Book Review of “I Came Upon a Lighthouse”

A single idea can change a person’s life forever. That one idea of Motopaws startup brought an amazing opportunity to Tata group evangelist Shantanu Naidu.  When I was young, I always wanted to meet Kalam Sir but it is too late now. Not everyone gets to meet their idols until they do something different and impactful. Motopaws was started in 2009 with empathy as one of its core values. The values and work of this company caught the attention of Mr Ratan Tata.

Shantanu, who was working in Tata group as an Intern, wrote a letter to the Chairman in the hopes of getting moral support from him. But that step brought drastic changes in his life beyond anyone’s imagination. He received an offer for a meeting from Mr Tata to discuss his startup in detail. One might imagine that he gave financial support to build another company. If yes, this is a piece from a Korean drama, which I love, by the way.

Mr Tata and Shantanu discussed the problems that motivated the latter to start Motopaws.
A genuine and passionate heart can touch anyone no matter how high they stand on the social ladder. One could see a bond forming between the two during the discussion. Shantanu Naidu’s grandfather, father and many of his family members worked in the Tata group, and so the entire family was avid admirers and supporters of the Tata family and group. This was an opportunity that they would cherish for a lifetime.

The ‘Marketing Failure’

The entire book ‘I came upon a lighthouse’ beautifully captures the heart-warming memories held by a person who had the chance to spend an ample amount of time as a secretary to his role model. One of the best parts that I loved in this book is the chapter about the Nano car and the purpose behind its creation. We judge the success and failure of a car model but hardly think of the hard work and passion of its maker. An extract from the chapter ‘Lily’ from I Came Upon a Lighthouse:

The aspirational, status-conscious common man in India never wants what’s good for him. He wants what’s above him, what he can’t reach.
Four People on a Motorcycle in the rain—that was the birth of the Nano. A heart that I have come to see so full of empathy wanted this group of people, who risked their lives every day, to just be safe. The community, however, rejected this gesture.

Nano speaks a lot about Mr. Tata’s values as he created them to help commoners have a comfortable life on an affordable budget. I remember my friends having to take two two-wheelers to get around places with their families. Imagine how much fun it would be to travel with your family in a single vehicle.

The Perfect Title to the Book

The book has been so aptly titled, ‘I came upon a lighthouse.’ A lighthouse shows the right direction to the ships and lost boats in the sea. In this book, Mr Tata has become the lighthouse to a youngster by guiding him whenever he felt lost. The memoir does not just talk about the author’s homeland memories with Mr Ratan Tata but bring his experiences in foreign countries back home to us. This book shows the other caring, loving and friendly side of Mr Ratan Tata to people who have known him only through his titles and business models.

From an Intern to Mr Tata’s Younger Brother

Even to Mr Ratan Tata, Shantanu Naidu is very special which can be understood from the words of Tata, who himself wrote to his secretary:

Jeh used to enjoy embarrassing me, but it was our mutual love and affection for each other that grew exponentially. You have many attributes that I admire. You are like a son or younger brother, I enjoy being in your company.

Shantanu has also shared moments where Mr Tata pulled his legs and he, in turn, made fun of Mr Tata when he is caught in an awkward situation because of his introverted nature. Not just loving dialogues and actions are acts of love and affection but also pulling each other’s legs in a harmless way and being there in the most crucial times are also acts of love that are proven to be very powerful.

An Inter-Generation Friendship

Young minds have always come across wise elders, condescending adults and shrewd mentors but hardly a friend. Mr Tata and Shantanu’s bond started with a friendship and then, as millennials say, friends become family. Shantanu relied on the business tycoon whenever he had hard times in his University days at Cornell. Mr Tata, instead of treating him like a kid and motivating him to do better, listened to him as a friend and comforted him. An inter-generation friendship at its best.

Final Comments

I would suggest not reading this book if you are looking for amazing entrepreneurial lessons. This book is for book lovers who would love to know an extraordinary and clumsy journey of a commoner, the caring side of Mr Ratan Tata and the pressures of a high-profile job. I have used the word ‘clumsy’ because this book teaches us that it is okay to make mistakes and not be Mr Knowall as that’s how great leaders are born. Through continuous learning.