A ‘Rummage’ that’s Delightful for Once!

 “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” 

-Coco Chanel

Every time a woman plans to set foot outside her home, she looks at a mirror. It’s not called self-obsession but it’s her way to make sure that she has done the best of what she could to make herself feel confident and presentable to the world. And that’s what lends a spring to her steps and joy in her heart as she continues with her life on the runway!
The right accessories always accentuate one’s personality and also reflect the innermost views which would never be expressed otherwise.
Team Startoholics met a team who focuses on providing women with the best from all over the world in order to meet their varied choices, notions and interests for the women of today, with respect to their accessories.
 
Sneh  and Sanchi, the founders of The Rummage were both working in the field of advertising since two years when The Rummage was about to be born. They were quite disillusioned with what they were doing. When they themselves felt that way just two years into their work, they realized that most people they met had other dreams and aspirations that somewhere down the line got suppressed because of their desk jobs. They were toying with the idea for around three months, until one day they just decided to just get started and that they would eventually figure things out along the way. And then in 2012, their dream became a reality, of course alongside their jobs initially.
Both of them are media graduates who have always enjoyed fashion. So while they were thinking of what they could do, that would give them happiness while still working for their respective firms, fashion instinctively featured on their list. And being media- savvy meant having to do something with ‘being online.’
Today it’s their full time job or rather their passion that they have given all of their time.

You’re young, don’t be afraid. Just go for it.
This was what fuelled their desire to chase their dream, their passion. The support that they got from their peers at work was really heartwarming for them.  In fact, many of their initial clients were from advertising and media backgrounds.

Unavoidable roadblocks
The backend work is often a nightmare. One mess up from the stock checking to the courier service can ruin a shopping experience for a customer.
Their real challenge is to create a system so smooth that they don’t have unhappy customers. They agree that it’s a bit too ideal to be true but then they say- “ If we get that right by even 70%, we’re home.”
On being asked about an important ability an entrepreneur should possess, Sneh says tongue in cheek – “Instinct, I think. And some balls.”

Marching ahead
These two entrepreneurs are now working towards going international with The Rummage since they have got a lot of requests from the UK and US. They are also looking at improving visibility in smaller towns like Nagpur, Agra, Indore, Silvassa.  On being asked why these specific places, this is what they had to say- “We’re very surprised to see what a big fashion appetite people have in such places.” That makes one come to the conclusion that fashion does not know boundaries. It is possessed by people irrespective of where they come from or where they plan to go to. 

Constant Innovation: Way to go!
They love sourcing. Getting more interesting kinds of accessories is something they’ve always looked out for. Currently their strength is their statement necklaces and clutches.
They want to sell kitschy shades, geek spectacles, big beach hats and so on. Everything that’s fun and tough to find easily in India and big on the international fashion radar is on their palette for their valued customers.

 

 

Polish your own shoes
Everyone who has good accessories to offer is competition for them. They haven’t marked any one brand or portal as their competitor because according to them, the minute one starts to compete with someone else, he forgets about bettering his own game.  
Everyone who has good accessories to offer is competition. Though we haven’t marked any one brand or portal because the minute you start to compete with someone else you forget about bettering your game.  

Their favourite startup- “Elitify.com. It’s absolutely fabulous.”
How the clientele of The Rummage would be was something that we thought would interest our audience. They gladly stated that every month brought a new client for them and that they do have some very faithful clients in Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Sikkim.
‘Regrets and mistakes, they are memories made’ said Adele, the famous singer. They chime a similar fact.
“Mistakes are such a big part of who we are. Both of our lives are a comedy of errors. We’ve tried to do so many things, have failed yet tried again. There’s no ‘one’ mistake, there are many and we’ve learned from them all. But there is always regret about why we didn’t do this earlier.”
And after having given their dreams wings, they now think that they didn’t need ‘that job’ so damn badly. If you are also one who thinks that your life would be better if you leave your job to pursue your passion but are tempted to stay just because it pays your bills and does just that, then probably you should take a cue from them (of course we are not telling you to give your resignation letter right away, but you don’t really have to put it in the backburner either!)




http://startoholics.in/2013/08/rummage-thats-delightful/

Tunnn- It’s not just about the food!

Imagine yourself in a restaurant enjoying a scrumptious meal with your loved ones or if you are the kind who enjoys your company the most, then imagine yourself alone. You love the mouth-watering aroma and are ready to dig into the meal. It’s the perfect delight for your tastebuds. But then because it is spicy, your forehead forms beads of sweat, you wish the room was just a bit better so that you could have enjoyed your meal without being bothered by the heat or by the noise of the vehicles on the road.

And that’s when it strikes- it’s not just the food that provides joy to the soul but the entire ambience of the place that one wishes to have food from!

Keeping that in mind, Tunnn came up with an exclusive website that guides one about not only the quality of food served at a particular place but also informs one about the ambience of that place.

Team Startoholics caught up with the Director Sumit Charles from Tunnn to know more about their start-up. Sumit is a creative architect and a web entrepreneur. Currently he is also the chief creative resident at Firstbase. When he isn’t creating or breaking something, he enjoys innovating new products, listening to music, and daydreaming about going on a long vacation. With over 15 years of professional experience in various creative and technical fields, Sumit serves as the glue to the yin and yang of the design and development process at tunnn.com.

As interesting as it sounds, here’s a sneak peek into his team’s journey this far.

Sumit Charles

Tell us a bit about your background and the path that ultimately led you towards Tunnn.

I run an advertising agency. In November last year I got a call from a friend who was visiting Delhi for the first time. He’s a music buff and I wanted to take him to a place where we could have a good beer along with live music or a karaoke. I searched online for such a place but failed to locate something so specific. There were a lot of online websites with really good information on food quality but there wasn’t much detail about the ambience or the mood of the place.

When going out to spend an evening or to dine at a restaurant, we look for great food but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. There are times when a taste of a Dal Makhni, Chilli Chicken or a five star hotel’s buffet won’t matter as much as the ambience of the place. This was the ignition for tunnn.com – making it simple to find a restaurant based on one’s mood.

How did you take your fist step towards Tunnn? Did you receive any funding from angel investors?

Tunnn is funded by Firstbase Media

How long did it take to put together Tunnn?

The site took around 6 months from programming to User Interface. We are still very hungry and we keep brainstorming and adding new features time to time.

What is the hardest part about your job?

We got several offers for buying a data bank from various companies for Tunnn. We never accepted that and we won’t do it ever. It fails the core purpose of the site.

We are not here to give a directory of restaurants to people. The challenge here is to visit the place personally, read as many reviews as you can and then list the places.

The soul of the site is to make it easy for foodies/visitors to search for places as per their mood.
Our data bank is relatively very small in comparison to many other food directories online but we can vouch for the quality of the data.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

“Stay hungry Stay Foolish” from Steve Jobs from his Stanford University commencement speech.

What is one mistake you’ve made, and what did you learn from it?

I keep making mistakes. What I learn out of it is to keep making mistakes and keep learning. At least you would not be regretting your decision of not even trying.

What are your plans for promoting Tunnn? Also, do you have any tie-ups?

Tunnn is getting a really good response through word of mouth. We don’t have any tie-ups as yet. We don’t want to force the product on anyone and believe in word of mouth publicity. Our Facebook page is getting a good traction for us too.

Which is the one startup that has recently caught your interest (if any)?

Hipmunk.com Their User Interface and functionality is really good.

Do you have any new features in the pipeline?

We have a lot of new features to be added to the site. Our online app will be hitting the stores soon.

Who would you say is your biggest competitor?

We are truly not here for competition. This site was born out of our personal requirements. We compete with ourselves here on how to make this product more and more user friendly. We are just 1 month old and we have miles to go from here.

A piece of advice that you would like to give to young entrepreneurs would be-

Keep innovating.

So the next time one plans to dine out, we have an option of finding out about the entire ambience before actually stepping foot there. Hope it fulfils the needs of the ‘Hungry’ crowds (oh wait… This hunger is not just for food but for something more!)

Best wishes to Tunnn!

http://startoholics.in/2013/08/tunnn-its-not-just-about-the-food/

Kanthari: a Leadership Training Institute for Those Who Wish to Create a Better Society

Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them.

-Robert Jarvik

Kanthari- The name itself sends a spicy tinge down the oesophagus of all the Malayalis. Why? It’s because ‘kanthari’ is a plant that grows in almost every backyard of Kerala, a small but very spicy chilli, spicier than a jalapeno pepper, with a number of medicinal values.

And being a Malayali myself, this particular name intrigued me. When my friend told me about them, I decided to find out more and it led to a revelation of sorts. An apt name for a team with the potential to create a fire with a little matchstick called adverse experiences of life.

And that’s when this definition enlightened me more- A ‘kanthari’ is also a symbol for those who have the guts to challenge harmful traditions and the status quo, who have fire in their belly and a lot of innovative ideas to make a positive difference.

For their team, a Kanthari will become the symbol of a new type of leader, a leader from the margins of society.
With a passion running down their nerves, Team Startoholics got in touch with the Founders of this start-up, Mr. Paul Kronenberg and Ms Sabriye Tenberken.

An insightful interview is what followed. Here are few excerpts-

Describe your start-up to someone who has just heard about it.

Kanthari is a leadership training institute for visionaries who carry a plan for a better society. For individuals who themselves come from the margins of society or who are affected by social ill and have ideas on how to create a positive change.

Could you shed light on your life before this? What motivated the idea of Kanthari?

The idea of Kanthari was born in the Tibetan autonomous region. Sabriye, being blind herself had developed the Tibetan Braille script for her study Central Asian science. In 1998 we started an empowerment program for blind children in Tibet, opening doors for them to dream. Before we started our work most of them were locked away in dark rooms as blindness is believed to be a punishment for something bad that someone has done in a previous life.
We wanted to create a mindset shift, we wanted to show the blind that there is nothing wrong with being blind and we wanted the sighted society to understand that blind people are capable of doing many skills.

We set up four projects:
• A preparatory school for blind children,
• A vocational training centre for adolescents and adults,
• A Braille printing press and
• A so called self-integration program.

The success of the projects in Tibet led us to start a unique leadership training program which we named Kanthari, a dream factory where we train those who want to make a difference. We were looking for people who think out of the box and challenge the status quo; hence we chose this name.

Tell us something about the first step towards Kanthari. Did you receive any funding from angel investors?

The first step we took was to create a network of well-wishers, to whom we could narrate our vision. We registered our organization in Kerala with the intention of setting up this leadership training institute.

The Infosys foundation and some of the other well wishers supported us to set up our campus.

How do you train a visionary to become a leader, a Kanthari?

We have a designed a curriculum which is called “a journey in five acts”. This Curriculum provides a unique experiential learning experience. The participants learn in a very interactive environment and gain practical hands on skills that prepare them to start their own social projects and initiatives.

How do you stand apart from other grooming schools? In other words, how do you distinguish kanthari from the rest?

Kanthari’s curriculum is designed with a very practical approach. We don’t work with teachers but with so called catalysts. We also don’t have students but participants.
Basically this is a platform where learning goes both ways. As most of our participants have gone through extreme adversity but had the strength to become forces of good instead of victims of circumstance, our catalysts learn a lot from them as well.

This is not a school but a place where like minded people from across the world regardless of caste, creed, race or nationality get-together to share their experiences and move forward to realize a better society.

How has the response been from the candidates?

The response has been overwhelming. We’ve collected some quotes from our participants: 

“Kanthari has helped me to see my project very clearly, I want to improve quality of education among blind youth”
 – Tousif, India (Blind) -
“Kanthari has helped me to find my public speaking abilities, I never knew I had it in me”.
-Mulenga from Zambia-
“Kanthari has helped me to refocus my perception on world issues to become a world social change maker”
– Steve from Kenya-
“Kanthari helped me develop my independence, I got more confidence, Kanthari is able to encourage me to pursue any dream I have”
– Loren, Philippines (blind)

Tell us something about the background of the applicants who wish to be a part of Kanthari.

Over the past 4 years we have trained 77 participants from 30 countries. This has resulted in more than 42 new social projects and initiatives already. We work with a variety of people such as blind and/or partially sighted, differently-abled people, ex-child soldiers, street children, social workers, women who fight female circumcision, Albinos etc.

What challenges have you faced in your entrepreneurial journey? What has been the toughest decision you have had to make lately, if any?

The major challenges we have faced since the start of the project is a general mistrust of society in someone’s dream. Most people don’t believe in dreams. Mostly, it is a projection of personal limitations. We, however, believe that dreaming should be promoted and that instead of finding reasons why something would not work, energy should be invested in finding solutions!

Finding like minded people who share a dream, ideas and solutions is an important step in reaching any goal, no matter how small or big.

Of course, we are confronted with tough decisions on a regular base; making decisions about who to select for the training course is one of them. We only have limited space and we want to work with the best. We hope that our intake process filters out the best possible candidates but of course we do have to say no to some and that is not an easy task.

What are your plans for promoting Kanthari? Also, do you have any tie-ups?

Kanthari is only a few years old and of course the news of its existence has not spread around the entire world yet. We have a website www.kanthari.org and we provide daily posts on our facebook page: facebook.com/kantharis and twitter @kantharis.

We would like to request to anyone who reads this article to spread these three links within their network so more and more people will get to know about us. We hope this will lead to more people applying, catalysts who want to share their experiences with our participants and of course to those who are willing to financially support our work.

Where do you see Kanthari in the next 5 years?

Over the next five years we wish to see a network of Kanthari organizations across the world helping the underprivileged to be the front runners of our societies. We also wish to see our unique curriculum being acknowledged and copied to regular schools so children are encouraged to dream and are supported in the realization of the same.

What more do you wish to include to take Kanthari to the next level?

Currently we can only cater to participants in English. To take it to the next level, we would need to find participants who want to start Kanthari leadership training courses on local levels adapted to languages spoken in these areas. They could use the same curriculum and empower many more ‘potential Kantharis’.

Would you like to give any piece of advice to budding entrepreneurs?

In the words of Farrah Gray : ‘Build your own dream, otherwise someone will hire you to build theirs!’

Ouch! Definitely spicy.

Here’s wishing that many more minds be ignited and many more dreams may be realized.

Good luck!

http://startoholics.in/2013/08/kanthari-a-leadership-training-institute-for-those-who-wish-to-create-a-better-society/

Internationally Indian: An Entrepreneurial Journey

‘The road to success is always under construction.’

-Lily Tomlin

MetroBrava – established to be a conduit of the international to India and vice versa, with a focus on metro markets was started to fill a gap in the booming media and entertainment industry.
The founder of this start-up is a Caucasian lady named Rubia Braun. To see a woman making it big in India with her talent, hard-work and will-power is indeed laudable.
This woman made us wonder how it would have been to establish a foothold in a country where millions of ideas are born every day but then many ideas die a gradual death just because of a lack of opportunity, a lack of required facilities and so many other reasons. When a successful entrepreneur does make it big, he or she might then look back and say that rising up like the Phoenix from the ashes was the best thing that happened in his or her life!
Startoholics interacted with Rubia Braun, Chief Innovations Officer and Mr. Kranthi Varma, co-founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Metro Brava and got a plethora of their journey that left us with a smile.

Rubia Braun and Kranti Varma.
Image Credits: www.technobitez.com

Metro Brava- Business of Creativity
Metro Brava’s core lies in film/media production and cinemas. From humble beginnings where they started out with one feature film made to prove a point, their company has now expanded into eight different wings namely production, distribution, exhibition, consultation, education, talent, guest speaking and social media.

The wind beneath their wings
They have always been passionate to pursue projects and have loved the freedom and adrenaline only entrepreneurs can experience. 
Professionally, their motivation came from their wish to make a real difference in the ever-changing film industry, to push traditional boundaries and to look to the future of global media.
According to them, the best part was to have a registered company (to be more legitimate) when attending the Cannes Film Festival!  

Some sixth-sense never hurts!
They wish that they had known earlier that the road ahead would be filled with potholes, dishonesty and that success would take time- a long time.
India is a challenging place to be and although people are committed and talented, the business culture (especially for start-ups) is not always very transparent.

• A yes does not always mean a yes.  
• Let’s reschedule probably means no!  
• The ability to read people correctly will become second nature.  

It’s all part of the learning process!

From a Mole-hill to a Mountain
Metro Brava is not a standard startup.  They didn’t start with a massive five-year plan, with funding strategies, or executive summaries. They just wanted to make a film to prove a point and see where they went from there.  
Where they finally went has been a completely wild and unexpectedly fun journey that neither of them could have ever predicted.  
Presently, they are at an exciting point in their company’s growth, where the future seems very bright, and their plans are now falling very much in place.
The film that they started with to prove a point (called ‘The Successor’) actually did end up proving that point and the feedback has been very positive.    
When asked about the biggest hurdle they have faced and are still facing, this is what they had to say-“Having too many opportunities and not knowing which ones to jump on, and which ones to let go of!  The current opportunities in the marketplace are volatile but extremely exciting.  Right now we’re only focusing on very scalable projects, with fast-growth potential.”  

Treading the Path
The biggest lesson that they have learned is that business is all about people dealing with people.  Projects can be solid, but unless you have the right people involved, they might not go ahead.  We still believe we’re yet to find the best people to work with. 
Failures don’t mean endings, rather new beginnings.  They have had many instances where something that didn’t work out, turn into something much better.
For example, they had created a particular website which wasn’t giving them any returns.  But through this website, they met someone who introduced them to someone else, and through this they are now producing a feature documentary which is a case study on fan studies and working with the United Nations.  
Being open-minded and willing to explore new territory always helps and gets us far in life!

Letting their work Speak
As cliché as this sounds, they do believe in letting their work speak for itself.  They hate when people over-promise and under-deliver, so they would rather under-sell and over-deliver if possible. Watch this space!

On asked about their favourite entrepreneurs-
Kranthi: “There is no doubt that Steve Jobs must be included in this list.  As an individual, I can relate to him, his thought process and methodologies.” 
Rubia: “Being an entrepreneur means you’re part of a very unique community.  The entrepreneurs I admire the most are those that remain approachable and helpful, even when busy and successful.  The community is luckily filled with such individuals.  And Kathleen Kennedy is all kinds of awesome too.”   

Metro Brava: 5 years- Fast Forward
Even though they say- ‘Who knows?’ first, they follow it up with –‘A string of films, a chain of cinemas, at least one creative educational brand and its founders as very happy people.’

Watch out aspiring entrepreneurs!
Kranthi: The journey isn’t easy, but if you have true passion and conviction, you will make it. 
Rubia: Nobody really knows anything. So pick and choose what is right for you. 

Now this does give an adrenaline rush. There are feats in life that seem unattainable in the beginning but then keep walking folks! You never know when an apple might fall on your head and you end up being a Newton of the 21^st century!
 Good luck to MetroBrava and we do hope that five years from now, we do see you as very happy, content and successful people (you are already on the path, keep walking!)

http://startoholics.in/2013/08/internationally-indian-an-entrepreneurial-journey/

Enlivening Events, The Social Way: Monks’ Mediaworks

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”

-Alan Kay

Very often does one get worked up when there is an upcoming event in one’s family which is often a make-or-break situation in India. The very nature of celebrations being ‘Grand’ is not just an occurrence but a norm today. And maybe that’s why Monks’ Mediaworks came to our notice.
A young and newer outlook in tow, here’s a team that is set to change the very dimensions of events- corporate, live entertainment, weddings and brand activations. What caught our attention is the commendable collective experiences of each member of their team.
Startoholics had the opportunity to interact with the team consisting of Bhavesh Chellani ,Sagar Nair( the Co-founders) and Ankit Gupta(Head of Operations). These are the excerpts from that conversation.

Could you shed some light on your life before Monks’ Mediaworks? What motivated this start-up?
We had been working together ever since the second year of college. It started with being in the same project groups in college. We used to make last-minute presentations and felt a sense of accomplishment.
Individually, we’ve always been inclined towards events, which is one of the reasons we started working professionally together. The first project we worked on was Sunburn Festival 2010 in Goa, which involved us being on ground for about 2 weeks. This led to the start of a good professional understanding that has eventually resulted in us working on numerous events, a year- long stint at Star India Pvt. Ltd. And finally starting a company together.

Tell us something about the first step towards Monks’ Mediaworks. Did you receive any funding from angel investors?
The idea was initially born on a train ride back home from work. We were both confused about where our careers were headed to. In conversation, we thought it would be a good idea to try and start something together. Something big. Something despite being done-to-death, would interest people. We wanted something of our own. The thought of inviting investors never came to our head, we’ve decided to stick to what we have and grow from there.

How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors?
We’re much younger than most of the established people in the industry. People who we hope to compete with soon. Our belief is that the way events are done nowadays is a somewhat stagnant and straightforward process. Innovation has taken a step back for guaranteed results. We believe every traditional activity can be approached in a different way and we will ensure that this shows in the quality of work we provide. Our original concepts and beliefs are something we hope to use in every project, whether it’s our own or for a client.

What challenges have you faced in your entrepreneurial journey? What has been the toughest decision you had to make lately, if any?
The biggest decision was to quit our jobs. Leaving the assurance, a monthly salary, the daily schedule and the network you’re a part of.
Most people have ideas that they wish they can execute but can’t due to pressure from work, family etc. We decided to start off young, where our burdens are lesser and our scope for growth is tremendous.
Also, believing in the strength of your passion is something that you can’t do without. If you don’t believe in your interest, you cannot pursue it.

 

What are your plans for promoting Monks’ Mediaworks? Also, do you have any tie-ups?
As of now, we’re sticking to digital and word of mouth publicity. The personal connect that these two platforms offer is what works for us. Putting an ad in a newspaper doesn’t tell our potential clients what we are about. A conversation with them is what will allow them to believe in us.
We’re currently working with a digital agency, Chimp&Z Inc., who are doing fabulous work in their field. Our friends at Belzack Creatives have designed our logo and brand identity, which has been instrumental in the buzz created about Monks’ Mediaworks.
We also work with Concept Prints for our printing solutions. The team at Fuego Photography will make sure that our events are captured forever.
The best part about our tie-ups is that most of them are friends, working the same way we are, setting the same targets as we. It’s always good to work together as a team, even though your line of work may be different.

How many events have you organized till date and where?
We’ve just come out with our brand, so Monks’ Mediaworks is still looking to announce their first client. We have some projects that are still in the pipeline, so we’ll reserve those for once they’re finalized. Together though, we’ve worked on various events such as Sunburn Festival Goa – 09, 10 & 11. Sunburn Mumbai 2012, Filmfare Awards 2012, Planet Pitbull 2011 etc.

What more do you wish to include to take Monks’ Mediaworks to the next level?
We’d love to work on Intellectual Properties and BTL activations. We believe both have incredible potential and are highly unexplored areas in our country. Both are very quality-oriented and that is exactly the kind of work we’re hoping to do.

Has Monks’ Mediaworks got the feedback and growth you expected since launch?
Again, we haven’t got a chance to gauge our growth since we’ve just launched. However, the feedback and response we’ve received has been tremendous. Friends and acquaintances we haven’t spoken to in years have come out to congratulate and complement our work. We’re really in no position to complain. We’re loving the response that we’ve had so far.

How important is the role of Social Media, according to you, for the success of any startup?
As mentioned earlier, I think it’s a fundamental need for any startup as of now. No other platform offers a fixed set of people to talk to at any particular time or place. Social media is currently the best way to go out, search for the people you’re hoping to talk to, and actually getting in touch with them rather than a print ad or a TV spot which may or may not reach out to your audience.

What one piece of advice would you like to give to the soon to-be startup founders?
Do your homework. No business is easy to start. Ask yourself if this is what you want to do for the next 40 years of your life. If you can say “yes” without hesitating, there should be no reason for you not to chase your dream.

Here’s wishing Monks’ Mediaworks a successful journey with a destination that is as beautiful as the wonderful work that they are doing.
This voice does hold promise. Don’t you think so? Leave us your feedback .
And already marking off the event-list’s headache? Well here’s the easy way out – Monks’ Mediaworks

http://startoholics.in/2013/08/enlivening-events-the-social-way-monks-mediaworks/