Business of shark

Business of shark

Jonathan Roderick, based in California is one of the most successful young entrepreneurs of this generation. Jonathan Roderick had two major phobias galeophobia – fear of sharks and aquaphobia – fear of water. He used to have nightmares before taking flight. But he was not afraid of flying, landing or take off or crash per se. He was so horror-struck thinking of the scenarios where the plane had to land on the Ocean that he was comfortable with a crash on land.

He made elaborate efforts to conceal his shortcomings from his friends and essentially none of his acquaintances knew about his phobias. The movies on sharks scared the bejesus out of him. He accompanied friends to the movie theater to watch those movies where he took quite a few loo breaks falsely citing indigestion due to Indian cuisine as the cause. He kept his eyes close in the movie theater during the intense portions. He preferred to take those flight routes which covered the least distances over waterbodies. His golden excuse for not coming to the swimming pool was that he was not comfortable displaying his belly to the public.

It was an irony that people who knew him in his line of work crowned him with the nickname ‘Shark’. On top of that, he was also a successful participant in the TV show ‘Shark Tank’ and this helped him climb up the professional ladder in the initial struggling stages of his life. But irony did not end there. After ten years of mostly ascending journey, his company suffered a major setback. The recession had hit hard and his company was in huge debt. His California-based company didn't have too many choices but to collaborate with a company called Photonics and undertake a new venture which was based on cruise and island tourism. The company Photonics was headquartered on an island in the Atlantic which didn't have an airport and the only mode of transport was by ship. Monthly meetings were to take place once in California and once in the headquarters. Jonathan signed up for this because he had no other choice. Yes, so a galeophobic and aquaphobic Jonathan who never rode on a cruise got enrolled into the cruise business. The first meeting in California went smooth. Jonathan was the most active participant. Everyone was impressed. “Thanks for the insight Shark.” ‘Great knowing you Shark.’ The new company people also started calling him Shark. He skipped the next meeting on the island faking injury. Mark and Neil managed it well. Mark Sidbark, Neil Straw and Jonathan himself were the decision-making team of the company. "The third meeting should be fine" Jonathan was contemplating. "For the fourth meeting, I will have uncle's death as the excuse for my absence. Fifth meeting again will be fine. Now if I do not attend the sixth meeting eyebrows definitely will be raised. This cannot go on. I need to find a permanent solution. I have to fight my fears. I have to garner the courage to fight phobias. 'It is all in the mind' my psychiatrist used to say. My reputation is at stake. If they come to know about the phobias I will become a mockery. From shark, I will be demoted to ‘Tuna’. These things would spread fast in his line of work and very soon I would become a meme. I cannot let this happen. A shark did not go to the top of the ocean's food chain by accident. Because of its ability to adapt to a changing world and uncertain situations, the shark has progressed to where it is now. The species has survived everything from some of the world's worst natural disasters to extinction. The shark travels thousands of kilometers each year to reach its target and will not be deterred from completing its mission. I am the SHARK.”

He was a man of average built. He had an engineering degree from a not so prestigious college. It was after the completion of his master’s in business administration course that he found his true calling. He became passionate about startups. Passion is the fuel that ignites a fire of creativity and excitement, allowing one to exude incredible levels of self-assurance. This provided him a constant thrust to pursue an ambitious goal - no matter the hurdles.

Jonathan had to earn his respect. As they say, in business, there is a delicate line between being fearless and being risky. Being "fearless" necessitates a level of self-assurance and drive that can determine the success of any company. Rather than simply pointing the way, Jonathan believed in taking the initiative and leading the way. When sharks smell the blood in the water, they will chase after it to make sure they get a pie of the cake. Whenever Jonathan had a wonderful proposition in his mind, he took action. Execution is usually the hardest part of the process. Many people cannot execute their ideas because they lack the necessary courage, resources, time, and money. But not Jonathan. Another important adage Jonathan kept in his mind was that one does not have to be afraid of being regarded as a "shark". When one is well respected, the business is more likely to survive and prosper. He took the time and effort to listen and interact with his team members, employees, consultants, interns, and even competitors. He had the thirst to learn and kept learning from them, including their mistakes and successes, which can provide him and his business a competitive advantage. He made it a point to motivate, encourage, and praise his colleagues. He was the "boss" in some projects, but that did not mean that he was "dominant". That is why he was able to find a group of people in those projects who supported his ideas and allow him and his business to grow.

As part of his preparation to alleviate the fears, he resumed the psychiatric sessions, built a small swimming pool in his mansion, started visiting the riverside for morning walks. On the business side, there was huge progress. It showed huge potential. For the third meeting Jonathan was extra prepared to compensate for his absence in the last meeting and he rocked by his presentations on the progress the company has made so far on the venture. On the morning of the fourth meeting, Jonathan informed Mark of his uncle's made-up death and that was had to travel to his uncle's house in Oregon for his last rites. Jonathan add known Mark for more than ten years now. He wanted to postpone the meeting and accompany Jonathan to his uncle's house. It was somewhat hard to dissuade Mark. Jonathan was convinced that would not be able to pull this stunt one more time. From this month as advised by the psychiatrist he joined martial arts class so that he becomes even more "fearless". He rigorously follows the advice of a psychiatrist to going fishing and eating fish regularly. The company was spawning profit. One fine morning, Neil was upset with the way Phonetics was handling finances. A few days later Mark was Furious to know the MD and the founder of Phonetics leaked internal information and were spreading libels against him. Many angry calls ensued. They accused us of wrongdoings. The fifth meeting was a disaster. Jonathan's threshold was exceeded. "Let's sever ties with them." was everybody's mindset. They have already gained insights into the new venture. They pulled up their socks. It was not that difficult for these experienced entrepreneurs to launch similar enterprises in California. With the robust work ethic mode turned on, fifteen hours shifts with midnight oil burning, no weekends off, they were able to generate the first profit within few weeks. They are now making elaborate plans to expand in other parts of California. Jonathan may be rechristened “ the bounce back shark”.

You must be wondering what happened to Jonathan’s treatment. Some diseases are incurable especially if they are congenital. Jonathan was never able to conquer his phobias. This was not the first attempt to overcome his fear. It became increasingly clear to him that this treatment was an unsuccessful venture. One of the major traits of a successful shark was the ability to gauge and analyze the business. Analyze-Plan-Strategize-Execute. Jonathan fed the Phonetics with the wrong financial details. It was Jonathan who leaked the internal information by hiring a hacker. The shark never gives up. If it encounters a dead end it circumvents it. Years of endurance and perseverance enabled him to build a name. His reputation was at stake. He was able to conceal his flaws from his childhood. He would make every endeavor to safeguard his house to cards.

Two months after the collaboration was dissolved, Jonathan took his first weekend off. His calendar verbalized-this Saturday, Sunday only sleep. Jonathan resonated complacency and tranquility as lay on his bed with eyes closed. This shark had eyelids. He remembered “One definition of shark is ‘a person who unscrupulously exploits or swindles others’ “and smiled.