Mr. A. Venkatasubramanian has done his B.E. from INDIA and M.S. in Engineering and M.B.A in General Management and Finance from the States. He has also completed CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst, USA) until Level – II. He serves as the Vice President of a premier and fast growing Real Estate Company in India and has been part of a premier Mortgage Financial Institution in the USA. His qualifications precede him and make him an investment guru indeed. Most books teach one to invest but don’t focus on long-term happiness. Mr. A. Venkatasubramanian is truly the Buddha of our times who teaches us how to balance.
[vc_button title=”Buddha On Wall-Street” target=”_self” color=”default” href=”https://www.amazon.in/Buddha-Wall-Street-Knowledge-Wisdom-Financial/dp/1644294494/”] [vc_button title=”Nuggets Of Wisdom” target=”_self” color=”default” href=”https://www.amazon.in/Nuggets-Wisdom-Invest-Real-Estate/dp/1642490709/”]
Chit Chat session
Tell us a little about yourself and your background?
I have a Master’s in Engineering and Business from the United States. I majored in General Management and Finance and have also completed two levels of the CFA program.
I have extensive experience in the field of real estate, finance and technology and have been Vice President of a premier Real Estate company in INDIA and part of a premier mortgage institution in the US.
I am currently an entrepreneur in the technological space and love music, arts and sports.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I often used to discuss my thought processes related to Real Estate and Finance with my wife. Once she told me I should put it down for others also to benefit from it. What started out as a process to jot down my thoughts for others benefit, soon turned into books.
I also took to writing to clear my head of the all the thought processes that were going on in my brain. This allowed for more thought processes to find room to grow. My thoughts are pretty organized and clear. Hence it was an easy task to get the flow of writing a book.
It is also a creative process and a satisfying task to accomplish.
What have you written? Give us an insight into your book(s)
My passion at the moment relates to investments and technology. Over the years as I watched people struggle with their finances and investments it made me realize that people spend 95% of their effort on formal education and on their job to earn only 5% of their potential income. I call this the “Poor man’s Pareto”. If only people put in a very small fraction of their overall effort spent on schooling and working on jobs on learning about investments, they would reap complete benefit from their hard earned money and attain 95% of the wealth they are missing out on.
My books are meant to enlighten the readers and help them reach their complete potential.
How did ‘Buddha On Wall-Street& Nuggets Of wisdom’ happen? Could you describe the journey?
‘Buddha on Wall Street’ was meant to be a book about investments in movable assets such as stocks, bonds and other financial instruments. However I also realized that money alone does not guarantee happiness and one need to learn to approach life in a balanced manner.
So the second half of the book deals with philosophy seen through the prism of money. I do understand you cannot preach philosophy to a person on an empty stomach and hence the first half of the book deals with maximizing one’s wealth. The second half of the book then balances that.
After writing my first book the ‘The Real Deal’ which was about Real Estate investments I felt the need to write a short and crisp book that would help readers with investments in real estate without the math. ‘Nuggets of Wisdom’ was hence born and is a compilation of 17 short chapters that are crisp and to the point and bring out one or two concepts on real estate investment with anecdotes and stories weaved into it.
How do you project the future of Investments in India?
India going forward in the next 3 decades would be the most attractive investment market and would continue to be the world’s fastest growing economy. People who understand investment whether Real Estate, Stocks or Bonds and make good investments with a long term and patient approach would reap immense riches. People in INDIA at the time are extremely lucky to be living and investing in INDIA which is going to be the world’s longest and biggest bull market in years to come.
We in INDIA are entering a ‘golden era’ with many factors set in our favour.
Which International Authors inspire you?
I was most impressed by Niall Ferguson, Robert Kiyosaki and Malcolm Gladwell in terms of international authors. In terms of personalities I admire Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Rahul Dravid , MS Dhoni, VishwanathanAnand and AR Rahman.
What do you feel is different about your book(s)?
My books are not theoretical and are a blend of practicality and rich experience. They are often narrative with a liberal sprinkling of anecdotes and stories weaved into the narrative. They are easy to follow and have been written to all, whether a beginner or advanced reader and targeted especially at the youth and people who could benefit most from it.
The books deal investments and the mechanics of how to maximize one’s Happiness Quotient (HQ). What made you chose such complex topics.
Life is really not just a simplistic straight line. The ability to understand the intricate nuances is what separates the successful and happy from the rest. I pick topics to write based on how much positive effect the reader would extract from reading the book, so that it helps him/her on their journey in their lives.
The ability to digest the complexity of the topic and present it in a distilled and clear form so that the reader can get to the core of the topic is what separates a good author in the genre from the average. I strive to deliver the complexity packaged in the simplest form that even a school kid can relate to.
What is the most fulfilling part of writing these books? And what is the most challenging?
The most fulfilling part about writing the book apart from creative satisfaction is that one would have contributed in a small way to making the world a better place. By reaching out to readers and helping them with one’s knowledge and experience to navigate the challenges of life is an immensely satisfying endeavor. This is what keeps me motivated and excited.
The most challenging part about writing is NOT what most people may think. Most people would say coming up with the concepts and putting it down on paper is the toughest part. Actually to me the writing just flows and this is the easiest part by a factor of 9 to 10.
The toughest part is editing which takes twice as long and also marketing the book which is a separate skill. There is a distinct difference between being just a ‘very good author writing great books and being a ‘best-selling author’. The difference is the ability to market the book, get the word out and capture the attention of the public at large. I am still in the process of learning the marketing part.
What is the next book that you have planned?
My next book is about how technology of the future is going to transform the life we are used to and have taken for granted. Technology not only changes the products but also has a long lasting effect on society and culture and can change the way we perceive things and go about our lives.
Technology can truly change our composite behavior and the way we even relate to our friends and near n dear ones. It can change are relationship with money and time and impact our relationships. It can cause upheaval in job market and change everything we know from education, food, transport, communication, healthcare, conflict, society, love and hate and more.
My next book would deal with how the future would look like when seen through the lens of changes brought about by technology. The book is tentatively titled ‘You Better Watch Out!’.
