Be afraid. But don't be very afraid.

A question I am often asked is, "Why did you get out of your comfort zone?" By any which yardstick, I ought to have stuck to honing my skills as a journalist and a writer. To which my simple answer is: "Because if I didn't, I'd be obsolete before I hail the next Uber." Uber is the new F-word. That if we don't take cognizance of entities like Uber and the forces that are shaping it, it is only a matter of time before a lot many of our livelihoods will be obsolete. To most people who've grown watching businesses evolve, this company makes no sense. I mean, come to think of it, what is it? An app that resides on my phone and allows me to hail taxis from wherever I am. And by all accounts, is one of the most unprofitable start-ups the world has ever seen. But for whatever strange reason, it is among the most valuable and sought after. But users like you and me are enamoured by it; traditional service providers don't know how to deal with it; policymakers have no clue what sense to make of this animal; and it is just but one metaphor for how the world is changing dramatically--India included. I touched upon how it is just one among the many things changing dramatically and how the ground beneath India's feet is shifting on Founding Fuel, the platform I co-founded. Why does it concern me?