Book review: Irrationally Passionate by Jason Kothari

What makes an entrepreneur successful is not just your education, your grit to push forward in the face of adversity, definitely not just luck and timing but the composition of her decisions come from the culmination of several experiences from childhood, friends, family values, traditions and a lot more than what you can read in a book. And there is no quick solution to any problem and that definitely is not in a book. Then why would you be reviewing a book on entrepreneurship?

Is it because, the author has helped turn around the down trail of not one, but many companies and that too in different cultures, markets, verticals? Maybe, yes, but more than that he exposes his vulnerable moments and how he was able to bring in his experiences and work towards the solutions and that is something really interesting about this particular book. Jason makes it look so easy but cautions you that the reality is harsh and how we are to maneuver through the problems and fight our battles. 

Writing style: While the writing style is that of a first-person, lifestoryish journal, it is unfair to call it a romanticized version of Banting gran. It is true, fresh, raw, direct and in your face facts kind of writing that makes you connect with the author, be in his shoes, face his enemies, fall in love with him for his failures make you hurt and his victories are having you cheer on. Easy to read and pleasant to finish over the weekend. 

Pros & cons: The problem in the book is that Jason is an excellent negotiator and makes it seem easy and then it helps you understand what Jason believes that one should learn. Every entrepreneur cannot be a great businessman and it is vital to note that and take corrective actions so that the business side doesn’t get affected. What I loved in this book is the fact that Jason doesn't sugarcoat it for you. He lays it out, bare naked truth. he was bullied, he was beaten, he was punished and had to do more than what his other counterparts could do but tat energy he takes in to build himself up. Whether being a great negotiator or taking tough decisions while rebuilding something or helping entrepreneurs learn how to be a great businessman, he is clearly digging into his lifetime of experiences and moving forward.

Whether it is SprayIT or Valiant or Housing.com, he has managed to bring in the change in the working style of the stakeholders, making things fit into a channel of success was tough. His seven pillared principles seem to be close to reality and being an entrepreneurial journey myself, I see gold in his glow. ‘Irrationally Passionate’ explores the turbulent and successful life of Jason and how it can inspire you to take up the entrepreneurial journey and helps few lifebuoys to fight out the rough waters. 

Verdict: A must-read if you are thinking about starting out your entrepreneurial journey. A perfect gift for youngsters to understand the nuances of being a business owner.

Rating: 3.5/5

Monday Blues: Every step counts. Make it count.

Did you know that a honey bee travels 500 times from flower to flower to get one drop of honey? Five hundred times! Every single trip might not give enough to notice but it gives a small, tiny bit of contribution to the main goal. If the honey bee expects to see big results at the end of every visit, it loses its focus. But being consistent, regular and showing up with the same enthusiasm helps it to have progress. 

The same applies to sales tasks, therapy, fitness. Every single step counts. Make it count. Even when there is no visible progress, non grand change, make it count. Be your best, motivate yourself and push forward. Because soon enough you will have seen through and you will have enough to talk about.

Life, work, health, relationships are hard. Now if you see the honey bee, while it is collecting honey, it also helps in pollination of 500 flowers. In one way the bees keep the entire cycle of pollination, plants, food, vegetables going and without them the world as we know will cease to exist. The direct action of the bees is just a drop of honey but the indirect action is the world going forward. So while your small steps might get you to your main goal in sometime, they might inspire others in your team, families of your team mates, your clients and that is a pleasant result. 

So keep moving forward, regardless. Make small steps of faith forward, cheer up and move on.