Kaushik Mudda completed his B.Tech and then started his own venture. He is currently Co-founder of Ethereal Machines. He won Young entrepreneur Award and is also a TEDx speaker. Let us know more about his writing.
What inspired you to start writing?
The biggest damage due to the current scenario in the entrepreneurship field has been to the ventures who don’t have their foundations in virtual platform based services and applications. With the advent of startups in the field of coding, the story of the garage entrepreneur has been muted. My machines help create other entrepreneurs. I wrote this book to be a voice of those entrepreneurs who wanted to initiate a venture in an unconventional field by bootstrapping and talk about the struggles they face.
What did you like to read when you were a boy?
To be frank, I never really read much when I was younger. I used to spend most of my free time on the streets playing different kinds of games, cycling and feeding stray dogs. I spent hours together on the roads interacting with other kids from various strata of society. This has left me rich with experiences and keeps me grounded till date. These experiences were formative in my thinking towards creating a venture which not only creates more entrepreneurs but also enables generating a sustainable livelihood for my clients and their families instead of a venture which would generate convenience or enhance mobility for the masses.
What is the greatest challenge in writing a book?
The greatest challenge is in penning down relatable issues and topics. For a first time author, it is important to have a sample group of readers from several backgrounds and collecting their opinions about individual chapters. My sample group of readers consisted of people who were voracious readers as well as people who shunned reading. Placing yourself in the shoes of a reader and modifying certain sections which the reader may not like is difficult even though it might be a section which the author can easily relate to.
How much research do you do before writing the book?
I skimmed through the autobiographies of Sir Richard Branson and Captain Gopinath. It helped me understand the amount of detailing one needs to provide about how an entrepreneur stood up to a particular hindrance and how she/he overcame that obstacle.
What motivated you to write the book “63 Rejections”?
The desire to inspire fresh graduates and youngsters to take to entrepreneurship which generates sustainable living, employment opportunities and furthers technological advancements in unconventional fields.
Can you tell us more about your latest book “63 Rejections”?
Throughout the book I have ensured that I do not end up giving any kind of advises. Each individual has his own thinking process and decision making factors. I wanted that to remain unaffected. Instead, what I have tried to achieve is that I impart my experiences in a way that forces the readers to play the lead character in the book and evaluate what they would have done when encountered by the hosts of situations that I faced as a struggling entrepreneur.
The book describes the numerous kinds of struggles one goes through while setting up a venture while in college and soon after graduating.
How did you come up with the idea of writing self help non fiction genre book?
The idea came to me when a few students in their final year of college started calling upon me to seek guidance for their ideas to start a firm. They would ask me my opinion and help for the same. I realised that if my stories and experiences were of value to them, then it’d also be valuable to a lot of other aspiring entrepreneurs as well.
Who are your favourite authors?
Ayn Rand (The Fountainhead) and Mario Puzo (The Godfather)
How much time do you dedicate to writing on a daily basis?
I am on a hiatus right now but I usually spend 2-3 hours for around 4-5 days a week when I get down to writing.
What words of wisdom would you like to give to aspiring writers?
Everyone has a story worth telling. DO NOT let anyone tell you otherwise.