The democratization of entrepreneurship and product development in India is happening and reaching the smaller cities with many different types of products. That was my big takeaway from this year’s NASSCOM product conclave.

In 2008, when we moved to Bangalore, I participated in my first NPC, at that time, and we had to provide free tickets to about 150 people was the story I heard. We moved to a bigger location, the following year, at the Lalith Ashok with tickets ranging from INR 500 to 800, but with most folk still in the “paid for by corporate sponsors” category. The number of attendees was at about 500.

The NPC I remember most was 2012, where I had 5 panels at the Vivanta and I was excited to see that we had reached a total of 700-800 people. Tickets were < INR 1000. This conference had fewer than 10 women attending and maybe 2-3 speaking.

The next year Sharad’s efforts were beginning to show and ticket prices and attendance went higher. More women showed up, but still fewer than we’d like.

2014 was a turning point, with tickets going for INR 5000, and over 1200 people attending, 800+ wait listed.

This year the prices for the conference were at INR 10K. Over 1200 people (the maximum possible they could accommodate) and over 1000 were wait listed.

The event over the years has gone from 1 day to nearly 5 days, with a hands-on Maker faire, an entire day of practitioner sessions  and 2 days of “name brand” speakers as well.

This year, 24% of the speakers and nearly 10% of the attendees were women. More than 45% of the attendees were from outside the major metros as well.

The conference has also moved to accommodate a variety of needs, and in the process, maybe alienating a few of the older folks. Which is understandable.

The key thing to realize about NPC is that is one part about entrepreneurship (meaning, people come here to get inspired, learn and network), one part about showcasing products (understand what’s being built) and one part networking (more like speed dating for new folks, and an high school reunion for others).

It is also one big party – where you end up hanging out with “name brand” folks who believe it has become a place to be seen more than to learn about new products.

I liken NPC to the changes the city of Bangalore has undergone over the last 30 years. The tech explosion, population boom and arrival of people from all over has caused many growing pains for the “garden city”, but at the same time it has lifted over a million (at least) people from poverty to middle class as well.

That’s the picture I’d like to color a little more – this year, there were more young and new entrepreneurs from smaller cities, more women, and more fresh, first-time product innovators. They are also building a variety of products – not all of them fall into the “enterprise software”, or “mobile app” contours that we knew from before.

Does that make the NPC ecosystem polluted? – I dont think so at all, but I understand why some others would say that.

The entrepreneur from Davangere who is building a “2nd Opinion” app on your mobile phone is innovating as well. So is the young lady from Pune who was building an ecommerce site to sell homemade knits.

These are the new “apps”, “products” and entrepreneurs we have to accommodate and figure out a way to help.

NPC always has always been flexible, inviting and open – which was the original spirit that Sharad, Avinash, Sangeeta, and Som Mittal from the original days and M.R, Ravi and Arun Seth, more recently, have been supporting.

The reason I was inspired, was the diversity in product ideas, the edges of innovation and people. That’s so awesome to see.

One of 21 skills I try to look for in entrepreneurs is listening – more specifically active listening. The reason for testing this skill is obvious. More than wanting to be listened to, I look for whether the entrepreneur is listening to respond or listening to understand.

Most entrepreneurs find it hard to listen, in fact most type A people are in roles that requires them to be constantly “pitching” and “selling” their vision, company and product. So, they are always in “objection handling” mode.

While I understand that most of the questions that are going to be asked by the investor or customer are likely ones that the entrepreneur has heard before, nonetheless, I am seeking to understand if the entrepreneur can still parse, ask relevant questions to clarify and be thoughtful about their responses.

There are 3 dead-giveaways when I know someone is not listening.

First, the entrepreneur says “Yes, Yeah or Uh Huh” a lot even before sentences are complete – usually this means they are pretty distracted and looking for an opening to get their word in.

Second, they never probe to ask questions themselves, instead are always providing answers. A key part of listening is to understand, pause, reflect and let silence take over at times – which may be awkward at times, but it works.

Third, they are distracted easily and end up answering the wrong question, keep using filler phrases such as “I understand” or “Sure, but…” often.

What we look for is listening first. That does not mean we are looking for someone to change their mind based on our questions. We are seeking to understand if they have the cognitive ability to keep their “mind” open not just their “ears”.

You can hear well, but not listen at all.

The next question is how can someone listen well?

The first is to listen with more than your ears – listening with your mouth – asking more clarifying open-ended and closed questions. This is the best way to force yourself to actually ask more questions.

The second is to use silence strategically – pause and reflect on the question. Use the ability to tell the other person “Let me think about that” before you start to answer their statement, question or comment.

Finally use non-verbal communication to listen if it is a one-one, face-to-face meeting, including using your eyes – focus on the person or taking notes, and use time to summarize or paraphrase their comments.

Throughout most of the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s successful big company ideas, concepts and models – such as Rank and Yank (GE, Microsoft), Be number one or two in a market or get out (GE as well), Just in Time Manufacturing (Japan), etc. were pretty popular.

Now, of course, most bigger companies are adopting the theories, practices and models that startups have pioneered – Lean startup methodology, DevOps, Customer development, Business model canvas, Move fast and break things, Open office space, etc.

This “reverse brain osmosis” is critical since startups have captured the imagination of most people.

It is easy to just put these cultural and thematic phenomena as “adopting what’s successful”, but there’s more to it than just larger companies adopting successful startup ideas.

Over the last 3 years as I talk to more larger companies and startup entrepreneurs, I have not been asked by a single entrepreneur “What are large companies doing that we should adopt”?

I have though been asked by almost every large company executive “What are startups doing that we can learn from”?

The biggest reason is changing market demographics and technology. Both of these are critical. Without mobile, these would not have been possible to a large extent. Mobile changes everything.

The first, demographics and attitudes of the younger folks is driving companies and businesses to adapt as well. Millennial’s especially (most dont like that term, BTW) have much different expectation from their work, life and the balance of it.

The most important change is that they want everything now and the flexibility to work when they want to.

Which is why I think “the gig economy” or “the on-demand economy” is a much bigger concept than any other for this generation and likely be the most dramatic change for the next 20 years.

“Work” is really a man-made concept. As a friend put it yesterday, it is exchange / creation of value for goods and services desired. If we can abstract why we need to work from why we want to work, then it becomes a question of bringing value to another human’s life.

That’s the reason why startups, especially in the Silicon Valley measure the “change the world” factor that their company brings about.