Honing a Problem-Solving Mindset

A photograph recently made rounds on social media of a few kids carving out a carrom board in mud and playing to the heart’s content. Cut to the usual scene in households, the child aggressively holds out against the parents who refuse to buy them a board game. This isn’t confined to the kids alone. How often do we see people around us whining over a problem? When was the last time we thought of working out a solution to a problem than cribbing about it?

Problem-solving attitude isn’t a mere leaf out of a Psychology textbook. It’s a life skill that accelerates success chances for individuals and enhances the overall quality of life in a society. It’s a problem-solving mindset that leads to world-changing innovations. For avid readers, imagine the world if Johannes Gutenberg did not work on the constraints of woodblock printing and invented printing press, enabling mass production of books!

The usual tendency, especially in this part of the world, is to feel victim to the problems without realizing our intrinsic contribution to it. The fact that one raises a cry over a problem than doing something to resolve it further adds to the woes. Smartness is to train the mindset for finding a solution than getting overwhelmed by it.

The perks of a problem-solving mindset reflects not just in personal life, but in the growth of a nation as well. A small country like Israel with population lesser than the capital city of our country is an apt example of this. Despite sitting on the hotbed of international disputes, the quaint country decided to divert its attention to identifying and resolving problems of global intensity so much so that it has emerged as the startup capital of the world, breeding over 6000 startups that impact employment and revenue around the world.

The instance also corroborates the intrinsic relationship between startups and problem-solving attitude. Startups are disruptive players owing to their unique trait of thinking out-of-the-box solutions to widely bothering problems. And this out-of-the-box thinking is the result of creative bent of mind, logical thinking and passion for solving problems. Perhaps, in a state like Assam that has just begun considering the formidability of entrepreneurship beyond the traditional reverence for a government job or a career in medical, teaching and engineering, the foundation of a strong startup culture lies in developing a knack for problem solving than raising hue and cry about it.

With academic intervention, knowledge sharing and leadership training, the goal wouldn’t be a real bear to achieve. The startup initiative by the Department of Industries and Commerce, Government of Assam, in association with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park as the Knowledge Partner, is a right step towards the direction. The Avant Garde incubation centre in Guwahati, Assam Startup – The Nest, has been in operations since 20 January 2019, rigorously grooming the fledgling startups to blossom into uninhibited problem solvers and leaders. The first batch of 52 startups are drawing closer to the end of 6-month incubation period. And apart from raising funds, the top performing startups from the batch are expected to metamorphose into leaders who can lead by example as relentless problem solvers and torchbearers of positive thinking.

Greater problem-solving skills instill a confidence to pull out of the most impossible of situations through creative and logical thinking and effective decision making.

While we sing paeans to the problem solvers, it also brings us to the necessity of being one as well. Whether planning to startup or trying to deal with life’s hiccups, the most important way to start is to look at problems as an opportunity to self-challenge and grow in the process. Enumerating below 5 key steps to hone a problem-solving mindset.

Take Responsibility

“This isn’t my problem. Why should I bother about it?”

Running away from a problem is when you add to a problem. It’s hard, but learn to admit to a problem and take responsibility for it. Tell yourself that it’s your problem and only you are responsible for resolving it. Once you learn to do that, congratulations, you have laid the foundation of leadership.

Stay Curious

Once you take responsibility, you feel obliged to probe into the problem. Here enters the role of curiosity.

Here’s an issue affecting you. You want to find out a way to resolving the issue. But before taking a step for resolution, you must know the problem inside out. You have to go deeper into the problem and reflect on its root causes and ends. Curiosity might kill the cat. But it’s surely a blessing for humans.

Identify the Goal

When faced with a problem, a common reflex is to run immediately for a solution. However, the ideal way of dealing with a problem is to first decide on the desired outcome. Understand the deep nature of the problem to determine the ideal situation you’d wish to achieve. Once clear about the ideal goal, you are in a better state to understand and execute the problem solving process.

Stop Blaming; Be Objective

When I say take a probe, I mean an objective examination of something that’s been bothering personally. The worst option is to start blaming a third party for it. While it’s a boon to feel personally about a problem, getting emotionally swayed to aggressively blame others for it is a major turnoff. Remember, by blaming you end up draining yourself emotionally. Perhaps, you can devise a solution to stop the ones responsible for a problem. For instance, how often do you blame the citizens and the local administration for reckless vehicle parking habits in the city? Does it help? Or does it stop the ones doing it? A bunch of guys from Assam decided to find a solution to it instead. They quit their corporate jobs and founded a startup, Parking Rhino that strives to convert unorganized parking into organized parking lot through IoT automation products.

Listen; Reflect; Resolve

The biggest and one of the most common mistakes committed is to reflect on a solution and seal its efficacy without taking opinions from a third party. While a problem might be bothering you personally, empathising and listening to other’s plight from the same problem can offer better insights and more dimensions to finding a solution. And once you have ideated or designed a rough sketch of the solution, it’s crucial to get it validated by those looking for a similar solution to the problem. In short, listening to the people in your surrounding is as important as self-reflecting for a solution. The efficacy of your problem-solving mindset will be determined by the number of lives your solution is able to impact. And for that one must be open to criticisms, self-questioning and reworking on the solution to find the best way out.

To put it all in a nutshell, the grassroot trick to developing a problem-solving mindset is to believe in oneself of being capacitated to be a problem-solver, to be absorbent of the surrounding, to be able to analyse free from pre-conceived biases and to feel integrally responsible for solving the problem. And these qualities are as true for any regular individual as it is for a startup entrepreneur.

By: Pranjal Konwar

COO, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park

Startup from Assam blows new life into indigenous weavers

09NovNovember 9, 2019 By startupassam

Despite the onslaught of machine-made textiles, India’s timeless legacy of handlooms has stood strong against the test of time. According to the 2011-12 report by the Ministry of Textiles, over 43 lakh people in the country are engaged in weaving and allied industries. Handlooms worth US$ 355.91 million were exported in 2017-18. While retail giants like Fabindia have been ruling the roost, linking rural weavers to the urban consumers, relatively newbies like GoCoop and the Khadi Cult are creating noteworthy ripples as well. Following a similar model, a startup from Assam is trying to put on show the jaw-dropping variety of the Assamese handloom before the global purchasers.

Bolkol was launched in 2018 with dual motives of uplifting the economic condition of the indigenous weavers as well as promoting local handlooms among global consumers. When Purabi Medhi, a small-town artisan from Barama in Assam, was struggling to find a lucrative platform to promote and sell her hand-painted sarees and mekhela chador, she approached Krishnarjun Das, the co-founder of Bolkol, seeking help. The startup didn’t just offer her an online platform to market her products, it had also provided the initial hand-holding in terms of internet literacy, online marketing and selling, and product photoshoot, etc. Since her first stint with Bolkol in 2018 till now, Purabi has sold her handmade apparel worth over a lakh.

“Apart from claiming a higher share from selling, big retail platforms do not offer any personalized support like customized marketing guidelines, product photoshoot assistance, etc. We, on the other hand, believe in building a personal bond with the rural weavers to not just get buyers for their products, but also help them grow self-reliant in terms of mastering the marketing mantras,” elucidates Krishnarjun.

The startup’s hand-holding efforts have also won it a collaboration with the Handloom Textiles and Sericulture Department, Government of Assam, under which, the startup will impart product promotion training to the weavers.

For all the marketing assistance provided to the weavers and artisans, the startup keeps a 10% commission from every product sold. Since 8 months of its operation, Bolkol has managed to rope in 3 clusters in Assam and 12 individual weavers.

The startup has, lately, completed an order for 30 Assamese gamusa by a party from Pune, who had approached them after watching the honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi sporting a gamusa recently. “It was an emotional moment for us. The party had searched for the gamusa online, but the prices were exorbitant. That’s when they approached us. After delivering the products, they had sent us photographs wearing the gamusa. Indeed, it was one of those ‘chest swelling with pride’ moments! That’s exactly why we started this venture – to tell the world about a rich aspect of our culture, i.e., weaving,” says Pranjal Kalita, the second co-founder.

Understanding the need for value addition to the model, Bolkol has also come up with its line of apparel, with slogan T-Shirts leading in popularity. Encouraged by the demand, the startup is gearing up to launch a production unit at the upcoming Handloom Park at Barama in the Baksa district of Assam. “We are planning to share the fabric samples with reputed fashion houses across the country. Drawing bulk orders will be a big boon for the weavers,” explains Krishnarjun.

Founders, Krishnarjun and Pranjal, however, do not wish to confine the startup to handloom alone. They have opened the gates for handmade jewellery makers and miscellaneous indigenous product artisans as well. The latest inclusion has been the biodegradable bamboo straws made by village artisans. Interested buyers may go to their website and place an order.

One might conclude that what Kashmir Box is to Kashmir, Bolkol might emerge as the same for Assam. But, the founders refuse to restrict themselves to Assam alone. Their upscaling goal is to take the model to the other North-Eastern states, gradually encompassing handloom weaves from across India.

By: Satarupa Mishra

Startup from Assam recreates Farmville-like experience in real life

10OctOctober 10, 2019 By startupassam

Everyone with a Facebook account must have come across Farmville, a farm replicating social network game. The player farms a land, raises livestock and gradually builds an estate. A startup from Assam is recreating something similar. The only difference is that this isn’t a digital game, but a real-life experience.

Abhinab Shyam, an IIM Indore alumnus, decided to bid adieu to an ambitious corporate job in order to join his father for a farming initiative in Assam. But his idea was to take the farming experience to the urban dwellers. Agro Origin took shape around this idea with a slight twist: Bringing urban dwellers to the farmlands.

Fusing the concepts of micro-farming and kitchen garden, Agro Origin offers fragments of farmland to the urban residents to grow their own crops, free from hazardous chemicals. Customers can rent a piece of farmland on payment of a subscription fee. Once a micro-farm is subscribed, customers get to select their own crops. The startup offers a wide variety of seasonal crops such as leafy greens, tomato, French beans, carrot, cauliflower and broccoli, among others. Following the plantation phase, the farmers are entrusted to manage the crops and keep the customers in loop about the crop status.

Abhinab launched a Proof Of Concept at Bortari in the outskirt of Guwahati on 22 September’19. The land has had been under cultivation – banana plantation to be precise – for the last 12 years, managed by Abhinab’s father. This has been one of the main reasons for choosing the plot for POC. As Abhinab says, “We are accustomed to the area. Apart from the scenic surrounding, familiarity of the place is something, which, we thought, would score for us at the POC stage.”

30 families have been roped in as clients for the POC, utilizing 1.5 bigha out of the 15 bigha farmland. Each family is rented a 600 sq. ft. of land on payment of a monthly subscription fee of Rs. 1,999 that includes costs of seeds, manure, soil preparation, farm management, crop harvest and home delivery. Though managed by farmers, micro-farm owners are free to lay their hands in the farm proceedings, spend hours in the field and experience the farmer’s life. After all, it’s an inexplicable joy to grow one’s own food!

“Whenever you visit your micro-farm, we will make sure that you forget all your problems and enjoy farming,” Abhinab assures.

During the launch of the POC at Bortari.

The founder has plans to install a live kitchen and a mini library in the coming days. The idea is to offer a unique, unwinding experience to the customers amid a tranquil, agrarian setup with the assurance of growing healthy food of one’s choice. The pivotal motto of Agro Origin is to ensure a transparent ecosystem where the customers can trace the source of their food. “Usually, we do not know where our food comes from. So, despite the tags of being ‘organic’, there remains specks of doubts regarding the claims while making expensive purchases of organic fruits and vegetables. At Agro Orgin, we are trying to assure complete traceability of the farm produce that form the mainstays of one’s food habits,” Abhinab explains.

The startup currently targets dwellers in Guwahati, addressing the urban pain points of chemical-infested vegetables and fruits and the tumultuous lifestyle distanced from the serene essence of countryside.

Despite being at the POC stage, Agro Origin has inspired an impact as a good number of people who had moved to other cities in search of jobs are making a homecoming in order to get involved in the project. Considering that farming hasn’t been a lucrative activity, with the predominance of middlemen and a volatile market adding to the woes, a good chunk of the population from the rural areas have been consistently outfluxing to the bigger cities in search of rewarding opportunities. Abhinab’s initiative, with a 60:40 revenue sharing model, comes as a gleam of hope for these migrating people to come back to the homeland and pursue an activity they are akin to – farming. The startup is expected to make use of its network of 300 farmers for project engagement. As Abhinab says, ‘Agro Orgin strives to build a transparent community of producers and consumers and help connect to the roots.’

Interestingly, renting out micro-farms wasn’t something Abhinab had initially thought of. Early on, the startup founder had contemplated working out a model for rooftop farming targeted towards urban dwellers. But, later on, with inputs from the mentors at Assam Startup, he tweaked the idea for the current model.

A first-of-its-kind idea in Northeast India, replication of the model in other parts of the region can help usher in a metamorphosis in terms of the easy availability of healthy food among urban dwellers as well as improving the condition of the agriculture-dependent population in the semi-urban and rural areas. The pleasure of living a Farmville experience apart.

By: Satarupa Mishra

Startup at Majuli opens door to Digital Nomads

21SepSeptember 23, 2019 By startupassam

Imagine a workspace somewhere on a river island! You working on the laptop while basking in the sub-tropical winter sun on a carpet of soft grass, against the faint flapping sound of waves hitting the bank! With the concept of digital nomads taking a grip of the millennials across the globe, Dipmoina Dowarah made a smart move to establish Okegiga Homes on the world’s largest river island, Majuli, particularly targeting this new age group of world travellers.

A wanderlust himself, Dipmoina gave up his well-settled corporate career to build a resort at Majuli in order to cater to the globe trotters, backpackers, wanderers, and digital nomads.

“I have been the crazy guy in the family. When I decided to quit my job to fuel my passion and do a startup, they thought I was putting an axe on my own foot,” says the founder.

Derived from an African word, meaning ‘mountain’, Okegiga Homes was founded by Dipmoina Dowarah and Madhumita Devi on 26 November 2017. The idea of this one-of-a-kind resort had hit him while travelling to Majuli during one of his backpack expeditions. While camping there, Dipmoina fathomed a huge potential for setting up a permanent campsite there. Initially, he had booked a piece of land and set up 11 local-style camping tents fixed on bamboo platforms with hay root ceiling. Encouraged by the demand for a place that can meet the needs of the backpackers and digital nomads at Majuli, Dipmoina Dowarah purchased a new land by the Lohit river and established the resort.

Okegiga Homes is spread across a lush area of 5 Bighas with the river on one side and wood on the other. The accommodation facilities consist of the traditional Bamboo Cottage, Swiss Tents and Camping Tents fixed on bamboo platforms. Apart from budget-friendly accommodation for indefinite stay durations, the resort also offers ample of space for car and caravan parking and self-cooking facilities. Like Dipmoina says, “A lot of these globe trotters prefer putting up in their own caravan and cook their own food. We make the necessary arrangements for the same.”

Not just accommodation, the resort also meets the experiential needs of the guests to see around the island and get a first-hand experience of the tribal lifestyle. Besides, in the wake of a demand, Dipmoina connects the guests with suitable parties conducting adventure activities across Northeast India. The idea is to offer at-home services fused with pleasurable holiday experiences at affordable prices to fit the bill for backpackers and working nomads.

It’s rather surprising that the challenges threatening the startup in the initial days were less financial in nature and more social. Coming from Moran in the Dibrugarh district of Assam, Dipmoina was faced with the arduous task of winning people’s trust at Majuli. He was looked upon with paranoia during the initial days, whereas, setting up a business there made it pivotal to build local support. Unbridled by resistance, the startup founder persisted patiently until the friction subsided.

“Sometimes, it’s better not to respond. I believe no problem can persist for a long time. Rather than trying to convince people with dialogues, I kept doing my work. And today, I am very much a part of the locality,” the founder elucidates. Perhaps, that’s a quintessential startup attitude to persist through the daunting times of inception and create a fertile ground for business through smart work.

The startup has had 2 operational seasons so far, drawing domestic tourists as well as foreign travellers from the US, UK, Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Netherlands, Israel, Japan and Australia, among others.

From an impact perspective, Okegiga Homes has managed to create job opportunities for the local residents, making room for permanent and seasonal employment for both the educated and skilled workforce. The engagement of the daily wage earners is almost constant at the resort. Besides, the startup is making major impact in terms of drawing global attention to the cultural seat of Assam, Majuli, thus creating a conspicuous buzz about the rich Assamese heritage and culture among the foreign as well as domestic tourists. Dipmoina summarises the experience of the travellers in one sentence: Once at Majuli, one can never forget it.

Having said that, the challenges aren’t over yet. Ironically, Okegiga Homes’ biggest USP, the location, also poses as a major constraint. Majuli is a traveller’s paradise from autumn through the winters. Demand is at its peak from October to March, thus generating decent monthly revenue (figures held back on request) during the operational season. But given that flood is a serious issue on the river island, tourist footfall in the summers and the rainy seasons is almost next to nil. Naturally, Okegiga Homes is restricted to seasonal operations. Although Dipmoina utilizes the 6-month off-season to travel extensively doing market research and spending time on R&D, pursuing the trend threatens to kill his business. He admits the need to chalk out a 12-month model.

“Though I have managed to recover the cost of building this property with the 6-month model, I do understand the threat on sustenance if I do not convert it into a scalable model,” he admits.

A proud Assamese taking delight in hosting such one-of-a-kind resort on the world’s largest river island, Dipmoina’s ultimate vision is global expansion and to establish similar resorts in major island nations like Sri Lanka and Indonesia. But as of now, he is contemplating establishing similar resorts in summer destinations like Meghalaya, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand in order to convert into a 12-month model. And that would require the bootstrapping startup to raise funds.

Assam Startup – The Nest is currently engaged in helping the startup work on the business model to make it more scalable that would consequently make it more investment-ready.

By: Satarupa Mishra

6 Must-Watch Hollywood Movies for an Entrepreneur

19AugAugust 19, 2019 By startupassam

Given the trending narratives about startups and entrepreneurship, many are drawn to carve their own paths and take up entrepreneurship. Yet, when one takes to the field, he realizes that being an entrepreneur isn’t as rosy as it looked like from the other side of the hill. Often than not, he/she throws in the towel the moment they are confronted with hardships. The mantra is to take the plunge only after doing a homework on the ground realities of entrepreneurship.

It’s hard; it’s daunting. It will witness a number of impasse. But a successful entrepreneur has the strength, the passion, the grit, and the smartness to take on the challenges and overturn the impediments. One might say, it’s easier said than done. But it’s never impossible. Here’s a list of 6 Hollywood movies every entrepreneur must watch that can pose as real time lessons and motivate them to take the plunge in the right spirit.

Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999): The movie is based on the two giants of the Silicon Valley, Apple and Microsoft. Who doesn’t feel the goosebumps hearing the story of struggle and the exemplary success of the two globe-changing entrepreneurs? The movie measuredly depicts the competitive rivalry between Bill Gates and Steve Jobs to dominate the computer industry. The way it follows the journey of the two giants through their struggles during the college days, to founding their respective companies, the hardships they face, and the consequent emergence of the two most influential corporate empires, without trying to camouflage their negative shades, makes it a superhero narrative that’s convincing and human at the same time.

Boiler Room (2000): Perhaps, one aspect that every entrepreneur faces, and yet, is least discussed about, is the ethics or moral responsibility in entrepreneurship. Is everything fair in business and profit-making? The movie digs into this less-talked-about dilemma of an entrepreneur about making a choice between money and morality, right and wrong. Though not one of those conventionally inspiring movies, it surely bounds a person to soul-search and make the realization that business is driven by greater motives than just minting money by any means.

Pursuit of Happyness (2006): Inspired from the true story of an entrepreneur, Chris Gardner, the movie depicts the inspirational journey of a business person from rags to riches. The movie is a tribute to the never-say-die spirit of entrepreneurship on the face of every hurdle, rejection and humiliation. The spirit of the movie can be wrapped up in that one scene where the protagonist tells his son:

“Don’t ever let someone tell you that you can’t do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you gotta protect it. When people can’t do something themselves, they’re gonna tell you that you can’t do it. You want something, go get it. Period.”

The Founder (2016): Talking of perseverance, here’s another movie that inspires one to stand up and deliver against every fall of failure. “The Founder” follows the struggle and extraordinary rise of Ray Crock, the sales guru who turned the fortune of the McDonald brothers. When the McDonald brothers struggled to expand their impressive “speedy system” for fast food kitchens beyond a single joint, Crock re-invented the business strategy for a franchise model and transformed the hitherto small eatery into the McDonald’s Corporation of the present time, thus revolutionizing the fast food industry in America. And while the audience takes away Crock’s sharp business acumen from the movie, one finds a special motivation from the fact that Ray Crock tasted mega success when he was in his 50s. Indeed, entrepreneurship can never be restricted by gender or age.

Flash of Genius (2008): The movie follows the struggle of Robert Kearns, the inventor of intermittent windshield for cars, against the auto manufacturing giants, who, he claimed, had stolen his idea sans his consent or giving him the due credit. The movie, at the very onset, gives out the strong disposition and passion of an innovator who is willing to create something that would help enhance lives, but not at the cost of letting away the credit. “Flash of Genius” is especially a reality check for those who bask in the euphoria of making a breakthrough innovation, but forget the most crucial part about guarding that innovation.

Office Space (1999): The most humorous of the 6 in the list, “Office Space” is a satirical take on the drudging, monotonous, and soul-sabotaging plight of the new-age cubicle dwellers. When the protagonist decides to give voice to his silent suffering behind that mundane office desk, he manages to strike a chord with those who had been passively contemplating on giving up that corporate job and inspires them to dare take the ‘step’ to trudge up the path of entrepreneurship.

Satarupa Mishra