovation doesn't matter much.
>We are a country ruled by money, short term gains impair us from seeing long term visions.
Aditya, *every* country is ruled by money. The only reason some countries seem to have more innovations is that the cost of taking a risk there is much less.
In the US (I assume that you're copmparing India with the US) it has been possible to start up a garage company, try to implement your idea, live off one's savings for a while, and abandon the whole thing in a year if it doesnt work out. The moment one thought his idea wasnt working he could forget it and jump into a job waiting for him. There're jobs in plenty waiting. What is the result of this freedom? Ten thousand people start up little firms. 5 of them have good ideas, good people and good marketing, and survive to become the next Microsoft. The remaining go back to some job.
This was not the case in India. Leaving a secure job was unthinkable here till recently, because it was difficult to find another one. Besides, the hassles of starting a business scared anyone without contacts (anyone else watches Office Office here? :) ) You didn't have ten thousand people in a position to take a risk on their idea. That's why, as you say, we had to concentrate on the short term.
Now, look at the situation today of an average software engineer in an outsourcing company in India. He's been earning decently for the past few years and has probably got some savings. He is up to date on the markets, and has ideas on what might work. Best of all, with the BPO boom, he knows there are a half-dozen jobs waiting for him if his idea doesnt work. It's the ideal climate. And there are millions of these people, all wanting to do something big. Of all of them, there will be atleast some who will try it and make it. My mom used to say "Bhookhe pety bhajan na hoye", meaning you cant chant hymns on an emtpy stomach. You cant think of long term visions unless your short term status is resolved. And it is being resolved, for more and more people.
To prove my theory, I point you to the number of new innovative products that came out of the US during the recent downturn. It was way, way less than what you'd expect. (okay, I cant give you number, but as a fellow techie you know what I mean) Why was that? Because the risk associated with leaving your job was way too high. Also, your savings were not enough to let you start your company. What has happened in the US to techies since those 3-odd years was about the same as the Indian economy since forever, more or less.
>To make money you don't have to be creative. Just keep your eye and ears open. When you spot someone's innovative idea, copy it, mass produce it, market it.
Agreed, agreed, agreed. You might say the same thing for Microsoft - google for all those things like Windows and Excel which they copied off other innovative people. Microsoft's genius is in packaging, not just innovation. So what's wrong with that? Happens everywhere. Packaging and selling is an integral part of having a product, not just dreaming up ideas. If you think Indians are good at it, more power to us.
>In software industry, guys with ideas aren't valued. Guys who get more work from client are.
This is the problem with Passive voice - you havent stated "guys with ideas arent valued" by WHOM. That makes all the difference. Your statement is true if you're talking of managers of Outsourcee companies doing the valuing. I mean delivering to the client makes their company run, so of course they're value such people. It is false for companies that live on ideas, like the startups owned by people who left their jobs and took risks on their own ideas.
I know, I know, these startups are few and far between. But they're no longer considered crackpot ideas - as the Rediff article proves, they are considered A Good Thing To Try. Now more than ever is the time to use your experience to try out your own idea.
posted by Sudarshan | 4:28 AM
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