WALTHAM, MA—Philanthropist, serial high tech entrepreneur and venture and angel investor Desh Dehspande has published his first book: On Entrepreneurship & Impact; and probably he is the best person to talk about entrepreneurship and its impact on society.
His first three questions are: (1) Are you ready to be an entrepreneur? (2) Is entrepreneurship worth It? (3) Is entrepreneurship an art or a science?
The book is published by Deshpande Foundation and its foreword is written by N. R Narayana Murthy, founder of Indian tech giant Infosys. Even the foreword by Murthy makes you think right away.
“In business, you might be able to gain some kind of advantages using shortcuts. These advantages are short-lived. If you want to gain long-term advantage, you need the right foundation of values and principles at play,” Murthy says. “On Entrepreneurship and Impact” is a refreshing take on the themes of entrepreneurship and impact. Every article highlights a value, principle, mindset or an approach at the foundational level rather than providing a popular tip or a technique. The focus is on the long-term win rather than gaining a fleeting advantage.”
And then again who know entrepreneurship better than Murthy himself and who knows Deshpande better than Murthy, his brother-in-law.
“I have been a witness from close quarters to watch Desh build multiple successful technology companies in the first phase of his career and now repeating his success via thoughtful philanthropy and innovative ecosystem building initiatives like the Sandbox at Hubli and other locations,” Murthy says in the foreword. “In this book, Desh generously shares his practical insights that will create a lasting impact on the thinking of those that are aiming to create a lasting impact.”
The book has only 105 pages, but each page contains powerful, practical and inspiring message. The book is divided into six sections: (1) Start, (2) Manage, (3) Grow, (4) Develop, (5) Impact, and (6) Engage.
In acknowledgement of the book, Deshpande says that it is collection of some of his reflections on entrepreneurship and social impact.
“Building a company is very much like a childbirth in many ways. It is an unique experience for every parent and they have to go through the experience to understand the pain and the joy,” says Deshpande. “ However, over time the process of childbirth has improved dramatically with better understanding. Similarly, a better understanding of the entrepreneurial path is improving the entrepreneurial success rate attracting more people to entrepreneurship as a career.”
In the introduction of the book, Deshpande says that the world has changed dramatically in the last six decades that he has witnessed.
“Most of the changes have been brought about by technological innovations and entrepreneurs who have put them to good use. Millions of people have been lifted out of poverty. The power of innovation and entrepreneurship continues to multiply in the connected world we live in,” says Deshpande. “However, the difference between those who benefit from this new economy and those who get left behind continues to widen. While there is a lot of conversation about a ‘shared economy’ there is no obvious solution in sight. In some ways entrepreneurship is what is creating this divide. However, I think entrepreneurship can also fix this problem.”
