Hello, 2019

This is an edited version of the C4E annual letter. We send this to select clients, partners, suppliers, alumni and others.

Hello, 2019!

I know I know. 2019 is like 29 days old already. And so is this letter. Things have been hectic and an annual tradition can wait. A client can't.

So, we are 29 days into the new year. If I were to put this in context, about 8% of the year is gone (do see this fantastic post by Tim Urban where he puts the time in perspective).

Wow!

Time does fly!

Just the way 2018 went past.

Of course, it had its share of ups and downs. And it did teach us some great lessons. In this annual letter, I’d talk about three lessons that 2018 taught us. And how those would affect the way we at C4E operate in 2019 and beyond.

Lesson A. The book ‘21 Lessons for 21st Century’ by Yuval Noah Harari.

Around the end of the last year, I read this book by Yuval Noah Harari (better known for Sapiens and Homo Deux). In the book, he lists 21 things that will play a pivotal role in how the 21st century is shaped. Ranging from essays on work, religion, terrorism, justice, education and even meaning and meditation (and more), he talks about things that will usher in the change in the 21st century. 

I read it over a week and pardon my hyperbole but the book has had a life-changing impact. To the point that I am recommending everyone I know to read the book. I am willing to go on record and say that if the book does not excite you, does not scare you, does not make you relook at your life or your priorities, you will be obsolete in the 21st century.

The world is changing faster than we can spell “faster”. I mean look at the way you live. Can you imagine travelling without an Uber? Or without checking Google Maps for traffic / directions etc. Can you order your food without a Zomato / Swiggy et al? Look at all the tasks that you’ve automated in your lives (simple things like grocery on subscription to more complex things like recommendations on the movies you may like on Netflix). Look at industries that have collapsed around us (journalism, “agents”, telecom). Look at how young entrepreneurs are emerging and creating wealth by changing the way we live! Look at those super-humans that are fitter and better and pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible!

I know it's a bleak picture to paint. But then rather than getting scared from it, how about we take inspiration? What if we could be at the forefront of this tectonic shift? What if we contribute to the change rather than standing by the side?

At C4E, we intend to. This means we will have to relook at the very way we conduct our business. What about you?

Lesson B. Rise of modern day philosophers.

Thanks to platforms (like Twitter, Telegram, Facebook) and ease of access (cheap smartphones, cheaper bandwidth), 2018 saw the rise of modern-day philosophers like Naval Ravikant, NN Taleb, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Elon Musk et al.

Each of these philosophers has hammered home the thought that we ought to work on things that give an individual a more proportionate return (compared to the organization) that you work for.

These philosophers have demolished archaic ideas, have made us more aware about freedom (of time, thoughts, expression), have established that time is our most important asset (not money) and have explained the merit of chasing work that is meaningful! We now know that unless we put our skin in the game, we will get redundant over time. And finally, with time, the value of our time (and thus the compensation) can't just go up in a linear fashion. But it has to “add a zero”; it has to be exponential.

A great way to see these thoughts in action? How many people do you know who’ve left the safe havens of a 9-to-5 and taken up things like entrepreneurship, art, fitness and/or meaning?

At C4E, this means that we need to work on a business model where each employee is essentially a partner and owns a piece of the action.

Lesson C. Ethos > everything else.

You as an individual and as an organisation ought to work with partners that are in sync and harmony with your ethos. As simple as that.

If you wish to be a green company, you can't have suppliers that use plastic.

If you stand for ‘respect for all’, your partners can't be rude to their team. 

If you are an ‘innovative’ company and all you do is peddle ideas and things that should’ve died in 2008, apologies!

If you are ‘inclusive’ and your team is stifled when making decisions, well…

At C4E, we took the time to write down those things that we stand for. Things that are so important to us that we are willing to say no to business. We worked hard to club them into 3 pillars. These are - People, Create, Magic.

• People - the most important 'component' of our work. If we can't be the place of choice for the best people and allow them to grow, we have no right to be in business. And this will happen if we respect them, give them freedom, make them feel safe and reward them in proportion to their contribution.
• Create - we exist to create. We are artists. And we take pride in whatever we do. If we don't create on an ongoing basis, we’d rather shut C4E down and get back to the safe haven.
• Magic - can we pull that proverbial rabbit out of the hat to delight you? Delight has multiple dimensions to it. Surprise, please, excite, entertain, inspire. Evoke emotions that take you out of your drab lives and make you want to do more! After all, YOLO!

Each thing that we do at C4E, each organisation we work with, each partner must adhere to these three tenets.

Implications for C4E? 

So, thanks to these lessons, in the start-up parlance, we are pivoting. From being a mere events agency to a collection of ideas and initiatives in the entertainment space.

We have re-organized ourselves into three distinct and yet fluid divisions. These are:

A. Event Management and Live Entertainment Services.

What you know us as. What we are great, wait no, exceptional at! What we've been doing all our lives. We've worked really hard to be the most reliable partner for your events requirements and we'd not leave it behind. It gives us what we want - meet interesting people, do exciting things, opportunity to travel and in general keep the adrenaline running! 

We excel in and are experts at creating large scale corporate events at international locations. Next time you have a project that requires you to travel outside the country, please do check with us.

B. A content company.

This essentially means that we would now curate and create content (for screens ranging from a mobile phone to a 70mm curtain). From podcasts to videos to multimedia, we are ready and geared to offer the same reliability and attention to detail that you know us to put in our events.

Great content often rests on the back of a passionate community. With our investments in The Red Sparrow (a community of aspiring filmmakers) and Purple Pencil Project (a community of bibliophiles), we've learned how to create, enable and grow passionate communities. We would, in fact, create more digital communities for travel, food, health, photography and futurism enthusiasts. If your brand speaks to any of these communities, let’s partner!

Allow us to pitch next time you want some kick-ass content done. 

C. Labs.

As the name suggests, this is where we experiment with things.

We did an experiment with a music video last year. This year, we are upping the ante with a web-series (series of interviews with some great filmmakers, under post-production, should be live by February), our first feature film (in the pre-production stage, will go on floors in November) and a series of books for aspiring writers.

We will 'productify' our service business. And we will continue to invest in various businesses around entertainment. If you spot any gaps that may require a C4E intervention, please do tell us!

***

So yeah. 2019 is the year of change for us. These three divisions will allow us to do meaningful work that is higher up in the value chain. The work would deliver greater value and will actually make a difference! Something that we wish to stand for!

And while we do this, make us among the leading organizations in the 21st century! Talk of lofty goals.

That’s about it!

Oh, one more thing.

We at C4E believe in that age-old adage, "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants". You are a giant. You have seen more than us. Please allow us to stand on your shoulders. I invite you to please send in ideas, thoughts, inputs, pitching opportunities and more.

2019 looks exciting!

Hope this is the best year of your life!

Wish you all the best! If there is anything that we could do to enable you, please do let me know.

Regards,

Saurabh Garg

P.S.: I am serious that Yuval’s book is a must-read. And I'd reiterate. If there is one book that you'd read this year, please ensure that it's this one. If you want, I am happy to send you a copy. Please do let me know.

Thanks to Anusha, Ashima, Bhaargav, Parijat, Vanita and others for inputs on various drafts of this letter.