Meet the world's youngest CEO

[Deletedid1]

When 14-year-old Suhas Gopinath started Globals Inc ten years ago from a cyber cafe in Bengaluru, he didn't know that he had become the youngest CEO in the world.

Today, Globals is a multi-million dollar company with offices in the United States, India, Canada, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Australia, Singapore and the Middle East and has 100 employees in India and 56 abroad.
[img]http://im.rediff.com/money/2010/oct/12ceo1.jpg[/img]Among the several honours that have been bestowed upon this young man, the most prestigious is the invitation to be a member of the Board of the ICT Advisory Council of the World Bank..

In 2007, the European Parliament and International Association for Human Values conferred 'Young Achiever Award' on him. He was also invited to address the European Parliament and other business dignitaries assembled in the EU Parliament. He is also recognised as one of the 'Young Global Leaders' for 2008-2009 by the prestigious World Economic Forum.

Suhas is the youngest member ever in the World Economic Forum's history. The other members include the Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, musician A R Rahman, Prince of Brunei, etc.

In this interview from his office in Bengaluru, Suhas Gopinath talks about his decade long journey and his dreams for the future.

[img width=370 height=309]http://im.rediff.com/money/2010/oct/12ceo2.jpg[/img]

I come from a middle class family. My father worked as a scientist for the Indian Army. I used to study in the Air Force school in Bengaluru.

As a child, I was more interested in animals and veterinary science. But when I saw my friends who had home computers talk about it, I had this urge to learn and talk in their wave length.

But we didn't have a computer at home. In those days, computers were very expensive and we couldn't afford one.

So, what I did was, I located an Internet cafe near my house. With my modest monthly pocket money of Rs 15, I couldn't afford to surf the net every day.

I noticed that the shop was closed in the afternoon from 1 PM to 4 PM. So, I offered to open the shop for him after my school hours and take care of the customers.

In the bargain, he let me browse the net for free. That was the first business deal of my life and it turned out to be a successful one.

[img width=370 height=312]http://im.rediff.com/money/2010/oct/12ceo3.jpg[/img]

On building websites using open source technology

Once I got the chance to manage the shop and browse the net, I started building websites. It became my passion in no time.

I got hooked to open source technology after I started looking for e-books on how to build websites. They were not available as they were created in propriety sources.

So, I started using open source to build websites.

On getting the first contract to build a website

There is a freelance marketplace on the web where I could register and offer my services to build websites. I registered myself there as a website builder.

The first website I had to do was free of cost as I had no references. It was for a company in New York.

My first income was $100 when I was 13 for building another website but I didn't have a bank account. so, I told my father that I built a website and got paid for it.

I was not excited to get the money because money was not a factor that drew me to it. It was the passion for technology that attracted me. I used to build websites free of cost also. I was only a 9th standard student.

After that, I built my own portal and called it Coolhindustan.com. It was focused on NRIs. It was a portal where I wanted to showcase my skills.

After that, many companies approached me to be their web designer.

[img width=370 height=467]http://im.rediff.com/money/2010/oct/12ceo4.jpg[/img]

On buying his first computer

When I was in the 9th standard itself, I had made enough money to buy a computer for myself. At that time, my brother was studying engineering and my father thought he needed a computer.

In no time, I also bought one for myself. But we didn't have a net connection at home.

My spending hours in the net cafe working on websites did affect my studies. I spent the entire summer vacation after the 9th standard in the cafe.

On rejecting a job offer from the US

When I was 14, Network Solutions offered me a part-time job in the US and they said they would sponsor my education in the US. I rejected the offer because that was the time I had read a story about Bill Gates and how he started Microsoft.

I thought it was more fun to have your own company. Many US companies used to tell me that I didn't even have a moustache and they felt insecure taking my services. They used to connect my ability with my age and academic qualifications.

So, I wanted to start my own company and show the world that age and academic qualifications are immaterial. I decided then that when I started a company, I would recruit only youngsters and I would not ask for their academic qualifications and marks cards. I follow that in my company.

[img width=370 height=390]http://im.rediff.com/money/2010/oct/12ceo5.jpg[/img]

On starting his own company at 14

Soon after my 9th standard summer vacation, I started my own company, Globals Inc. I wanted the name Global or Global Solutions but both were not available, so I named it Globals.

I registered my company in the US as in India, you will not be able to start a company unless you are 18. It takes only 15 minutes to start a company in the US.

I became the owner and CEO of the company. My friend, an American who was a university student, became a board member.

I was very excited because that was what I wanted to do. From that day, I started dreaming of making my company as big as Microsoft.

On doing badly in school

In my pre-board CBSE exam, I failed in Mathematics. The school headmistress was shocked because that was the first time I had failed in any subject. She called my mother and said she was horrified by my performance.

At home, like any typical South Indian mother, my mother made me swear on her head that I would focus on academics.

I told my mother that the world's richest man Bill Gates had not completed his education. Why do you force me then, I asked her. She then said, I am sure his horoscope and yours are not the same!

I come from a family where entrepreneurship is considered a sin. My mother was quite upset. She wanted me to do engineering, then an MBA and work in a good company.

As per my mother's wishes, I took a four-month sabbatical from my company and studied for my board exam. I passed with a first class.

I still feel that you cannot restrict yourself to bookish knowledge. I believe that practical knowledge is more important.

In the first year, the turnover of Globals Inc was Rs 1 lakh (Rs 100,000). The second year, the turnover went up to Rs 5 lakh (Rs 500,000).
[img width=370 height=274]http://im.rediff.com/money/2010/oct/12ceo6.jpg[/img]
On looking at Europe as a market

Till I was 16 or 17, I didn't tell my parents that I had started a company. I kept it a secret because I thought they would object to it. They only knew that I was a freelancer.

We used to build websites and also offer online shopping and e commerce solutions. We even gave part time work to a few programmers in the US when we got many projects but we never had any office.

When I was 16, I saw that there were enormous business opportunities in Europe as a majority of the Indian IT companies were working for American companies.

When I contacted a Spanish company, it rejected my offer saying Indians do not know Spanish. As an entrepreneur, you can't accept rejection, especially when you are young.

I hired five student interns from some Spanish universities and told them they would be paid based on their successful sales.

They were the people who met the companies and bagged the projects for us. By now, we decided to have a home office in Spain.

I replicated the same model in Italy. I contacted some Italian university students.

[bhrami]

LoL.1q LoL.1q Ni opika tagaleyya nenu indakee chadiva kani motham veyatam kastam ani lite tesukunna but nuvu vesav  you rock you rock sHa_fr1ends

[pillabachapk]

nenu inka nee pic vestavemo anukunnaa.....[img]http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm336/pfdbgifs/Sunil/sunil_smile.gif[/img]

[Deletedid1]

[quote author=bhrami link=topic=108730.msg1152369#msg1152369 date=1286926831]
LoL.1q LoL.1q Ni opika tagaleyya nenu indakee chadiva kani motham veyatam kastam ani lite tesukunna but nuvu vesav  you rock you rock sHa_fr1ends
[/quote]

sollu taadullo duri...........akkada bhutu puram sadavatam kante idi better kada baa  sHa_high5ing sHa_high5ing

[bhrami]

[quote author=pillabachapk link=topic=108730.msg1152375#msg1152375 date=1286926898]
nenu inka nee pic vestavemo anukunnaa.....[img]http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm336/pfdbgifs/Sunil/sunil_smile.gif[/img]
[/quote]
estadu oldest CEO ani  @3$% @3$% @3$%

[bhrami]

[quote author=BENZBABU link=topic=108730.msg1152376#msg1152376 date=1286926931]
sollu taadullo duri...........akkada bhutu puram sadavatam kante idi better kada baa  sHa_high5ing sHa_high5ing
[/quote]
@gr33d @gr33d nenu chadiva baa kani veyatam kastam ani veyaledhu, vadu nijamga 2much manchi post vesav  you rock you rock

[keko__keka]

[quote author=bhrami link=topic=108730.msg1152380#msg1152380 date=1286926948]
estadu oldest CEO ani  @3$% @3$% @3$%
[/quote]

ante benz baa .........benz company laga born in 1900 something antava baa  @3$% @3$%

[Deletedid1]

[quote author=bhrami link=topic=108730.msg1152389#msg1152389 date=1286926992]
@gr33d @gr33d nenu chadiva baa kani veyatam kastam ani veyaledhu, vadu nijamga 2much manchi post vesav  you rock you rock
[/quote]

ante inni rojulu manchi post veyyleda  sCo_hmmthink sCo_hmmthink

[pillabachapk]

[quote author=bhrami link=topic=108730.msg1152380#msg1152380 date=1286926948]
estadu oldest CEO ani  @3$% @3$% @3$%
[/quote]
[img]http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn182/krishnabhargavt/Laugh.gif[/img]

[Deletedid1]

[quote author=keko__keka link=topic=108730.msg1152401#msg1152401 date=1286927106]
ante benz baa .........benz company laga born in 1900 something antava baa  @3$% @3$%
[/quote]

u r wrong..... benz company 1881 lo pettaru  sSc_hiding2 sSc_hiding2

[bhrami]

[quote author=BENZBABU link=topic=108730.msg1152403#msg1152403 date=1286927121]
ante inni rojulu manchi post veyyleda  sCo_hmmthink sCo_hmmthink
[/quote]
ala ani nenu annana, manchi postlu anedhi suse vadi batti vutundhi, nenu aa defensive epudo kani chadvani but ila inspirational vi chaduvutha andhuuku anna baa  sHa_fr1ends sHa_fr1ends

[bhrami]

[quote author=BENZBABU link=topic=108730.msg1152408#msg1152408 date=1286927180]
u r wrong..... benz company 1881 lo pettaru  sSc_hiding2 sSc_hiding2
[/quote]
sHa_clap4 sHa_clap4 sHa_clap4

[johnny bravo]

*=: *=: *=: veedu baga mature vadi age ki... sCo_hmmthink sCo_hmmthink