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First Customers are Patron Saints...

While all this was happening, KK moved to the US to help get the operations set up on the enterprise side. Jani took on the task of putting together the technology team. It was settled that Ashok and I would divide common functions between the two of us.

As we decided to start offering our services for the India geography, I took up that task in addition to my responsibilities of people function, marketing and infrastructure building. Ashok was directly overseeing the quality, information systems and finance.

But job number one was landing new business - both in the U.S. and in India. Though we were born in the boom time of the Internet, the streets had to be pounded and we needed some luck there. When you leave behind your corporate success and start some thing anew, you leave behind everything you stood for. However large the halo of the past may have been, it is removed faster than you think. That is a transition that takes many people off-guard. Fortunately, we had no qualms about it. We left behind the past and were ready to pound the pavements. However, more than our brave attitude, what made the significant difference was the willingness of the first few customers who trusted us and gave us their business.

Every new company that ultimately succeeds does so on the strength of a few such sponsors and no amount of business planning ever replaces their role. They appear from nowhere, give you business for no explainable reason and seldom claim a return on their disproportionate contribution. All great companies owe their existence to these early customers who often assume disproportionate risk to become the Patron Saint.

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Subroto Bagchi is co-founder and Chief Operating Officer for MindTree Consulting (P) Ltd. The "Making of the MindTree" is told in the first person by Subroto Bagchi. In condensed form, it was published by Business World, filmed by InfiniTV, and aired on CNBC, IT Hour. Websites: www.mindtree.com & www.mindtree.com/subrotobagchi