Just Aspire: Notes on Technology, Entrepreneurship and the Future
Author: Ajai Chowdhry(Co-founder of HCL)
Autobiography
Published by HarperBusiness
252 Pages
MRP: Rs. 599/-
Thank you @harpercollinsin for a media copy of the book.
"Just Aspire" by Ajai Chowdhry is a captivating memoir that details his journey as a co-founder of HCL, one of India's largest IT companies. The book offers a glimpse into Ajai's life growing up in Jabalpur and his decision to quit a stable job and take a chance on entrepreneurship in the 1970s, when the concept of startups was still unheard of in India.
The book is a treasure trove of inspiration for dreamers and doers, as it provides timeless lessons on entrepreneurship, technology, and the future. Ajai's passion for making a difference, his discipline, and his ability to forge long-term relationships beyond business are evident throughout the book.
The book is particularly valuable because it fills an important gap in India's business history by tracing the origins of India's knowledge economy through the PC revolution and the subsequent explosion in mobile telephony. Ajai's contribution to shaping India's ICT and hardware industry is unparalleled, and the book provides an insight into his personal life, intertwined with the story of the growth of India's IT and hardware industry and some of its significant milestones.
The author not only shares the story of the successful business behemoth that he helped build but also of his personal journey as a dreamer and doer from a small town in India.The book offers deep insights into the blue sky thinking and opportunity exploring that the entrepreneurs went through in their quest to build a business. There were no templates or precedents to go by; just instinct and a strong will to succeed.
Ajai's narration of some key inflection points is worth a read, and his uncluttered thinking helped not just grow businesses but also build institutions. The book also provides interesting details of the two significant tie-ups that jumped HCL's fortunes; the first with Hewlett Packard to manufacture minicomputers and distribute PCs in India, and the second - the tie-up with Nokia - as the national distributor for its mobile handsets.
The book covers the origins of India's knowledge economy through the PC revolution and the subsequent explosion in mobile telephony. It provides an insight into the personal life of Ajai, intertwined with the story of the growth of India's IT and hardware industry and some of the significant milestones. Ajai's contribution to shaping India's ICT and hardware industry is unparalleled, and the book sheds light on his passion and a deep sense of commitment to making a difference.
Ajai's life story is inspirational, and his journey from a small town to becoming a successful entrepreneur is worth reading. He narrates his story in a humble and grounded manner, starting from his days in Jabalpur to his time with the six co-founders who quit stable jobs to pursue a dream. A team he calls the techno dreamers. He shares timeless lessons on entrepreneurship, technology, and the future, making the book a treasure trove of inspiration for all dreamers and doers.
Ajai doesn't shy away from acknowledging Shiv Nadar as his friend and mentor, and this quality is hard to find in the current culture of start-ups and entrepreneurship. He advises budding entrepreneurs to choose and back a captain, a recommendation supported by proof of concept, Ajai's journey.
The book is a great read infused with practical wisdom from a business leader who has led from the trenches, and an inspirational one for young minds looking to plunge into the world of entrepreneurship. It is like the original movie script, which gets remade every decade or two, and Ajai's story is a testament that all the founders together were able to define roles and functions, and as Ajai advises, choose and back a captain.
In conclusion, "Just Aspire" is a great read infused with practical wisdom from a business leader who has led from the trenches and is an inspirational one for young minds looking to plunge into the world of entrepreneurship.
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