It was April 13th, 2018.
My previous company had its NLP Program kick-off meeting in Jaipur. ActOnMagic had just been acquired, barely four months earlier. As founders, Sumathi and I were new to this kind of experience—being part of something bigger, flying 200+ teammates to one location, spending two full days aligning on a roadmap, bonding over shared wins, and dreaming together about the future.
For me, stepping into the world of a large corporate (again) was both exciting and overwhelming. As I listened to the inspiring presentations from various leaders, my mind couldn’t stop buzzing with ideas. I kept thinking: What is one message I can leave behind? Something everyone can take home—simple, yet powerful.
Whenever I host meetups or speak at events, I usually say this:
- Find one meaningful takeaway from the meeting.
- Connect with one individual you’d like to stay in touch with beyond this event.
With a quick approval from the CHRO, I got a spontaneous 5-minute slot—right after the break.
And this is what happened. Travel with me… 🙂
After Deepak-ji invited me on stage, I slowly walked up—my mind racing with inner chatter, doubts swirling: Will this make sense? What will people think of me?
But then, my inner “Founder voice” silenced everything else and said, Just go for it, Madan!
I began:
“Good day, everyone! I’d like to thank Sharad-san and Sunil-san for bringing us into NTT, and Deepak-san for offering me this 5-minute space.
We’ve all gathered here for two days, focusing on our company’s future. But let’s take a moment to acknowledge the ones who made this possible—our families.
Behind every one of us here is someone holding things together back home, allowing us to be fully present. Let’s give our families a big round of applause!”
The claps that echoed across the room were pure music to the ears. I believe, in that moment, we all felt it—a shared gratitude. We work hard, yes—but ultimately, we all work to raise a happy family.
Then I introduced a fruit.
“Let’s imagine the fruit Pomegranate—as the one message you take away from this summit.”
Here’s what POMEGRANATE stands for:
- Passionate team and Profitability proactiveness
- One India, Open culture, Optimism
- Magic with Multicloud
- Exceptional Products and Engineering
- Growth with Great customers
- Revenue generation & Retaining customers
- Alliance partners
- NTT
- Automation
- Trendsetting Technology
- Ethics and Enjoyment
Then I asked everyone to raise their right hand, pluck a pomegranate seed from the air, and imagine planting that seed—with intention, care, and belief.
That’s how this little 5-minute impromptu talk unfolded.
What’s your version of a Pomegranate?
What fruit would you choose to reflect your own message or values?
P.S.: This was an impromptu moment—unplanned, unpolished, and straight from the heart.
