April 14, 2010

And I won that day

A situation arises in everyone’s life, which argues that the principles you believe are all wrong. If you or your principle is weak, you’ll loose that argument. And the judgment says you must leave those principles.

“Abhi, Motorola HR had called me asking you number. They will shortly call you. I think after these days they are calling means that’s for good. Say yes if they offer you the job OK.”

“Common Mom, what are you speaking..? How can i say yes? OK OK. Some other call. I guess it is from Moto people. Cut the line now. I’ll call you back.”

“OK”.

I received the other call.

“Hello, Is this Abhilash?”

“Yes. I am Abhilash. Who is this?”

“This is X from Motorola. Are you working Abhilash?”

“Yes sir, I am working for a start-up. Name is CloudCubes.”

“Would you be interested for a job here Abhilash?”

“Sorry sir, I am happy with my current job.”

“Oh! OK. Bye Abhilash. Thank you.”

And the decision was done. With a single word. Without the second thought. Then the criticism followed.

“You have too much head weight. Why cant you go man?”

“If you say like this your salary is not gonna increase.”

“Just because you have promised, do you spoil your career.”

And my answers were philosophical

“Its not Head Weight. Its pride.”

“My value is gonna increase.”

“No career will be spoiled, unless he thinks so.”

And the worst thing happened couple of days later. Another Email came to my in-box again with the same offer. The first time, I made my decision within a second. But this time I could not. Might be due to criticism I faced or some other thing.

Now this time, the situation started argument with me.

“See, The salary is almost twice. You must go there at-least for your parents.”

“My parents know me. I don’t have to go there just for that cause. And with the knowledge I acquire in start-ups like this, my career will have a leap soon.”

“Hey, What will you say in the next interviews you face. The pay hikes will be in percentage.”

“I believe in becoming excellent. And more ever I have job satisfaction here. Salary might increase here once the products do well in the market.”

“Market! It is always down for start-ups. Don’t expect that soon. Just see the opportunities the other side.”

“Anyhow, for such a small issue I would not let my ethics/values loose.”

“Is this small. What about your parents who believed you’d get a good package, solve every financial problem. You are forgetting the ethics towards them”

“These things I had to think before I would join this company. Everything was over the day I accepted the CloudCubes offer.”

“Hey, Come on. Do you think CloudCubes or Motorola is gonna harmed by your decision? You say your boss is very brilliant. Don’t he know that people like you would get out, once you get the other offer. Are you the first person he is hiring. He will know that you will leave once you get Motorola offer. He is just trying to keep you here as long as he can with his words. Its all HR techniques. Then Motorola. Does it get hurt by your decision. It has many employees like you. Ultimately, you are getting hurt. Don’t be emotional when judging your career.”

“Might be. But I am not getting hurt. How will I be. The people who lead the industry today are all start-up products.”

“Name some…”

“hummm…I don’t remember One…”

“It is not that you don't remember one. You don’t know one. It is just your belief that people learn a lot is start-up put up by people like your boss.”

“So, you mean to say I must leave all the ethics/values that i believed till now. I cant do that.”

“You are speaking the same thing again and again.”

“I know my value. I know that these things will help me out some day. Being a asthika(ಆಸ್ತಿಕ - one who believes in god), I can’t break my word.”

“Then why are you thinking so much? If you have belief in god you should not had. God and those things will not work in this Kaliyuga. You know that you have to leave. Have you given some bond..? No. Have you given your marks card to him..? No. So there is nothing like you should not leave. Common don’t say philosophy right now.”

“How will I say my boss I am leaving..?”

“Don’t say anything. Just say you got a call from Motorola. Rest he will speak, and I know then you speak well. Just dial to his No.”

I almost accepted defeat. Got the mobile number of my boss from Roopesh (Colleague and friend). Called my boss. He was at some work. So I said “I will call him back after 15 min or so.” and disconnected the call.
Some 8-10 min later I got call from my boss Raghu V. Hudli.

“Hello Raghu, this is Abhilash. Can I speak to you right now?” (So called professionalism.)

“Yes. Sure. Tell me what is the matter?”

“Raghu, I got call from Motorola, regarding the offer….” (I could not speak any further)

“hmmm….. We will speak about it on Monday Abhilash.”

“I have decided not to go. Just thought of informing you before I reply to them.”

“Oh! If you have decided then its great. Thanks for your support. We will be working on breakthrough technologies shortly……………….(Something more about it)”

“My friends and family members are not really happy with my decision Raghu. Please help me prove my decision is right.”

“Definitely Abhilash. Because you have to see the long term perspectives. You have selected that long term vision. And the good things you have; I think they will take you a long way ahead.”

And the call continued for another 2 minutes or so.

“You again proved you are a fool. Emotional fool.”

“Not at all Mr. Situation. You sometime make my thoughts so narrow that I don’t see the alternatives. In the gap of getting a call from Raghu, I began to think the alternatives. What made me join this company? Even if I knew that situations like this would arise some day. What made me to accept their offer? Was that just a desperation to get a job? No I cant go that less with my confidence. I knew what I was doing. And I knew that after joining I had to forget the Motorola offer.

There are several other reasons why I accepted the offer. The learning, the freedom, the exposure and of course the happiness that would be there. Now just due to you I forgot all those things. And above all I just saw myself on my boss’s position. What would I feel, if someone had broken a word with me. No, I cant be that person. I have my pride. And more than that I have confidence. I cant loose myself because silly situations like you. If I had done the alternate thing, I would just not be happy.

I know, there will be a day when I will look back and say; Wow! what a decision I made that day. It changed the whole story.”


***And I won that day***


Special thanks to:
My parents: for supporting me in any decision.
My brother Avinash: He is on my side. No matter whatever I do. [At-least until now :) ]
Mohammed Shaffi: My only friend who said “I know you’d do that Abhi. That’s why I like you.”
Joby C.J., Ravitheja & Other friends: Arguing from the situations side. But very valuable one’s indeed.
Santhoshanna and Rajanna: For the support in making a decision.
And I know I have missed many here.

6 comments:

Manjunath.SV said...

Hi Abhi u have taken good decision, I support it..

Santhosh Mugoor (ಸಂk) said...

Wish that special day comes at the earliest and then forever it will be yours !!

Abhilash S Hebbar said...

Thanks santhoshanna...

Prasanna Kumar said...

Hi,
Intersting post. The post was interesting for me because I am reading it after almost 9 months later.

Where does CloudCubes stand now?

Do u think u made a right decision? after 9 months can you say that?

Wish u best,
Prasanna Kumar.

Abhilash S Hebbar said...

Prasanna,

Sorry I read your comment a little late.

However, now I am in a better position to answer your question. :)

I have learnt a lot working with cloudcubes. And more than that I have enjoyed every day I have worked here.

I have worked on large projects individually. That has given me a lot of confidence.

I am right now moving to an other startup, which is a opening in India. I am heading the venture. So that is a lot of progress to make for me, with just 2 years of experience.

So overall I feel the decision is correct. I have never felt bad for that decision.

Bharat Satya said...

Perfect decision,good luck with your new start-up :)

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