Yesterday Rajan, Rajat, Ramesh, Poorna Shashank, Vijay, Bhanu and I met at JNTU to set the plan of action for BarCampHydeabad2.

After an initial check, we settled on following for BarCampHyderabad2;

Where: 1st floor of Main administration block of JNTU
When: July 15th, 2006 (Saturday).
Time: 11 am – 5 pm (tentative)

So folks if you missed on the last camp at Hyderabad go ahead and block July 15th on your calendar. This camp also comes with ‘unconference’ spirit but the effort will be focused on making this camp a unique experience.

The theme for this camp will loosely revolve around harnessing the power of mobile (through various applications and platforms).

If you have some more suggestions/ ideas, go check out the Camp Wiki and add your name and idea there. Simultaneously join the mailing list to share your mind space with fellow campers.

What can you expect when a bunch of some spirited tech enthusiasts gather at one place? Ideas, plans, future and more ideas – that is what happened when we all met. We sat down discussing thing around 6 pm and kept on talking till 7:30 pm.

During our discussion following points came to the surface;

- BarCampHyderabad2 – A 6-hour long session
- Starts at 11 am, goes up to 5-6 pm based on campers’ interest
- We will have one common talk to kick start the day
- 2 parallel sessions will continue post lunch

Following are the content options for the various sessions we discussed;

Opening session

Inspirations for mobile startups in India and the world
What the world and India is up to in mobile space
The real opportunity is here – mobile social applications, gaming, and mobile entertainment
Security issues in ubiquitous/ mobile computing
Integrated (wearable) devices
Micro formats

Open discussion session:

The Ultimate mobile device: PAST…… ipod, Xbox, origami, FUTURE
Thoughts: All integrated (with an 8 inch screen, ultra light material for portability)
Next Generation killer application: Intelligent search built into ultra light mobile device; capable of searching all available mobile applications based on the profile you key in the machine. It should one-click client setup and fast load time.
Lightening talks: 8 minutes slot (speak for 3 minutes, Q&A for 5 minutes – flexible approach)
Launch: Mobile Monday India initiative triggered by Rajan.

In between various discussions happen on the fly, as per camp schedule. We will again join for a common track on entrepreneurship. Ideally this track should consist of;

Start-up advice on things like

- When to take the plunge
- Check the marketability and scalability of your idea
- You have made the beginning, what now?
- Know your space
- Know your competition
- Why will/ should your customer buy

I am ready with my product

- At what price should I sell?
- How to market (various approaches)
- How long should I be in alpha, beta?
- Should I be slow or fast – how slow, how fast
- Show me the money
- How can I find a good forum to interact with my peers and customers?

I wrote this post as a trigger for the camp, I am sure more interesting ideas will emerge as we move forward.

Last but not the least we thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful hospitality (mirch baaji, bonda & chai) by our friend Vijay and JNTU students Bhanu & his friend.

For past week or so, I was thinking of finishing Screw It, Let’s do it by Richard Branson. Finally, last night I sat down and finished reading it.

I have been a voracious reader for many years now. But this book has to be my most interesting read in recent times. It has everything I like – a wildly successful entrepreneur, his life’s true tales and words of motivation. The key takeaways are listed below;

JUST DO IT!

- Believe it can be done, Have Goals,
- Have Faith in Yourself, Prepare Well, Never Give Up

HAVE FUN

- Life live to the full, Have Fun, work hard and money will come
- Don’t waste time and grab your chances
- When it is no fun, move on
- Have positive outlook on life

BE BOLD (but do not gamble)

Calculate the Risks and Take them

This was a big surprise for me. Because most of us think that Richard is like a gambler who bet big on opportunities and got lucky. But he suggests taking calculated risk.

He cited an instance from the Reality show The Rebel Billionaire he made in 2004. In the final episode Richard offered the winner Shawn Nelson, a cheque for a million dollars or an option to toss a coin for an even bigger prize. Shawn after a long thought took the cheque.

To appreciate Shawn’s calculated risk taking approach Richard Branson made him president of Virgin (200 companies) for 3 months. This is the value Richard attaches to calculated risk taking approach.

CHASE YOUR DREAMS AND GOALS
- Have no regrets
- Keep your word

CHALLLENGE YOURSELF

- Aim high,
- Try new things, and always try

STAND ON YOUR OWN FEET

- Rely on yourself,
- Chase your dreams but live in the real world,
- Work together

- LIVE THE MOMENT

Enjoy the moment

This reasserts the fact that core success principle remains the same whether you are in east or west. Enjoying the moment or living in the present moment is at the core of any meditation and Indian philosophy. When you are living in present you are in the state of constantly meditation.

I have experienced this in my life that by living in present moment you conserve energy, stay focused and make best use of your time.

- Reflect on your life
- Make ever second count
- Don’t have regrets

VALUE FAMILY ANF FRIENDS

- Put family and team first
- Be loyal
- Face problems head on
- Money is for making things happen
- Pick the right people and reward talent

HAVE RESPECT

- Be polite and respectful
- Do the right thing
- Keep your good name
- Be fair in all your dealings

He shares the motto of his life as, “Never do anything if it means you can’t sleep at night.”

DO SOME GOOD

- Change the world even if a small way
- Make a difference and help others
- Do no harm
- Always think what you can do to help

This book has provided me right perspective on many things. I wish that you read it and it does the same for you.

If you are keen on knowing more about Richard and his adventures in details. Checking out this link would be a good idea.

Have Fun!