A New Definition

There are two things that really get on my nerves; one I can't discuss in public, and the other filling in a business plan competition. The common thing in both is that after solving the issue, I look back in pride that I updated or defined new terms. It often becomes really irritating when you are filling in the same questions for different competitions, and never get selected in any because the 'TalEx' idea may not be convincing enough to the 'Angels'.

'What's the need' is their question and that's always their question. So I guess our first answer to that was 'TalEx is a platform for the youth to share their talent', I really thought this was vague. So I came up with another answer; 'TalEx is a platform to monetize the User Generated Content by the youth'. Honestly; even I wouldn't buy into this, if I was not its Co-founder. And so I went on to make couple of more weird and confusing definitions. 

The truth is you can't define TalEx as a product or a service. It's nothing but an idea! An idea that generated a talent sharing platform (currently crashed), a magazine (which is just awesome), and merchandising service (to empower the digital designers). It's an idea that every eighteen year old gets on asking himself 'should I write a book like Chetan Bhagat', 'should I film short movies', 'should I join a band', or 'should I throw around my art  in this world'. It's an idea that I get, it's the idea that Ankit gets, it's what Pamnani gets when he thinks like a monk, what Shubham and Abhay get. 

Tired of my relentless trials to put the business idea in a logical form which is a product or service; I have recently just defined it as 'TalEx is the realization of a confused eighteen year old Indian's dream'. I feel that I have arrived at a good definition after all; at least it's something that saves myself from getting confused, for I know that TalEx is realization of my confused dreams as well. And if any person we are pitching to is still confused, please ask your eighteen year old son 'Beta, what's your dream for the next 4 years?'; and keeping your fingers crossed won't help, because most probably the answer is not going to be engineering.

Honestly I am living my TalEx dream everyday, even though I am a bit lazy at business; I play my guitar wishing I was up on the stage again, I write my blog, my stories and for the youth diaries, and I watch the only decent enough clip of Greenday's American Idiot on St.James theater wishing I directed it (thought I'd share it). :D

'The Corridors' - philosophy

Most of you, who know me; know this as well that I always wanted to write a novel, on the desires of a boy who has been through a journey of graduation. Yes, I know there are Chetan Bhagats and Amitabh Bhagchis who have done so already; but I wanted to approach this from a very different angle. It's about how I lessen the obsession with the protagonist's college; and focus on something bigger. It's about how I can focus upon a network across the city, and how I can spin different fields, different virtues, and different mindsets together. To achieve this goal of mine; I press upon the following aspects which would play an important role in shaping my novel: Philosophy, Place and Culture, Protagonist's mindset, Element of life.

Philosophy - The Corridors
It's a way in which I perceive life. It's an analogy that I derived from my school days. I see life as a journey across the corridors of a school; with doors leading to classrooms on either side. But there is a glitch here; for I wouldn't truly know of the nature of the class, before stepping in and I would just be building assumptions based on what I have heard. The truth is that experiences in each of these classrooms may develop to become the most cherished memories of my life; or on the contrary, the most regrettable. However, if I were to look for the secret of honor; I would take a step into those classrooms and never quit before my time is done, and desires are accomplished or if I am forsaken by my own subjects of belief. There will always be a courageous thought though; that the corridor never ends and that my journey will always have something to teach me at the porch of every door I take.