In this blogpost, Sastry Tumuluri, CEO, Digital Self Defence Infosec, writes about his experience while he was doing the Startup Leadership program.

For seven months, every other Saturday, I used to wake up at 3:30am, take a bus from Chandigarh to Delhi. I’d attend SLP sessions, after-session meetups and return by a late train or bus – reaching home at around 2am.

Why did someone in their 50s, running a startup that left very little time to spare, subject themselves to this punishing schedule? Was there was something special about SLP that made it worth it? A Short answer – Yes!

Recommendation from a well-respected Group:

I got to know about SLP through friends in the Morpheus Gang – a group known for their dynamism and high performance. After a bit of research, I took the plunge.

The fellows – the new normal:

For the first time, I was in a room full of people for whom normal meant getting off the beaten track, taking big risks and making their mark. Most of them set very high standards for themselves and others.

I had a lot of questions in mind. Questions like:

• Did we get the best possible speakers?
• Is it just another gyan session that I can google up?
• Were the examples discussed even applicable anymore?

Running the sessions – not merely attending them:

Each of us got to be a “CEO” of a session at least once. We had to study the topic in advance, send preparatory material to the fellows, invite speakers/mentors/experts for the session, iterate on the session format, etc. Not only did we get to interact a lot within the group, but we also got involved deeply – as opposed to “just showing up for the session”.

Covering the whole gamut of startup topics:

Each session was tailored to address one or two startup related topics. Coverage was extensive. Lean startups, term sheets & related legalese, digital marketing, design & UX, Funding pitches and more. Different formats like panel discussions, gamification sessions, mentoring sessions, field visits to validate ideas, workshops and role-plays were all used to keep these superbly engaging. Getting to know great speakers and mentors was definitely a big bonus.

The takeaways:

Despite all my past experience, I felt a dramatic transformation on what I thought about startups and how they can be run. It would’ve been easy to judge each session and feel dissatisfied with all the things that could’ve been better.  As they say, “if you look hard enough, you will find what you are looking for.” I was looking for value, and I found a truckload of it.

The network – an amazing unfair advantage:

Given the high standards of selection – it is natural that the global SLP network has super achievers and great leaders among them. It is a great privilege to be among them, and to be able to reach out to them when needed. This is indeed a no small advantage for an SLPian – over others.

In a summary, SLP has been and continues to be a great personal journey. I liked it so much that I became a Program Leader at SLP Delhi this year.

If you think you are a potential leader or have a deep desire to build something, you should look up SLP. I highly recommend it.

Applications are open till 15-August. http://startupleadership.com/pages/admission/#apply