What makes Vivek Paul tick and what made him quit Wipro where he moved so much in synch with the rapidly growing organisation? Paul combines in himself some of the most vigorous elements of a Punjabi and an all-American mover and shaker. He is over 6 feet tall, would not look at all out of place in an American athletic team and has several times the energy of an average Indian.
This energy he used to the hilt, frequently referring to the USP of an Indian software engineer of being the ability to work 16 hours a day and himself living up to that benchmark.
At Wipro's quarterly press conferences he naturally dominated the proceedings, not simply because of his number two rank but also his willingness to be in the spotlight and the ability, typical of an American public persona, to keep spinning out words endlessly.
It is no wonder that the US media was able to adopt him as the poster boy of conquering Indian IT and it is the poser boy syndrome that paved the way for his departure from Wipro.
One articulate industry veteran who knows Wipro well explained that sooner or later a poster boy finds that his chair is too small for him and he is taking himself more seriously than is dictated by his role in the organisation. That is the beginning of the end of a particular phase in his life's journey.
Wipro was happy to benefit from its vice-chairman being the poster boy of Indian software in the US, but a time came when Paul found he was running too fast. That is classically Paul because he cannot but keep running fast.
The disconnect then was that neither was Premji ready to hang up his gloves nor was he willing to settle on Paul as his successor. Thereafter, the hugely ambitious dynamo that is Paul had only one way to go "� out.
When Paul first took up station for Wipro in the US, it marked a trend of key Indian software executives positioning themselves where their main market was in order to keep the orders coming.
Over time, some entrepreneur managers sold out and effectively settled in the US, some came back, the odd other poster boy lost his job chasing skirts but Paul kept bulldozing through at the crest of the wave of success that swept forward the top Indian IT companies.
The pace at which Paul runs cannot keep him in one organisation for very long, even if he has been growing with the organisation and it has become as big as Wipro. In all of 46 years he has done the rounds of a consultancy, Pepsico and GE.
Eyebrows were first raised when he sold most of his Wipro stock several months ago. As it has turned out, that also gave him a bit of his own capital to bring to the table of any private equity or venture capital fund that he could choose to join.
The people at Texas Pacific Group whom Paul is joining are very excited, going by what they are putting out. Paul knows technology like the back of his mouse pad, is familiar with the funding needs of both early and later stage technology ventures and is second to none in knowing and advising on what it takes to manage a business.
Hence, he fulfils the key requirements of a venture fund partner, one who both spots business opportunities and can hold hands with new entrepreneurs.
Few doubt that he will thrive in what he is taking up but one question remains. People typically assume such a role a little later in their lives.
Hence, over time Paul may find that he is a bit of a problem to himself "� running too fast and crossing phases too quickly. In another five years or so he could face an existential dilemma, find he is asking himself 'where on earth do I go from here?'
