Best Lessons in Business - Live & Not in a Classroom

So as i sat across the dinner table in a swanky upscale restaurant , i looked at the people around me & i knew im going to learn a lesson like never before.

The conversations began with light hearted jokes about the industry & its functioning . All the usual India bashing & international praising began with counter arguments about how 'We' are not that far off & its only a matter of time. Well the international fellow agreed to this point wholeheartedly & I knew the alcohol was just kicking in...

As the meeting went ahead in full swing , the level of intelligence in the conversation actually became better & better & i was left in awe in understanding of how larger businesses work , survive , grow , fall etc where its really how Darwin's thory is best put into practise ( survival of the fittest )

In a matter of 3 hours , i was mentally tired but like a hungry young one craving for knowledge drooling brain juices all over , it went on & on & I realised a couple of things which I knew were possible but realistically , i didnt have the cahones to think of doing ;)

a) how much more i can do in business ... its unimaginable
b) how much stuff is out there just ready to be grasped by that smart businessman only if the vision is there
c)Money is as important as you want it to be & make it to be & that Reputation , Respect are probably as important.

I must have gained enough exercises in business to last me atleast a year or two of implementation... I was able to contribute whatever i could to the best of my abilities but i was no match in the company i was but glad to say , i gave a pat on my back for the effort :D

So the evening ended with the customary handshakes & goodbye's and the gentlemen were pleased with the whole exercise and maybe someday in the future ... there will be another one, cant wait for it :)

Thanks for going through this with a yawn or two ... well ill simply put it as

I'll never forget the evening when I met

1) Chairman of a Big Indian Chemical Laboratory Company
2) Marketing Director of an International Pharmaceutical Company
3) Owner of a World renowned Lab for testing of some breakthrough medicines.