A few years ago, I came across a book by David Brooks, “The Second Mountain.” The title and description grabbed my attention: “Are you on your first or second mountain? Is life about you – or others? About success – or something deeper? The world tells us that we should pursue our self-interest: career wins, high status, nice things. These are the goals of our first mountain. But at some point in our lives we might find that we’re not interested in what other people tell us to want. We want the things that are truly worth wanting. This is the second mountain. What does it mean to look beyond yourself and find a moral cause? To forget about independence and discover dependence – to be utterly enmeshed in a web of warm relationships? What does it mean to value intimacy, devotion, responsibility and commitment above individual freedom? In The Second Mountain David Brooks explores the meaning and possibilities that scaling a second mountain offer us and the four commitments that most commonly move us there: family, vocation, philosophy and community. Inspiring, personal and full of joy, this book will help you discover why you were really put on this earth.”
I have started thinking much more about the next phase of life. In August, Abhishek will go to the US for his undergrad education. After 18 years of having him as part of our daily life at home, things will be different. It will be back to how it was in the years before he was born. It won’t be easy to adjust and several friends have warned me about the “empty nest” syndrome. It is in this context that the “second mountain” idea that David Brooks talks about comes in. What do I do with the rest of the years that I have? (I will be 56 in August.)
There are some obvious answers. Netcore’s continuing growth is my top priority. In no business can one rest on past laurels; any single mistake could be fatal and consign one to the “living dead.” There is a lot to do – new markets to conquer (US and Europe), new problems to solve (AdWaste), new products to add (by ourselves or via acquisitions), and new paths to chart (going public). The journey to building an enduring, great company is a continuing one, and I can still contribute a lot to Netcore as we go onward from $100 million ARR to much greater heights. So, Netcore still remains as the first mountain – my life as a serial technology entrepreneur.
A few years ago, I had thought of creating a foundation for freedom and prosperity as the second mountain. While Nayi Disha failed and the political path is now closed, the core ideas have stayed with me. It is something I will think about more in the coming years: how can we change people’s minds so they demand more freedom and less government intervention? As I wrote, “Freedom is the bedrock of prosperity. With every new leader in power, liberty has been diminishing and government control over the economy has been increasing. Since the leaders in power are unlikely to increase freedom and reverse the anti-prosperity measures that are still widespread, it is up to the people to lead a political and economic revolution if we are to make Indians rich.” Maybe there are ways to bring about change outside of the political sphere – this is something I need to think about more. India needs institutions for generations yet to come – something US entrepreneurs and philanthropists have done so well. Somewhere out there is my second mountain to find to climb.
