Yesterday happened to see Rocket Singh Salesman of the year movie.

Let me get the good out of the way.

There is corruption everywhere. Wrong decisions, inflated bills are accepted with a bribe to get the sale. Bad for the company, bad for the industry, bad for the end consumers. This segment is the only good part of the movie.

Other than this – I was squirming while watching the movie.

Bad 1

Misusing company’s (AYS corporation) resources while building his company ( Rocket ). They do justify in the movie that our hero is insulted as zero by AYS’s boss. Rocket’s employees will use AYS’s van for transporting equipments, they will work during the night and sleep during the day in the office – while drawing salary from AYS.

Bad 2

Rocket team had the honour not to divert existing leads that come to AYS. However, they dug out the old leads which have declined AYS. AYS would have spent lot of marketing dollars, WoM to generate leads. Also the reasons for declining AYS might have been – lack of budget that time, not a good champion at the other end, no requirement etc. Rocket cannot steal the old leads of AYS.

Bad 3

This pissed me off. The whole bane of Indian Startups – undercutting to get a business. Rocket’s differentiators – undercut AYS and also offer 24×7 Support – which is not sustainable. This kills the industry as it creates unreasonable expectations.

I would have appreciated Rocket if they had charged more than AYS’s support to offer 24×7 and quick turn around time and convinced the customer – which is harder to sell. How could they sustain at cheap rates and give quality support? [ If your employees draw salary from another company – AYS – may be. ].

Undercutting, giving cash back, giving discounts, throwing freebies – it is the easy way to sell – and is not sustainable. Company will lose eventually. Customers will lose. The Industry dies.

Selling a quality product at a price it deserves is the hard way to sell – which is sustainable. Customers will win. Company wins. The industry they both operate will thrive.

Rocket Singh is a bad movie for budding entrepreneurs.

1. Thou shalt not steal your existing employee’s resources.
2. Thou shalt not steal your existing employee’s leads
3. Thou shalt not capture business by undercutting your competitor at unsustainable rates.

Some good lessons where there though

1. Say no to corruption – everywhere – even in Private sector
2. Business is about People.

My only prayer is hope these wrong lessons are not picked up by young entrepreneurs and they ask these questions before mis-using existing company’s resources or starting a race to the bottom death match with their competitors.

I wish there is a Rocket Singh – II. And the movie continues where it left so we know how Rocket manages the low costs he is giving.