Investor Talks: “India would be the startup capital by leveraging the Startup India theme”, Farzan Ghadially

Investors play a very vital role in boosting the growth of startups and wise words by investors will help startups learn a lot and choose the right path to grow their business. This week we are going, to begin with our Startup Investor Series where investors and mentors will provide valuable advice which will not only aid startups but also limelight their thoughts on the startup ecosystem and its potential in the future.

Team Sociobits got in touch with Mr. Farzan Ghadially, Senator India -World Business Angels Investment Forum. He is an experienced investor and deal maker for the Indian market. Along with being an avid investor, Mr. Ghadially is a financial columnist in the Mid Day Newspaper and a visiting faculty at S.P. Jain FMB, Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research.

Adding to his merits, he has also authored the books – Investing in Turbulent Times and Investing in the Turbulent Decade that Was & Beyond. He is also a mentor at the Atal Incubation Center.

He shared his views on the growth of budding entrepreneurs and gave details about his investing journey. You can read this in the interview below:

Team Sociobits: What do you think is the future of the startup culture globally?

Mr. Farzan Ghadially: The Startup culture globally is a force to reckon with. New-age companies that have been in existence only for a few years have raised billions of Dollars and thereby attained Unicorn status. The startup companies are challenging and competing with established old companies and capturing market share by leveraging high-end technology and attracting the best talent. In the coming decade, startups will occupy center stage in the financial markets and be a force to reckon with. In the next 5 years, India would be the startup capital of the world by startup companies attaining supernormal growth leveraging the Startup India and Make in India theme of the Government.

Team Sociobits: Is there anything that we can change to develop or give a boost to the startup ecosystem?

Mr. Farzan Ghadially: Mentor and provide the right kind of advice to budding entrepreneurs for scaling their businesses and raising the appropriate kind of risk-adjusted growth capital and help the existing set of investors by providing them an exit in the private and public markets in India and overseas.

Team Sociobits: How important is the role of mentors when it comes to guiding budding entrepreneurs?

Mr. Farzan Ghadially: A Mentor is a foundation upon which the startup story is shaped and grown to the next level. A mentor is a friend, philosopher, and guide to the startup founders and a bridge that provides a smooth transition from a Startup to a Unicorn.

Team Sociobits: If you would like to give one piece of advice to all the budding entrepreneurs who are looking to raise funds, what would that be?

Mr. Farzan Ghadially: The present decade belongs to India. We will witness supernormal growth and attract the highest amount of Foreign Investment among Emerging Markets of the world. More wealth will be created in the next 10 years compared to the past 75 years and this is a movement to innovate, leverage technology and grow a business. If the business is scalable and addresses a gap in the market, large amounts of capital will chase the company. Be patient.

Team Sociobits: What have you learned in your journey as an investor?

Mr. Farzan Ghadially: India is one of the best markets to invest in. There could be turbulent periods for investing in the short term but on a long term basis, India is the most vibrant, stable and well-governed investment destination in the world and the growth story for the Indian stock markets and private investors has just begun.

Team Sociobits: How did you get into the investing or funding space?

Mr. Farzan Ghadially: Passion and love for financial markets with an urge and desire to spread financial knowledge and financial inclusion among the masses in the country leading to the overall development of the nation.

Team Sociobits: What are the easiest and toughest things about being an investor?

Mr. Farzan Ghadially: Easiest – Investing in the Indian growth story.

Toughest – Spoilt for choices and the number of opportunities and kind of investment opportunities that exist in the length of breadth of the country and the great Indian entrepreneurial mindset of people.

Team Sociobits: What is the common mistake that businesses make while pitching to investors?

Mr. Farzan Ghadially: Having the wrong mindset and attitude that I know it all, the greed of excessive valuation of the company with a mindset only to raise valuations rather than growing a scalable and profitable company.

Team Sociobits: How do you spot a good founder?

Mr. Farzan Ghadially: A Founder with a positive growth-oriented attitude and one who believes in the great Indian growth story and, one who is open to learning new things and most importantly accepting his/her mistakes with an ability to say “I don’t know”.

Team Sociobits: What are some of the red flags that you have faced in your investing journey?

Mr. Farzan Ghadially: Corporate governance and transparency is the key. Abort the investment even with a loss /haircut if corporate governance and transparency become a concern.

Investors like Mr. Farzan Ghadially are an asset to the startups they decide to invest in. He will be a strong motivation and build an apt foundation for businesses. Every startup should utilize and take advantage of the knowledge shared by investors.

IPL 2022: 8 updates that will keep fans hooked through IPL Season 15

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IPL is around the corner with excitement levels reaching the skies. It will be an exciting IPL as this would be played in India with fans in-stadium and in the country’s best four stadiums. Cricket matches would be fiercely contested as most of the teams are evenly balanced post auction, with two new teams to spice up the competition.

Unlike IPL 2021, there would be seventy-four matches including four play-offs and there are many old faces who would be captaining their franchise for the first time as well as new faces to storm the world. Some of the well-known domestic players would be waiting to make their mark on the global stage. With IPL being watched across the globe, it is the biggest stage for all the cricketers to showcase their potential and many players would love to grab this opportunity.

Let’s look at the top eight things to watch out for at this year’s IPL:

MS Dhoni’s Last IPL:

The man who gave us World Cup, T20 World Cup, Champions trophy may bid adieu this year and this season may be his last IPL. A gifted batsman, arguably the best keeper-batsman to ever grace the game, and a very down-to-earth human being, Dhoni deserves all the praise in the world. He was synonymous with Yellow Color across all IPL seasons and would be a big hole to fill. Will the helicopter fly without any pressure or the captain cool will walk into retirement without any buzz, only time will tell.

Two New IPL teams:

We have two new teams this season, one from India’s most populous state(Lucknow Super Giants) and the other from the land of Mahatma Gandhi(Gujrat Titans). While Lucknow will be led by India’s upcoming sensation, KL Rahul, Gujrat will have Hardik P to spearhead their campaign. With valuable additions like Rashid Khan in the auction, Lucknow and Gujrat will not be mere pushovers and would be genuine contenders for the trophy.

Rishabh Pant:

While Rishabh Pant, the player has been in the best form of his life but as a captain, he has been unlucky. Delhi Daredevils may have been the best team in the group stages last year, they were toppled by KKR in the playoffs. Rishabh was even unlucky in 2020, with his team losing in the final. Will this be the third time lucky for Rishabh and Delhi Daredevils?

Suresh Raina:

Nicknamed Mr. IPL for his stupendous records in IPL, he went unsold this year. His earlier team Chennai decided against buying him which led to his unceremonious exit but he would be seen in a new avatar this time as a commentator. It would be interesting to see and hear his insights about the competition and the game.

Rohit Sharma:

Rohit is arguably the best IPL captain, and his start as an Indian captain has been great as well. It would be interesting to see, how he leads MI this season with the additional responsibility of being India’s all-format captain. It would be also interesting to see if he can add the 5th IPL trophy to his ever-growing trophy cabinet.

Virat Kohli:

Virat has been the bedrock for the Indian Cricket team and RCB for so many years. It would be interesting to see Virat, purely as a batsman without the additional responsibility of captaincy. Will it be old Virat, who once was the highest run-getter in a season, or another mediocre season? Whatever be the fate of this IPL, Virat as a player would be the most exciting package of this year’s IPL.

Wankhede,Brabourne, DY Patil Stadium, MCA Stadium:

With this year’s IPL being played in Mumbai and Pune’s flat pitches, it would be a run-feast with plenty of sixes and fours to keep spectators glued to their screen and seats. With all four stadiums being close and located in Mumbai and Pune, this would mean less traveling time and more rest for cricketers which would surely help in their performance and make the matches more exciting.

10 Funny April Fools’ Day Pranks that you can pull off at work

April Fools’ Day is celebrated on 1st April worldwide when people play pranks on each other. It is an enthusiastic festival and people keep sportive spirits as they get embarrassed by their friends, family, college mates, co-workers and more. April fools refer to the people who fall for them and the pranks that are played on them.

After staying at least six feet away from each other due to the COVID-19 lockdown, offices and workplaces around the world have slowly started re-opening. People are meeting their colleagues after a long time and this is probably the best time to pull pranks on each other and celebrate April Fools’ Day.

The History of April Fools’ Day

Although it is still unknown how the day came into the picture, people still play along and have been doing so for ages. Some historians believe that the day came into origin when the French moved from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. At that time, many people didn’t know or didn’t accept that the New Year date has been shifted to January 1 from April 1. That is when other people started to make fun of these people who believed in the old tradition and continued to celebrate it as the new year. Some people also believe that it is linked with the change of seasons. There are many theories revolving around April Fools’ Day but it is still unclear how it spread to the whole world. One thing certain about this day is that people make fun of each other and play light-hearted pranks.

If you want some great office prank ideas, then you should definitely watch the Office; because let’s face it, the pranks Jim played on Dwight are incomparable. But if you know nothing about this TV show we have ideated some witty April Fools’ Day pranks that are easy and will not get you fired, we have created a list of 10 prank ideas that you can play among your colleagues:

Sticky Notes on your Friend’s Vehicle

This has to be the easiest prank you can play on your office mates. All you need is sticky notes from your office supplies, our colleague’s car and some creativity. When your office mate is working in the office, you can conveniently go and decorate the whole exterior body of the car with sticky notes. You can make it colorful or use your imagination and go nuts! He will definitely love to have a ‘sticky note ride’ at the end of the day.

The Dead Mouse Prank

We are not talking about killing an actual animal! Buy a rubber mouse and place it in one of your colleague’s drawers. Then, patiently wait for the minute they open their drawer to see the surprise that is waiting for him. You can also use bad odor sprays to take this prank up a notch.

Pants in the Stall

Here is another very simple prank that will fool not one, but many of your office mates. Bring an extra pair of jeans and shoes while leaving your house. Place this get up on one of your office bathroom stalls as if someone is using the stall. Anyone who sees it will feel someone is inside and may have to wait forever for his turn. You can let this prank go on until someone actually realizes that someone has been in the stall for hours.

Mint Oreos

When you open a packet of chips or biscuits, you naturally offer it to your co-workers. You have to do the same but there is a twist. Buy some Oreos and eat only the cream from the biscuits. Between the cookies, add some mint toothpaste, and offer it to your colleagues. Each and every one of your colleagues is going to fall for it!

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The Inverted Glass Prank

This prank is also a tricky challenge for your office mates. For this, you need a glass, water, thin cardboard and speed. Fill the glass with water and place the cardboard on top of the brim. Swiftly turn the glass upside down and place it on your friend’s desk. Finally, gently remove the cardboard from the bottom and watch your colleague trying to figure out some way to flip the glass without making a mess.

Mimic a Co-Worker

If you have a co-worker that has his own quirky and weird ways or habits then April Fools’ Day would be the best time to mimic him without him getting offended. Dress up like him and mimic his ways without crossing a line. This way, not only he will enjoy it but also the office will have a light environment.

The very Important Report

This is a prank that will work the best if you are a boss. You can mail your employees or casually mention the important report they had to submit today. I guarantee you, most people are going to be so scared about what they forgot, especially when it comes from a boss that they won’t even ask which report are you talking about. Let them brainstorm about it through the day then both of you can have a burst of light laughter.

A Bug is Roaming around the Office

There has to be someone in your office who is extremely afraid of bugs. Some people will definitely not put their feet down unless the bug has been trapped. You can use this to your advantage by placing something like a plastic cup upside and down and making it look like a bug has left the torn it apart and gotten away. This way you can first brag about catching a big deadly bug and later scare everyone by pretending it got away!

Is this Your Underwear?

This is definitely going to make your mate’s cheeks red! When I was younger this was one of my nightmares. You need to bring some white granny panties, write your colleague’s name on them and throw it on the washroom floor. As soon as someone notices their friend’s underwear is lying on the floor, they will be a good friend and return it. If you think that this will not work, be a good friend, pick up your friend’s underwear and return it yourself.

The Scary Ceiling

It is time to scare your office mate who is extremely afraid of ghosts or zombies. Print an image of a ghost that looks like it is coming from the ceiling to attack. Make sure it is large enough to feel as if it is real and paste on the ceiling that is above your co-worker’s desk. You can also play the music when the co-worker enters that is relevant to the picture and watch him scream!

Also Read: 100+ Hilarious and Funny Facebook Status that will make you ROFL

Although your office mates may not mind the pranks you play on this day but make sure that you don’t make fun of them or hurt them unknowingly. Choose an office mate who is sportive and will not take anything too seriously.

Now that you have a list of prank ideas ready with you, wait for April Fools’ Day until you can start pranking your colleagues or friends and have some fun during office hours. The only thing you should be taking care of is whether these pranks are appropriate for the person you are targeting and you will definitely not get in trouble.

Apple to sell iPhone as a subscription service

Apple is planning to sell iPhone and iPad as a hardware subscription service and it is estimated that this service may arrive next year. Apple has been emphasizing recurring subscriptions as a new revenue stream and this move will be a push in the direction of subscription services as a whole.

Google is adding appointment availability to search

When you search for a doctor or a clinic on Google, a tab will be visible to let you know when is the next available appointment. You can also click on the ‘book’ tab which will direct you to a third-party site, enabling you to make an appointment.

BYJU’S becomes the official sponsor of FIFA World Cup 2022

BYJU’S, the ed-tech company announced today that BYJU’S has become the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. It is the first Indian company to associate with the FIFA World Cup. This will give BYJU’S access to the World Cup’s mark, emblem and assets to run promotions.

Spotify to rename its live audio app

Spotify is planning to rename its live audio app Greenroom as Spotify Live in order to make the app more visible. It will be moved to its main music streaming app and will allow creators to hold conversations where their subscribers can listen to it.

Google to stop selling movies and TV shows on Play app

Google is planning to add Movies and TV shows on the Google TV app and remove them from the Google Play app in May 2022. If you have already purchased content on the Play app, then you will be able to access it from the TV app.

WhatsApp rolls out emoji reactions in Android Beta

WhatsApp, the messaging application will now let its Android Beta users react to a message using an emoji reaction. On long-pressing a message, six emoji reactions will appear on the users’ screen to decide how they want to react to the message. iOS and desktop applications will be receiving a similar feature soon.

4 Easy ways to get unbanned from Omegle – 2022 Edition

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If you love to chat on the platform Omegle, chances are that you may or may not have faced getting banned from it. Although the Omegle was created in 2009, by Lief K. Brooks. This web chat service allows strangers to connect and chat with each other over the web via text or video.

The service also added a video chatting feature in 2010 so that whenever people feel bored and don’t want to step out of the house for social interaction, they can choose to go online and log onto Omegle. You can connect with strangers based on your preferences and it also features a “Dorm Chat’ feature that allows students to chat with other students.

The best part about it is you get to stay anonymous! The freedom and connectivity it gives to the world creates a very high chance of users getting banned from the platform. You will meet every type of person on Omegle. Because the web service gives the whole world an arena to meet and greet, they have to place policies and chat moderators to protect the safety of its users. The platform warns the users that the moderators are not perfect so there is still a chance that you get to meet people who misbehave and the platform is not responsible for it.

If you are wondering why you may have been banned from the platform, listed below are some of the possible reasons:

1. You have been reported by another user

This reason can lead to an immediate ban on your account. Although you may have not done anything wrong or offensive, if the other person may have found you to be the slightest amount annoying and reported your account, then Omegle places a ban on you. This is one of the reasons where chances are that it was not your fault but every user has the ability to report you.

2. You drop too many people or people drop you alot

When you are matched with someone on Omegle, you as well as the other person can drop the chat immediately if you don’t find the conversation interesting or engaging enough. Now, maybe you are not being matched by the right person which tends to users frequently dropping you but if this happens too often, the result is being banned from Omegle. The company may get suspicious and takes note of this, it may also think that you are a troll which is why you may face a ban

Interestingly, it can lead to your account being banned if you drop too many people too. The service may assume that you don’t want to participate constructively in it and you are just fooling around.

3. Violating Omegle’s Terms of Use

Omegle has terms and conditions to ensure the safety of the people interacting on the platform and these terms are fairly easy to violate. While Omegle can ban is you for little mistakes like playing a copyrighted song or having a copyrighted video playing anywhere in the background. It also bans you if a moderator catches you ‘flashing’ at someone which is definitely what the platform is not meant for. Other reasons like practicing racism, abusing, spamming, etc. can also result in a ban.

We have covered the probable reasons why did Omegle ban you? Let’s move on to the ways you can use to get yourself unbanned and start chatting with the world again:

1. Wait for a few days:

After getting banned from Omegle, the easiest thing to do is wait for a couple of days. Generally, these bans last only for a few days. Also, your Internet Servicer keeps refreshing your IP Address occasionally so you can go back to chatting without any hassle or work to do.

2. Change your IP Address:

Omegle doesn’t ask you to sign-up when you enter the platform as it identifies you through your IP address. Your IP address is basically like an address of your internet, similar to a house address. So when your account is blocked, the platform blocks your IP Address. There are several simple ways to change your IP Address; using a different mobile network like a friend’s mobile network or a public WiFi. This way you can get connected from a new IP Address. You can also try unplugging your modem or resetting your router. Lastly, you can simply ask your ISP to provide you with a new IP Address.

3. Get a VPN installed:

If you want to start chatting on Omegle right now, without any delay then you should definitely go for this option. A VPN or a Virtual Private Network essentially masks your IP address and gives you the ability to choose a new one from a different region. So, when you use Omegle, it seems as if you are logging in from a new location. To Omegle, you are a new user.
To subscribe to a VPN, you need to choose a VPN service from the internet then install it on your device. After you have finished the subscription and installation part, the VPN gives you the option to choose from multiple locations. Select any one location, mostly a location near to your actual location and finally sign in to Omegle.
Not only for Omegle but also installing a VPN offers you many more features and also increases the security of your internet connection.

4. Using a Proxy Service:

Proxy services work very similarly to a VPN. A proxy service sends your traffic through a channel i.e. an intermediary server to make it seem like that IP Address belongs to you, and enables you to access Omegle.

Now that you know four very easy ways to reinstate your ban from Omegle, you can try it and start connecting with people around the world. The most important thing to remember is that Omegle uses your IP Address to identify your account so if there is a way you can change that, you can access Omegle anytime you want, even after you have been banned.