Farhan’s Life

A few weeks ago, I came across the “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Tim Ferris, which was very interesting to read about. I ended up spending more than a few hours just going through the website, getting a feel for if this was real or not… And then found an mp3 to download, of a talk that was given at SXSW (South by South West Festivals) by Tim Ferriss, talking about his “four hour” workweek… Then, just today, I happened, across a posting on google videos, and started wondering about just what it would take to live a life where we didn’t do any of the stuff that didn’t matter?? What would life look like, if we only did what was important?? Like writing this blog?? I don’t know why I’m writing it, but I’m inspired to, and so I’m doing so… Just like I’m inspired to leverage technology and free up a lot of people from their addictive, time wasting email habits… But what if I didn’t?? Is writing this directly contributing to who I am?? Is starting a technology startup directly contributing to the person that I truly am?? An entrepreneur, a visionary, gifted, insightful??

To be honest, I don’t really have a clue… But what I do know, is that I’ve spent two years, refining my ideas, and concepts, desperately waiting to get started, and just watching, waiting patiently, as life took me from London, to San Francisco, thinking perhaps there I’ll be able to realise the technical solution, I envision.. 8 months later, on the plane back from the US, I’ve come to realise, that perhaps that was more “market research” for something that is now finally ready to come to market… I’ve started to learn how important it is to know the right people, have the right connections, and be able to levarage my own knowledge and experience, as well as being in the right place at the right time. Fortunately, I’ve got at least two serial entreprenueurs taking an active interest in cultivating me, and my startup, and as I share the ideas over and over, and the steps that need to be taken, I realise that actually, everyone’s really sold on the ideas, on the potentials, but no-one has a clue as to how to do it, in the way that I see it… Sometimes I really don’t see my own strengths, and I guess my combination of business acumen, street smarts, tech know-how, and connections really have primed me for starting this startup now…

I just wonder if I’ll becoming a slave to a “job”, or if I’ll finally be able to passionately embrace being at the helm of what I’m working on, directing the team, and bringing something useful, and productive into creation??

Ricardo Semler, and his books, Maverick!, and the 7-day weekend, both give numerous examples of transforming an established working environment, into one with greater individual autonomy, greater flexibility, and greater transparency between everyone… In fact, he takes the perspective of work and life, and argues that if work can impose on your social life, then there’s nothing wrong with taking the time out of work, to have a life, to balance things the other way… Though having said that, I can’t imagine not wanting to spend all my time on things related to my startup, and getting it off the ground for the first six months, just out of a sheer passion to keep the momentum of it all going!! I’m sure with everything that will be made available in the first few months, it’ll be best to take full advantage of all the connections, opportunities, and learning that’ll be available through Seedcamp…

I’m sure it’ll be perfectly possible to start imagining shorter work weeks, as we start to leverage technology to do more for us, as we do less… Just lets not pin our hopes on ideals like they did at the start of the computer revolution – but lets instead look at what we’re doing, and start focussing on just that 20% that’s the difference that makes the difference, and leave the remaining 80% to get delegated out to people who can do it, at a cheaper cost per hour… Your Man in India Zindabad!! (translates from hindi as “long live your man in india!”)

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