The silent but all pervasive presence of Faisal, Jasmine and the rest of the team looms large on the lesser mortals of Mouthshut every time we participate in the activities of the site. (okay in case of Jasmine, it may not be all so silent)
We may individually have our own grouses, views, love, hatred, admiration, hero worship for the powers to be, but like it or not, they are the ones who rule. Therefore, when the CEO himself was to appear on Television (and the event well publicized beforehand), one did find it difficult to ignore the calling.
And so, sharp at 10.30 p.m. last Thursday, my fingers switched the remote control to the CNBC-TV18 channel. The name of the program was “Young Turks”. After a rather long and boring wait of about 15 minutes plus a break (since some other Young Turk got featured in the first half), the relevant feature did makes it appearance.
The coverage was fairly crisp and professional, true to the CNBC style. The introductory scenes had a panoramic view of the swanky Mouthshut office at Mumbai (?), India where a number of employees (more than I had imagined) glued to their PC monitors, scanning what else, but Mouthshut reviews!
Then the Man himself arrived!
Apart from seeing a mug-shot here and a write-up there, there was very little about Faisal that I had known. And in the interview he came across as a likeable sort of a young man, probably having a shy demeanour, but very focused and determined personality. Contrary to some views expressed on the site about the program, I found very little trace of pomposity in Faisal’s character or words.
The Revelations
Sadly, this was where the interview fell flat! Apart from the now-famous story about Mouthshut logos adorning the back of Mumbai autorickshaws, there was very little which enlightened us about how exactly he had started this venture, who his partners or financiers were etc.
Regarding the Business Model, he did say that the strategy was to keep away from the online advertising revenue model. Fine, but then where else do the revenues come from? The idea that manufacturers and service providers would pay his company for the views of customers, sounds a bit far fetched.
One revelation that intrigued me was the vast number of employees (If I remember right, the figure was around 50). What do so many people do there?
The clip showing Faisal going to a store to buy some white goods and checking out the reviews on the site before finalizing, appeared to be a bit contrived, but may have impressed some of the credulous viewers.
The philosophy behind the venture – about the empowerment of the customer – was well brought out somewhere during the program.
Overall analysis
At the end of the 15 minute capsule, it was a mixed bag. As stakeholders of the site, our appetites were not satiated.
Yes, we did get a insight into the man – after all, the program was about the Young Turk – but we would have loved to know more about the venture.
We did get a glimpse into his personal life and had a look at his cute kids, but we would have been happier had he been more transparent about the business itself.
Despite some deft needling by the interviewer, Faisal stuck to his guns – he kept his MOUTH SHUT!
But then maybe, he had his reasons!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best of luck, Faisal! The site has been a success so far and I’m sure it will only get better!