Five months back, when I commissioned myself to do an application from scratch, I was shocked. The urge to get back into opensource driven codebases was huge, and staying away caused withdrawal symptoms. That’s when I realized that I have unwittingly let myself walk away from the path of innovation and breaking tech, by pandering to my business needs and utilizing opensource to beat competition, and so on.

Opensource is easy to use, easy to customize, easy to find support for, and easy to maintain. Small wonder then that it has emerged as a “perfect” solutions for businesses here, who get FREE codebases to service their markets.

But in this process, and from the larger perspective of taking India to the front of the Intellect Ranges of the world, are we really moving?

I wonder how many of us here in India, really do path-breaking tech creations from ground up. In the recent past, most of the really high traffic pullers have not happened here. They have happened (with, in all probability, Indian teams) abroad. Talk twitter, tinyURL, etc. None oh none has happened here at all.

Are we, Indian developers, programmers, evangelists and so on, all about creating applications out of opensource? And that too, what apps ? We create a “Delhi” portal out of Drupal, and claim funding and top notch returns. We create a “Food Bloggers Community” outta, say, a MU-WP, and claim funds?

Duh !!!

I’d like to see a radical concept come from here. One that attracts and enthuses people across verticals, functions, walks of life, ages, genders and so on, use it … I for sure wouldn’t want to live in the “age of clones”, where I use localization or indigenization as a parameter for picking up a software and calling it “apt” (like the millions of YouTube clones, etc !!!)

And they come in various wallet colors, shapes and sizes. The startup space doesn’t call for much today. It just call for a decent amount of moolah to get your digital space floating out there, a gmail or yahoo address book of around 1000 contacts who can be counted on to hit “forward” to everything they see in their inbox, a capability to send stuff that makes them hit “forward” and you’re on.

There is however, no guarantee, that they’re going to return. But hey, if your “viral” is strong enough, you’re there at the starting point at least. And dang !! thats where you’re doomed to stay if you are not lean and nimble to adapt yourself …

Most “entrepreneurs” I’ve met of late are a bumptious lot. They come packed with all of 3-5 years of experience, and a perceived capability, based on their performance in the organization they’ve last been in. They simply don’t seem to understand that their value is based purely on the basis of their association with the organization they were serving under. They’re consumed by the concept they’re nurturing, and start under the impression that the moment they set up shop, people are going to come in droves and lap up their offerings.

I started off that way too…

The only difference was that I didn’t have anyone taking care of my expenses, resources, etc, except me. I stayed on to win and forge ahead. And I’ll continue. Being an Entrepreneur for me, is all about staying on, in tune, and understanding that finally actions count more than words.

A friend of mine Namrata Singh, has just quit a steady cushy job at one of India’s well known online media agency to start up her own venture.

Its called Antfort, and its available on antfort.com. It focuses on the hitherto not addressed space of providing a full universe of HR services for start-ups. A crazy domain to get into, where successes can be sky rocketing and failures can be crazily plumetting…

I am thrilled by this move of hers.

Its because I see one more capable person throw away the shackles of “security” to venture out into the unknown (not as per her, she’s got it all mapped out and ready in her head, etc etc). I know from experience the pushes and pulls of getting bang into the middle of nowhere and starting out on your own, ‘cuz I’ve walked down (or up) that lane. Parents, friends, well-wishers, everyone but everyone look at you with trepidation (probably wondering whether you’re going to be living off them for the next so many years)

I don’t think Namrata is going to be like that. From what I know of her, she’s got drive, commitment, enthusiasm and passion, and she’s giving this effort her all.

Wish her all success and god-speed in achieving her dreams.