Darshan M – sports marketing, media and entertainment expert – is currently Director, Spoment Ventures Pte Ltd. and Brand Consultant at Lucky Bone. He has a wealth of experience, having served several senior roles in a variety of interesting verticals – sports marketing (motorsports & cricket), advertising, media (TV roles have included – MD & CEO – i1 Super Series, Machdar Motorsports Private Ltd., COO Deccan Chronicle Holding & Print) & Ad Sales. He knows the realm of “from idea to reality” well – Bangalore’s “Midnight Marathon”, Channel COORG, or the “Cafe Chronicle” at Cafe Coffee Day are some examples of his work. Darshan’s recent roles have included – MD & CEO – i1 Super Series, Machdar Motorsports Private Ltd., COO Deccan Chronicle Holding Limited, CEO/VP/ Consultant, Deccan Chargers Sporting Ventures, Senior Business Director, Group M India Pvt. Ltd., Founder Director, Crossover Sports Private Ltd., Country Head, Globosport.
“Failure” – needs to be addressed, understood and embraced by the entrepreneurial community and society at large, if we are serious about ushering in the Startup era.
Darshan’s session – “Failure” was a session that touched many in the audience – it addressed the core of what it is to be an entrepreneur – take risks, aim high, don’t plan for a safety net ….be prepared to fail, if it happens pick yourself up and don’t be afraid to dream again. Here are the Lounge47 key takeaways from this session:
1. Understand that failure is natural. It can happen to anybody however well prepared
2. If you are wise, you learn from failure. Value the experience and your learnings
3. If you fail, revive yourself, face the world, take responsibility for your actions and most importantly, tell the truth
4. Understand yourself, figure out your strengths and bring in people to fill in the gaps
5. If you fail, value the experience you have made and do not undercut yourself
6. Aim for Big Audacious Goals, no matter what
7. Build a good team – when alone you may go up faster however when together you go much further
8. A middleclass upbringing pushes founders to want to keep 100% of equity. Understand that equity should be parted with to bring in the right kind of expertise
9. Get a mentor early, even an entrepreneur who may have failed but can add value to your Startup
10. Entrepreneurs worry too much about “what will people think”. People/Society have no time for you, they are too caught up with their own lives
11. Be ready to learn. Stay humble. Ask questions
12. Keep an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and switch jobs when you stop learning
13. Don’t take life too seriously
14. Be kind to people on the way up, they are more likely to be kind to you on the way down
Failure in India results in social and family pressure. We need to all play a role in making it ok to fail….of course as long as one did their very best.
