KEC- Dwarahat, the place where my soul searching began

In  2013, I entered college with an impulsive decision of studying civil engineering.

In those four years one could find a reader in me, a writer in me, a dancer in me, and in the literary club you would see a speaker in me. It was how my quest for searching my soul began. I was an engineer with no intent to be one. Post-engineering I began looking for opportunities which could give me the freedom to explore, explore fearlessly. It was then that I got a chance to intern with ColoredCow, it didn’t take a lot of time for me to take the decision because I could resonate with the one of their fundamental element – ‘Passion’.

It was a crisp winter morning, I reached B.Puram and the place couldn’t be better. My first day at ColoredCow started and I was about to get my first assignment. I was both excited and nervous. And guess what? My first assignment was to read a book. I was baffled. Nevertheless, I was handed  over a book named “WORK RULES- Laszlo Bock”

Reading Work Rules! in the beautiful terrain of Tehri Garhwal

My state of perplexity faded with every page I read and I could clearly see the purpose of my assignment. The book had some amazing lessons which I would like to reflect upon.

Is it possible to have a workplace just like Google? Neah, it is nothing but a chimera. Every company has its own soul and way of doing things. I learned this from ColoredCow, how a small startup of 13 people skimmed the best out of a book which gives us insights about how a big conglomerate like Google works.

The main driving force for Bock to write this book was to help those millions of leaders who aspired to become better. ColoredCow has similar philanthropic instincts, yes I am talking about its hill story.

The view from ColoredCow’s Tehri office

Bock emphasizes the importance of culture for Google which is their high freedom approach which neglected the role of managers. I remember Prateek telling Adiba,”Code trek is your baby, you have to make it happen”. This is the freedom which the writer talks about.

The process of hiring the best candidates cannot be neglected. The difficult and cumbersome hiring process is very well explained by Bock. ColoredCow’s hiring process is fastidious owing to which it is still a small family. They have various initiatives to hire the best suited for their company and expand, but as they say, all good things take time. It amazes me how a non-hierarchical organization like ColoredCow assesses its members to bring out the best in them.

Google, also known as the best workplace in the world provides some really inexpensive or even free perks to its employees boosting their morals a gazillion times.

ColoredCow Soiree Evenings

I can’t explain my love for the small pantry at ColoredCow’s office at Tehri, loaded with fruits, milk, good food, and most importantly tea at my disposal! 🙂

The epitome of the book is that every company has its own essence, just like Google which makes them great.

Bock, one of the greatest leaders has enlisted the rules which perfectly worked for Google. Alike ColoredCow one must choose the ones best suited for their company or adapt the rules to fit in because the sole purpose is to bring the best out of the employees to make every step successful and not to create a workplace just like Google.

My first assignment at ColoredCow was itself a soul bumping one, teaching me the wide possibilities of learning and observing which the smallest thing in the universe can offer. I know with every bright morning fading into a pale blue evening in this picturesque place, I will get a plethora of opportunities to learn and grow.