The startup scene in India (like many places around the world) is hot. There are new products and services making headlines everyday. I’m based in Bangalore, which is the hotbed of startup activity, and am working on a startup idea of my own. One day I read a book called Dongri to Dubai by Hussain Zaidi, a Mumbai based author. He has written about the rise of Dawood Ibrahim in the Mumbai Underworld.

That’s when a lightbulb lit up. What if the son (or daughter) or an underworld gangster wanted to leave the world of crime and start a ’clean’ business of their own? What would be the trigger for them to do so? How would the ’family’ react? How will they get funding? How would Venture Capitalists react when they learn about the youngster’s family background during their due diligence process? Most importantly, what are the idea(s) that Sameer, the protagonist, will think of? How will he test them? What about building a team? There were so many questions...My wife, who is my biggest supporter and greatest critic, thinks I might actually have a story with a message.

Help I need:

While I am researching how teenagers think/ speak/ act, any suggestions to make the characters more realistic would be welcome. Also, any insights in the angel investment/ VC funding process would be great. Most importantly, I would appreciate feedback on what are the ideas that Sameer can develop as business ideas? I have a few - helping to prevent cyber crime is one of them. As the story progresses, more ideas would be welcome!

(I plan to set in the novel Bangalore and Mumbai in India)