Why Paul Graham Is My Guru!

I’m a big fan of Paul Graham. PG is one of those guys who inspired me to dream big, chase those dreams and become an entrepreneur. All this through the beauty of his prose. This post, however, is not about entrepreneurship but about how PG saved my ass. Yesterday, I happened to waltz in to the Hyderabad Toastmasters meeting an hour late. Apparently, they had advanced the meeting by an hour and I was unaware of the same. Considering this was my second meeting as a guest and the second consecutive meeting that I turned up late (by an hour nonetheless), I thought I should make amends. Otherwise, my chances of being voted in to the club might have well been toast.

So, even before I warmed up on my seat, I bravely volunteered to speak in a round that had just begun called the “Table Topics” round. This is essentially a Just-A-Minute kind of talk, except for the fact, no one interrupts you like they would in a JAM. Imagine my luck when the topic given to me was “Procrastination is Good”. Relying on my memory of some of the excellent points mentioned in PG’s essay on this theme (and also perhaps on my many years of personal experience with the subject matter), I extolled upon the virtues of procrastination. I was pleased as punch with the delivery and coming, as it did, after a series of recent speaking debacles, I really couldn’t have asked for more.

So, my dear reader, here’s the moral of the story. Go and read Paul Graham’s essays if you haven’t done so already. You might end up starting a company like I did with tolmolbol; or better still, you might be able to make a good impression on the company you keep.

Bonne chance!