When entrepreneurs get stood up

What's the first roadblock to a new business?

A revenue model? No.

Customer analysis? No.

Seed funding. Not always.

Setting up the right team? Bingo!

So after quitting the high profile Big 4 consulting job, where I was used to interviewing candidates who were dying to work for the firm, I realised how frustrating interviewing can be when you're small fish. Of course, I had expected people to be partially interested in the job profile or haggling for better packages. But I had never, ever expected to get stood up.

Over and over and over again, I found myself sitting in the local CCD, waiting endlessly as one candidate after another chose not to show up and refuse to take my calls. It was weird because when we spoke the night before to fix an appointment, they all sounded really excited to join a startup. What changed in that one night, I'll never know.

Or will I? Because I'm a data driven person, I have an excel sheet of all candidates I've ever shortlisted, along with a history of events (remnants of the consulting phase of my life). This is the right time for me to say that if I ever planned my revenge, beware you guys! Okay, okay, I digress...and sound too much like the movies I watch. What I found in this data was that every single candidate who stood me up was female! Every. Single. One.

Were women more prone to standing employers up? As a woman, I didn’t like the idea of that, but the data driven me couldn’t shut out the possibility. Or was it that women did a lot more research than men before a job interview and were deciding my fledgling startup was not worth it? A friend even suggested that maybe male candidates would have stood me up too, but didn’t because they were curious about being interviewed by a woman!

Whatever the case, this has got me thinking. With everything being rated and reviewed in today’s world, why can’t candidate professionalism too? Candidates who block your time by confirming their presence and then don’t bother turning up (or informing, or picking up your calls, or responding to emails) should face the consequences of their actions. None of the leading job portals online have the facility to tag a candidate as an absconder.

As an entrepreneur who doesn’t have an HR team doing the groundwork for me, I’d sure love to know the standing up history of a candidate. In fact, I’m sure recruitment companies would love to use this as a shortlisting method too. Where’s the next tech company telling you to “get your interview professionalism score here” to bag the next big job?

Go make that app! That’s my free advice to budding entrepreneurs for the next big business idea. Now all you need to do is get the right team…

The future of content marketing (and Spacebar)

So much has happened since my last post in 2009. I can't believe I let this slip for so long. But I am back, with many experiences that I'd like to share. Here's just one thing that's on my mind today.

In April 2013, I started Spacebar - a content marketing agency - with just one employee. Today, we are 9 people in office and I hope to grow larger. We have gotten thus far with no real sales team. It's now time to get aggressive with sales and increase market share. Our initial competitors were freelancers. Now, we have started competing with other small agencies. The future is Artificial Intelligence.

Yes, AI is the future of content writing.

This is not what I mean by automated writing (Source - franck calzada on youtube)

In January, I had a video call with a sales guy from Oz Content. Their product gives interesting research points to create new content. This means that the content writer need not have in-depth business knowledge to create insightful articles. The automated research gives the writer context and connections. Big data is in play here. However, a writer is still needed to write the article.

Wordsmith by Automated Insights has taken this further, creating reports that explain metrics being measured by marketing teams and even develop charts. In probably 5 years, we are gonna be looking at a lot more content being automated.

Somewhere down the line, Spacebar might be headed in that direction too, developing a mix of automated and human-created content. In the meanwhile, its time for sales, sales, sales.

"How to hire someone" by Axis

I got a call from a guy named Hari from an HR Consultancy for a job at Axis Consulting. Now I am without a job currently and I wouldn't say no to a really good offer if it came my way. So I told him that I would be interested with a 10L fixed package and they seemed okay with it. I had also spoken to a friend of mine who used to work with Axis and he told me that if I was looking for contract jobs (which I was), then I could ask the HR during the interview. So I told the head hunter that I was interested.

Two days later, I got a call from Manish from Axis HR. First thing I noticed about him was how serious he was. There was not an iota of friendliness in his voice. He didn't even ask me how I was doing. Now I may be spoilt by Ernst & Young, but since I am, I expect to work with a bunch of fun people in the future. I categorically cannot work with a bunch of boring people who don't get jokes.

Manish asked me if I had received a powerpoint presentation about Axis. I hadn't and when I told him this, he said in his same serious voice, "OK I'll ask someone to send it to you and I'll call you back in 5 minutes." These are the kind of uninterested people you meet at government offices! I know it just might be that he had a hard day at work, but boss, I was started to get pissed!

I received the email with the ppt and Manish called back promptly. "Did you get the ppt?", he asked. "I just got the email. I was going through the text of...." and before I could finish, he said "Okay I'll call you in 15 minutes then." Now I really didn't like this guy and to be very honest, I didn't wanna work in a company that had people like these. But I was wondering, "Do you want to do the interview now?" "Yes, we'll do it right away." said Manish. No, he didn't ask me what would be a good time for me or whether I was busy. Just because I was not working, he didn't think it was important to ask me. That was it.

As I hung up, I tried to think of what I wanted to say to him. The HR of a company always gives you an idea of how employees are treated. This gave me an awful picture. Didn't seem like people skills were necessary for HR to have. When he called back later, I told him I was looking for contract jobs before he could say anything. And when he said there were no such vacancies, I told him I wasn't interested. To hell with him.

And with the same angry serious tone that he started out, he said bye and hung up. He was never rude to me, I'll make that clear. But he was like a strict authoritarian, disciplinarian general telling me what I was supposed to do next. See mail. Read ppt. Interview now.

Fuck. When will companies learn? I'm not desperate to get a job with you. YOU need an employee. Respect your potential employees and we'll respect you back.



UPDATE (07 Aug): I received a stinker! Yes, a stinker! From Hari from the HR consultancy. I'm actually now confused if he's from Axis HR or a separate organization! Read on.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 10:47 AM, Hari Babu - Axis HR wrote:

Hi Alpana,

Have you informed to me that you are looking for a contract/part time job.........If you mentioned to me then why I am going to process your profile to Axis........Plz be clear what you are looking/want exactly and plz don't waste any body time,energy and herebelow the comments have got from my client.

Best Regards,

Hari Babu.D

From: Tripathi, Manish M
Sent: Thursday, August 06, 2009 5:37 PM
To: Dasgupta, Digvijay
Subject: RE: Resume of Alpana Mandal for IT audit Sr Consultant position

Hi Diggi

The candidate had informed the vendor that she was only looking at a contractual/ part-time engagement. So obviously she is an HR decline.

It’s surprising how could Hari not inform us about something as critical as this.

Thanks

Manish

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To which I replied (of course)!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

from	Alpana Mandal
to		Hari Babu - Axis HR
date		Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 12:35 PM
subject		Re: Axis risk consulting JD & presentation for your reference
mailed-by		gmail.com

Hi Hari,

I don't know why Manish would say that. I categorically told him that I hadn't given you this piece of information since I had just been offered a contract job with my ex-company and found it more lucrative.

I would also ask you to refrain from sending me stinkers like the one below.

Let me tell you that there were also some other reasons why I didn't go forward with the interview:
- Not once during my phone conversations with Manish was he friendly to me. Courteous, yes, but not friendly. I never got the feeling of being comfortable. Unfortunately, I cannot work in such an environment.

- When I asked if the interview was going to be taken "now", I was simply told yes. For some reason, my convenience of time was not asked. Not even considered.

I'm sorry, but I got a feeling that I will just not fit into such a company, given the totally different nature of my last company. This email from you just makes that feeling stronger.

Also, Hari, I'm guessing you are simply angry because of the escalation to your boss (assuming). Firstly, it doesn't warrant for a stinker like this, especially to a candidate. I have never seen an HR personnel do this before. Secondly, feel free to forward this to your boss. The first two sentences of this email should do your bidding.

Regards,
Alpana Mandal.

Auditor song

When the mind is empty, we end up making shit like this!

Kabhi kabhi, auditee, zindagi mein yuhi koi apna lagta hai,
Kabhi kabhi, auditee, woh control ineffective kare toh sapna lagta hai,
Aise mein koi kaise apne aasuon ko behne se roke?
Aur kaise koi soch le everything’s gonna be ok?

Kabhi kabhi to lage zindagi mein rahi naa khushi aur naa mazaa,
Kabhi kabhi to lage har din mushkil aur har pal ek sazaa,
Aise mein koi kaise muskuraye, kaise hass de khush hoke?
Aur kaise koi soch le everything gonna be ok?

Soch zara jaane jaa tujhko hum kitna chahte hai,
Haste hai hum bhi agar teri aankhon mein aasu aate hai,
Gaana to aata nahi hai magar phir bhi hum gaate hai,
Ki, auditee, maan kabhi, kabhi saare jahan mein andhera hota hai,
Lekin raat ke baad hi to savera hota hai..

Kabhi kabhi, auditee, zindagi mein yuhi koi apna lagta hai,
Kabhi kabhi, auditee, woh control ineffective kare toh sapna lagta hai,
Hey, auditee, hass de, hass de, hass de, hass de, hass de, hass de tu zara,
Nahi to bass thoda thoda thoda thoda thoda thoda muskura..

Tu khush hai to lage ki humari kaam hai adhuri,
Sooraj chupte hai badlon se, aur baaten zindagi,
Sun to zara madhosh hawa tujhse kehne lagi,
Ki, auditee, wo jo bichadte hai ek naa ek din phir mil jaate,
Auditee, jaane tu ya jaane naa audit karne phir hum aate hai..

Kabhi kabhi, auditee, zindagi mein yuhi koi apna lagta hai,
Kabhi kabhi, auditee, woh control ineffective kare toh sapna lagta hai,
Hey aditi hass de, hass de, hass de, hass de, hass de, hass de tu zara,
Nahi to bass thoda thoda thoda thoda thoda thoda muskura..

Vocationing in Montreal

If you think I've made a spelling mistake, you're mistaken!!

I'm in Montreal for work - Testing IT Controls for SOX compliance, based on the COBIT framework. The day starts at 0630 or 0700 hrs when I get out of my bed, take a shower, read the morning newspaper while watching CNN simultaneously, have my breakfast at the Marriott's mezzanine floor and finally leave for work. A 10 min walk to the company's shuttle stop and then a 10 min bus ride.

Work is more than work, it's an experience. The people who work for my client are predominantly 20 yrs older than me. Or more. Worse, they've spent all those 20 yrs working for the same company! Which makes me think 5000 times before I open my mouth for any advice. Which is a lot of thinking to do, since I am here for advisory work! But what's great is that they don't throw around any attitude, even though they very rightfully could. They aren't averse (like a lot of Indian counterparts I know) to gaining knowledge from a young lady and will accept problems identified to them. Of course, there are always a few hardballs who will just not see it from another angle, but then the world is full of these guys, scattered here and there.

By 1630 hrs, most Canadians are packing their bags to go home. Most Indians, unused to any such privileges, sit till the last shuttle came, which was at 1850. Though I must say this works in my favor tremendously. The Canadians come to office by 0730 - 0830 while I like to reach at a neat 0930. They get some actual work done before starting meetings with us consultants. By evening when they've left office and all meetings for the day have finished, I get about 2 hours to wrap up all my observations and document them.

And then of course, its time to chill. Get back to the hotel, have a change of clothes, and go walking around the streets, or in the underground city. Maybe have a coffee and read a good book. Maybe visit Mount Royal, which is a beautiful walk up the mountain which gives its name to Montreal. This is possible, mind you, only because it's summer time and temperatures are a pleasant 16 degrees centigrade on most days.

What I notice most about the people in Montreal is that thy strike a good balance between their social and professional life. One guy in office there was taking the next day off coz it was his mom's birthday and he'd let his boss know that. Somewhere in the middle of the day, his boss came up to him and said, "There's urgent work tomorrow. There's a meeting you must attend.". To which this guy simply replied, "I'm sorry. I told you it my mom's birthday tomorrow. You'll just have to ask someone else!". How many people can tell that to their boss in India!??! In fact, how many people would even think of taking a holiday for such a reason? The attitudes are poles apart. Maybe this example was a bit too extreme. Bending too much towards your social responsibilities versus your professional responsibilities or vice versa is definitely unhealthy. But the Montreal ke rehne waale keep a good balance. They don't spend long hours in office just to make an impression that they're working. They leave early and spend the rest of the day with their friends or families. Its something you don't see much in a city like Mumbai. By the time I come back from long hours of work, after the train journey from Churchgate to Andheri, I am in no frame of mind to do anything else. Especially once I reach home, there's no way someone can coax me into leaving for a party, or even a dinner get-together. But then, the laidback style of functioning does not exist in Toronto, the financial capital of Canada. And therefore, comparing Montreal to Mumbai is not a comparison of equals.

But sometimes you realize that in cities like Montreal, there's a quality to your life. One that doesn't exist in Mumbai. The time to spend with loved ones, the time to sit by yourself in a park reading a book, the time to sit in a coffee shop all day and not be thought of as someone useless, the time to go for a long walk (on a weekday!!). The time to do what you want to do most.

Sarbanes Oxley's IT requirements

One of the most interesting internal audits that I have come across is the SOX audit. Now I don't come from a financial background and although I have always wanted to be a finance whiz, I found that there were always a million people way better than I. So I did what came naturally to me - took up Information Systems as a major in my MBA degree. So I got a job as a consultant in one of the the Big 4 companies and have been doing audits and advisory work for some time now.

While all of the other projects involve a lot of routine checks and redundant implementation guidelines, the SOX project is a complete learning experience. If you really wanna know more about the SOX act, I recommend you to read this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarbanes_Oxley .

So what role does an IT person play in a SOX audit? Well to start with, SOX is an act that deals with the financial reporting controls of an organization to be transparent, credible and accountable. Every big organization today depends on their ERP or other enterprise applications to generate various financial records. Also, most revenue generating services of any organization run on the underlying applications that are indispensable to the company. What if these applications itself are running in a malicious way? What if they don't correctly interpret the input, don't process accurately and worst of all sins, don't give appropriate outputs! What if a customer of the service should be billed $50 but is actually billed $52? So all the financial controls are in place, but the application is proving to have less credibility.

Thats where IT auditors come into the picture! We check all critical applications and check that application controls, too, are transparent, credible and accountable. Since IT applications are the platforms to any functional process in an organization, it becomes very important to understand and decode the process each critical revenue generating application flows through and ensure that enough measures have been taken for appropriate conduct of those applications. These are preventive measures. It is also important to include corroborative methods which log and record critical controls in each application which primarily serves as a means to catch a problem if and when it occurs. These are detective measures.

The reason a SOX IT audit is so attractive is because of the thorough and in-depth understanding you get of the organization's processes. You not only brush against industry expertise, but also come across some of the industry's and technology's best practices. In a few weeks, you learn about a particular industry more than some people do in 5 years. And you get to talk to the senior-most of executives who share morethan 15 years of experience for you to understand their processes better. The organization I'm auditing currently is in the telecom industry and the wide array of knowledge I have received in the past few weeks about telecom processes is just phenomenal!

If you ever have a chance to do a SOX audit or SOX preparation for an organization, go for it. Absolutely.