April - 2000 - issue > Openfile

As we present to you si 50 – the annual list of the 50 wealthiest South Asians in high-tech in the US — we found ourselves wondering: what are the ingredients of wealth in this highly competitive, dog-eat-dog industry? Success stories abound, while stories of failure are even more abundant. Obviously, the rules are changing; some are altered, and a whole bunch of them are simply disappearing or have already vanished. Looking carefully at the personalities that comprise the 50 listed, we’ve come to some simple conclusions: it’s about basic values. Although you’ve surely come across them before, we’d like to put them in a new perspective: that of a major contributing factor to wealth creation in today’s new world.

Honesty: Clearly defined and aboveboard business practices are critical in this information-driven society.

Leadership: If you don’t consider yourself a leader, don’t do it. As we have repeated time and time again in this magazine: It’s about people and managing them.

Focus: If you can’t maintain focus, then stay out of the game. To be successful, you need to have a razor-sharp vision of the product, the timeline and the dream.

Passion: Do you have a fire in your belly? Is that fire enough to keep you motivated for years on end, through hardship and discouragement?

Grit: There are days — even weeks — when everything seems to be close to the end. Do you have the sheer determination rise up and walk again in spite of it all?

Luck: You can thank luck, but you can’t blame it. Luck is neutral; it doesn’t like or dislike you or your competitor. Are you prepared to welcome good luck while fighting off bad luck?

To sum it up, we’d like to share some insights from well known personalities put together by Raj Singh of Redwood Venture Partners, at a recent public meeting:

Emperor Ashoka: Forgive enemies, build a network of friends.

Emperor Akbar: Surround yourself by people smarter than you.

Warrior Arjun: Focus on one thing at a time.

Ronald Reagan: Delegate tasks and take naps.

Hillary Clinton: Business decisions are not based on emotions.

Now, supposing you’re inspired enough and think you have what it takes. If you decide to take the plunge but don’t make it, don’t hold us responsible! Remember we never said it was easy!

Endnote: www.siliconindia.com and siliconindia events are powerful extensions of this magazine, where it becomes a two-way exchange of ideas, funding and deals. The Web site has great features customized to your needs, while our events bring to a city near you the leaders in the industry talking about the most important trends in today’s high-tech world. So join us, in person or online, to network and meet the extended siliconindia family. We’ll see you soon!

Yogesh Sharma, Editor