Fun at Startups

The Startups are good place to meet creative set of people. The option of joining/running a Startup is by choice and not as a substitute of regular job. People do spend countless hours to make every system/project/product a huge success. So, it becomes imperative to create a fun-filled environment which gives a lot of comfort to each employee. People should feel very lively environment within Startups.


Here are some pointers which can make your Startup a fun-filled place:

1. Nominate somebody as CFO ( Don't Confuse..it's Chief Fun Officer). There are few folks who have lot of energy and good sense of humor. They are good at driving discussions and make people feel happy. Try to get these people engaged in more discussions where set-up is quite informal. Let all your employees laugh at small things too. Be it movies, sports, politics, love, news or anything. Don't make informal discussions look very formal. As a Startup founder engage with your employees as much as you can and make them feel at home.

2. Encourage tea/snacks break where people can walk for 15-20 minutes and then come back to work. Let them chat on various issues and refresh their minds. They can talk about boss, work, news , girls/boys and many other things. This would help them to refresh their mind. Just keep in mind the point that " Sitting at desk won't result in productive work". Employee should feel encouraged to work. So Startup owners should make small steps to make environment fun-filled.

3. Try and encourage people to get involved in showing their extra-curricular skills. Make a point to have such events every 6 month. During this time people work together and feel charged to look at professional & personal fronts together. This helps in developing skills for better time-management too. Also you get to know people with varied skills ( music, singing, dancing etc.). Startup owners should also take part actively in some of these events to encourage others to come forward and participate.

4. Startups should organize some outstation trips. These trips helps people to understand their colleagues in better way. These trips should be fun-filled and release all work pressure and people should look forward for such outings and come back with fresh energy.

Startups doesn't boast big offices, big numbers, and big things....They pride key people; their biggest asset. So, make them happy and let them enjoy the workplace.

Interview : CATINDIAONLINE Co-Founder

Recently I chatted with Manish Singh, co-founder of Catindiaonline. He is from IITK (2004 Batch) and started his venture along with Kumar Gaurav,Mayank Goel and Santosh Kumar building CAT testing platform with Analytics engine and patent pending Recommendation engine.Some of the CAT 100 percentile scorers helped them in building this platform.Its a free portal for CAT aspirant www.catindiaonline.com .

The site offers online mock CAT tests + Previous CAT papers + Topic wise Test. This site is very different and has many more features than what one may think of. Its test framework is quite cool and analysis part is something that I bet that you can't find anywhere else. Its best part is in-depth analysis that gives gory details of one's performance - topic wise, difficulty wise, time requirements wise, comparative analysis of performance etc… The analysis will precisely point you out the issues with your preparation.In the end, You will find something called recommendations which will recommend CAT aspirant how he/she should have taken the test to maximize his/her score

1. When did you start and from where?

We have a team of 5 individuals based out in Bangalore, who are totally committed to the project. Two of them are working full time for the portal, whereas rest 3 of us are currently volunteering for it. Going forward at least one more of us is planning to work for www.catindiaonline.com full time. Apart from this, a number of other people have volunteered and made great contributions to the analysis and recommendation framework.

2. A bit more about your background and experience.

The core group of consists of IIT & IIM graduates and students. The two dedicated members of the team as well as three Bangalore based volunteers are all graduates of IIT Kanpur, batch of 2004. Among other volunteers we have 3 graduates from IIMs (A & B). One of these got 100 percentile in CAT 2006. These days a lot of other people have shown interest in working with us. We will keep you updated as and when our team expands.

3. What you want to achieve out of this venture?

We have a two fold aim behind CATIndiaOnline. On one hand, we aim to address some of the problems that CAT aspirants, particularly, working professionals, face today in preparing for CAT. Some of these problems include the following:

• Lack of time to take center based tests: Our tests can be taken from anywhere, anytime
• Inflexibility of paper based tests to adapt to personal preparatory needs: Our tests are customizable by topics/sub-topics, difficulty levels etc.
• Lack of proper analysis and feedback on performance: Topic-wise, difficulty-wise, time-management wise performance analysis and feedback is given by us instantaneously.

On the other hand, when CAT goes online, all mom & pop coaching institutes will require to administer computer based tests. It will be challenge for them to develop the required infrastructure. Students of all these coaching classes will need an alternative and we will help them with our free online test solution.

4. How are you going to take this further and compete with biggies like CL, TIME etc.

At this point of time, we are focusing on an aggressive marketing and branding campaign. A number of country's biggest CAT/MBA forums/portals have shown interest in having tie ups with us. This will give us direct access to a large number of CAT aspirants. Therefore, we are strongly considering these tie-ups. As and when we formally tie up with them, we will let you know about it.

Startup Opportunities

Content Developers

We are looking for someone with good experience of developing content for CAT. Experience can consist in any field related to CAT such as study material development, test paper development or even teaching experience. Although our first preference for those who have experience in test paper development. We are fine with long term as well as short term commitment. In case of long term commitment of a worthwhile candidate we are open to giving him stocks in the company. Pass on this message to anyone who might be interested in this.

E-mail : info@catindiaonline.com

Website : www.catindiaonline.com

Location : Bangalore

Technical Manager

Binary Mantra Systems, Pune based startup looking for entrepreneurial person to join as Technical Manager. The venture is started by people with more than 60 man-years of industry experience and strong academic background.

Position: Technology Partner (.net) to be designated initially as Technical Manager
Experience: Minimum 5+ Years on Microsoft.NET platform
Key Skills: C#, ASP.NET, SQL Server

Role: The Technical Manager will assume the responsibility of leading the product development team. The person must have excellent grasp of .NET technology and its deployment aspects in different scenarios. Evaluation if new technologies will be one of key areas in the initial design phase.

The technical manager will also be working closely with the sales team in Asia-Pacific and the USA. We look at this role as one of the key roles in the organization. The growth prospects are bright and this role can grow upto Director (Engineering).
Responsibilities:

—Architecting the product and deciding the technology road map
—Guiding the team on all technology aspects.
—Interfacing with the customer on technology presentations and consulting.

We are in process of starting the development of a product which will initially be targeted towards customers in Asia Pacific and the USA. This product is being developed to cater to corporate, educational institutions and schools and is into e-learning 2.0 space.

We will be offering a package comprising of sustenance salary, profit sharing in product and services sales and equity.
Location: Pune
Contact : Abhishek at +91 98212 15890 or srivasaa2000@yahoo.com

Development Engineer

Pune based product based startup, looking to build a great team. Looking for following skills -

- Flash / Flex / Action Script AND / OR
- Java / Javascript expert and eager to learn new technologies like Flex
- Audio / Video Technologies (Formats / Streaming / VOD, IPTV) is plus
- Technical expertise in area of audio / video players and / or Adobe technologies will be preferred

Location : Pune
Contac t: prashant.sachdev@gmail.com

OCC Noida : September Edition

The entrepreneurial folks met once again on Sunday, 14th September to discuss various topics related to entrepreneurship, startups and technology. ( OCC Noida folks meet-up every month on 2nd Sunday (12.00 Noon-2.00 PM) at Kaaffia, sec-18, Noida). Here is summary of major points discussed during the meeting :

1. Estimation of Development Time : For any startup estimating right time to develop a product/solution is very critical. Startups developing internal products need to estimate this for defining product road-map in better manner while startups offering services need to decide project cost and delivery time based on these inputs. Bad development-time estimation affects product road-map, customer satisfaction, profitability and company morale. A lot of folks emphasized that development-time estimation betters with experience. You need to burn your fingers to arrive at accurate numbers if you are relatively young. People with good industry experience are better at doing such estimations due to their past experience.

2. Time spent towards Pre-sales : A lot of startups want to get projects pretty fast and hence don't define scope of project clearly and later on run into losses. Startups offering services should invest time to come-out with detailed scope and effort estimates. These would help them to complete project on time giving significant profits. A lot of entrepreneurs felt that it is good strategy to invest some time before closing the deal since anyways one need to spend time to do such estimations later on. Don't rush for a project since with wrong estimates this may turn-out to be bad deal. Spend some time to come-out with numbers close to actual effort.

3. User Generated Information : Why will Indian people generate content on the net giving reviews, tagging locations etc.? People felt that frequency of using a particular service prompts you to give feedback/review. Similarly people using Google Maps actively may tag some non-existing locations for the benefit of others. If you are benefited by any product/service then there are more chances of generating some good information. If you are dis-satisfied with some product/service then there are more chances of write reviews.

Some other areas like Google Voice Search, VAS platforms were also discussed. As usual the coffee and ambiance was pretty good for such meetings. Hope to see more people next time.
There was discussion to club OCC Noida & OCC Delhi to bring more like-minded people under one umbrella. The discussion has been initiated and let's wait for response of group folks.

Building second Layer within Startups

A lot of startups do have good founding team which is capable of building the initial product/service. These people are able to do initial groundwork to bring startup to decent level. But all organizations want to grow with time and founders want to realize their dreams in big-way. So, from here originates the need of second set of key people who can drive organization to new heights. These people are typically either have less exposure than founders or want to gain experience before venturing to start at their own. Typically these people bring experience and freshness and can be very helpful to scale-up operations. Founders should understand the relevance of 2nd layer and act in following manner:

1. Delegating Work : Founders should start delegating work-areas in which they are either not good or they don't have bandwidth to carry it effectively. The 2nd layer of people should be given good amount of flexibility and responsibility with defined objective measures. These people should not ask founders for each small issues. By doing so, founders can focus their energies on core functional areas and other strategic issues.

2. Treating them as partners : Founders should not 2nd layer as employees only, since they can be very critical in scaling-up the business. They should be seen as business partners with reasonable equity participation as per time of entry and level. Even in terms of respect and place within organization they should be treated well.

3. Transparency : Founders should be transparent with 2nd layer, since these people are smart enough to gauge internal happenings. There is no point being secretive with these folks. Anyways, you want to groom them as future managers, hence let them understand good and bad things about the organization. If you have a genuine point and it is conveyed properly, then these guys would understand it in no time. Let them get complete view, rather than pointers.

4. Risk & Rewards : Tell them about risks of negative scenarios, while share rewards when they perform well. Think the way you would treat yourself in positive & negative scenarios. The 2nd layer will stick for longer time, once they start feeling sense of attachment and start sharing company's vision.

Once you are able to build a solid 2nd layer, there is no reason why you can't scale-up.

Best Online PR sources for Indian Startups

Indian Startups which need to gain visibility should use low-cost/free PR sources. These online sources reach out huge number of people at very low cost. Also good PR adds credibility about your company and services. There are some sources which Indian Startups should definitely explore:

1. PR.com : PR.com is a revolutionary Free Press Release Distribution Service where each business also has a full company profile to promote everything about its business. One can submit news and press releases via global online news and press release distribution service with powerful distribution points such as AskJeeves News, Excite News, Topix.net, MSN News etc. Utilizing full Company Profile you can promote your business, post products and services with full descriptions and images, distribute press releases, post job opportunities, and can do many more things. To see some recent Press Releases from India visit

2. IndiaPRWire.com : India PRwire is bringing a truly global platform for news and information distribution emanating from India. The service is a forum through which corporate houses, institutions, government departments, non-government organisations, associations, non-profit organizations and individuals can reach out to the world to tell their story. For the journalists, this becomes a ready resource and ‘reckoner’ for up-to-date, unbiased news and information on developments that have taken place. The India PRwire gamut of services includes PR posting, electronic distribution through PR Flash, targeted distribution, distribution of PR related photographs and documents.

3. Business Wire India : Business Wire India is the definitive platform for corporate news distribution and media monitoring for any company in India. They distribute news across India for leading Indian companies and indeed any company in the world interested in reaching this vibrant market. They are the exclusive India affiliate of Business Wire.
Press releases distributed through their system are immediately published in full text on the leading information systems in India (UNI wire service, IANS wire service, Yahoo! India, Rediff.com, HindustanTimes.com and many others), and are emailed and faxed to their 4500-strong journalist community.

4. PR Log : PRLog is a free online press release service. One can submit press releases at no charge. All of their services are free. Some relevant info is given below:

Online Press Release Submission HTML links in the press release body. Search engine optimized dedicated web page & PDF version. Multiple categories & keywords. Spam protection on your email address. Edit/delete press releases. Free press release account. Press release scheduling.		Press Release Distribution Distribution to Google News. Distribution to numerous search engines. Numerous javascript, html & RSS feeds. Customizable Daily newsletter. Powerful advanced search. Your own Press Room.

5. Open PR : Open PR helps you to publish articles free of cost . They want to give smaller companies the chance to go public with their news at any time. A change to a fee-based service is not planned. openPR was launched in April 2004. openpr.com was relaunched in July 2005. It is run by the journalist Roland K. R. Becker and his team of editors in Schleswig and Hamburg, Germany.

Online PR can help you to get business, investors or just well-wishers.

Web 2.0 Expo : New York Edition

The first Web 2.0 Expo NYC is going to start on 16th September. There would be sessions for developers, designers, media & marketers, and executives.

Web 2.0 Expo is a global annual gathering of technical, design, marketing, and business professionals who are building the next generation web. Web 2.0 Expo features the most innovative and successful Internet industry figures and companies providing attendees with examples of business models, development paradigms, and design strategies to enable mainstream businesses and new arrivals to the Web 2.0 world to take advantage of this new generation of services and opportunities. Web 2.0 Expo is co-produced by TechWeb and O'Reilly Media.

The Web continues to be an engine of economic growth, fueled by a host of new business models, development models, and design patterns that collectively fall under the umbrella of Web 2.0, a term coined at the birth of Web 2.0 Summit (formerly named Web 2.0 Conference), a joint venture between TechWeb and O’Reilly Media.

To meet the increasing demand for Web 2.0 comprehension and skills, and to build a broader Web 2.0 community, TechWeb and O’Reilly Media launched the inaugural Web 2.0 Expo in April 2007 in San Francisco. That event was the first conference and tradeshow for the rapidly growing ranks of designers and developers, product managers, entrepreneurs, VCs, marketers, and business strategists who are embracing the opportunities created by Web 2.0 technologies. Web 2.0 Expo has now expanded to include not only Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco, but also Europe, Tokyo, and New York.

Program Information

The program will spotlight experts, leaders, and under-the-radar innovations, and in the spirit of Web 2.0, there will be ample opportunity for attendees to connect, contribute, and collaborate. Web 2.0 Expo is a place for creativity, engineering, and innovation, focusing on four conversations:

• Education: a vetted, cohesive conference program to maximize the sharing of knowledge and expertise around creating the next generation web
• Tradeshow: a traditional tradeshow floor introducing builders of the Web to providers of tools, technology, services and infrastructure
• Networking: a meeting ground fostering face-to-face business development for entrepreneurs, VCs, partnerships and recruitment
• Launch Pad: a platform for notable companies and products to debut

Conference Tracks will Include:

• Landscape & Strategy
• Design & UX
• Development
• Media & Marketing
• 2.0 at Work
• Finance
• Performance & Scaling

Who Should Attend?

Web 2.0 Expo is explicitly designed to address the needs of technical, design, marketing, and business professionals building the next generation web, including:

• Business strategists
• Web and UI designers
• Product managers
• Marketing professionals
• CxOs and IT managers
• Business managers
• Developers in established companies
• Grass roots developers and hackers
• Companies and organizations tracking emerging technologies
• VCs and entrepreneurs

Past Web 2.0 Expo events brought together participants from these--and many more--companies and organizations: Adobe, AOL, American Greetings Interactive, Apple, BA Venture Partners, BP, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Discovery Health Media, Dow Jones & Company, EMC, Experian Interactive, First Round Capital, Great Spirit Ventures, Hitachi, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, IEEE, Intel Corporation, Intuit, Jet Propultion Laboratory, Labrador Ventures, MTV Networks, Magazine Publishers of America, McGill University, Monster Worldwide, Motion Picture Association of America, Nokia, North Bridge Venture Partners, Northrop Grumman Information Technology, RealNetworks, Simon & Schuster, Standard & Poor's, Sun Microsystems, Symbol Technologies, The Heritage Foundation, The Wall Street Journal Online, Turner Broadcastings Systems, University of Richmond, University of Southern California, Walt Disney Internet Group, WhitePages.com.

What Is Web 2.0?

Defining exactly what Web 2.0 means is still an ongoing conversation. Tim O'Reilly attempts to clarify Web 2.0, digging into what it means to view the Web as a platform, and which applications fall squarely under its purview and which do not. Read more here.