Skip to main content

"Avoid Mind Blocks & Artificial Boundaries" - Pandia Rajan & Latha Rajan of Ma Foi

Cross Posted from the Venture Intelligence Entrevista blog:


Latha Rajan & K. Pandia Rajan of Ma Foi ( Bios)

In conversation with K. Satyanarayan, Co-founder of regional language publishing firm New Horizon Media.
(Recorded on August 15, 2012 in Chennai.)

Highlights:

Takeaways for Other Entrepreneurs: (Click on the links for the video segments)
  • Don't add artificial constraints when it comes to entrepreneurship

    KPR:
    Separating home and work, politics & business - we tend to have many boundaries where none need to exist. These are Western notions and mind blocks that we can revisit.

    Being a Husband-Wife Entrepreneur Combination was never a major hassle for us. In fact, as Latha says often, we would have probably fallen apart but for Ma Foi!

    Latha Rajan: In the early days, he used to travel 25 days a month and I used to travel 10 days a month. But since I was there within the system, I could understand (the pressures and issues). Both of us knew what we were working towards.

    Entrepreneurship has given me a lot of flexibility mentally. I used to take my daughter and son to office if it was required. In fact, the 30th day after my son was born, I was in the office and I took him along.
  • Employees as Members: Everyone who joins Ma Foi is referred to as a "member" (as against an employee).

    Latha Rajan:
    "Employee sounds so transient".

    Even if someone leaves the organization (as an employee), he/she still remains a Ma Foi member (and hence an ambassador for the firm).
  • Innovation in funding: Converted the company into a public limited one very early and raised small amounts from over 275 well wishers, employees & ex-employees and clients. Made sure to pay the shareholders a decent dividend each year. (Ma Foi paid 20% "religiously".)
  • Growth, Diversity, Transparency and Integrity
    Everyone knew how much everyone else was producing
Other Highlights (The Journey & Lighter Moments)
The Full Length Interview Video



Video Of
The Q&A Session




Click Here to Download The Full Interview Audio Podcast - 69 minutes, 32 MB. Use Right Click & Save As to download to your desktop

Click Here to Download the Audio of the Q&A session - 8.54 minutes, 4 MB. Use Right Click & Save As to download to your desktop

Venture Intelligence is the leading provider of data and analysis on private equity, venture capital and M&A transactions in India as well as Financials & Valuations of Private Companies in the country. Click Here to view our products list and free sample newsletters and reports.

Popular posts from this blog

PE-VC investments in Q2'23 decline 33% to $9.9 Billion

Private Equity-Venture Capital (PE-VC) investments in India during the quarter ended June 2023 (Q2'23), at $9.85 Billion across 182 deals, registered a 33% decrease compared to the same period in 2022 (which saw $14.6 Billion being invested across 371 deals). The investment amount however rose 74% compared to the immediate previous quarter (which saw $5.7 Billion being invested across 181 deals), shows data from  Venture Intelligence , a research service focused on private company financials, transactions, and their valuations. The PE-VC investment figures for the first 6 months of 2023 - at $15.5 Billion (across 363 deals) - was 50% lower compared to the same period in 2022 (which saw $31 Billion being invested across 800 deals). Q2’23 witnessed 19 mega deals ($100 M+

Chiratae, Speciale and Stride Ventures win APEX'24 Venture Capital Awards

Chiratae Ventures, Speciale Invest and Stride Ventures were awarded as among the leading Venture Capital investors in India for 2023 as part of Venture Intelligence APEX‘24 Private Equity & Venture Capital awards event in Mumbai.  The Venture Intelligence “Awards for Private Equity Excellence” (APEX) is dedicated to celebrating the best that the Indian Private Equity & Venture Capital industry has to offer. The APEX Awardees are selected based on both Self Nomination by the participating PE-VC firms and "crowd sourced" voting from the Limited Partner, PE-VC and advisory communities. (The main criteria are Return Track Record, New Fund Raises & Follow-on Funding Rounds for Portfolio Companies) VC Investor of the Year Chiratae Ventures received the Venture Capital Investor of the Year 2023 Award on the back of 10 part exits totaling $178 million via Secondary Sales during the year. Its exits included those from retail unicorn Lenskart, SaaS Startup Pixis and baby pr

Blackstone, MO Alts and InvAscent win APEX'24 Private Equity Awards

Press Release Blackstone, MO Alternates (formerly Motilal Oswal PE) and InvAscent were awarded as among the leading Private Equity and Growth Capital investors in India for 2023 as part of Venture Intelligence APEX‘24 Private Equity & Venture Capital awards event in Mumbai.  The Venture Intelligence “Awards for Private Equity Excellence” (APEX) is dedicated to celebrating the best that the Indian Private Equity & Venture Capital industry has to offer. The APEX Awardees are selected based on both Self Nomination by the participating PE-VC firms and "crowd sourced" voting from the Limited Partner, PE-VC and advisory communities. (The main criteria are Return Track Record, New Fund Raises & Follow-on Funding Rounds for Portfolio Companies) PE Investor of the Year Blackstone received the Private Equity Investor of the Year 2023 Award on the back of strong complete exits during the year: from Sona Comstar and IBS Software. Ganesh Mani and Amit Dalmia, Senior Managing D

Avendus tops League Table for Transaction Advisors to PE deals in Q1'23

Aeka Advisors and Ambit claim the No.2 & 3 slot Avendus topped the Venture Intelligence League Table for Transaction Advisor to Private Equity Transactions for Q1 2023 advising 5 deals worth $808 million. Aeka Advisors stood second having advised 3 deals worth $228 million. Ambit followed with 4 deals worth $160 million. Ernst & Young ($114 million across 4 deals) and o3 Capital ($80 million across 2 deals) completed the top five for Q1 2023. Avendus acted as advisor to ADIA’s $500 million investment in omnichannel eyewear retailer Lenskart . Aeka Advisors acted as advisor to Kreditbee’s $160 million fundraise from Advent International, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and existing investors. Ambit advised the $104 million fundraise of Freshtohome from Mount Judi Ventures, Iron Pillar, Amazon and others. The  Venture Intelligence League Tables , the first such initiative exclusively tracking transactions involving India-based companies, are based on the value of PE

PE-VC investments fall 38% in 2023 to below $30 B

The value of investments by Private Equity - Venture Capital (PE-VC) firms in India fell by 38% to less than $30 Billion in 2023. PE-VC firms invested $29.7 Billion (across 756 deals) in Indian companies in 2023, compared to $47.6 Billion (across 1,362 deals) in the previous year, reports Venture Intelligenc e, a research service focused on private company financials, transactions, and their valuations. (Note: These figures exclude PE investments in Real Estate).                                                                                                                                                                      2023 witnessed 67 mega deals ($100 M+ rounds) worth $21.2 Billion, compared to 112 such investments worth $31.8 Billion in 2022. The $2.4 Billion investment in Manipal Hospitals by Temasek (which gained majority control) and TPG Capital was the largest PE-VC investment in 2023. This was followed by the $1.35 Billion buyout of education loans focused HDFC Credila