Entrepreneurship chat with Raj Raheja

Sometimes you meet an individual for an half hour and their simple views and insights become so much more valuable than anything else you may experience that day. Today that happened to me- with Raj Raheja, CEO of Heartwood. I know him from a common friend- but then I don't think I ever knew him really. You know, you meet briefly in social settings and have little to learn about what they do at work. But today was different- I was at a conference (which otherwise left me underwhelmed) where I got a chance to talk to him. He had some absolutely brilliant insights from his experience building his company- I wish I could have captured the gems well enough, but then it would take away the opportunity for him to write about it all (which I did encourage him to do!)

In any case, I was reflecting upon how we expect certain things from life, the day, and then something rather unexpected happens when you engage in a conversation which gives everything else a meaning. Today I had that sort of a conversation that made going to that conference worth it. The contents of that conversation will really have to wait till Raj approves of it being published :-) but the core theme was on thinking big; recommendation for and principles from Rob Ryan's Smartups book; and rewarding the right employee that makes an impact- instead of the usual performance crap we've all learned to detest. One thing that stuck well in my mind was how a particular quote inspires Raj- Here is how I remember it- "Earn enough money to afford the time to do the things money can't buy!"

I assure you it was one of the most real entrepreneur stories that matter, the one that inspires you- the one that you can directly apply to your situation.

Wish we could have conferences that just encouraged such real stories and enabled interactions with real entrepreneurs. Thanks for that half hour Raj.