My last few years of journey into angel investing have been amazing. Especially, for me, they have been an eye opener. A complete realization of how wrong our notions are as Seniors / experienced people.
I am running in my mid-fifties now, and just about few years ago, while I was knocking the doors of my half-a-century mark on this planet, I decided to walk this path of being an Angel investor. I thought to myself, what 'NEW” will I gain from these youngsters apart from understanding the few Digital gizmos/terms etc. Never imagined what was lying in store for me.
I was pretty sure that walking on this path will enhance my understanding of the new age businesses as also the digital world, something that gets past many people like me who have crossed their fifties. However, interactions with such young energetic entrepreneurs will also open my thought process to certain 'LIFE FUNDAs” was totally unexpected. A domain hitherto considered as a monopoly of grey-hair people or of Seers. People who have spent umpteen years in isolation/meditation and got some clues on how to live life and consider themselves as proponents of such fundas might be better off interacting with such people.
Many taboos got broken in terms of my understanding of how less we know of this new generation who seem to be learning in 5G mode. It was so naïve of me to think that clarity of thoughts only comes with experience. But here I am, interacting with this new generation and enjoying every bit of it - a reverse flow of wisdom indeed. There can be critics who will not shy away from declaring the negative side of this internet explosion, but I believe everything in this world has two sides - which one you take depends on personal choices.
For now - at least, I am of the belief, that this young generation seems to dive deep and get far more clarity in life then even the grey-hair experienced ignorant population roaming around with unfounded, arrogant pride.
Let me share the few experiences to further validate my point.
I was fortunate enough to host a young personality very recently - a boy hardly in his early twenties, who happened to be a Grand Master in Chess, representing our country in world championship. This, he was doing alongside pursuing his Chartered Accountancy, clearing all levels in first attempt, having declined a call from the prestigious IIM-Lucknow after cracking CAT (the most competitive exam on this planet) with a 99% percentile. Well, one might say the young boy seems to be very good at studies, but what if you learn that this boy is also visually blind - complete BLIND - since the age of three. Would you then like to revisit what all he has achieved at such a young age. Not only did he clear all these exams with flying colors but his motivational talks on life and the concepts around that were an eye-opener as if straight coming from a seer's mouth. How could a young boy get such great insights on lessons of life..! His few phrases like 'You don't need sight but you need vision to be successful” - and another one 'Please don't confuse Disability with Inability” still keep resonating within me.
People from my generation might argue that business modelling is something that this new generation still lags. Then let me clarify these ignorant population, how far they are from reality. Just last year, I met this young team of engineers who created the worlds' second largest Digital Content company out of a tier-II city in India. And this was after failing twice in their earlier ventures. In their 20's, seen two failures already and still fighting it out calls for admiration, big time. The ideas and clarity this team had in terms of their product (Creative content) was phenomenal. All this again at such a young age...Awesome! And when as Angel Investors I was ready to take a bite in this venture's equity, the team wanted to know what we bring to the table apart from money. I thought my ability to write a check will give me a leeway of seniority, but I was in a for a surprise. Money was the last in their priority.....Imagine a 25-year-old person asking for a resume from a 50-year-old business veteran who is also ready to write an investment check to him. Does this shake you a little? Does it ring bells within? If not then, consider yourself from the dinosaur Age..
Welcome to the "Digital Age."
CAclubindia
