As an aspiring entrepreneur, my mind is usually plagued with hundreds of doubts. These are issues that any other aspiring entrepreneurs can easily relate to. It’s as if the decision to turn towards entrepreneurship, as opposed to a regular corporate life, wasn’t hard enough; we now bear the burden of a million harder decisions. Sometimes, questions like what to start, when to start and how to start, can get so overwhelming that we begin to question our initial decision to start something in the first place!

These doubts had kept my mind whirling until I had a chance to meet Gokul Rajaram a few days back at a mentorship session organized by NUSEA. Gokul is the Product Development Director for Google Adsense and also a mentor for NUSEA (refer below for further details on Gokul Rajaram). The points that Gokul mentioned over the course of our discussion seemed to instantly clear my cloudy vision of the future and put things in place. These are some of the things he spoke about:

Choose a space

Gokul said that the first step for an aspiring entrepreneur to take is to choose a space. A space is a broad industry or technology area. Mobile phone software, for example, is a space. Gokul emphasized that it is essential to focus your efforts to a particular area, even before the brainstorming stage. This would help the aspiring entrepreneur focus on understanding the market trends and customer needs of a particular area and thus avoid being overwhelmed with information about other areas. This made a lot of sense to me. I have been trying to brainstorm on a number of ideas for a startup lately and all these ideas are from diverse fields. And what I have realized is that, while evaluating these ideas, there are too many factors in the equation and these can keep you from approaching a single idea in a decisive manner. Factors like your interest and proficiency in the area come into the picture. On the other hand, if you chose a space based on your passion and expertise, you can begin to concentrate on other aspects like technology, market demands and customer needs.

Passion over fashion

Another point that is closely related to the previous one is the importance of passion. Gokul recalled his experience as soon as he graduated from MIT. He noted that ‘optical networks’ was the ‘hottest’ field in those days and he decided to work at an optical networking company solely for that reason. Within a few months, he realized that this was clearly not his passion. While he was able to do his job proficiently and smartly, he was perhaps not performing up to his potential. He decided to quit and go into computer software, which was his forte. And he never regretted that decision. Gokul simplified this idea to one single question that everyone must ask themselves before starting a company or taking up a job – ‘Every morning, as I get up, will I be excited to head off to work and do that particular job?’ If not, Gokul said, don’t do it. Even as we spoke, Gokul had a number of offers from VC firms to join them as a venture capitalist. “But I just can’t imagine going to work everyday to read business plans!” Gokul said.

Mohan, one of Gokul’s mentees, had this to say after meeting him:

Many a times, we reach crossroads in life where important decisions have to be made as they will affect what we do in future and in turn, shape who we are. I believe most of the time, these decisions are made based on market trends, potential gain factors and even parental and peer pressure. When was the last time you were advised to follow your heart and take the unorthodox path? When was the last time you actually took it?

Meeting Gokul Rajaram, product management director for Google Adsense, and being advised to follow your heart was a refreshing change. He inspired us to live our lives by following our hearts and making decisions based on what we truly feel passionate about. Passion is the fuel for the mind.

Following this, Gokul highlighted some of the key issues that an aspiring entrepreneur has to keep in mind once he/she gets the ball rolling and actually starts a company. These include staying lean, choosing and building a key differentiator, time to market and the equally important art of accepting defeat. I will cover these in detail in the next part of this series. So stay tuned!

penned by Prashant Sarkar.

GOKUL RAJARAM
As Product Development Director of Google Adsense, Gokul Rajaram designs and implements the product strategy for Adsense, the heart of Google’s revenue model. In this role, Gokul defines new features and then works with the Google engineers to implement them. Prior to this, Gokul has taken up various software engineering as well as product management roles at Juno Online, Sun Microsystems and Onetta.
As a mentor for NUSEA, Gokul meets up regularly with the NUSEA students to speak on a wide variety of topics ranging from entrepreneurship to advertising.
  

In the Beginning

I feel compelled to explain to the readers the history behind the title “RainMakers”. The first RainMakers newsletter was singlehandedly penned by the ex Vice President of Media and Publications from NUSEA, Gwendolyn Regina Tan, as an effort to update the folks from Singapore what we were up to. She wrote the following words in the first newsletter to introduce the concept of RainMakers.

The Wise Words of Gwen

“Why should you aim to be a RainMaker? Because a rainmaker is “a person whose

influence can initiate progress of ensure success”. The phrase connotes an entity so powerful that even nature can be subverted. Rain falls on what was dry land. All of us have the potential to strike it big. Do not just dream, make it happen. Be a rainmaker.” – Gwen

“You must be the change you want to see in the world”

- Mahatma Gandhi

We used this quotation for our second RainMakers newsletter, back in March 2006. This was what Gwen wrote on the first page of our newsletter to explain our “quote of the month”.

“All of us were chosen to come here to learn something, to learn lots of things. Some of us already have dreams and goals, while the rest are still formulating them….
… Contemplate and examine your heart for your true passion and of that something that you really want to achieve in your life time. Most of us observe the world in which we are in and do nothing but complain or analyze these faults through lengthy academic essays. And most do not see anything wrong with that, but what if you do? I say, if you find it pointless and an utter waste of time in mere complaining, do something about it.”- Gwen

Gwen was not someone who used sexy words to make herself look intellectual (unlike Guy Kawasaki who admittedly used Latin names for that reason). She really meant every word she said. She was a doer. She was a change agent. She challenged the status quo. She made things happen. She was the spirit and the flame behind RainMakers.

And here we are now

Everyone in the RainMakers team are on a mission. We want to continue igniting and fanning this flame of rainmaking. We want to cultivate within ourselves the values needed for entrepreneurship. Righteousness, courage, creativity, freedom, respect for others, care for community. We want to grow and nurture the spirit of entrepreneurship in all of us. We want to make things happen.

Take our hands, and join us in this journey.

In my interview for the NUS Overseas College (NOC) program, I was asked the most important question in the discussion “Why do you want to join the NOC program?”

My answer did not begin with “I”. It began with “Singapore”. “Singapore needs Entrepreneurship.” If you noticed, I am inclined to begin “Entrepreneurship” with a capital “E” because I understand the sacredness of Entrepreneurship, and how it is necessary for our new economy.

As Professor Wong Poh Kam, Director of NUS Entrepreneurship Centre succinctly describes the situation

“As a small city-state, Singapore’s past economic success has been largely dependent on attracting foreign MNCs to use Singapore as a regional manufacturing and services hub in Asia. While foreign MNCs continue to play an important role in transferring technology and creating high value added jobs in Singapore, this alone may not be adequate to ensure Singapore’s future economic prosperity. Singapore is no longer a low-cost manufacturing centre as countries in the regions like China and India are fast improving their business environment to compete for foreign direct investment (FDI). To enhance future economic growth, Singapore needs to encourage entrepreneurial activity and enterprise development.”

I’d be truthful. I am not an extremely knowledgeable man. I am not the most intelligent man. I lack discipline. But I believe with all my heart, that Singapore needs Entrepreneurship, and currently it is not taking off. And I made a promise, that whatever profession I enter in the future, I will do my part in contributing to the ecosystem of Entrepreneurship in Singapore.

We are all aware of the problems and the existing circumstances. The “system” is to blame. It is easy to pinpoint the roadblocks to Entrepreneurship. We are good in doing that. But the essential question is, what can we do from here, having full awareness of the problems ahead? The answers are not easy, and the road to Entrepreneurship is tedious. But we retain the faith that someday, Singapore will become a city of Entrepreneurs.

NUSEA is the entrepreneurial organization in Silicon Valley set up by NUS students to promote Entrepreneurship in both Singapore and Silicon Valley. We are the future Argonauts* in the new economy. We have come to study, we have come to party, we have come to experience life. We have come to learn, we have come to open our minds, we have come to cultivate deep and lasting friendships. We have come, most of all, to learn about Entrepreneurship. We want to transform Singapore into an entrepreneurial hub with an unmatched competitive advantage. We want to foster deep ties with Silicon Valley and contribute in every way we can to the Valley. And finally, we want to bring back the values, skills and networks to fan the flames of Entrepreneurship in Singapore. This is our purpose and our joy.

*Argonauts: World class entrepreneurs from newly emerging economies who are creating new centers of high tech excellence around the globe, while also transforming Silicon Valley. (Annalee Saxenian, “The New Argonauts, Regional Advantage in the Global Economy”)

People. The one reason that makes Silicon Valley what it is. The fascinating, eccentric characters that populate the Bay Area are also the chief cause of its phenomenal success on the international stage. These individuals came from all over the globe, made the Valley their home, and in their own little way, each contributed their genius to the status quo. For me, the draw of Silicon Valley isn’t the obscene amounts of money generated here, or the fancy technology that is the lifeblood of the area. Its biggest attraction is its heart and soul – the people of the Valley.

I’m referring, dear reader, to the characters we meet each and every day as we go about our busy lives here. I can say that I have never met as many interesting and varied people in all my time in Singapore, as I have over the span of my few months here in the Valley. Every one of these individuals has something to offer, and I can honestly say I have reaped the benefits of interaction with them. All it took was an open mind, a forthcoming attitude and a willingness to share.

I’m sure we all have similar stories. Truth is, there’s no place else quite like the Valley. No place else offers such a melting pot of diversity. I for one have had my eyes opened to so many new experiences simply by talking to people here, from colleagues to new friends I made and continue to make along the way. It’s given me a whole new perspective on the things around me. They say that travel makes you look at home in a new light, and somehow the cynical side of me always doubted that, until now.

Enlightenment certainly doesn’t only come from the famous and successful Guy Kawasaki-types who hold panel discussions or sold-out seminars. Like I mentioned earlier, everyone has something valuable to share. For instance, I have found myself amazed by the stories of people who had fled their homeland to come to the Land of the Free, to eke out a better life for themselves. One doesn’t have to dig very deep to find inspiration in the everyday man. This is especially true in a place like the Valley.

So how do you go about meeting people and learning from them? Well, allow me to offer one humble piece of advice: be honest, be open. Listen, and not only hear, what people have to say, and give your side from the heart. People can tell right away if you’re being forthcoming, and more often than not, they will return the honesty in kind. That’s when the exchange becomes enriching and real.

If you’re like me, you don’t see people as potential resources to be tapped in future, or gateways into companies or jobs or stuff like that. You enjoy meeting people for their stories, for what they can share. And for what you can share with them as well. So go out there and start meeting people. May your experiences be as enriching for you as they have been, and continue to be, for me.

On Jun 26th, a group of young and obviously excited students crowded around a pair of couches at the lobby of Building 28 at 1, Infinity Loop, better known as the Headquarters of Apple Computers, Inc. Home of the famous Apple Macintosh computer, Infinity Loop has been a bustling storehouse of creativity for over 20 years, spewing out the likes of the PowerMac, the iMac and of-course, the iPod!

And as I stood there amongst my friends, waiting for the much-anticipated Apple tour to start, my mind wandered away from the excitement and noise, to observe for a moment what Apple as a company meant to me…

I’ve always had great respect and admiration for Apple. I’ve loved the way they always added that special extra touch to their products - the breathtaking designs, the amazing user interface, the beautiful simplicity and the ease of use. All these were attributes common to everything that came out of Apple Computers. But most of all, I liked the fact that Apple was different… They were different from the mainstream and they intended to stay that way. In fact, they begged to differ. And to me, that’s really cool. I’ve always loved people and things that do not follow the rest like a herd but prefer to stand out and do things differently. And Apple was a fantastic example of just that. To me, Apple was the perfect company.

And then, as I slowly settled back into reality, Scott came to the lobby, introduced himself and led us inside for the tour. Scott was a Recruitment Manager at Apple. We quickly followed him into a conference room, helped ourselves to some coffee and cookies and settled down.

Scott began what I might call a slightly lengthy presentation describing Apple Computers, its birth, its growth, current strengths and other vital stats. He made a few interesting points that caught my attention. He mentioned the strength of the Apple brand and how it had evolved and grown over the years. He noted that, even among people who did not buy Apple products, there was a strong affinity towards the brand. For example, you may hear someone say – “Apple’s a really cool company, but I’m perhaps not going to buy an Apple computer’. Another interesting point was about the difficulties that a company like Apple faces in the consumer or end-user market. He said that owing to the diversity of the mainstream consumer market, it often difficult to accurately gauge consumer needs and demands.

Scott also showed us two I-pod commercials which were pretty interesting. One was the first I-pod commercial and the other was a more recent version of the advertisement. And we could see a marked difference in the image that Apple has tried to portray for the I-pod. While the first ad was aimed at a slightly older demographic, the newer one was aimed at the younger, ‘hip’ teenage crowd.

When he finally wrapped up the presentation, most of us were eagerly waiting for the actual ‘tour’ to start. We were hoping to be shown around the Apple headquarters. Unfortunately, Scott announced that this was the end of the tour! Apparently, Apple has some strict rules governing visitors. They are very secretive about upcoming products and other stuff that goes on inside their offices and therefore, do not allow visitors or even business partners into the heart of their operations. This made me recall a recent article about how Apple sought to sue a blog-writer for revealing some inside information about upcoming Apple products. Scott mentioned that Steve Jobs loves to reveal these secrets only at those MacWorld presentations that he makes every once in a while.

And as we stood up to leave, a number of thoughts waded through my head. Firstly, I was a bit disappointed about the fact that we weren’t shown around the place. The Google tour we had a couple of months back, was in contrast, more interesting, as we all got to see the actual offices and workspaces of Google employees. In fact Google actually flaunted all their pro-employee practices and their amazing work culture. Apple on the other hand, didn’t seem to take much pride in the same. I guess even Apple, with all its cool designer products and amazing innovation, did not match up to Google as far as working environment is concerned. But then again, considering the fact that Apple is actually over 20 years old, what more can you expect.

penned by - Prashant Sarkar

The long-awaited and eagerly anticipated Mentorship Unplugged session with Farzad Naimi, (CEO, Litescape Technologies) was held on the 28th June. With 19 years of start-up leadership experience and 7 successful start-ups under his belt, Farzad gave a very insightful account of the requirements of starting your own company. Mainly he summed up the requirements for starting one’s own company with the following:

• Idea and business model
• Market Need
• Potential Size
• Accelerated plan to scale
• Competition and Intellectual Property
• Team with successful track record

The point which stood out to me was about the TEAM, and Farzad kept emphasizing it that night. Farzad has been through all his ventures with the same core team members and he was describing how he motivates and unites his team members. He highlighted that it was really important to establish a personal connection and mutual trust with your team members and take personal ownership of their welfare. The extent of mutual trust within Farzad’s team was such that if he had to take a decision and lay off people for the well-being of the company, those people would trust his decision. In fact, he would even try to help them by referring other job opportunities to them. The level of trust and cohesiveness in Farzad’s team is truly something which is difficult to achieve.
Indeed, in all my personal experiences with working with people, I have come to realise that team dynamics is most important. A great team that works well together can turn a seemingly mediocre idea into a great success, but a team that is unable to work well together may not be able to execute a fantastic idea.
Farzad is also involved as a mentor in our NUSEA mentorship program. He is another great exemplification of the selfless sharing spirit in Silicon Valley.

penned by: Vivien Ting

The Graduation ceremony for the 8th Batch was held on the 27th June.

This was a night to commemorate an entire year of ups and downs, of lessons learnt, friendships forged, laughter and tears. It was also a night where the 8th Batch showed their appreciation of the companies, mentors, teachers and anyone who had made their experience in the valley what it was. San, the current president of NUSEA delivered a really stirring speech about the extremely selfless spirit of sharing in the Valley and encouraged everyone to continue passing on the torch when we go back to Singapore. Thank all your mentors, your personal teachers, everyone who has impacted you and contributed to your life in some way, and remember what you have learnt. Pass it on!

Goodbye 8th Batch, we will miss you! You left indelible memories in our hearts.

The 8th Batch Farewell Video