Childlike innovator-entrepreneur mindset

Curiosity, humility, intuition, learning and determination are handmaidens of growth and innovation

As I write my 50th Innocolumn for Business Standard, I reflect on the soft side of innovation and entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs are like the repeat Everest climber, George Mallory, who when asked why he persisted, replied, “Because it is there.” So it is with entrepreneurs; they feel an irresistible urge. Success-seeking entrepreneurs behave childlike — curious, humble, intuitive, learning and determined. Stories of common people like us are instructive because our daily grind becomes visible; our anxieties, self-doubt and irrational determination are all palpable. Here are two stories.

R Ramanujan: An indigent Tamil from Kumbakonam arrived in Bombay in the 1930s. His