By Prakash Gurumoorthy
MD, Group FMG India
John Wheeler, the famous American theoretical physicist, once said, “We live on an island surrounded by a sea of ignorance. As our island of knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance.” These wise words have guided me throughout my career and continues to fuel my curiosity. The day I lose my sense of curiosity, I think I will lose the game too!
Valerio Massimo Manfredi’s Alexander trilogy, complete with tales of how Aristotle shaped and mentored the great Macedonian king, mentions this interesting story in particular. Ptolemy once asked his friend Alexander about what kept him going. Why had he not succumbed to enjoying the luxuries of his many conquests already? Alexander simply replied that he wanted to be remembered as the candle that glowed intensely even if for a short duration, rathen than the candle that simply lasted longer.
Like Alexander, I believe one should retain the inquisitive nature of their mind with a strong level of intensity. I also believe that my mind is more fine-tuned now than before, thanks to reading, sharing and staying hungry. Why am I saying all of this? After my many stints with large corporates (by accident) initially, I led a cutting-edge startup, where I continuously learned and, at the same time, use every iota of my thought process to build the organisation. This job allowed me to truly discover what I was passionate about, along with my strengths and weaknesses.
But more importantly, during this journey, I developed a continual sense of hunger and intense curiosity, as I firmly believed that whatever I know today will be obsolete tomorrow. Thanks to my then boss, MH Narasimhan, I developed a habit of reading and relating what we absorbed to what we do in the workplace or other areas. I also realised that whatever institution one comes from, you need to read to make sure you’re constantly updated and that the information you’re equipped with is always relevant.
Currently, I’m with a Digital Marketing services startup called Group FMG, where creativity, marketing and technology intersect. The era of digital marketing has picked up immensely and everyone has a story to tell: how do you capture and create stories and connect with end consumers using technology; what should be the offline-online ratio, etc. We do all of that, and play with multiple channels including digital, print, packaging, mobile, social etc.
Through the course of my career, I’ve learned two important lessons. One is the fact that certain decisions push you to take a journey of self discovery.
We always think we are in control but I am not sure whether we really are. I left a secure job with a big brand to join an unbranded start up, then moved back to a corporate where I re-discovered what I was good at, and then moved to a start up again. We can call it ‘back to the future’ if you want, but the fact is that I don’t think I was in control of all these decisions 100 per cent. I made these decisions with a lot of courage and self-belief, but perhaps I can give a little credit to luck or destiny too, for making these successful.
Secondly, I remember the background story of The Whole Earth Catalog from Steve Jobs’s 2005 Stanford University commencement speech). American author Stewart Brand founded this American counterculture publication, before the era of computers. Every issues of the publication was made using typewriters, scissors, and Polaroid cameras. And yet, it was idealistic, and overflowed with great ideas. Stewart and his team brought out the last issue sometime in the mid-70s. On its back cover was a photograph of a lonesome, typically American country road lit by early morning light.
Beneath it were the words: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” I follow this ideology till date. Perhaps that’s why, I always look forward to the journey rather than the destination.
Feedback: prakash.gurumoorthy@groupfmg.com
