How to be an 'entrepreneur with heart'? Sonam Wangchuk shares 'Insight'

"To learn, you do not need schools and teachers. What you need is what you get from Nature. It is the best software and it comes pre-loaded with hardware and we call it Curiosity," said Sonam Wangchuk,  Director of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), at an event recently.

Sharing some of the biggest learnings from his life at a session of the 'Isha Insight: The DNA of Success', organised by the Isha Foundation, Wangchuk said: "More often than not, teachers delete this learning software or parents delete the joy of using this software and then spend time on why my child is not interested in learning and reading."

Empathy is the second pillar that he swears by, even in his businesses. "Empathy is not just about being a good person but what you do to help others and not to harm others," said the social entrepreneur, as he likes to call himself.

Speaking about entrepreneurship, Wangchuk said, "Businesses stem out of a genuine urge to solve problems of the people. Then you do not have to advertise because you are solving real problems. If your businesses are based on empathy, these are the businesses that would go on for generations without much artificial fiddling."

"Empathy alone won't do much without initiative. The initiative is what finally changes the world -- to go out and do what you feel out of empathy and curiosity," explained Sonam that the three pillars of life -- Curiosity, Empathy and taking Initiative -- are never taught in our schools.

Wangchuk, who has been working for the last 30 years to bring reforms in government schools in Ladakh, said there are gaping holes in the present education system.

"Only 5 per cent of the population has their children in schools which are maybe better than those in America. But 95 per cent of our children study in schools worse than those in Sub-saharan African schools," he said.

He further questioned, "Higher education in India is no better; where from the cold mountain deserts of Ladakh to the hottest deserts in Rajasthan, every student is studying the same curriculum as a ritual. We need profound reforms in higher education that empower them to solve problems in their surroundings."

Establishing alternative universities becomes important to build a strong generation of problem-solvers, he added.

Sonam believes that one needs to be a little "off" to become a good entrepreneur and not just make money by solving problems. Bringing Gautama the Buddha as an example of becoming "entrepreneurs with hearts", Wangchuk said, "it is a greater achievement to conquer one desire than to fulfil 1,000 desires. Modern economics explains the laws of diminishing returns when you buy your first pair of shoes, and it feels wonderful because your feet were bleeding before that. Then you purchase your second, third, fourth, 20th and 44th, but it doesn’t even touch you. So there is no utility."

While stating that modern economics ends here, Wangchuk said, "I add my twist to this law and tell entrepreneurs to please earn money and also buy the 45th pair of shoes but not for yourself. Buy it for someone who does not have the first pair of shoes, and you will become the lucky winner in modern economics."

Wangchuk also shared his philosophy on failures. The HIAL director said, "We have built a school of failures where the admission criteria, to begin with, is failures. Those who have scored too many marks may be on a waiting list, but failures definitely will get the red carpet. And guess what after a few years in this school, one student who failed five times in the 10th grade does all the things that he did and becomes the Education Minister for Ladakh Hill Council!"

• Career
• Himalayan Institute of Alternatives
• Isha Foundation
• Isha Insight
• Isha Insight 2022
• Ladakh
• Sonam Wangchuk
• The DNA of Success
• Who is a good entrepreneur
• curiosity
• empathy
• entrepreneur
• entrepreneurship
• initiatives