PERFECT SHOW WITH "OUR OWN BOOK" FOUNDERS - Dhruv & Anubhav

A Creator is vision-focused and passion-motivated. To really live into your Creator self, you are called to do the inner work necessary to find your own sense of purpose—whatever touches your heart and holds meaning for you.

~ David Emerald

Ever heard of "Yongle Dadian" ?? Its a Chinese encyclopedia,written by more than three thousand scholars in the 15th century. Why Am i talking of some Chinese Manuscript here... Well, for an information, "Yongle Dadian" holds the unofficial record for the longest book written by different authors. Now after 5 centuries, we have someone who are aiming to create a new record by having four thousand contributors work on a single book,. Who is it ? Entrepreneur ?? Student ?? Well, its a mix of both.,. Let me welcome Dhruv Bhushan and Anubhav Jain to the PERFECT SHOW. And yes, you guessed it right..For the first time, PERFECT SHOW has 2 guest in the Show. Dhruv & Anubhav , IIM-Indore Alumnus, Founders of OurOwnBook.com, a user driven community, which brings together users who wish to write and in an interactive and collaborative form to develop a storyline which would be published as a book. Both the guest opinions have been recorded so that the individualistic views are put forth for the benefit for all.. To tell more about the guests,

Dhruv is the ideas man who provides the grounding to create the next big businesses. He possesses a very strong academic and extracurricular record with interests in diverse fields.

Anubhav is the one who gets the work done properly and in time. He is the force that drives people to attain the best in them. An avid reader and debater, Anubhav also possesses a very strong academic and co-curricular record.

Its over to the Show...

THE PERFECT SHOW.

Host: Prashant Sree - PS
Guest: Dhruv Bhushan - DB & Anubhav Jain - AJ

PS: Dhruv and Anubhav, Welcome to the Show. This is the first time, PERFECT SHOW has 2 guest at a single time. It's a pleasure to have you both in the Show.
DB + AJ : Thanks Prashant. We are happy to be in the Show.

PS: What are you passionate about in Life?
DB: I equate passion with being happy. What we are passionate about makes us happy. I am happy when I am doing something, anything. I can’t be sitting around doing the same thing over and over again. I love to experience anything new and try out my hand at whatever I can. I thrive on challenges and love it when I have to push myself to accomplish any task. So you can say that I am passionate about experiencing the variety and challenge of life!

AJ: I am passionate about the value of time. To me time saved is money saved. Punctuality has always been the most important virtue to me. I have always tried to be punctual in the various spheres of my life. And to me, some one who does not value time – be it his or others’, is not some one I would like to be associated with.

PS: Very Well said. Happiness and Time-consciousness, very vital combination for any aspiring Manager. Can you share your learnings from your life with us ?
AJ: One important lesson I have learnt of late in life is the way one balances the various aspects of one’s life. Through the tough way, I have learnt that personal and professional lives are two different facets of being alive. The moment these two get mixed, havoc may arise. One should be clear about personal and professional preferences and treat them as two mutually exclusive compartments.

DB: Hmmm, let’s see. Three things come to my mind.

• First, life moves on, so better move on with it. Earlier, I used to spend a lot of time pondering about and fretting upon things that had not turned up the way I wanted them to. But, I am fortunate to have realized that life is like driving a car. We refer to the rearview mirror, we have our eyes on the road ahead, but most importantly we are focused on the steering wheel and the pedals. So learn from the past, look towards the future, have control over the present. Only then can we move ahead. If we disturb this balance, all we end up is with a huge crash!

• Second, life is not fair, so deal with it. I always was an idealist thinking that everything would automatically happen perfectly; that people would treat each other with love and compassion; that everyone would be treated equally. But, this I have realized happens only in utopia. And life is not a utopia. It is only a march towards utopia. There is a natural hierarchy of power and a chain of command. Survival of the fittest has changed to survival of the powerful. Though I still am an idealist to a great extent, I understand that if we really want to make radical changes to the social order, better first rise to a higher level!

• Third, one life is all we’ve got, so make the most of it.

PS: Thanks for sharing the learnings.They are indeed insightful..What would you change, if you are given a wish to change one thing in world ?
DB: I believe that we can only change ourselves and our actions. It is only through our actions that we can influence change in others. But yes, if I am allowed to play God and want to make one change, it would be to ensure that everyone takes responsibility for his/her/their own selves and stops passing the buck around. That would ensure that our march towards that utopia would become a lot easier.

AJ: Well, if given such a wish, I would like to eradicate the world of the evil of illiteracy. I believe that all other evils stem from illiteracy and education could be the ultimate cure that could make the world a better place to live in.

PS: Thats true.,. Enlightenment occurs through self realization, which one achieves over a period of time.,. Who is your Favorite Mythological Hero and why?
AJ: My favorite Hero would be none other than Lord Krishna, for the message of Karma given to the world by him in the famous conversation with Arjun on the teachings of Gita.

DB: I really do not believe in favorites. It is an enormity to pick out one from a whole bunch of brilliant heroes, or song, or books, or people, or anything for that matter. But yes, given my being named after Dhruva, I have read a lot about him and am inspired by his focus, determination, commitment and selflessness.

PS: Ok, there we have a commonality between you two.,. Mahabharatha ;). Ok, What would you like to stand for in your life ?
DB: Purpose of life is to find the purpose of life and then try and achieve it. Some find it sooner, some later and some never. I am still looking! Though I would definitely like to be remembered as someone who lived life as he wanted to - by his own principles, and ended up doing a lot of good for the people around him.

AJ: I would always like to stand for an India that believes in the power of truth – whatever is the outcome or how so ever long it may take, truth is the ultimate power that prevails.

PS: Hmmm.,. Iam sure we are on our way ahead.I hope both of you really achieve what you aspire for. What do you consider as your charm?
AJ: I am someone with whom my friends like to share their unsaid secrets and whom they look forward to when they need someone to stand by them. I have always been the motivating force behind my loved ones.


DB: I haven’t ever thought of this. It’s definitely not my looks! So has to be something that I do or believe in or some aspect of my personality. But seriously, I don’t know. I might not even have a charm. I better start asking my friends!

PS: Thats nice to hear.,. Maybe your charmed one might be of some use ;) Well, just kidding.. What is Your Thumb Rule for Life ?
DB: Honesty is the best policy, with some recently added caveats :)
- Never lie for personal benefit or someone else’s loss.
- Lying for others’ benefit is to be decided on a case by case basis.
- In case the first two do not provide the answer to your dilemma, do what you feel is right.

Being dishonest very well might give quick results, but in the end, it is a worse path to have taken. Either follow the rules or change the rules. Do not break them.

AJ: One thing that I have always believed in my life is that whatever happens happens for good or “Jo hota hai achchhe ke liye hota hai”. With this belief in my mind and heart, my life has become steadier and I have faced the tougher times of my life with much more strength and determination to move ahead.

PS: Wise sayings. More wiser if implemented in our life.,. Who are your Role Models in your life ?
AJ: My mother is the role model for me for all that she has done for me, for all the times she has been with me, for the way she runs my family, the way she has fought against all difficulties and has made me what I am today.

DB: I derive inspiration from a lot of people - my dad for his sacrifices and growth from his very modest beginnings to what he is today; my mom for her endless talents and continuous support; my family as a whole for making me what I am; Gandhi for his principles; Steve Jobs for his creativity; Branson for his spirit; Ambani for his persistence; Sachin for his performance; Bachchan for his humility; Teresa for her kindness; JFK for all that he was; the list is endless.

PS: Thats commendable.,. Since both of you are avid readers, can you share the books have influenced you a lot?
DB: Again, a diverse selection here. Starting from some as simple as the Secret Seven or Chacha Choudhary which inculcated the reading habit very early on to as complex as the Bhagvad Gita and Arthashastra for trying to simplify the complexities of life. Influence also depends a lot on context, so I was also influenced by books like Sam Walton’s, Made in America to Kiyosaki’s, Rich Dad Poor Dad that pushed me to start my first business. These days I am trying to read up on a lot of non-fiction, especially biographies.

AJ: One book which I loved reading and has influenced the way I have started looking at life is “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey. I believe that by constantly trying to implement the lessons of the book, I have improved on the way I interact with others, the way I present myself and the way I look at others. It’s a must read for everyone.

PS: What was your motivation behind starting OurOwnBook? Can we have your separate opinions ? :)
AJ: To be frank, OurOwnBook stems from my passion for writing. I have always been into writing stories and motivational stuff. OurOwnBook is an initiative for all such people, like me, who love to write but either didn’t have enough time to write a long book or didn’t have a platform for doing so.


DB: OurOwnBook was born out of the desire to do something totally new, unique and revolutionary in the internet domain. Of course, it was also fueled by the love for books and wish to write. Some feel that as we are ‘entrepreneurs’ money was the main motive behind launching OurOwnBook, but that is not the case. In fact, I have already pledged any profits to me from the first project of OurOwnBook to a charity doing stupendous work for children.

PS: Can you tell us, how it all started and around which time in College?
DB:Both me and Anubhav had decided to start something very unique before graduating from IIM Indore. Having won several competitions over the two years, including many b-plan events, we had a lot of ideas. However, they were all from a business perspective which required a lot of time, money and effort. So after thinking a lot about what to do, we narrowed down to the internet domain, which would be inexpensive and also allow us to make something available to the greatest number of people. This was late December 2007. Having brainstormed on a couple of ideas and not getting anywhere, we were sitting in the college mess on January 21, 2008 wondering about the next steps. It was then that discussion somehow veered towards our love for writing and books and both of us almost together said that lets start something which would allow a lot of people to write. It was then that we thought about the game where people continue building on stories by adding something to whatever was last said. We agreed that this could work, and voila, the seeds of OurOwnBook were sown.

AJ: It all started in the month of January 2008, around second week when both Dhruv and I decided to start a web-venture which could be something innovative, something completely new to the internet-savvy generation of today. And during our discussion about our hobbies, our childhood days, the games we used to play, etc., we came across the game where we used to complete a story by adding a line each. This was the moment that the idea of OurOwnBook struck our minds.

From there on ideas kept flowing automatically, till we reached a draft vision as to what we would like it to be, allowing anyone to write, becoming an author, publishing of books, creation of records and the rest. Finally OurOwnBook.com was launched on the midnight of March 5, 2008.


PS: Did you have any benefactor while starting this new initiative? (In the sense, anyone who guided you and supported you, apart from your parents and close friends)
AJ: Of course, all our friends and family members have been very supportive throughout the working out of this venture. But one person whom I would like to thank would be the designer of this website, Uma Parvathy, one of our juniors at IIM Indore, who worked day and night on this venture and without whose efforts, this would simply not have been possible. As regards to funding, it was through our own personal savings and winnings from the competitions. So the organizers of these events can be counted as other benefactors!

DB: The development of the project was kept mostly a secret with only me, Anubhav and a few other people knowing about it till we launched a teaser campaign on campus. Till that time the friends did help with a lot of ideas and potential problems. And we can never forget the contribution of Uma, our junior, who toiled tirelessly, even when her exams were going on to design and develop the entire website. Once it was launched though, everyone was very appreciative and supportive of the same. I would like to thank all of them and also the friend who inspired me to write in the first place.

PS: Great to hear that. Iam sure it will be inspirational for aspiring entrepreneurs to know that as long as you are committed to your cause, you will definitely get enough support... Suppose if someone wants to contribute to the story , how do they contribute ? And how does one get to know whether his part has been accepted in the main story?
DB: The first project which is to create the story with the most number of co-authors requires the members just to register on the website and continue from wherever it currently is on the web itself. No need to attach any document or sending across anything. Just visit the website and follow the simple guidelines. There are only a few posts which are a major deviation or unauthorized content which are removed.

Rest all the contributions, either it their own form or edited are incorporated into the story as it is indeed a collaborative effort. The first edited draft can be seen on the Story So Far Page of the website. Plus as the book nears completion, we would be informing the authors whose contribution has been accepted and asking them for verification details for purpose of the record.

AJ: To send your part of the story, you need to register on the website and start authoring! All contributions to the story, subject to approval by moderator, are accepted in the story. Only those contributors, who deviate a lot from the story, are given warning messages, the rest being accepted by OurOwnBook team. The acknowledgement of one’s contribution in the story can be seen on the ongoing story page. If one finds one’s lines in the story, one can be assured of his contribution being accepted!

PS: Well, Anubhav and Dhruv, i have learnt quite a few useful things from you too.,. Your life learnings have been equally accommodative.,. Iam sure the readers will also appreciate that fact. On behalf of my readers, I wish you both All Success in all your endeavours. God Speed...
DB+ AJ: Thank You Prashant. We too enjoyed the show. All the Best.