The Importance of Culture

These past few months have reminded me of a very important lesson I learned over the course of my brief professional working career: how important CULTURE really is.

When I first started my career, ‘culture’ was one of the last things I worried about. It seemed like one of those fuzzy, intangible things that you can never accurately describe. You can’t measure it, you can’t really analyze it, you can use adjectives and say things like “Oh, it’s great!”, but what does that really mean? WHY is it great? WHAT exactly makes it great? What really separates a great culture from a mediocre or unhealthy one?

Soon after I first started working, I began to realize how important ‘culture’ really was. The things I initially considered important in making my career choice (money, upward mobility, international opportunities, type of work..etc) did not have nearly the day to day impact on whether I liked my job or not as the work culture did. A healthy work culture, I realized, is more than just friendly colleagues and friday happy hours (although these two things definitely help!). It’s about feeling supported, being invested, having your colleague’s back, knowing he’ll have yours. Driven to do your best work, not just for your own career goals, but because you don’t want to let your team down. In sports, this is known as ‘team chemistry’. As an avid sports fan my entire life, I’ve seen example after example of ‘chemistry’ being the primary difference between a good team and a great team.

Many of us (especially the other VolCons) came to TechnoServe in part to get away from the stuffy or relentlessly competitive culture of the banking/consulting worlds. Most of the individuals at TechnoServe arrive with similar feelings: the desire to do something impactful, the willingness to give up monetary rewards in order to pursue work that would hopefully be more meaningful than what they were doing previously. You’d think a group of similarly minded individuals working at a non-profit for a fraction of what they’d be compensated in the open market would naturally form a healthier, more collaborative culture than that of a typical corporate environment.

I can’t speak for the other TechnoServe offices around the world but at least here in India, the work culture has been a particularly disappointing aspect of the overall experience. In my opinion, the problems mainly stem from the following issues:

1. Failure at the Top

Culture is set and established from the top on down. Here in the India office, there seems to be a complete lack of awareness or care for the work culture in the office on the part of our head honcho. Not once in my time here have we ever done any kind of team/group activity. Ironically, the only time the office comes together for a meeting is when someone leaves the firm. People work in silos, either by themselves or with their immediate team members. There is no sharing of ideas, a general lack of awareness of what your colleagues are doing and no sense of community. A good leader fosters an environment where people want to work for him, which you would think wouldn’t be too difficult to accomplish at a place where the mission is to create solutions to poverty. Sadly, that doesn’t seem to be the case here.

2. Intransparent Communication

One of the biggest problems in the office is the lack of transparent communication, particularly between the managers and the staff. I’ve both experienced and heard of numerous incidences where an individual was told or promised one thing, only to find out later that the story had changed without anyone notifying them. I’ve seen individuals keep major secrets from their own team members for weeks. This type of behavior breeds mistrust and selfish behavior, quickly leading to a toxic environment.

3. No Skin in the Game

Many of the culture problems I’ve noticed stems from the model TechnoServe uses to bring on employees. VolCons are brought on for short stints (3-12 months) for particular project workstreams. For most of us, this is either a break between jobs, a transitional period before business school or a short term experiment into a new field. Not a place to invest in one’s career.

Although TechnoServe attracts graduates from some of the best universities in India, most of them typically arrive with 6-12 month contracts and view their stint as a short-term assignment, even if their original contracts end up getting extended. There is a general perceived lack of upward mobility and a lack of employee training and investment.

TechnoServe generally seems to be running a model where employees are constantly cycled in and out, not unlike many private consulting firms. If someone’s been here over a year, they’re a veteran. Although this may work well from a business perspective, the constant turnover and lack of continuity makes it difficult to sustain a healthy work culture, which is even more important in a place where employees are not being compensated at their market value and don’t have much skin in the game.

Ultimately, these issues, if left unchanged, may end up threatening TechnoServe’s mission here in India. Real impact takes many years to come to fruition, and continuity is oftentimes a prerequisite for quality work. As many of us from the private sector know, there is no easier way to make quality people leave than to have a toxic work culture.

Kerala

After nearly 3 months in Mumbai, I figured it was time to get out of my bubble and see another part of this fascinating country. Last week I took a trip to Kerala, a state located at the southern tip of India. Kerala is a skinny, small-ish state bordering the Arabian Sea and is one of the four states (along with Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh) that make up ‘South India’. Kerala is widely considered one of India’s ‘model’ states, as it rates very highly in both social (literacy rate, child malnourishment, average education level, women employment..etc) and income (poverty level, average income) indicators. A couple of my favorite people I’ve met here in India so far are originally from Kerala and after hearing some of their stories, I decided I had to go check it out.

Pictures are worth a thousand words, so I’ll keep the verbatim to a minimum.

 

We flew into Kochi and spent the first couple of days in one of the main areas of town, Fort Kochi. A noticeable feature of the area are these nets attached to big wooden contraptions that local fisherman use to catch fish. The nets are raised and lowered manually using weights and ropes and some of the fishermen were nice enough to let us do the touristy thing and help them out a bit. For a small rupee donation, of course.

At night we caught a few cultural events. The first night, we saw a Kathakali show, a form of Indian classical dance/drama that originated in Kerala in the 17th century. The make-up of the actors was exquisite, really cool.

The next night, we went to an Indian classical music show, featuring two musicians, one playing the Tabla and another playing the Sitar. They had my head bobbin’, shit was dope.

Check this out.

Next stop was Alleppey, a town known for the ‘backwaters’, a series of interconnected lagoons, rivers, canals and lakes that Kerala is famous for. We took a leisurely canoe ride along some of the backwaters during one of the days we were there but honestly, I left a little disappointed. The water was really dirty and I couldn’t help but feel grossed out when I’d see someone on one bank of the river washing themselves/their clothes in the water, and then another person dumping trash/defecating on the other bank. Definitely a reminder of how much I have to be thankful for.

One of the highlights of the trip was definitely finding this gorgeous, clean, damn near empty beach thanks to a tip from a local rickshaw driver. I didn’t know beaches like these existed in India as every one I’d seen so far was filled with people and trash. Another reminder to get out of Mumbai more.

If you ever find yourself in Alleppey, make sure to go to Marari Beach.

Last stop on the trip was Munnar, a hill station located in the Western Ghats mountain range in inner Kerala. Place was BEAUTIFUL!

Munnar’s hills are filled with tea plantations as it is a major source of tea leaves. We took an epic hike through the hills, passing above the clouds and walking through the plantations themselves. The views were breathtaking.

Overall, going to Kerala was a great trip. It was really nice to finally get out of the concrete jungle and be surrounded by green things, fresh air and silence.  More than just a pretty place with some fun activities, I’ll remember the trip, especially the time at Munnar, as a time for self-reflection.

Does Income = Impact?

Its been a little over 2 months since I started working with TechnoServe. Work itself has been slower than I anticipated, as I’ve mostly been helping out with various projects and haven’t had a chance to really dive deep into any particular one yet. Hopefully that will be changing in the near future, but in the meantime, I’ve gotten a glimpse into TechnoServe’s methodology towards the projects it does.

TechnoServe takes a very business-minded approach towards development. The inputs, outputs, goals and results are usually based on hard data and measured in quantifiable terms. Although every project is different, a majority of them are agricultural based and deal with smallholder farmers as the ultimate end beneficiary. While a for-profit company measures its results and ultimate success through its bottom line, a non-profit developmental organization like TechnoServe measures its success by the ‘impact’ it creates. How can something like ‘impact’ be measured? For TechnoServe, ‘impact’ is typically measured through income growth. Therefore, the ultimate goal of a project will be something along the lines of: “sustainably increase the incomes of X farmers by Y%”.

Sustainability is key here, as what would the impact be if Farmer A increased his income by 50% in Year 1, only to see it drop by 50% the next year? One of the main ways TechnoServe tries to achieve sustainability is by creating behavioral change in the farmers, through introduction of best practice techniques and various other forms of training, sometimes followed by years of support.

Measuring impact through an easily quantifiable measure such as income makes sense to me. For individuals at the bottom of the pyramid, increasing income levels can easily be argued as the main avenue to a better life. However, I can’t help but think that this scope is a bit limited. Giving someone more money doesn’t mean that they’ll know what to do with it, that they’ll use the extra income in a constructive manner. Increased income only guarantees increased buying power but there is no guarantee that that buying power will translate into ‘improved lives’. A fellow VolCon told me a story about how a farmer he met used the increased income he earned to buy more beer and alcohol. Is that the type of impact we are trying to create? Didn’t a great philosopher from Brooklyn once warn us that, “Mo’ money, mo’ problems”?

One of the major reasons I became interested in development in the first place was from learning about micro-finance, through the stories of people like Muhammed Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of Grameen Bank, and amazing institutions like Kiva and ACCION, where countless stories are told of aspiring entrepreneurs who bettered their lives through obtaining access to financial capital. The typical story goes something like this: “Tom has a small business selling XYZ. Tom obtains a small loan to buy inputs for his business. With increased inputs, Tom is able to increase outputs and sell more XYZ. Selling more XYZ increases his total income. With the increased income, Tom is able to put his children through school”.

Oh, if it was only that simple.

While TechnoServe is not an MFI (micro-finance institution), and is not in the business of extending loans to its beneficiaries, the thought-process behind its projects are similar to the ideas behind micro-finance. It helps grow businesses by improving the quality and quantity of inputs (i.e., skills training, best practice agricultural techniques, better procurement) which leads to increased outputs (i.e., creating market linkages, improved yields of crops). Ultimately, the end goal is the same, to increase the incomes of the end beneficiaries. But while, this goal may work for driven, ambitious entrepreneurs, who have a clear vision on how to use the increased income to better their livelihoods, the reality is that not all poor people qualify for that description. How can we impact those individuals that aren’t so driven, or would just piss away any additional money they earned, leaving no discernible impact on their wives, children, and family?

A fellow VolCon once asked me after coming back from a field visit, “What do you do if a farmer won’t implement your suggestions because he doesn’t think its possible to be more than what he already is. Can you teach ambition?”

I don’t have the answers to these questions, but while income growth is undeniably important, I do believe that creating lasting, meaningful impact, and not just surface level impact, extends beyond simply increasing one’s income. My guess is that educating a poor illiterate farmer by changing his attitude, thought process and any destructive habits could go a long way in creating an ‘impact’, especially if in conjunction with the aforementioned income growth. Now how you would measure these things? I don’t know.

What are some other ways to create and measure ‘impact’?

The Birth Lottery

Here in Mumbai, poverty is inescapable. Everywhere you turn, you see it. People of all ages constantly begging for money, oftentimes with a limb (or three) missing. Flimsy shanty homes crammed together seemingly on every other corner, as if collapsable from a hard shove. Kids out on the street, using buckets of dirty water to wash themselves. None of this is entirely new to me, but I’ve never been to a place that displayed such things so…intensely.

Seeing this everyday has really made me wonder: how much of our fate is truly in our own hands? Consequently, how much of our fate is already pre-determined by the time we are born?

In America, the most individualistic society in the world, we are taught to believe that we are in control of our own destiny. That our actions determine our results. That anything is possible, no matter the humbleness of our beginnings. These fundamental beliefs are the essence of the American Dream. But when I see malnourished kids combing the garbage for a few scraps to eat or a boy with both arms missing begging me for a few rupees with a purse draped around his neck, I can’t help but wonder how these beliefs I grew up with are simply inapplicable to so much of the rest of the world. How many great scientists, inventors, doctors, artists, musicians has the world missed out on simply because so many kids never had a chance?

I like to think that the reason I am where I am today is based on my own talent, work ethic and decisions that I made. But really, the biggest difference between me and that malnourished kid in the slum might be that I was born into a middle class family in the US and he was born into a family living in the slums of Mumbai. 

In the United Arab Emirates, a boy lucky enough to be born Emerati is essentially guaranteed to be wealthy his entire life. A boy born 150 miles away in an Iranian salt mine is very likely to be doomed to a lifetime of poverty. Who knows, that same Emerati boy may have had a similar fate to the Iranian boy had he been born 100 years earlier, before the oil started flowing. Is the main determinant of our fate how lucky we get in the birth lottery?

Fortunately, I am optimistic that the potential impact of our results in the birth lottery will lessen in the future.

Today, I went on a tour of the Dharavi slum, one of the largest slums in Asia. If you’ve seen the movie Slumdog Millionaire, then you’ll recognize it as the area where Jamal, Malik and Latika grew up. From my conversations with some of the locals here, it seems that the movie had received very mixed reviews here in India, the chief complaint being that Dharavi was shown in an un-flattering, and more importantly, un-realistic way. After having gone on the tour, I can understand why the locals feel that way. Most people (including yours truly) associate the word ‘slum’ with extremely negative connotations. Extreme poverty. Feces. Dirtiness. Smelliness. Just to name a few. Although these things definitely do exist, Dharavi is much more than that.

Dharavi covers an area of 535 acres and is home to over a million people, with a population density roughly 20x that of the rest of the city. Located on prime real estate in the heart of Mumbai, it is not a place where poor people waste away their days doing nothing. Rather, it is one of the most productive places in the city, home to a large number of industries and small businesses, with an annual turnover estimated between $650 million USD (per Wikipedia) and $1 billion USD (per tour guide). Dharavi is home to the largest recycling industry in the city. Roughly 60% of all plastic used in Mumbai comes through its factories, and a portion of the recycled plastic is sold to foreign multinational corporations such as LG. It also houses a large leather good industry, where the raw materials are sold and shipped to foreign luxury goods brands. So next time you purchase an Android smartphone or a Gucci wallet, there’s a good chance some of the materials used originated from this place.

Essentially, Dharavi is a city within a city. There’s a popular saying that once you go into Dharavi, there’s no need to leave, as anything you need is available there. These days there are even kids that grew up in the slum, went to college and obtained a ‘good’ white collar job, that still choose to live there. I am not trying to glorify the place by any means, but it is important to distinguish between the perception of a place based on something like a Hollywood (or British) movie and its reality.

The other thing I noticed when walking through the place was that, even in one of the poorest places in the city, the people there have access to some of the luxuries of modern day technology, such as television, cellphones (my local tour guide had a nicer phone than I did) and, most importantly, wi-fi and the internet.

I believe that if we are going to lessen the impact of our results in the birth lottery on our eventual future, advances in technology, and especially the internet, is our best chance. Our world now is more interconnected than it has ever been. The more places I go, the more I realize that our generation is more or less the same. We are exposed to the same TV shows, the same Youtube videos, the same Lady Gaga songs. The internet has truly flattened the playing field. There is so much free information readily available now on the internet, that even a poor kid born in the slums can take the same courses I do, if he so chooses to.

The goal of development is not to level the playing field so everyone has equal opportunities. Ask the communists, that’s never going to happen. The goal is to give everyone a fighting chance, so that their results in the birth lottery do not entirely determine their eventual fate. We have a long ways to go but I’m hopeful we’ll get there.

Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore…

The past few weeks have flown by and its already been a month since I landed in Mumbai. I spent the first couple of weeks at a hotel in central Mumbai, the next week in Bhopal, the capital of Madya Pradesh, where my main project is located, and then moved into an apartment with two other volcons upon my return to Mumbai last week. The apartment is located in a neighborhood called Bandra, and houses one of the main ex-pat communities in the city. The good: lots of food and activities nearby, poppin’ place (by Indian standards anyway). The bad: its really expensive (by Indian standards). I will be based out of here during the rest of my time at Technoserve and will be living with Karolle, a girl on our business development team who went to school in North Carolina, but is originally from Madagascar, and Sid, an Indian guy originally from Delhi, but went to school at Babson College in Boston. Both seem like really nice people and so far, we all get along great.

Overall, the transition has been really smooth so far. Language hasn’t been too big of an issue and I’m starting to learn my way around the city. The people are generally really nice and I haven’t gotten Delhi belly yet *knock on wood*. Work has been a little slow, but I’ll get more into that later. However, a few nights ago, I was rudely reminded that, in case I forgot or was beginning to feel complacent, I am in fact, no longer back home.

Around 4:30 in the morning last Friday, I woke up suddenly to a throbbing pain on my upper left ear. It felt like someone had pinched me really hard. Being in a half-conscious state of mind, I was utterly confused at what was going on. When I stood up and put my hand to my ear, and then my face, I realized there were streams of blood coming down my cheek. Now I’m usually a pretty calm person but this freaked me the fuck out. A million thoughts began racing through my head and while still standing there in a daze, I see a little oval thing scurry across the floor and out my bedroom door. Now I didn’t get a clear look since the lights were still off, but I quickly put one and one together and realized that I had just been bitten by a rat/mouse while sleeping.

Yes, a rat/mouse bit me while I was sleeping.

That just happened.

Really.

As you can imagine, I didn’t get much sleep the rest of the night and saw a doctor first thing in the morning. Thankfully, the shots that he recommended me getting (tetanus/rabies), I had already gotten before coming so he just prescribed an ointment to treat the wound. It’s been a few days now and I feel completely fine. So yea, if you’re thinking of coming to India and think those 20 or so shots that are required are a bit much, they’re not. Get every.last.one.

Other highlights from the past few weeks:

I caught a movie for the first time last week and the seats looked like this:

Not only do the seats go all the way down where you are basically in a sleeping position, but they also give you a blanket!!!! How I managed to stay awake throughout the film (Turbo, which was eh..) is still a modern miracle. And on top of all this, we had to stand up before the film to hear the national anthem (apparently this is a Mumbai requirement). Word.

I’ve always had a bit of a weakness for ice cream but this place has taken it to a new level. Apparently a Mumbai stable, Naturals is a shop that makes a variety of fruit flavored ice cream using real fruit. The flavors are seasonal (since fruit is seasonal…), but damn, everything is SOOO good! The ice cream is fairly light, not too milky/creamy, and there are pieces of actual fruit inside! All types of random fruits too…coconut, lychee, jackfruit, and a few more that I’m sure don’t even exist in the US. I think I might like this place more than Bi-Rite. YEA I SAID IT.

A lot of the food here is ‘veg’ (for vegetarian). Initially, I was a little worried as when I think of vegetarian food, I think of bland salads and the like. However, most of the veg food here is actually really tasty and I really haven’t minded much. This here is called bhindi masala. We call it the ‘crack bhindi’. It is the business.

First Impressions

Its been a little over a week since I landed in Mumbai (which all the locals still call Bombay). As I will be spending the majority of the next 9 months of my life here, the following are a few initial thoughts:

People are generally really nice…when they’re not trying to rip you off

The first cab driver I had the pleasure of encountering here in Mumbai covered the meter with a red piece of cloth as soon as I got in and refused to show, or turn on the meter even after I had repeatedly asked very nicely (cabs are legally required to charge you by the meter here in Mumbai btw). Each one of my requests was met with an ‘it’s ok’, ‘no problem’, or finally ‘no english’. So naturally, my first cab ride ended with a shouting match and me abruptly walking out into the middle of the street.

However, other than a few greedy cab drivers trying to make a quick buck off someone who obviously sticks out like a sore thumb, most of the people I’ve encountered so far have been both incredibly nice and helpful. Case in point:

This past weekend, I went with a couple of people to do some hiking at Matheran, a hill station located a few hours outside of the main city. Hill stations are towns built by the British on places of higher elevation than the nearby plain/valley (a.k.a hills – creative name, I know), usually for the purposes of escaping the summer heat. When we arrived, it was really coming down and while looking for a place to park, our car gets stuck in the mud.

When this happened, approximately ten people near us all dropped whatever they were doing and spent the next hour trying to help us get the car out. Never mind the rain, the mud all over their clothes, or their original plans. All that mattered at that moment was helping another human being stuck in a shitty situation out. Incredible.

By American standards, things are really cheap

Major props to Mr. Bernanke and crew for hinting (who knows if it’ll actually happen) at ending QE in the near future and subsequently, causing the value of the dollar to rise substantially in the past few months. At the current exchange rate of 60 rupees to the dollar, you can get a really good local meal for under $3 USD, 1 GB of data for your smartphone for about $4 USD, and every cab ride I’ve been in has been under $2 USD. After paying rent, I’m expecting to pocket about $20 USD per day as my stipend here, and believe it or not, I think I can get by quite comfortably. However, the one thing that isn’t all that cheap is alcohol. Apparently Maharashtra has a 100% import tax on all foreign alcohol (the tax varies depending on the state) so getting a Blue Moon here is about the same, or even more, than getting one in San Francisco. Guess it’ll be Kingfisher for me from here on out.

The locals are not morning people

The first day going to work, I left around 9:15 and ended up spending almost half an hour trying to hail a cab as nearly every one that passed by was occupied. When I finally managed to track one down, the traffic was so bad that the ride ended up taking 40 minutes for a journey I would later find out should take less than 15. The next day I left around 8:30 and lo and behold, the streets were damn near empty and multiple cabs were just parked, waiting around for customers. Apparently, morning rush out here doesn’t really happen until 9:30-10:30. Oftentimes I’ll get into the office by 9 and be the first or second person there.

Riding the trains is quite an adventure

I’ve been on my fair share of crowded metros in different cities around the world and riding the trains here in Mumbai is near, if not at, the very top for craziest/most stressful experience. First of all, none of the train cars have any doors, so they’re just all open entrances. People also constantly have their bodies hanging out the entrances, like this:

The stations never announce when a train will leave a station once it arrives, and as there are no doors to close, there is absolutely no indication as to how long a train will stay at a station. So what ends up happening is that, as a train is pulling into a station, before it has even come to a complete stop, there will be a stampede of people trying to get into a car and oftentimes, an equal stampede of people trying to get out. What this ultimately means is that, just in order to board a train, you often have to sprint from car to car looking for an opening to pull yourself into, as many cars will be so packed that they are literally impossible to enter. Never has the simple act of boarding a train felt like such an accomplishment. Good thing I have sharp elbows.

Drivers are crazy…and the honking never stops

Mumbai was built by the British as a port city located on a peninsula. What this means is that there is a lack of room for expansion as the population of both people and automobiles swell. Streets here are generally pretty narrow and most cars are small and narrow as well. Consequently, the locals here drive like crazy people and use every.single.inch of space available on the road. Cars are often mere inches away from each other, and things like lane lines, turn signals and sometimes, even traffic lights don’t really matter. Basically the right of way goes to whoever gets to the spot first. What is one result of cars in close proximity fighting for limited space? Honking. That’s right, constant, never-ending, all hours of the day, honking. Might need to cop some earplugs soon.

Indian food is much better here….the other stuff, not so much

Although I’ve only been here for a week, I can confidently say that most of the Indian food back home is definitely toned down. The local Indian food here is SO much better. Dishes are much more flavorful and most of them are spicy, which is right up my alley. But they’re spicy in a compliment-the-flavor type of way and not in a spicy-just-to-be-spicy type of way. Also, there is wide variety of ‘Indian’ food, usually based on the state and region where it’s from (for example, north Indian food, which is prevalent in the states, is very different than south Indian food). I’ve only tried a small sample of the many different types of Indian cuisine so far, but let’s just say there’s a whole lot more to Indian food than chicken tikka masala.

On the other hand, the ‘other’ cuisines I’ve tried so far (save a pretty decent Thai place, but seriously, even ‘bad’ Thai food is generally pretty good), have been, to put it mildly, disappointing. The other night I went to a ‘Chinese’ restaurant and ordered some chicken chow mein. Pretty safe right? Here’s what it looked like:

WTF is that??

I’ve been to enough countries that I’m fairly certain there is bad Chinese food everywhere, but this definitely takes the cake. Tasteless, not-fully-cooked noodles in a slimy, gooey ‘sauce’, if you could even call it that. I’m generally not that picky but this was borderline inedible.

My first meal in Mumbai was actually this:

Not really the business.

The Indian head bobble

In my brief time here, I’ve already noticed a number of cultural differences, from the terms used in business to the way waiters serve you in restaurants. However, the one thing that stands out the most, and is also the most amusing, to me is the reaction I get when someone agrees, disagrees, or even just a ‘ok’ or ‘I heard you’. Basically, the reaction to anything I say.

I hope I don’t pick this up.

Weather hasn’t been too bad

My biggest concern before coming to Mumbai was the weather. Surprisingly, it hasn’t been too bad thus far. Yes its humid, but as the monsoon season just began, and the rain comes down intermittently throughout each day, the temperature hasn’t been too high. I’d guess 80’s – low 90’s. Bearable. The locals tell me there are 3 months of the year where it’s so hot that its hard to breathe, never mind walk, and that animals will lie down on tile floors to try and escape the heat. Just so happens that those 3 months will be the 3 months of this upcoming year where I’m not here. Stay schemin’.

Poverty is everywhere

Poverty is inescapable in Mumbai. Everywhere you turn, there are people sleeping directly on the streets, or in makeshift homes on the streets (often just a tarp being held up by a couple of wooden sticks). There are seemingly slums on ever other street and I haven’t even been to Dharavi or any of the other large, exclusively slum areas yet. The infrastructure here, particularly the buildings and roads, appear to be crumbling. I’ve yet to run into a building without mold, a sidewalk without cement pieces falling apart, or a street without trash littered everywhere. And this is the financial capital of the country. I can’t imagine what it’ll be like when I go to ‘real’ India.

The people at Technoserve are great

The biggest draw of Technoserve for me, besides the type of work they do, is that they seemingly attract a lot of high caliber people. In this regards, I have definitely not been disappointed. Everyone here seems to be both really smart and down to earth. Our head honcho, the country director, used to be a CEO of a tech company and ex-McKinsey. A number of the other volunteers are either students or graduates of top MBA programs (HBS/Wharton/Columbia/INSEAD/Chicago). One girl goes to Wharton and the Kennedy School at the same time and just so happens to be one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. There are a couple of start-up founders in the mix, as well as people that have done some great things in the development space.

One of my biggest surprises in coming here was how many VolCons (what they call us Volunteer Consultants) there actually are. Apparently there are 30 VolCons at Technoserve around the world currently, and 10 of them are here in India. We definitely make up a core part of the overall team and some VolCons are even leading their respective projects. A few of the managers here also started as VolCons before transitioning into a full-time role. Most of us are in our mid-late twenties and seemingly all down to have a good time, so it almost feels like working at a consulting firm (the work is structured similarly as well) again.

I will be flying to Bhopal this weekend to meet the rest of my project team. Next week I’ll, hopefully, be able to go into the field and actually meet and work with the stakeholders (small farmers). Can’t wait.

3 Things

Before I left Deloitte, one of my bosses asked me a question I’ve given a lot of thought into these past few weeks. While we were chatting about my reasons for leaving and what I’ll be doing, he asked me: “What are 3 things you’re hoping to get out of this experience?” At the time, I hadn’t really thought about that question and just spat out the first few things that came to my mind, but now that I’ve given it more thought, here are 3 things I’m hoping to get out of my stint with TechnoServe.

1. Experience life through a different lens 

Each and everyone of us, by and large, live life in our own bubble. The people we are friends with, that we associate with, come in contact with us, are typically individuals that come from similar backgrounds, live in similar situations, have similar interests and/or have similar aspirations in life. There’s nothing wrong with this, as one of the fundamentals in connecting with someone is establishing common ground.

However, one of the problems this leads to is we often fall in the trap of thinking what is ‘normal’ for us, is ‘normal’ for everyone else in the world. Clean drinking water and electricity on demand? We don’t even think about these things. Graduating from college and obtaining a white-collar job? In my social circle, that’s just what you’re ‘supposed to do’.

In coming to India and working and interacting with individuals with vastly different backgrounds and life aspirations, I hope to obtain a broader, and more appreciative, perspective of life in general.

2. Increase my mental toughness

Not that I don’t think I’m mentally tough. I do. But you never know how tough you are until you’ve really been tested. I’ve been incredibly blessed in many aspects of my life. Typically, as long as I did my part, did what I was supposed to do, most things have tended to work out.

Being in India, I expect to be tested in a wide variety of ways. Socially, culturally, intellectually, physically, linguistically. How will I respond? I’ve always enjoyed challenges and I’m sure this experience will be the biggest one yet.

3. Get a sense if working in the development sector is really something I want to pursue longterm

I’ve always had a keen interest in working in development and this was the primary reason I signed up for this stint with TechnoServe. Ever since learning about microfinance and reading books/articles about developmental economics, I’ve had an urge to work in the sector. It seemed like the perfect mesh between my interest in economics, finance and capital markets and my desire to make a tangible impact on people’s lives. However, there’s a big difference between daydreaming about how great the work sounded while lounging on my couch in San Francisco and actually being in the field, on the ground, working with stakeholders.

So let’s see how this goes.

Taking the plunge…

In a few hours, I will be hopping on a plane to fly roughly 8300 miles around the world. Now that the day is finally here, I’m not entirely sure how I feel, although one adjective probably isn’t entirely sufficient.

Excited? Hell yea! As amazing as San Francisco is (and I fully intend on returning one day), I’ve been daydreaming about living and working abroad since before I even graduated college. Never did I ever think I would be going to India of all places, but hey, one thing I’ve learned post-college is sometimes you just gotta roll with the punches.

Nervous? A little bit. I’m going to be doing work I have zero experience in, in an environment I also have zero experience in. What if I’m no good?

Worried? Every time I mention to someone I’m going to India, undoubtedly the first two things he or she says are: “DONT DRINK THE WATER”, and “It’s really dirty over there”. Yea…that’s cool. I’ll bring some Iodine tablets, hold my nose and watch where I step if need be. What I am worried about are:

1. The weather – Having spent essentially my entire life in either the Bay or Santa Barbara, I am a pretty big pansy when it comes to heat/humidity. But hey, maybe I’ll sweat off all the post-college-corporate-america-induced pounds!

2. Sports – I know nothing about cricket. Zero. Please let there be a basketball court somewhere in my city/town/village and if not, at least please let me have internet fast enough  to illegally stream american sports.

3. HOW AM I GOING TO GO NEARLY AN ENTIRE YEAR WITHOUT EATING BEEF!!!

Nostalgic? Already? Yea I know…

The past 3 and a half weeks have been a blur. However, between preparing for my upcoming assignment and being my 5 year old sister’s personal chauffeur, I’ve been able to spend some great quality time with family and friends. It’s made me really appreciate the wonderful people I have in my life and fully realize the one thing I will most likely miss about being home is my relationships and experiences with these people. Hopefully, with Gchat, Whatsapp, FaceTime…etc, it won’t be so bad.

Surreal? It still feels a bit like being in a dream. Something you dream about doing and experiencing one day…and for that day to actually be here…woah

On to the next…

Today marks the end of one chapter in my life and the beginning of the next.

On the day representing the 26th year of my existence and the official start of the later half of my twenties, I have decided to change paths and go down a new road. After spending nearly 4 years in the corporate world, working at jobs that were challenging yet uninspiring, I’ve finally mustered up the courage to leave it all behind and pursue some of the things that have truly interested and inspired me.

I’m not going to lie, the comforts of corporate life have been nice. Getting a solid paycheck every two weeks, living with friends in an awesome apartment in San Francisco, eating out whenever I feel like it, planning that next vacation…these are all great perks. But those comforts in themselves are not enough. They are empty, selfish things if only consumed by oneself and serve no greater purpose than for personal indulgence. I’ve always strived for something more. I came across a quote in a book I’m currently reading called The International Bank of Bob (highly recommended btw) that I feel accurately portrays my own feelings:

anything we do gets its meaning from the reason we do it–usually, the people we do it for. The part of ourselves that we give to to others in our efforts–that’s where we find our own value. Maybe life takes on meaning to the degree our efforts and love are connected

I have never been someone who was motivated solely by material wealth. Ultimately, I want to do something that matters. To not live just for personal gain but to also make a positive contribution, in whatever way that may be, to society and other people’s lives. Call me idealistic. Call me naive. But these feelings are what ultimately made me decide to embark on the journey I am about to take.

In a couple of weeks, I will be leaving the Bay Area to go work in India for the next 9 months. I am going to be volunteering with a non-profit organization named Technoserve, which aims to develop business solutions to poverty by linking enterprising people in developing countries to information, capital and markets. The specific project I am supposed to spend most of my time working on deals with developing business skills for Farmer Producer Groups. Producer Groups are formal or informal groups of smallholder farmers that aggregate together in order to combine the social objectives of cooperatives with the commercial goals of enterprises. The project aims to provide assistance and training to farmers in all major aspects of their businesses, including marketing, operations, capital raising, risk management, governance, business planning and financial management.

My exact role on the project is unclear at the moment and to be perfectly honest, I truly have no idea what to expect. That is both really exciting and really scary at the same time. I’ve come to learn from past adventures that many times the best experiences tend to happen when you go in with no expectations. Being a very logical and rational person by nature, my instinct is to weigh out the pros and cons of each situation, but sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and believe that it will all work itself out…

So here we go. On to the next chapter.