Abhishek Rungta

In 2023, a mountaineer and loved member of Indian entrepreneur community, Anurag Maloo met an horrible accident on top of Annapurna (one of the deadliest 8000+ mts peak).

Firstly, Why would someone attempt to climb a mountain where 1 in 3 mountaineers perish? And that too without oxygen support? This is similar to the question – why entrepreneurs build business when less than 2% companies see their 10th anniversary?

But this is not the real story. When Maloo was lost in the crevasse and people were losing hope, a Polish climber on – Adam Bielecki gave up his climb to go for the rescue.

At 8000+ mts rescue is more dangerous than climbing the peak. Then why would a mountaineer who went to climb (for his own joy, challenge or glory), aborts his mission, and go to rescue Maloo, risking his own life? That too when the chances of Maloo’s survival was bleak. But he still takes a chance, along with some braveheart Sherpas and pulls off the impossible.

This is what mountains bring out among its seekers. And this is no different from true spirit of entrepreneurship.

It is all about working for your own big hairy audacious goals, but also betting for others’ success, and at times putting that ahead of one’s own self.

I think it is more of finding joy in beating the odds, taking up a difficult challenge, and using ones skill to achieve success – does not matter for whom it is achieved.

At the end of the day, you are full with satisfaction, sense of achievement, and a lot of new learnings.

This is what entrepreneurship is all about.