#65 Decoding some lessons from TVF Pitchers

The most awaited season of the web series Pitchers was out last month which left us overwhelmed. Know why?

The OTT industry and content creation through Web Series are hitting our chords of emotions and logic and amending the way we think. There has been a buzz around this most awaited series for 7 years, and today, when it has been released, it has taken the entrepreneurship world by storm. Right from the famous dialogue of “Tu beer hai” in season 1 to “Tu whiskey hai” in season 2, a lot has changed for the show.

While season 1 depicted the struggle of 4 boys, how they broke free and laid the foundation of a start-up, Season 2 took a step ahead to showcase that starting is easy but maintaining and running the start-up as a full-fledged company is not a joke. Imagine the guy, who has given his all to provide shape to his dream, he has nothing more to lose than what he has already lost, left his comfort zone and is riding through the curvy waves of external pressure to row his boat to the finishing line. You will get similar vibes from the protagonist Naveen and his team, who are experiencing the highs and lows of his life at the same time. Whether they will make it to the finishing line or not, they definitely made their way to our hearts and mind through a clear narrative around founders and their start-ups.

The story decodes much more than just business, it details human emotion, how he reacts when betrayed, how he mends his way back to the goal and maintains personal relationships. Some favourite dialogues from the show:

• Jab Bhi Sapne Chote Ho Jaate Hai, Naveen Unka Font Size Bada Kar Deta Hai

• India Ke Har Chaurahe Par Problems Hai Aur Ham Unhe Solve Karna Jaante Hai

• Jaha Struggle Nahi Waha Pragati Nai

• Pehle Se Time Aur Context Dono Badal Gaye Hai

• Either We Go Down Or Change The Company’s Direction

Here are some learnings that I picked up from season 2 of TVF Pitchers:

1. One decision can change your life

   Across the 2 seasons, Naveen made some important decisions that could change the fate of the company all by himself without involving his core teammates. Right or wrong, good or bad, the change often becomes unbearable when the outcomes are unfavorable. But he had the ultimate courage to deal with the consequences with equal confidence.

   What Naveen has you might not and it’s okay to seek advice from your close ones, but remember the decision has to be yours so that you can bear the weight of consequences with ease

2. Pivoting is directly proportional to growing your Business

   Evolution is important to remain relevant with the new trends and technology enhancing the industry around you, be it for an individual or for a company. Pivoting or opening new horizons for your business helps you grow at a faster pace and solve the jigsaw puzzle of new opportunities.

   Take the case in point for In-Conversation, we started it as a webinar platform to help students with new trends, be we evolved further to curate content through blogs and e-books, drive workshops and provide guest lectures. You never know what the opportunity door holds for you unless you open and enter inside.

3. Don’t let competition stop you

   When we entered the start-up market, we realized that every individual has some crazy idea to tell to people around, but very few of them took out the time to try and execute their ideas into action. You will even find some people commenting that we had similar ideas as this company is doing.

   No matter which industry you step in, you will have to face some fierce competitors, but just like Naveen and his team, you should not stop putting effort and executing your ideas thinking that your competitor has the capacity to consume them and make money.

4. Team Building is a crucial exercise

   The right people at the right time are the core strength of any organization and can together change its fate. Building a team requires some serious thought around the culture, practice, experience and willingness that an individual adds to the company.

   Remember the struggle the founders had to find a CTO and the team engagement maintained by Aprajita (who was announced as CTO later). Pragati team meet-up and strong alignment over the mission held the people together to turn the dark clouds into happiness.

5. Right partners will always stay by your side

   Be it life partners or businesses, if the person is right and loyal to you, they will stick by against all odds. Just like Shreya who was the first investor at Pragati or K C Desai who eventually realized the potential of the company and invested back, only true people who are aligned with the mission can contribute selflessly and add to its growth.

   Take time to ensure that the partnerships you are forming and business relations you are having are not superficial rather they add value to you and your work.

6. Resilience opens the door for ‘Rebuilding’

   We all face ups and downs during our lives, we can be either shattered and give up or we can be resilient and determined to start over again. It was a very low moment when Pragati was shutting down and Naveen had to let go of the team and business for once. While the road was unknown, he was sure of the path he wants to walk towards.

   “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying ‘I will try again tomorrow’.”― Mary Anne Radmacher

The series tug the heartstrings of an entrepreneur and the life full of chaos and uncertainty they live to build their dream into a reality. They feel numb, sad, anxious, depressed and like a loser one day but they choose to not give up and rise with a new dawn.

One of the huge mistakes people make is that they try to force an interest on themselves. You don't choose your passions; your passions choose you." ~ Jeff Bezos