Just keep walking

The journey is the pleasure.

When outcomes are beyond your influence, you realise that all you can do is to make each step count. This insight has been my bonus from running a bootstrapped enterprise for the last few years. So, when a batchmate who now teaches at a college, invited me to speak about my entrepreneurship experience to her students, I instinctively negotiated a space for a farmer entrepreneur to join me. She agreed. This was not a beneficiary coming for testimonial. He was a fellow entrepreneur, running his own social enterprise, sharing his views and opinions on the subject. We were two panelists sharing on our experience.

In over 20 years in the development sector, I think it was my first of this kind. 

I invited Pramod Mahanta, who runs his own nursery and hi tech farm to join me. Pramodbhai partners with us in getting I am Kisan users on board. Those who buy his saplings, also buy the I am Kisan market advisory and services package. He provides consultation to other users.We supported sale of his produce in March 2020 of watermelon, which created a demand for watermelon among farmers in his area. Subsequent year, we worked with these farmers for production and market advisory and linkages. We are now supporting their initiative – called Jagrut Kisan, Kendujhar to come together to share knowledge and experiences on new technology for better returns. 

Pramodbhai and I spoke a couple of times to figure out our common thoughts and a common problem – webex! We agreed to focus on “what is our understanding on what it means to be a social entrepreneur”. Not all of it made to the talk!

We both agreed that social entrepreneurship was business in the realm of the social. It was about social change. It was also about running your business viably. Profit is not for maximization but a route for sustainability. Pramodbhai added the dimension of employment generation through the enterprise for others.  We were different in our focus on these two dimensions. He was focused on the business, with social change coming through his intent and his product itself, besides the other linkages he was establishing for them. For me, I realized that my business viability is often compromised for the social change potential. Carrying both business and change is the key.  

His strategy on people management quite different from mine. Many people will cross your path, he says, but you have to learn how to speak to each of them, while holding your own. You need to build a relationship with someone who is there to steal, before you tell them not to steal. Attitude, Timing and Technique is important to managing people! I realise I leap to respond, guide and speak before building that relationship. Must be a function of my privilege. 

We talked of the importance of quality in one’s offerings and win the trust of farmers and clients. Pramodbhai has checked this box through his hi tech nursery. His work is visible. Success on his farm creates its own demand. For him, he ensured production returns for farmers from using his seedlings. This is the key – the user will not see your offering, but the end result for the farmer. For us, the advisory and linkages have to result in better returns, longer crop duration, less hassle of sale. Discovering what your product can do for the farmer is an important part of the journey for any social entrepreneur in agriculture.

There will be a need to create demand for new services and products. This was through demonstration of value, step by step. Change could be small, but would come. One needed patience and perseverance. What kept me anchored in this was sense of purpose. For him it was a feeling of his giving to his community and taking lead on behalf of others. 

It was interesting to see Pramodbhai and my journeys! As someone from a farming family, entrepreneurship and self employment were not new to him! I had to spend some time to unlearn things I had learnt in formal institutions. Our enterprises had both come about by chance! He was working in Bangalore and an unexpected situation that brought him back home. A friend inspired him to get to agriculture. Early success kept him in. He said, I cannot working in this system. I thought let me create something of my own. My entrepreneurial journey was a by product of my life choices, but the sentiment resonates! 

Change is slow.

Two years ago, it struck me that I had missed an important point my entire professional life.  I was too busy looking for opportunities to make a change. I didn’t realise that change meant passing the mic. Not speak on other’s behalf, but have more spaces where they can share and engage others in their own stories. Change is slow. This time I was able to hold my intent through the introduction, planning, tech support. Despite everything, he often got asked – so how has Vriddhi helped you? In reiterating that he was not there in his role as a user for us, I also underplayed our business partnership. While it was only a small part of his own story, it is still a part. Passing the mic is not undermining or denying your place in the other’s life. 

Seeing the person for who he is, not a peg in your story or narrative is perhaps the beginning of a more mindful life. As my friend shared messages from her students about the talk and emailed the recording to both Pramodbhai and me, I felt like I had finally taken a step. I fought a familiar cloud of regret of not having done it earlier, to sit and write this post.