Journey to runjhunstory.com

How much an employee can grow in an organization is limited to the organization’s growth. But how much an entrepreneur can grow? – People say, ‘Sky is the limit’. Since college I was interested in drama and storytelling. Placement at a software company was a result of my lack of self-confidence and confused mind. It took more than 2 years to make up my mind. I realized that the kind of exposure I need for fulfilling my dreams cannot come from sitting in a 6 by 6 cube since morning till evening day after day. With support from my parents and far fetched business plans from my close relatives I decided to change the wagon. Or rather jump off the train…in hope of catching a flight.
As we know that before the flight takes off, there is a long runway. You have to run and run really fast to be able to fly…All prepared to run, I needed a direction. IT, Education, Restaurant, Power plant, Warehouse and what not. There were many roads emerging out from where I was standing. I was standing on a junction, restless and anxious, ready to run. But on which runway should I run? As I turn my body towards one road and start looking ahead a bit, suddenly folks suggest me to run on another runway. Confused as I was, my initial few months got spent in just revolving around and peeping into every runway.
One fine day, I thought that I will choose the direction where I do not have to depend upon others and where I wouldn’t get bored. Money or no money, let time tell the story….Yes! I chose to develop stories for children. Books? Well I thought there are ample. Animation? No, it’s not good for eyes. Audio – yes, this can give the feel of a real grandparent telling a story. This was the exact motivation for the start-up. And on this day was born Runjhun. runjhunstory.com is a portal focused on storytelling for children.
Then I thought, if I try I risk failure, but if I don’t, I will ensure it.
I started my journey with a phone call. My dad knew some one in AIR. I gave a call to him. I explained him about my idea, about which I myself was not very clear. He understood something and gave me the phone number of a studio. I called up at the studio a few times and finally fixed up a meeting with the boss. I again explained my half-clear idea to him also. He assured me that he will give me a budget for the project by talking to a few people in this field. Meanwhile, once I was in my close relative’s office discussing some business plan. Suddenly he suggested that he knows someone in theatre profession. I unlike me, on the spot called him and called him for a small meeting. He came and we discussed the idea. While talking with him he told about one more guy, who happens to be the father of one of the employees in my close relative’s office. So I fixed up a meeting with him as well. Next day I met him. I told him my idea (half clear). He liked the idea and said we can work on this. He happens to be a regular writer on satire (in Hindi). He was busy with some theatre workshop. Oh yeah, he directs plays also. This guy is going to become story-writer and director for the first set of stories. For next few days, I researched on net about similar products, audio stories, audio stories for children, audio Indian stories, audio hindi stories, audio stories moral and what not… three key words were common - audio, story, children. I also collected many stories from various sources. In the processes I had another unemployed guy, starving for a new concept. He specializes in web development. I had always thought of a website with audio stories to be streamed. I find a website better medium to reach to our customers in any part of the world a better medium than CD or DVD. So after a few days, I called up the narrator saab. And fixed up a meeting again. Meetings had become my only assurance of the progress of the work. We discussed the budget. We negotiated in the next few meetings. Later we finalized the costing. In parallel the website work started.
For the first set of stories and first release of the website, I was very compromising. I did not poke my nose too much. I did not force my small vision upon others and let the product develop itself.
Today when I have 11 stories with me, an uploaded website with 20-30 hits everyday (without mass marketing and extra efforts), I know what I have to do next…
Well I never said I know what should be done or what will fetch me money and what not. I am still as unsure of the success as I was before, but today I am more confident and clear of what I have to do in this project.
Every good response brings a fresh stream of confidence in me and every negative response makes me think more…
It will sell or not? Kids will listen to it or not? Parents will buy it or not? My answer cannot be free from the influence of hope and optimism.