'... because it is there'

I could never comprehend what George Mallory meant when he said ‘because it is there’ in response to the question of why he wanted to climb Mount Everest. I thought it was a silly reason. Why would he put himself through all that??

I think now I am beginning to get it. After having worked closely with entrepreneurs for the last few years, I think now I appreciate the beauty of those three most famous words in mountaineering. Mallory's expression can be interpreted as our innate desire to explore and push the limits of what is possible.?

I now realize that all of us have our own peaks to scale, our own respective mountains to climb.?Some earth-shattering for their sheer magnitude & impact on mankind like Mallory’s, some like ours which hardly move the needle. But the underlying theme remains the same. To pursue difficult goals, simply because they exist as a challenge to be overcome. To push our own boundaries and strive for greatness. Maybe that’s what Paulo meant when he said to realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation. Maybe that’s what Mallory was doing.

But it is extremely hard to achieve that. While the concept of destiny can be difficult to define and even harder to achieve, it needs a willingness to take risks and make sacrifices, and the courage to pursue one's dreams despite the challenges and difficulties that may arise. Why would anyone consciously go through all the pain & heartbreak? Why would anyone want to face numerous obstacles and failures along the way, including financial risks, fierce competition, and uncertainty about the success of their ventures. After all, Mallory did die in his pursuit!

The answer is simple - we do it out of love. Love for what one is doing, love for taking up new challenges, love for mountaineering, love for doing a startup, love for building an organization. Entrepreneurs are like die-hard romantics. They are often driven by a deep passion for their ideas and a desire to create something new and innovative. There are certainly parallels between the two in terms of their passion, vision, and idealism.?

We also love what we are building at IA. We have been working hard on both broadening & deepening our presence. The goal of building an organization devoted to work with early-stage entrepreneurs is both exhausting and exhilarating. And we agreed very early that we shall never stop climbing. And that is why we are venturing into a new geography. Access to new markets, tap into the investor pool there, diversification, access to resources, brand recognition… are all very good reasons to do that. But fundamentally it comes back to the same reason - it is because of love. Love for what we do.?

Back to Coelho, realizing one’s destiny is only half the quote, the other half is more critical. “To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation and when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” If you do something out of passion & for the right reasons, things do fall in place. Entrepreneurship is a journey, and each experience we have, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, contributes to the larger picture. These experiences help to develop skills, gain knowledge, or make connections that will ultimately contribute to one’s success. You do meet people along the route who make your journey more meaningful & help in achieving your dreams. We have also been lucky enough to get a great team in the UAE to help us further our cause. Dots do connect, even if retrospectively & yes, as corny as it may sound, the Universe does conspire.

BTW I only realized later that SRK was quoting Paulo when he said “Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho ... to puri kainaat usse tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai!” Does it not come back to the point I was making that do the thing you love? Well SRK did get Deepika in the movie, while we got our first expansion outside the country. To each his own .?

While we are on movies, I think it is only apt that I end with another dialogue from that movie - “Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost.” That certainly is the case with IA. Wish us luck as we move forward with our expansion plans - we're committed to being thoughtful and intentional about how we grow. India Accelerator's raison d'être is rooted in the belief that startups are an important driver of economic growth and innovation. We want to ensure that we're providing the same high-quality support and resources to entrepreneurs in new regions as we have in India. That means building strong partnerships with local organizations and leaders, and being sensitive to the unique needs and challenges of each region.

Our goal is to create a truly global network of entrepreneurs who can share knowledge, experiences, and resources to build successful companies. We're excited to see what kind of innovation and creativity will come out of this network. Thank you again for your unwavering support, and we can't wait to embark on this exciting new chapter in our journey!