Thursday, May 14, 2015

Rahul Yadav's win-win strategy

Rahul Yadav, a drop-out from IIT, Bombay and presently CEO of Housing.com is a brash 26-year old entrepreneur who has no patience for what he thinks is nonsense. He branded the Directors of his company 'intellectually incapable' of understanding his strategy. He questioned the motive of the Times group (whose entity 'Magicbricks' competes with Housing.com) in publishing an article undermining his company. He has cautioned the companies trying to poach his employees to behave.

Among all these difficult-to-justify moves, he has announced his intention to allot his shares supposed to be worth Rs.150 crore to his employees who number more than 2,000. He has said,  “I am just 26 and it is too early in life to get serious about money and the like.” It is at once a noble gesture and a shrewd business strategy of involving all staff members in company's development. It even sounds too good to be true.

Odd are the ways of start-up upstarts. Their maverick behaviour intrigues and infuriates those connected with them as financiers, suppliers etc. This is perhaps the first time that any Indian entrepreneur in his twenties has decided not to care two hoots for Mammon. 

Warren Buffett took a different stance towards giving up wealth. He decided to donate his wealth only in the later part of his life because he felt he must multiply his money a thousand times before becoming an effective philanthropist. Of course, Yadav's gesture many not qualify for philanthropy. It is nevertheless a brave innovative move that deserves emulation.

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