Sell the computer. Turn off the internet and lock him in a room. The only way your son is ever going to succeed being an entrepreneur is by getting himself an MBA.

This is what my 12th grade chemistry teacher told my parents during a regular PTM. She really believed that I had it in me to go get an MBA, but I was just not motivated to do so. She believed that my parents getting rid of the computer and internet would get me back on course.

Thankfully, my folks never complied.

I come from a fairly conservative family where every cousin or second cousin or uncle has either an engineering degree or a management degree. My parents’ dream for me was to study well, get into a good college and get a good job.

The moment they realized that I wasn’t interested in that, they resisted a little, but eventually became supportive. My mom gave me one piece of advise which I thought was irrelevant back then, but I understand makes a lot of sense now — “Do what you want, go to school like everyone else, don’t tell any of your teachers or school friends what you’re doing”.

As a kid growing up in upper middle class India, if you’re not academically proficient, you’re considered mostly a loser. And, I didn’t understand the merits of not being able to flaunt my other talents. But, boy was she right.