Imagine that one day your boss calls you into his office and, instead of another work assignment, suggests you start your own company. What's more, he promises to keep paying part of your salary, to help with advice, and even to take you back if the business doesn't work out. Does it sound like fantasy? But that is exactly the initiative presented by the head of the Indian company iD Fresh Food.
While some employers try to retain talented employees by every possible means, the Indian entrepreneur Mustafa P. C. decided to take a completely different approach.
The founder and global CEO of iD Fresh Food announced an unusual program to support employees who dream of starting their own business.
Now the company's employees will be able to take a partially paid extended leave, make use of support from management, and try themselves in the role of entrepreneurs.
And most importantly — if the business idea doesn't work, they will have the opportunity to return to the company.
A boss who isn't afraid to let employees go
Usually a conversation about wanting to start one's own business evokes less than joyful emotions in an employer.
After all, it means the company may lose a valuable specialist, their experience and knowledge.
But Mustafa sees the situation differently.
He believes that a person's desire to realize their own dream should not be perceived as a betrayal of the employer.
That is why the company developed a special entrepreneurial program — the Entrepreneurship Policy.
It provides for three main forms of support:
- Partially paid leave so that the employee can devote time to building a business.
- Mentoring from the company's executives.
- Access to the business contacts and partner network of iD Fresh Food.
Moreover, the most interesting condition is the possibility of returning if the entrepreneurial experiment turns out to be unsuccessful.
In effect, the company offers employees a chance to try to fulfill their dream without burning their bridges behind them.
It all began with a small kitchen and 50 thousand rupees
The reason for such an unusual decision is connected to Mustafa's personal story.
In 2005, together with his relatives, he started his own business in a small kitchen in Bangalore.
The starting capital amounted to only 50 thousand Indian rupees.
The future entrepreneurs prepared traditional batter for idli and dosa — popular dishes of Indian cuisine.
The first years were difficult.
The founders had to work hard, make mistakes, worry about money and look for customers.
But there were people nearby who believed in their idea.
Gradually the small enterprise turned into a large company producing fresh food products.
Today iD Fresh Food is known far beyond Bangalore.
And it was his own experience that prompted Mustafa to help other aspiring entrepreneurs.
“You don't have to choose between a dream and security”
Telling about the new initiative on LinkedIn, Mustafa explained that he had not forgotten the people who supported him at the very beginning of his journey.
Now he wants to provide similar support to his own employees.
In his opinion, a person should not necessarily have to choose between the desire to create something of their own and the need to ensure financial stability.
The head acknowledges that parting with talented specialists will not be easy.
However, the opportunity to one day see them as successful entrepreneurs would bring him genuine pride.
Especially if the companies they create can benefit society.
And what if the business fails?
The most unusual part of the program is the possibility of returning.
It is assumed that an employee who decides to try entrepreneurship is not obliged to say goodbye forever to their former company.
If the new project does not live up to expectations, they will be able to approach management about returning.
True, the detailed terms of such a procedure have not yet been disclosed. So this is a stated possibility, not a guaranteed reinstatement to one's former position.
Nevertheless, even such an offer differs substantially from the usual practice, where quitting to start one's own business means giving up a stable salary entirely.
Why did this story surprise the internet?
The news received wide coverage in the Indian media and drew the attention of social media users.
The reason is clear: usually employees are afraid to tell their bosses about plans to leave and start their own business.
But here the employer himself invites them to try.
The result is a rather unusual conversation:
— Boss, I want to quit and start a company.
— Great! Let's discuss how we can help you.
— And what if I don't succeed?
— Come back, and we'll talk about returning.
For many employees, such a situation might seem almost incredible.
A new philosophy of the relationship between employer and employee
The iD Fresh Food initiative raises an interesting question: must a company necessarily strive to retain every talented employee?
Mustafa proposes a different approach.
Instead of seeing an employee's development as a threat, an employer can help them realize their own ambitions.
Perhaps a former employee will one day become a successful entrepreneur, partner, or even investor.
Or perhaps, after their own business experiment, they will return to the company with new knowledge and experience.
Of course, it is not yet known how many employees will take advantage of the new opportunity and how successful their projects will be.
But the approach itself already looks unusual.
A boss you don't want to quit, but to learn from
Mustafa's story shows that one's attitude to work can be built not only on duties, control and the fear of losing one's position.
Sometimes supporting someone else's dream can become no less important a part of corporate culture than salary and career growth.
After all, a truly strong leader can not only build a successful company, but also help other people unlock their potential.
And perhaps the funniest thing about this story is that such a boss risks running into an unexpected problem: employees will be so pleased with his attitude that they will change their minds about quitting!
Or maybe, on the contrary, one day a whole street of new companies founded by former iD Fresh Food employees will appear in Bangalore.
And then their entrepreneurial story will begin with one utterly unusual phrase from the boss:
"I believe in your idea. Give it a try!"
