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Connect The Dots
What ties the 20 true-life protagonists of the book together is that they are all entrepreneurs - but without the much coveted MBA degree. Written in conversational form, the book is divided into three sections - Jugaad, Junoon and Zubaan. The author speaks to people from different parts of the country who have carved a niche for themselves in different areas of business.Jugaad covers the stories of those who used grit and determination even as they observed and experimented to create a business on the road less travelled. The nine stories covered in this section give us a glimpse of the steely resolve of people who tried to do things differently from what others in their chosen industry normally do.The second section Junoon details the growth of seven entrepreneurs who were driven by a dream or a passion. They followed their interests, did not give up on their dreams and succeeded in creating ventures that were not only unique but which successfully tapped a market that nobody even knew existed.Zubaan gives us an insight into the mindset that allowed four extremely creative people who successfully channeled their immense talents to create a business platform for themselves. By tapping their talent successfully, these creative people become entrepreneurs in their own right.The book is inspirational as the readers are sure to get totally involved in the unique spirit that drove these people to the heights of success. The title of the book is inspired by Apple founder, Steve Jobs' commencement speech given at Stanford University in 2005. In his speech, Jobs said, 'You can't connect the dots by looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust in something...your gut, destiny, life, karma...'Connect the Dots tells us the story of people who trusted in themselves and grew to be truly inspirational success stories.About the AuthorRashmi Bansal is an Economics graduate from Mumbai's Sophia College. She also did her MBA from IIM Ahmad
305 pages, Paperback
First published April 14, 2010
About the author
Rashmi Bansal
43 books527 followersRashmi Bansal is a writer, entrepreneur and youth expert.She is the author of two bestselling books on entrepreneurship. ‘Stay Hungry Stay Foolish’ features the stories of 25 MBAs who left lucrative jobs to follow the rough road of entrepreneurship. The book created a new record in Indian publishing by selling over 300,000 copies and has been translated into 8 languages.
Rashmi’s second book, ‘Connect the Dots’ focuses on non-MBA entrepreneurs. It has also been a bestseller, selling over 100,000 copies.
Her third book ‘I Have a Dream’, on social entrepreneurs, is releasing in May 2011.
Rashmi is co-founder and editor of JAM (Just Another Magazine), India’s leading youth magazine. She writes extensively on youth, careers and entrepreneurship on her popular blog: Youth Curry.
Rashmi is a columnist on popular Indian news portal Rediff.com. She has been Consulting Editor with Businessworld magazine and Bloomberg UTV, where she hosted India’s first interactive show on careers.
Rashmi is a consultant for international youth research agencies such as The Futures Company (a division of WPP, London ) and Flamingo Research (Singapore ).A guest lecturer at various business schools of repute including IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, ISB, S P Jain among others, Rashmi mentors numerous students and young entrepreneurs. She also conducts motivational talks and youth insight seminars for corporates.
Rashmi’s second book, ‘Connect the Dots’ focuses on non-MBA entrepreneurs. It has also been a bestseller, selling over 100,000 copies.
Her third book ‘I Have a Dream’, on social entrepreneurs, is releasing in May 2011.
Rashmi is co-founder and editor of JAM (Just Another Magazine), India’s leading youth magazine. She writes extensively on youth, careers and entrepreneurship on her popular blog: Youth Curry.
Rashmi is a columnist on popular Indian news portal Rediff.com. She has been Consulting Editor with Businessworld magazine and Bloomberg UTV, where she hosted India’s first interactive show on careers.
Rashmi is a consultant for international youth research agencies such as The Futures Company (a division of WPP, London ) and Flamingo Research (Singapore ).A guest lecturer at various business schools of repute including IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, ISB, S P Jain among others, Rashmi mentors numerous students and young entrepreneurs. She also conducts motivational talks and youth insight seminars for corporates.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
September 29, 2016
Amazing book! Umm...okay, take that back! Wonderful! Nah, take that back,too. How about one which gives you "air time" and rushes adrenaline through your endocrine system. Yep, that's it!
And, what's nice about the book is that it gives a sense of reality (maybe, only for Indians) yet thrilling. You see their ventures still flourishing and with new targets set. 20 entrepreneurs with 20 different unique tales and passions and with different vision. One can feel the labor of Rashmi Bansal in carrying out this book.
Every entrepreneur started from scratch taking their ventures from breaking even to a huge profit making company. May it be Food,cosmetics, hospitality, service, retail,Film making,passion, et al with no clear vision or knowledge where they were headed to just hanging on to their intuition and gut and learning all throughout their journeys and due to that you learn something out of it, too.
Chetan Maini (Reva Electric Car Company), little stands out from the rest. He really had a flair and a good start from the start itself unlike rest.
Trikya Agriculture is more engaging. Surely, gentlemen prefer lettuce and all thanks to Samar Gupta. How would McDonald would have survived in India without them ( Okay that's a bit of exaggeration).
And, one to which I admire is Shakti Sudha Industries . Satyajit Singh helped commercialize Makhana (foxnut) and package it as a ready-made food which is basically a water-born fruit grown in North Bihar (90 % of the world's production happens to be here only). And,I guess better than popcorn. As you have protein instead of carbs!
Rashmi Bansal has carried her project and in a sense, her responsibility very well. I think it's commendable for a writer to not to write her thoughts but give away her flair for words in imparting information. She hardly got a chance to put her thoughts throughout the book. It's all facts and figures and what the entrepreneurs had to say. But wherever she got...was quite amusingly wonderful!
However, one thing which I disliked about the book is that it is not well edited. There are some visible mistakes(not factual) out there which put me off. I hope it gets a better publisher.
And, what's nice about the book is that it gives a sense of reality (maybe, only for Indians) yet thrilling. You see their ventures still flourishing and with new targets set. 20 entrepreneurs with 20 different unique tales and passions and with different vision. One can feel the labor of Rashmi Bansal in carrying out this book.
Every entrepreneur started from scratch taking their ventures from breaking even to a huge profit making company. May it be Food,cosmetics, hospitality, service, retail,Film making,passion, et al with no clear vision or knowledge where they were headed to just hanging on to their intuition and gut and learning all throughout their journeys and due to that you learn something out of it, too.
Chetan Maini (Reva Electric Car Company), little stands out from the rest. He really had a flair and a good start from the start itself unlike rest.
Trikya Agriculture is more engaging. Surely, gentlemen prefer lettuce and all thanks to Samar Gupta. How would McDonald would have survived in India without them ( Okay that's a bit of exaggeration).
And, one to which I admire is Shakti Sudha Industries . Satyajit Singh helped commercialize Makhana (foxnut) and package it as a ready-made food which is basically a water-born fruit grown in North Bihar (90 % of the world's production happens to be here only). And,I guess better than popcorn. As you have protein instead of carbs!
Rashmi Bansal has carried her project and in a sense, her responsibility very well. I think it's commendable for a writer to not to write her thoughts but give away her flair for words in imparting information. She hardly got a chance to put her thoughts throughout the book. It's all facts and figures and what the entrepreneurs had to say. But wherever she got...was quite amusingly wonderful!
However, one thing which I disliked about the book is that it is not well edited. There are some visible mistakes(not factual) out there which put me off. I hope it gets a better publisher.
November 29, 2010
People who ask me, 'Do I like 'Rashmi Bansal's books?' I have a pat answer - What's there to like and not to like? This book is not about narrative or writing style or any other literary or creative pursuits. It is simply a factual story of entrepreneurs made it. So, solely for the content, the inspiring stories of some real-life heroes I recommend this book.
Some of the protagonists/entrepreneurs covered in the book couldn't speak English and spoke broken Hindi. Rashmi has narrated them as is, I liked that very much. Somehow, that preserved the authenticity of the interview.
Other than some known names, I was glad to discover the 'Prince Dance Group' how a self-taught dancer belonging to working class of Orissa went to create a dance troupe with similarly disadvantaged people. I looked up videos (on youtube) of their dance acts they they performed in India's got Talent. Suresh Kamat's Laser Soft Technologies hired disabled. (Later, it seems the company was sold.) It was interesting to know that couple that envisioned Crosswords no longer owns it. Many good stories in there.
Some of the protagonists/entrepreneurs covered in the book couldn't speak English and spoke broken Hindi. Rashmi has narrated them as is, I liked that very much. Somehow, that preserved the authenticity of the interview.
Other than some known names, I was glad to discover the 'Prince Dance Group' how a self-taught dancer belonging to working class of Orissa went to create a dance troupe with similarly disadvantaged people. I looked up videos (on youtube) of their dance acts they they performed in India's got Talent. Suresh Kamat's Laser Soft Technologies hired disabled. (Later, it seems the company was sold.) It was interesting to know that couple that envisioned Crosswords no longer owns it. Many good stories in there.
June 6, 2012
This book is very different from Bansal's first book Stay Hungry Stay Foolish which has the stories of IIM Ahmedabad alumni turned entrepreneurs. Almost all the entrepreneurs from this elite college mentioned that they knew in the back of their minds that they always had the option of going back to their jobs. After-all they had a management degree from the best college in India.
On the other side Connect the dots is the story of those who did not have the luxury of going back to any steady job. Failure was not an option for them and that is what made the stories highly inspiring.
The book has different stories of entrepreneurs who made their mark by rising from nothing. They excelled by sheer hard work and the uniqueness of their ideas.
I still distinctly remember two stories. I had seen Veta English Coaching ads all my life. From this book I came to know the story of the man who started it. Working from a small room teaching his first batch of 3-4 students mathematics, this person established the biggest institute for english training in India.
There is another story of DosaPlaza which was started by a Tamil who moved to Mumbai to earn a livelihood. How he started working in different small shops and then started a small shop of his own from a defunct basement. From there it grew to a chain of shops all over India serving more than 100 types of dosas everyday.
After reading this book I can never see a Veta ad or a DosaPlaza shop and not say to the person next to me, "You know something...."
An invaluable story to tell :)
On the other side Connect the dots is the story of those who did not have the luxury of going back to any steady job. Failure was not an option for them and that is what made the stories highly inspiring.
The book has different stories of entrepreneurs who made their mark by rising from nothing. They excelled by sheer hard work and the uniqueness of their ideas.
I still distinctly remember two stories. I had seen Veta English Coaching ads all my life. From this book I came to know the story of the man who started it. Working from a small room teaching his first batch of 3-4 students mathematics, this person established the biggest institute for english training in India.
There is another story of DosaPlaza which was started by a Tamil who moved to Mumbai to earn a livelihood. How he started working in different small shops and then started a small shop of his own from a defunct basement. From there it grew to a chain of shops all over India serving more than 100 types of dosas everyday.
After reading this book I can never see a Veta ad or a DosaPlaza shop and not say to the person next to me, "You know something...."
An invaluable story to tell :)
March 26, 2019
I got to read this book during a 400 km trip. The trip was not very well though, but the book I had filled me with immense joy and optimism. This book is so full of enthusiasm that it can explode your conscience with passion.
I finished this book in a day. You can imagine how overwhelmed I might have been. This book comprises 20 stories of 20 successful enterpreneurs. Every story is quite capable to boost your confidence. This is a must read book for anyone who wants to do something big or different in his life. Trivial things on which many enterpreneurs waste their time thinking over like Money, Social Status, and Education really never matter. You don't need an MBA degree for starting a business. Life is the greatest teacher and World is the greatest laboratory. All you need is an idea.
Yes. Ideas have great powers. These 20 peoples who raised from dust were certainly for behind than many resourceful person you see in your life. Even some were lot worse than you. But they had passion. And they gave their lives to their passion and achieved what is the most necessary for human existence- Satisfaction.
I would love to list those 20 person.
1- Prem Ganpati- The king of roads. He is not even highschool passed. He got inspired by McDonalds and opened his own restaurant Dosa Plaza. Now, there are 26 outlets in the whole country.
2- Kunwar Sachdev- A science graduate, an average student always, from a lower middle class family. He owns a company, "Su-Kam" inverters worth 500 crore turnover annualy.
3- Ganesh Ram- English Guru. He started a coaching centre in 1981. Now his coaching is a brand name "VETA". You can find its centres in every big city of India.
4- Sunita Ramnathkar-A housewife who made Fem Fairness Bleach by experimenting in kitchen. Now Fem is a Multinational Company.
5- M. Mahadevan- A professor who quit his job for his love for hotels and restaurants. Now "Oriental Cuisines" has spread its empire in many countries.
6- Hanumant Gaiyakwad- He had never enough to pay his education fee. He gave tutions, did tailoring and whitewashed houses for money. Afterwards he started taking contracts for painting and whitewashing, gather some laborers and made a company BVG (Bharat Vikas Group). BVG is facility management company and its annual turnover is 300 crore rupee.
7- Rajiv Manchandani- Got a degree in Microbiology, but didn't suit. Did work in advertising sector for some time, didn't suit. At last, he got his satisfaction in Designing. Now, he is the boss of "Tantra" company which he established. Tantra makes T-shirts of special designs having Indian touch.
8- Suresh Kamath- M.Tech from IIT. He owns a firm which organizes Laser Soft Infosystem in public and private institutes. Special thing about his company is that you don't need to have an engineering degree to work in that firm, but truthful and dedicated. He has gives jobs to a lot of handicapped people.
9- Raghu Khanna- A brilliant young man. He started his own company just after completing college. "CashYourDrive" is based on a simple idea- Give me vehicle, I will advertise your product in the whole country.
10- R. ShriRam- A book-worm. His habit of reading led him to open book stores. He established the biggest book-store-chain "Crossword" in the country.
11- Saurabh Vyas and Gaurav Rathaur- Two engineering students decided to counsel the political leaders of India. Their company "Political Edge" provide research and consulting service to our leaders.
12- Satyajit Singh- A well-established business (9 crore annually) but one day he closed his business. Being inspired by an agriculture scientist, he decided to improve the condition of Fox-nut farmers. He did improve and established a greater company.
13- Sunil Bhu- An urban boy who loved Thomas Hardy's Far From The Madding Crowd and thus, decided to live for from the crowd of cities, in farm and fields with cattle. He established " Flanders' Dairy" that makes Cheese. It's a big firm.
14- Chetan Maini- A genius who devoted his life to make an electric car. "Reva Electric Car Company" is now helping other companies to manufacture electric cars.
15- Mahima Mehra- She wanted to do something in Recycling business, but not with NGOs. She started Handmade Paper business and in this process she discovered that strong papers can be made by elephant's dung. What an Idea!!
16- Samar Gupta-He had to face many challenges in life. his family well-established business was ruined. But he had some lands where he started growing exotic vegetables. Now his firm, "Trikaya Agriculture" is a big name.
17- Abhijeet Bansod- A graduate from National Institute of Designing (NID). He designed RAGA watches with idea of Indian Heritage Collections. Now he runs a Product Design Company.
18-Paresh Mokakshi- He wanted to be an actor but accidentally became a dramatist and director. His first feature film in Marathi, named "Harishchandrachi Factory" became the official entry of India in Oscars in 2009.
19- Krishna Reddy- He had a passion for dance. He never took any formal training. He lived in a small village of Odisha. One day he made a group of road laborers, "Prince Dance Group". They practiced and despite huge difficulties they won the most famous talent show, "India Has Got Talent." This was the most inspiring story. It made me emotional. Do watch their dance on YouTube.
20- Kalyan Verma- A well-settled boy in an MNC. But one day he quit his job to pursue his passion of Wilde Life Photographer. Now he works for BBC and National Geographic.
I finished this book in a day. You can imagine how overwhelmed I might have been. This book comprises 20 stories of 20 successful enterpreneurs. Every story is quite capable to boost your confidence. This is a must read book for anyone who wants to do something big or different in his life. Trivial things on which many enterpreneurs waste their time thinking over like Money, Social Status, and Education really never matter. You don't need an MBA degree for starting a business. Life is the greatest teacher and World is the greatest laboratory. All you need is an idea.
Yes. Ideas have great powers. These 20 peoples who raised from dust were certainly for behind than many resourceful person you see in your life. Even some were lot worse than you. But they had passion. And they gave their lives to their passion and achieved what is the most necessary for human existence- Satisfaction.
I would love to list those 20 person.
1- Prem Ganpati- The king of roads. He is not even highschool passed. He got inspired by McDonalds and opened his own restaurant Dosa Plaza. Now, there are 26 outlets in the whole country.
2- Kunwar Sachdev- A science graduate, an average student always, from a lower middle class family. He owns a company, "Su-Kam" inverters worth 500 crore turnover annualy.
3- Ganesh Ram- English Guru. He started a coaching centre in 1981. Now his coaching is a brand name "VETA". You can find its centres in every big city of India.
4- Sunita Ramnathkar-A housewife who made Fem Fairness Bleach by experimenting in kitchen. Now Fem is a Multinational Company.
5- M. Mahadevan- A professor who quit his job for his love for hotels and restaurants. Now "Oriental Cuisines" has spread its empire in many countries.
6- Hanumant Gaiyakwad- He had never enough to pay his education fee. He gave tutions, did tailoring and whitewashed houses for money. Afterwards he started taking contracts for painting and whitewashing, gather some laborers and made a company BVG (Bharat Vikas Group). BVG is facility management company and its annual turnover is 300 crore rupee.
7- Rajiv Manchandani- Got a degree in Microbiology, but didn't suit. Did work in advertising sector for some time, didn't suit. At last, he got his satisfaction in Designing. Now, he is the boss of "Tantra" company which he established. Tantra makes T-shirts of special designs having Indian touch.
8- Suresh Kamath- M.Tech from IIT. He owns a firm which organizes Laser Soft Infosystem in public and private institutes. Special thing about his company is that you don't need to have an engineering degree to work in that firm, but truthful and dedicated. He has gives jobs to a lot of handicapped people.
9- Raghu Khanna- A brilliant young man. He started his own company just after completing college. "CashYourDrive" is based on a simple idea- Give me vehicle, I will advertise your product in the whole country.
10- R. ShriRam- A book-worm. His habit of reading led him to open book stores. He established the biggest book-store-chain "Crossword" in the country.
11- Saurabh Vyas and Gaurav Rathaur- Two engineering students decided to counsel the political leaders of India. Their company "Political Edge" provide research and consulting service to our leaders.
12- Satyajit Singh- A well-established business (9 crore annually) but one day he closed his business. Being inspired by an agriculture scientist, he decided to improve the condition of Fox-nut farmers. He did improve and established a greater company.
13- Sunil Bhu- An urban boy who loved Thomas Hardy's Far From The Madding Crowd and thus, decided to live for from the crowd of cities, in farm and fields with cattle. He established " Flanders' Dairy" that makes Cheese. It's a big firm.
14- Chetan Maini- A genius who devoted his life to make an electric car. "Reva Electric Car Company" is now helping other companies to manufacture electric cars.
15- Mahima Mehra- She wanted to do something in Recycling business, but not with NGOs. She started Handmade Paper business and in this process she discovered that strong papers can be made by elephant's dung. What an Idea!!
16- Samar Gupta-He had to face many challenges in life. his family well-established business was ruined. But he had some lands where he started growing exotic vegetables. Now his firm, "Trikaya Agriculture" is a big name.
17- Abhijeet Bansod- A graduate from National Institute of Designing (NID). He designed RAGA watches with idea of Indian Heritage Collections. Now he runs a Product Design Company.
18-Paresh Mokakshi- He wanted to be an actor but accidentally became a dramatist and director. His first feature film in Marathi, named "Harishchandrachi Factory" became the official entry of India in Oscars in 2009.
19- Krishna Reddy- He had a passion for dance. He never took any formal training. He lived in a small village of Odisha. One day he made a group of road laborers, "Prince Dance Group". They practiced and despite huge difficulties they won the most famous talent show, "India Has Got Talent." This was the most inspiring story. It made me emotional. Do watch their dance on YouTube.
20- Kalyan Verma- A well-settled boy in an MNC. But one day he quit his job to pursue his passion of Wilde Life Photographer. Now he works for BBC and National Geographic.
September 2, 2016
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust… in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life” - Steve Jobs
I have read the Tamil version of the book published by Ananda Vikatan. It was good & highly inspiring.
It tells the stories of courage, determination and inspiration of 20 people from different backgrounds who chose to become entrepreneurs without doing an MBA.
Highly recommended, Must read if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.
I have read the Tamil version of the book published by Ananda Vikatan. It was good & highly inspiring.
It tells the stories of courage, determination and inspiration of 20 people from different backgrounds who chose to become entrepreneurs without doing an MBA.
Highly recommended, Must read if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.
April 22, 2011
This book is not at all about the writing style or the author.
this book should be read for the stories narrated, the content of the story and not the way it is narrated. It is for drawing inspiration, getting motivated and not for entertaining yourself.
this book should be read for the stories narrated, the content of the story and not the way it is narrated. It is for drawing inspiration, getting motivated and not for entertaining yourself.
September 15, 2014
Must read for people who want to be entrepreneurs. 20 different stories but had one thing common, its all in your hand.
June 19, 2020
I have a collection of books written by author Rashmi Bansal. As this book's name indicated, the author collected some of the true entrepreneurs from India who all have common is that self-motivation and notion to do something different. Some of the conversations beautifully articulated through conversational Hindi and Tamil accent. All entrepreneurs' journey varies with their trek. In the end, all entrepreneurs conveyed a message for future business visionaries.
November 3, 2019
Being successful is often about being able find the way, about being able to connect the dots between a problem and a solution. Connect the Dots is a great read about 20 entrepreneurs passionate about their ideas and motivated enough to see them through successfully from scratch, with no formal training or expertise in the field of choice, a lot of out of the box thinking and learning on field, literally connecting the dots to achieve the desired outcomes.
#LoveToRead #BookLovers #dntjbookclub #startups #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #AtoZEntrepreneurship
#LoveToRead #BookLovers #dntjbookclub #startups #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #AtoZEntrepreneurship
May 13, 2020
I read this book 5 - 6 years back and found it very inspiring and motivating. This was my first non-fiction book. I really liked the basic idea behind the book, where biographical experiences of 20 entrepreneurs were shared, who dared to make their make own path. I also liked the section in which business advice was given to the young entrepreneurs to help them succeed.
If you want to get inspired and encouraged, you should read this book.
If you want to get inspired and encouraged, you should read this book.
January 24, 2019
Its an inspiring book with 20 successful stories of Indian Entrepreneurs which will also motivates the current generation to follow their passion and make their dream come true. I will be really looking forward to read Rashmi Bansal's other books too.
September 6, 2022
Loved the businesses she has discussed about, the commentary and interviews. Pretty fun read. Could have been written in a more gripping way though.
December 26, 2020
Success does not come with a pre-defined hard and fast formula. The stories of entrepreneurs from varied streams illustrate this fact. These stories do not have anything in common. So whenever a quote comes along declaring a 10+ letter word as a character trait is sufficient to guarantee success, you know its an oversimplification.
Success depends a lot on luck factor! And as a rule of thumb, the more you work better your luck is!
Success depends a lot on luck factor! And as a rule of thumb, the more you work better your luck is!
February 8, 2016
An essentially entrepreneurship book about 20 individuals who goes onto create their own legacy inspite of apparently insurmountable odds.
The book is divided into 3 parts "Jugaad" "Junoon" and "Zubaan". Each of these sections talks about individuals who essentially creates their own identity by their sheer tenacity to learn through observations, create through passion and artists who create their own platform to express themselves. All of them are sans any fancy degree or backed by strong financial base. Inspite of the odds stacked against them, these individuals went on to create their own identity and thereby indirectly employing many others.
The book is pretty detailed about how these men and women went about on their journey. How they saw challenges as opportunities. And most importantly what goes on inside their minds on a professional and personal level. Some of the accounts are very personal and extremely warm to read. Though at times repetitive, the book is a good read and more so if you are someone who might just decide to plunge into the uncertainty of entrepreneurship someday
The book is divided into 3 parts "Jugaad" "Junoon" and "Zubaan". Each of these sections talks about individuals who essentially creates their own identity by their sheer tenacity to learn through observations, create through passion and artists who create their own platform to express themselves. All of them are sans any fancy degree or backed by strong financial base. Inspite of the odds stacked against them, these individuals went on to create their own identity and thereby indirectly employing many others.
The book is pretty detailed about how these men and women went about on their journey. How they saw challenges as opportunities. And most importantly what goes on inside their minds on a professional and personal level. Some of the accounts are very personal and extremely warm to read. Though at times repetitive, the book is a good read and more so if you are someone who might just decide to plunge into the uncertainty of entrepreneurship someday
June 9, 2016
In compare to 'Stay Hungry Stay Foolish' this book didn't bore at the end,
Actually it was better than that.
If you read it all the book shows off all types of people, passions and crazy decisions.
More wide and colorful than 'SHSF' because except for quickly grabbing a market opportunity they all started off with their passion without any VC and paved their way into making money out of it even though that wasn't the plan for most of them.
But at the end of most of the stories it kind of bores a little because you have an urge and excitement to read the advice and next amazing story.
But as miss rashmi bansal reached out to all of this peoples, with different questions to ask to them, (i don't know if she missed some other entrepreneurs with amazing stories or not) but she did a great job with this book and placing the greatest story of the entire book at last.
5 stars.
Actually it was better than that.
If you read it all the book shows off all types of people, passions and crazy decisions.
More wide and colorful than 'SHSF' because except for quickly grabbing a market opportunity they all started off with their passion without any VC and paved their way into making money out of it even though that wasn't the plan for most of them.
But at the end of most of the stories it kind of bores a little because you have an urge and excitement to read the advice and next amazing story.
But as miss rashmi bansal reached out to all of this peoples, with different questions to ask to them, (i don't know if she missed some other entrepreneurs with amazing stories or not) but she did a great job with this book and placing the greatest story of the entire book at last.
5 stars.
November 21, 2020
"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards."
.
A book with inspiring stories of 20 entrepreneurs without an MBA who dared to find their own path, who managed to excel in their startups through JUGAAD, JUNOON & ZUBAAN,who were driven by Dream, Passion and willing to do something different.
.
The Author has beautifully narrated the startup stories and their entrepreneurial journeys Written in conversational form. Some well-known startups like Dosa Plaza, Su-Kam Electronics, Crossword and many more inspirational stories are covered, which gives you entrepreneurial spirit and a great mindset to start something of your own with scratch.
.
A book with inspiring stories of 20 entrepreneurs without an MBA who dared to find their own path, who managed to excel in their startups through JUGAAD, JUNOON & ZUBAAN,who were driven by Dream, Passion and willing to do something different.
.
The Author has beautifully narrated the startup stories and their entrepreneurial journeys Written in conversational form. Some well-known startups like Dosa Plaza, Su-Kam Electronics, Crossword and many more inspirational stories are covered, which gives you entrepreneurial spirit and a great mindset to start something of your own with scratch.
July 31, 2017
"Connect the Dots" is a very inspiring book and it does motivate the little entrepreneur in you. The best part is it covers stories about India-based entrepreneurs from varied fields - be it automobiles, inverters, restaurants, t-shirts, beauty products, agriculture, education, theater, photography, books.. and the list goes on.. Most of them are well-known brands and you would be surprised to know the stories behind these creative ideas. A must-read book for anyone who is simple and wants to make it big in life.
June 5, 2010
I choose to rate this book as 4/5, not for the writing style, but for the content. It was amazing piece of work introducing 20 entrepreneurs in India, who didn't have formal education in business management. It's an awe inspiring book, makes one to sit and keep turning the pages to know more and more about the "my life, my way" attitude.
There hasn't been a contemporary book in past, which has excited me as this book has.
There hasn't been a contemporary book in past, which has excited me as this book has.
Read
October 7, 2012Amazing people and their journey to become successful in their paths of entrepreneurship.
February 16, 2014
N amazing book of rashmi bansal
January 10, 2016
4 Stars mainly for the content. Writing could have been better.
July 14, 2016
full of motivation... battery king to FMCG...
April 2, 2022
Its a quick, nice read. All of her books follow the same 'recounting a life story' template, which is hard to dislike (but there's nothing to fawn over either)
November 20, 2018
Inspirational stories of people who struggled and grab the opportunities by connecting the dots. By reading it one feels like i have lot more to do in life
May 16, 2018
Book Name : Connect the Dots
Author : Rashmi Bansal
Blurb/Theme : Connect the Dots tells us the story of people who trusted in themselves and grew to be truly inspirational success stories. The title of the book is inspired by Apple founder, Steve Jobs' commencement speech given at Stanford University in 2005. In his speech, Jobs said, 'You can't connect the dots by looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust in something...your gut, destiny, life, karma...' What ties the 20 true-life protagonists of the book together is that they are all entrepreneurs - but without the much coveted MBA degree. Written in conversational form, the book is divided into three sections - Jugaad, Junoon and Zubaan. The author speaks to people from different parts of the country who have carved a niche for themselves in different areas of business.
About:
I do judge a book by its cover and the cover is a creative one keeping in line Steve Jobs quote which the central theme/concept in the book.
There is no novelty in the style of writing or language. Its quite an ordinary piece of writing. I loved some quotes in her book.
• You don't need a fancy degree to dream big and make it happen. It's all in your head , your heart , your hands.
• The truth is, there is a plan. A bigger plan. Every experience in your life – whether ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – has made you what you are.
• I believe there are two kinds of people on this planet - those who want to work for somebody and those who want to do their own work. Among those who want to start their own enterprise, some are deluded and some are actually talented. Do first figure out if you’ve got talent! If you’ve got talent then of course work hard, hang in there, make it happen.
• Our mission in life is not to reach sales targets. The purpose of life is to be happy.
• To succeed you need to care more than others think wise. You need to risk more than the others think safe. You need to dream more than others think practical and you need to expect more than others think possible.
• Spread happiness among people. Ultimately, that’s the most valuable thing. Whatever amount of money you have, if you do not have peace, it is of no use.
My rating is overall a 3/5.
Author : Rashmi Bansal
Blurb/Theme : Connect the Dots tells us the story of people who trusted in themselves and grew to be truly inspirational success stories. The title of the book is inspired by Apple founder, Steve Jobs' commencement speech given at Stanford University in 2005. In his speech, Jobs said, 'You can't connect the dots by looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust in something...your gut, destiny, life, karma...' What ties the 20 true-life protagonists of the book together is that they are all entrepreneurs - but without the much coveted MBA degree. Written in conversational form, the book is divided into three sections - Jugaad, Junoon and Zubaan. The author speaks to people from different parts of the country who have carved a niche for themselves in different areas of business.
About:
I do judge a book by its cover and the cover is a creative one keeping in line Steve Jobs quote which the central theme/concept in the book.
There is no novelty in the style of writing or language. Its quite an ordinary piece of writing. I loved some quotes in her book.
• You don't need a fancy degree to dream big and make it happen. It's all in your head , your heart , your hands.
• The truth is, there is a plan. A bigger plan. Every experience in your life – whether ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – has made you what you are.
• I believe there are two kinds of people on this planet - those who want to work for somebody and those who want to do their own work. Among those who want to start their own enterprise, some are deluded and some are actually talented. Do first figure out if you’ve got talent! If you’ve got talent then of course work hard, hang in there, make it happen.
• Our mission in life is not to reach sales targets. The purpose of life is to be happy.
• To succeed you need to care more than others think wise. You need to risk more than the others think safe. You need to dream more than others think practical and you need to expect more than others think possible.
• Spread happiness among people. Ultimately, that’s the most valuable thing. Whatever amount of money you have, if you do not have peace, it is of no use.
My rating is overall a 3/5.
August 4, 2022
जीरो टू हीरो 'कनेक्ट द डॉट्स' का हिन्दी अनुवाद है। पुस्तक 20 ऐसे उधमियों की कहानी ले कर आता है जिन्होंने वो कर दिखाया जिसके लिए उनके पास वो करने के लिए कोई प्रोफेशनल डिग्री नही थी।
हालाँकि पुस्तक के कवर पर उधमियों की कहानी लिखा देखकर अधिकांश लोग सोचेंगे कि ये सिर्फ बिजनेस से संबंधित लोगों के लिए है। मैने भी ऐसा ही सोचा था। लेकिन ऐसा बिल्कुल नही है, ये उनके लिए है जो अपने क्षेत्र मे कुछ अच्छा करना चाहते हैं, जो सीखना चाहते हैं, जो उम्र के हर पड़ाव पर 'सीखना' सीखना चाहते हैं।
समान्यतः प्रेणरात्मक कहानीयाँ या कोट्स पढ़ने/सुनने वाले के ऊपर असर तो करती हैं लेकिन वो क्षणिक होता है। वँही ऐसी रियल लाइफ कहानियाँ पाठक के ऊपर अपनी छाप छोड़ जाती हैं। क्योंकि वो जो सिखाती हैं वो सिर्फ हवाई फायर नही होता बल्कि किसी इंसान ने, हमारे बीच के, हमारे जैसे इंसान ने उसे हकीकत मे बदला होता ��ै।
जो एक बात और इसका आकर्षण है कि अगर आप ऐसी पुस्तकें उठायें तो पाएंगे अधिकांश पुस्तकें विदेशी लेखकों की लिखी पुस्तकों का हिन्दी अनुवाद होता है। उन्होंने ने अपने लोगों, कलचर, आस पास के एनवायरनमेंट के हिसाब से लिखा होता है। निःसंदेह वे किताबें सिखाती हैं, लेकिन वो कहानियां हमारे बीच के इंसानों की हो तो हम उनसे सीधा सम्बन्ध जोड़ पाते हैं।
पूरी कहनियों का जो निचोड़ है वो सफलता के लिए लेखक ने तीन 'ज' बतायें हैं। वे हैं, जुगाड़, जूनून और जुबान।
पहला, अपने लक्ष्य को हांसिल करने के लिए रास्ते आई उलझनों को अपने दिमाग़ का उपयोग कर के उसे सुलझान���, कोई भी जुगाड़ लगाना लेकिन उलझनों की वजह से रुकना नही। दूसरा, लगातार लक्ष्य की तरफ बढ़ते रहना, एक लक्ष्य हांसिल होने पर दूसरे के लिए और चढ़ाई करना, इस सफर मे बने रहने के लिए आपका जूनून अतिआवश्यक है। तीसरा, आपसे जुड़े लोग से अपना व्यवहार, आपकी बात करने की शैली, आपकी जुबान तय करती है कि आपको लक्ष्य तक पंहुचाने के लिए कितने हाथ आपके पीछे लगेंगे और कितने हाथ आपको पीछे धकेलगें।
अंततः ये किताब असल जिन्दगी की कहानी से सिखाती है कि सफल होना है तो निरंतर चलते रहिए। याद रखिए आपका 'टुकड़ा' आपके 'कुल' से हमेशा बड़ा होता है।
हालाँकि पुस्तक के कवर पर उधमियों की कहानी लिखा देखकर अधिकांश लोग सोचेंगे कि ये सिर्फ बिजनेस से संबंधित लोगों के लिए है। मैने भी ऐसा ही सोचा था। लेकिन ऐसा बिल्कुल नही है, ये उनके लिए है जो अपने क्षेत्र मे कुछ अच्छा करना चाहते हैं, जो सीखना चाहते हैं, जो उम्र के हर पड़ाव पर 'सीखना' सीखना चाहते हैं।
समान्यतः प्रेणरात्मक कहानीयाँ या कोट्स पढ़ने/सुनने वाले के ऊपर असर तो करती हैं लेकिन वो क्षणिक होता है। वँही ऐसी रियल लाइफ कहानियाँ पाठक के ऊपर अपनी छाप छोड़ जाती हैं। क्योंकि वो जो सिखाती हैं वो सिर्फ हवाई फायर नही होता बल्कि किसी इंसान ने, हमारे बीच के, हमारे जैसे इंसान ने उसे हकीकत मे बदला होता ��ै।
जो एक बात और इसका आकर्षण है कि अगर आप ऐसी पुस्तकें उठायें तो पाएंगे अधिकांश पुस्तकें विदेशी लेखकों की लिखी पुस्तकों का हिन्दी अनुवाद होता है। उन्होंने ने अपने लोगों, कलचर, आस पास के एनवायरनमेंट के हिसाब से लिखा होता है। निःसंदेह वे किताबें सिखाती हैं, लेकिन वो कहानियां हमारे बीच के इंसानों की हो तो हम उनसे सीधा सम्बन्ध जोड़ पाते हैं।
पूरी कहनियों का जो निचोड़ है वो सफलता के लिए लेखक ने तीन 'ज' बतायें हैं। वे हैं, जुगाड़, जूनून और जुबान।
पहला, अपने लक्ष्य को हांसिल करने के लिए रास्ते आई उलझनों को अपने दिमाग़ का उपयोग कर के उसे सुलझान���, कोई भी जुगाड़ लगाना लेकिन उलझनों की वजह से रुकना नही। दूसरा, लगातार लक्ष्य की तरफ बढ़ते रहना, एक लक्ष्य हांसिल होने पर दूसरे के लिए और चढ़ाई करना, इस सफर मे बने रहने के लिए आपका जूनून अतिआवश्यक है। तीसरा, आपसे जुड़े लोग से अपना व्यवहार, आपकी बात करने की शैली, आपकी जुबान तय करती है कि आपको लक्ष्य तक पंहुचाने के लिए कितने हाथ आपके पीछे लगेंगे और कितने हाथ आपको पीछे धकेलगें।
अंततः ये किताब असल जिन्दगी की कहानी से सिखाती है कि सफल होना है तो निरंतर चलते रहिए। याद रखिए आपका 'टुकड़ा' आपके 'कुल' से हमेशा बड़ा होता है।
April 4, 2019
Connect the Dots- by Rashmi Bansal- This is the third Book first- Stay Hungry Stay Foolish, Second I have a Dream by the best selling author. In this Book she has interviewed 20 resource persons who think out of the box and have succeeded. Prem Ganpathy- Dosa Plaza, Kunver Sachdev- Su-kam, Ganesh Ram- Vita, Sunitha Ramnathkar- Fem, M Mahadevan Oriental Cuisine, Hanumant Gaekwad- BVG India, Ranjiv Ramchandani- Tantra, Suresh Kamath- Laser soft, Raghu Khanna-Cashudrive, R Sriram- Crossroads, Saurabh Vyas and Gaurav Rathore- Political Edge, Satyajit Singh- Shakti Sudha, Sunil Bhu- Flanders Diary, Chetan Maini- Reva, Mahima Mehra- Hathichap, Samar Gupta- Trikaya Agriculture, Abhijit Bansod- Studio ABD, Paresh Mokashi- Harishchandrachi Factory, Krishna Reddy- Prince Dance Group, Kalyan Verma- Wildlife Photographer. All these persons had an ordinary middle class beginning. During their education period, they came across brilliant ideas; they studied more about it, conceived a plan and executed it. In the Book, Krishna Reddy is the only person who did not go for higher education but was committed for creating a dance group which he did with Orissa village labour and succeeded in the TV Show “India’s Got Talent”. After each chapter, there a brief Advice to young Entrepreneurs" which is also the highlight of each chapter. Such books encourage reader to come out of their comfort zone, dream and achieve their goal. It is a must read book for all.
December 1, 2019
Good book. Really loved Rashmi's way of narrating the story. It's simple and elegant. Among the entrepreneurs,
1. Kalyan's (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalyan_...) story - a software engineer turning into a wildlife photographer - the way he looked at wild life photography is incredibly amazing
and
2. Chetan Maini's craze on electronics and his passion which led him to pursue the dream of producing an electric car is stunning and here is his advice to young entrepreneurs which I liked the most,
You need to have a strong belief in your idea to make it happen. Any idea that you take up - irrespective of what the world believes is - you have to see it through.
The second thing is when I found myself facing a problem, I would sleep over it, When I took a look at it in the morning... I tried to see opportunity. I found that worked very well; it made me positive and I was able to push that within the group and the company.
In hindsight, what may seem like a setback was actually just a push you needed - to try something new, to stretch your limits.
1. Kalyan's (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalyan_...) story - a software engineer turning into a wildlife photographer - the way he looked at wild life photography is incredibly amazing
and
2. Chetan Maini's craze on electronics and his passion which led him to pursue the dream of producing an electric car is stunning and here is his advice to young entrepreneurs which I liked the most,
You need to have a strong belief in your idea to make it happen. Any idea that you take up - irrespective of what the world believes is - you have to see it through.
The second thing is when I found myself facing a problem, I would sleep over it, When I took a look at it in the morning... I tried to see opportunity. I found that worked very well; it made me positive and I was able to push that within the group and the company.
In hindsight, what may seem like a setback was actually just a push you needed - to try something new, to stretch your limits.
February 13, 2021
It's an easy read and comprises of 20 indian startups success story. This is the first book I completed reading rather I should say listening by audible and it was worth an experience. The book elaborates the real life hardships of people who achieved great by their toil and are great entrepreneurs without any MBA degree.
It's worth reading and would definitely motivate you to achieve heights and fulfil your dreams with hardwork and zeal. From the experience of such successful persons you learn that hardships are part and parcel of success and just milestone showing you are on right path.
Undoubtedly this book will motivate you follow your dreams no matter what may come your way because you don't want to regret not doing all those things that you really wanted to do in your life but somehow allowed society pressure to overpower your dreams. Go conquer the world is all I learnt from this book
It's worth reading and would definitely motivate you to achieve heights and fulfil your dreams with hardwork and zeal. From the experience of such successful persons you learn that hardships are part and parcel of success and just milestone showing you are on right path.
Undoubtedly this book will motivate you follow your dreams no matter what may come your way because you don't want to regret not doing all those things that you really wanted to do in your life but somehow allowed society pressure to overpower your dreams. Go conquer the world is all I learnt from this book
March 15, 2021
This book had been on my wishlist for too long now. I think the best part for me about this book was the core content, about actually getting to know about Indian entrepreneurs who have created products/services that touch my life on an everyday basis, right from Titan Raga to LaserSoft to Dosa Plaza, and so on. I liked that Bansal chose entrepreneurs who have led seemingly inconspicuous lives even as their products have become ubiquitous and she has been very honest in her narrative. The narrative per se, could have been slightly more engaging and a little less detailed, but, to be fair, I guess that level of depth is required to outline a journey.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend this book, mainly to get an insight into just how many enterprises exist in our country which have stood the test of time, and in their own, created a niche for themselves.
Overall, I'd definitely recommend this book, mainly to get an insight into just how many enterprises exist in our country which have stood the test of time, and in their own, created a niche for themselves.
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