My good friend and first boss in the IPS, Vinod Thomas, was a cop on a particular Friday. The next Monday he was a private equity investor.
He probably made the world’s most dramatic overnight career transition, going on to manage more than a billion dollars in assets.
And all this started not with some thoughtful career planning, but with our evening walks accompanied by roasted peanuts from roadside vendors.
This was 2004. We had both had enough of policing — he had been Cochin City Police Commissioner, while I had run Trivandrum.
We were now looking for the next adventure but had no clue. Vinod wanted to be a fund manager, but which venture capital or private equity fund would hire a cop?
And in cluelessness, I beat even him — I did not even know why someone would want to be a fund manager and what this hoopla was all about.
But out of this confusion, during our evening walks and brainstorming, came out some ideas.
Next year, I joined Wharton for my MBA. Soon, Vinod also found a fund manager reckless enough to hire probably the most unconventional yet brilliant guy they could have.
I can now pretend that we had a clear vision and daring, but the truth is that we had no clue.
I think it is ok to be lost and clueless. That is how every journey starts.
Clarity is only in hindsight.
– Rajan
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