A Bus Journey That Led To Self-purification —Phanindra Sama #JeenaIsiKaNaamHain

Today I am going to talk about an extraordinary individual who brings a rather unique aspect to entrepreneurship. We all know entrepreneurship is a journey where every entrepreneur will have experiences which set them aside from others, as they go through the rigmarole. It’s this uniqueness in every story which needs to be captured and showcased.

Phanindra Sama, the founder of Redbus (which got acquired in 2013 by Ibibo), is a shy man with very deep thoughts and never fails to make an impact on people. He is today’s central character.

Phani believes that entrepreneurship is a “self-purification” process.

He even said so in a podcast that was featured by FactorDaily. When I asked him what he meant by it, he candidly explained and even drew a parallel with parenting. Founders are very closely watched by their teams and whatever they do (right or wrong) is seen as tacit signalling — virtue or otherwise. For instance, if you evade regulatory norms to intentionally avoid disclosures, employees get the message that it’s okay to do so and before you know it, the business will slip down a slippery slope. If you want your employees to be ethical then as a founder, you need to demonstrate a very high ethical standard too. That’s where a parallel can be drawn with parenting — if you want your children to behave in a certain way, you must also prepare to always do the same. While business and parenting are two different things altogether but what he was trying to say is that inspiration (or its lack) is mirrored. Hence the word of caution.

In the early 2010s, Redbus was a massively disruptive business model, and he really made it big while leveraging innovation and great talent that worked alongside him. Having built a strong brand, he was able to eke out a great exit. I met him at a conference in 2014, he was sitting in front of me. He recognized me instantly and we started chatting.

Fast forward a couple of years. At iSPIRT, he co-chaired PN Growth and he would often create that WOW factor with his depth and breadth of knowledge. But he was never over-bearing — shyness & humility sat on him quite naturally. After Redbus, he took a break and travelled the world for some time. He would return soon to the mainstream and later on, engage with the Govt. of Telangana as their Chief Innovation Officer. Phanindra has worn many hats and has been on both sides of the table — as a founder & investor. Successful entrepreneurs are likely to follow this path having gathered much wisdom during their journeys.

What makes him stand apart is his confidence in talking about his mistakes. In a retreat, he spoke volubly and opened up in a way that one wouldn’t expect of a seasoned entrepreneur. But that’s him! I believe it has to do with great confidence. When one is highly confident, sharing one’s past mistakes can come naturally. Being humble also makes him a very keen learner.

Redbus was well ahead of its time and its founder Phanindra Sama is an extraordinary man. He has gone on to inspire many entrepreneurs that came out of the BITS Pilani, including Sriharsha of Swiggy. Phani is starting up once again and here’s wishing him all the very best for the future. His humility has touched many souls, and I have been a beneficiary too.

I will always cherish the interactions I’ve had with him in the last ten years or so. Been a great learning for me.