Following the footprints

​As I grew older we lost touch but gained it back few years back. Avinash Taware and Akash Mavle. Avinash aka Avi dada was an aspiring figure when I was a kid. Studious and talented he owned first computer in our neighborhood – 386 it was. While we used to use it for playing games, he always had something on the screen that looked cryptic to us. 

I was referred to Akash (LinkedIn) by Avi (LinkedIn) couple of years back as I wanted advise on entrepreneurship. Akash is a “been there done that” figure. Since then, I met him multiple times. Sometimes with a product idea, sometimes just to brainstorm. Akash has funny but apt anecdotes…and every single time we met, he spoke of two things. 1. Plunge: Entrepreneurship can not be done side by side, with fall back options. Jump into it and you will learn the rest. 2. Coffee table entrepreneurship: We”talk” 100 may be 1000 good ideas. Taking about ideas across the table without action is coffee table entrepreneurship. 🙂

As we walked , in the trail in woods on a cold pune wintery morning…the warm discussions kept throwing winter steam out of our mouths. Avi who comes from core engineering is revamping his future and has joined google. I still didn’t understand what is he doing after writing a book, owning over 35 patents…but at this age it is inspiring! Akash who runs a 200 people company (after building 2 and selling 1) is dreaming to build something awesome in data science, AI. Working in parallel on multiple products.! This is aspirational. 

On the narrow road, they walked ahead me when I looked at their footprints. Attempting to put my feets on their footprints, I smiled. I had listened and acted on Akash’s advise that he gave from his heart. The conversation continued, the walk continued. Taking ques from the past, dreaming about future, we talked and we walked. The road became wider and I could see many divergences. I could have asked Akash, “which way to go?” and he could have thrown some anecdote and answered, “it’s called choice entrepreneurship…make your choice boy! Nobody else can make it for you!” 🙂