1. Valuing Excellence
supreet@oberoi.com

2. Why are we here?

3.  An endeavor that creates a series of
financially profitable transactions
 Anything “else” is just an activity
What is a Business?

4. This is an Activity

5. This could be a Business

6. Creating a Business is easy…

7.  Gain position of dominance
 Create sizeable profits
 Protect and expand base
… but building a sustaining one is tough

8. Creating differentiation is the key

9.  Do something you know is relevant, but
others do not know (yet)
 Better yet, do something that will change the
world!
 Achieve something for which people will fall
in love with you
 Achieve something that very few can
Q: How can you be different?

10. A: By gaining Excellence

11.  Builds a culture of success
◦ Tentative efforts lead to tentative results
 Earns loyalty – customers & employees
 Attracts excellent people
 Protects your business
◦ * You get to send thank-you notes to competitors
 Makes you enjoy the journey
What does Excellence get you?

12.  Brilliance in approach – cunning, bold,
cowardly, and breathtakingly brilliant
 Hard work & Passion
◦ You need to lose sleep over it
 Critical thinking and Adapting
◦ Be visionary, but be willing to adapt your vision
◦ Challenge authority, but learn from them
◦ Keep a smile, but be cynical
 Above all, … Winning!
Defining Excellence

13.  Do you have a jaw-dropping offering?
 Do people who test your product end up hugging you?
 Does your team argue a lot?
 Can a team 3x your size from Bangalore build the same
product?
 Do you have a manager (“business person with no proven
skills”) in your team?
 Are you driven insanely by a vision?
Does your team have Excellence?

14. How do I gain Excellence?

15.  #1 – Join the company of Excellence
◦ Be flexible on personal chemistry
 Aim to be the best in what you do
◦ That (sometimes) requires being insanely competitive
 Stand out of the line
◦ Either you will come out as a fool, or as a genius
 When possible, be the second mouse
◦ Learn from the mistakes of the “leaders”
 Think “customer”, not business
(my) Tips for Excellence

16. Hire the Best… (and make a promise to
never compromise)

17. Learn from Competition

18. Have a plan for Profit… (before
you write your first line of code)

19.  An offering is a manifestation of a
brilliant team put together, working in
unison towards a cunning and a well-
laid plan
Build a world-class Product

20.  A great student does not make for a great leader
 Beware of the PhD syndrome
◦ Remember, you were trained to critique, not to inspire
 Develop a CAN DO attitude
◦ Get small victories to develop confidence
 Having a believable, yet a compelling vision
becomes the key
Attitude determines Altitude

21.  Gaining success is like a game of golf
 You have the right ingredients, but:
◦ you need to build upon it
◦ the world is becoming more competitive
◦ doing business in Silicon Valley is demanding
 Setting a culture of excellence in your
professional life will (seamlessly) bring it
together
 The results from Excellence will bring innovation,
profits, and seed funding…
Summary