Youth Incorporated Magazine

Inspiration isn’t all you need to be an entrepreneur. Transformational experiences, life-changing lessons and eventful work hours are just some of the things AIESEC will provide to help you on your way, finds Sidhant Bhutani

History seems to have had its time watching researchers and educationists debate over the definition of entrepreneurship. Most scholarly attempts at characterising entrepreneurship would revert to an elementary explanation, which is ‘Entrepreneurship is the process of discovering and being able to sort out opportunities from risks, and strategising plans, which on effective execution leads to financial self-sufficiency.’
While I was scrolling down my LinkedIn homepage, I came across an article by Linda Descano, Managing Director at Citi, titled ‘8 Cardinal Rules to be a Successful Entrepreneur’. In an uncomplicated language, Descano hits the nail on the head and hence comprehension was like shooting fish in a barrel. She has shed light on little yet critical things such as clarity of work, innovation, perspective thinking, the need to plan, adaptation, etc. What stood out even more was that entrepreneurship required evolution, more than just learning.
Transformational experiences, life-changing lessons and eventful work hours – it is impossible to find these tailored onto a mannequin. For decades, AIESEC has been catalytic in guiding the youth through an inimitable array of practices and activities, which directly or indirectly sows the seed of an entrepreneur within. In his interview to Forbes by Subroto Bagchi in 2010, Rajeev Mecheri, currently the Managing Director of Mecheri Smart Capital, owes his gratitude to AIESEC and its programmes, of which he was a part in the early 90s. It was here that Rajeev got his first business idea – iMetrix Tech. His business skills were so astounding that Siemens decided to buy out his company with one condition: Rajeev and his brother came with the business. While Rajeev moved on a few years later, his brother remained in the building technology business, located out of Switzerland. The acquisition then was valued at a whopping $100 million. This story reassures us that young people of today are the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. The idea of business ownership as a vulnerable career for youth requires, as mentioned before, an evolutionary learning. This is where unique youth organisations such as AIESEC come into play.
Inspiration is available all over the Internet. But the power to get ourselves started lies in our hands. Aspiring young entrepreneurs need to wake up to the living dream of better tomorrows. Until then, we can bask in the glory of all the forever-young, who have etched their names in the pages of history.

In recent times, a gazillion articles, success stories of bright young people, self-help guides have inundated book shelves. Looking at it closely, one will be pushed to the simple conclusion that a lot of people, especially the youth, are hoping to be entrepreneurs. From ticket dispensers at metros to fast food counters all around, the world is bewitched under a spell that we call ‘ instant’. In such an outline, a to-be entrepreneur needs to possess unique qualities that will place him or her on a pedestal of limelight.

Volume 3 Issue 2