Post-Google Hangover? The High Never Ended!

This is a story I shall live to tell.

IMP : People always laughed when I said "buying branded clothes is an investment for me" :-)

Having resigned at and reconciled with Google, I went into my final mid-December Annual India Sales Conference with a very open mind ... and deep down - with immense gratitude and nostalgia over the 5.5 years that had gone by.

Day 1

MD Google India, Rajan Anandan is hosting a fire-side chat with 3 hot-shot Entrepreneurs from the wild India start-up industry. He's a top Angel Investor himself, and had stake in all 3 of these ventures.

{I had shared a good rapport with him these last few months and talked to him about my quitting and interest in working with smaller setups in the industry.}

I walk up with a question for Sunjay Guleria, CEO Exclusively.in who was sporting a tee which looked like the Ralph Lauren Big Pony Racing collection. {Mind you, I'm a Ralph addict and own enough to know one when I see it. He seemed to be wearing an Indian version, so I kept wondering how come I'd missed an 'India' edition from the maker!}

Rajan : (in front of ~1300 people, with me on camera) What are you doing here, I thought you'd already quit to join a start-up?!

Rahul : (FML, he didn't just announce that!) I'm looking for Angel Investors Rajan :-)
{Anyway}

Rahul : (looking at Sunjay on the stage) Uhhh, Saannjee ... ev ... right? I'm a big Ralph Lauren Big Pony collection fan, and see that you're creating something inspired from it. (senses uneasiness all around with this statement) I had written to Ralph Lauren while in the US, asking them about entering India and how I'd love to apply for a Marketing / Store Manager role with them! Sadly, I don't have a background in the sector and didn't stand a chance even in early talks.

(consolation sake) Are you going to be setting up physical stores too?

Sunjay : ... ... (talks about being inspired by RL and wanting to create an Indian brand as iconic; about how ecomm companies don't need physical stores! {OBVIOUSLY!}; and the fact that he was wearing his own brand 'Sher Singh', which he wishes to create India's first global lifestyle brand out of)

Later that evening I caught-up with Sunjay over drinks. We realized there was much in common when it came to brand following and connection over his cause (Sher Singh). He also realized I had quit Google and in the market. We talked, drank, fooled around all night ... and almost knew right there ... this was just meant to happen.

Fast forward 3 weeks and I'm on the verge of joining Sunjay's vision and team in Delhi. He's got a solid team in place, enough financial backing now, and a platform waiting to be explored with courage and commitment.

I had planned to end my Google stint on Dec 30 and leave Hyderabad on Dec 31 for a brand new 2012. I had no clue it was all going to get this new, but!!! I thought it'd be Bangalore, home, family, friends and GMAT prep. for a few months and maybe I'll find something interesting to keep the business aptitude in place. Man, I had even planned football coaching for my school team on the side.

In the mean while, I've had another very enticing job offer materialize right in my comfort zone, here in Bangalore ... and yet my mind is committed to the 'first global apparel brand from India' dream. There's too much stacked in favor of that from a destiny angle for me to ignore it. 5.5 years down, it's Robert Frost and his lines again :-) It's a big leap of faith and hopefully this will turn out to be a great story of lasting contribution and life-long learning!

(I still can't truly express in words what Google meant and will mean to me. Best to leave it to my actions, efforts and career trail to do justice to that bond.)

Amen.