"The Fear of the Nokia Fate"
Last week, we hosted a Round Table in Pune for CallHippo on “The Future of Business Communication.” The room was packed with folks from big call centers and IT giants, all trying their best to look very futuristic 😁 .
The hot topic? AI. And somewhere between the coffee breaks we collectively coined a term: The Fear of the Nokia Fate.
Here’s the gist: Every organization is throwing money at AI like it's a Black Friday sale. Why? FOMO. Everyone’s terrified of missing out on the next big thing, even though most of them don’t have a clue what they’re actually trying to achieve.
Now, here's the kicker: Every time someone in the organization dares to ask, “Hey, should we maybe figure out our goals before burning more money on AI?” another person stands up and dramatically says, “Remember Nokia?” Cue collective gasps.
The Nokia legend goes like this: Nokia didn’t embrace smartphones fast enough and poof!—they vanished into the corporate Bermuda Triangle. Never mind that the story is oversimplified; it’s the mic-drop moment in every AI debate. Nobody argues after the Nokia card is played.
And that’s how we arrived at The Fear of the Nokia Fate—the corporate boogeyman ensuring that AI budgets stay bloated and slightly aimless. Because nobody wants to be the next Nokia.
Here are the people who were there at the round table and contributed to coining this term:
Kanchan Patwardhan-Deshpande, Rahul Mergu (CISM) (CCISO), Kiran Mirajkar, Sikandar Pathan, Krishna Badwane, Anurag Agrawal, Achal Chhajed DHIRAJ SHISAT, Abdullah Parkar, Parvez Chhapgar, Gaurav Sharma, Chirayu Patel, Komal Chavan
Last week, we hosted a Round Table in Pune for CallHippo on “The Future of Business Communication.” The room was packed with folks from big call centers and IT giants, all trying their best to look very futuristic 😁 .
The hot topic? AI. And somewhere between the coffee breaks we collectively coined a term: The Fear of the Nokia Fate.
Here’s the gist: Every organization is throwing money at AI like it's a Black Friday sale. Why? FOMO. Everyone’s terrified of missing out on the next big thing, even though most of them don’t have a clue what they’re actually trying to achieve.
Now, here's the kicker: Every time someone in the organization dares to ask, “Hey, should we maybe figure out our goals before burning more money on AI?” another person stands up and dramatically says, “Remember Nokia?” Cue collective gasps.
The Nokia legend goes like this: Nokia didn’t embrace smartphones fast enough and poof!—they vanished into the corporate Bermuda Triangle. Never mind that the story is oversimplified; it’s the mic-drop moment in every AI debate. Nobody argues after the Nokia card is played.
And that’s how we arrived at The Fear of the Nokia Fate—the corporate boogeyman ensuring that AI budgets stay bloated and slightly aimless. Because nobody wants to be the next Nokia.
Here are the people who were there at the round table and contributed to coining this term:
Kanchan Patwardhan-Deshpande, Rahul Mergu (CISM) (CCISO), Kiran Mirajkar, Sikandar Pathan, Krishna Badwane, Anurag Agrawal, Achal Chhajed DHIRAJ SHISAT, Abdullah Parkar, Parvez Chhapgar, Gaurav Sharma, Chirayu Patel, Komal Chavan
The eChai Effect - In Their Words
"From late-night brainstorming over chai to early morning founder calls, eChai has been more than just a network for me; it’s been home base for ideas, impact, and inspiration. What started as a simple meetup years ago turned into a powerful movement, connecting founders, creators, and dreamers. I’ve had the privilege of seeing startups find product-market fit, marketers (like me) find unexpected collaborations, and most importantly, people finding their tribe. संगच्छध्वं संवदध्वं – Let us move together, speak together. It’s not just a verse from the Rigveda — it’s how Jatin and the entire eChai community truly operate. We don’t just network, we grow together. Forever grateful to be a part of the eChai Effect.
Jaydip Parikh
Chief Everything Officer at Tej SolPro
"eChai isn’t just a startup community … it’s a mindset . eChai has been one of the most impactful communities in my entrepreneurial journey. It’s been a turning point . In a world where building something can often feel isolating, eChai gave me a sense of belonging. I’ve found mentors, collaborators, and friends here — people who genuinely want to see you succeed. It’s a space where ideas are challenged, actions are celebrated, and founders grow not just in scale, but in clarity and confidence. From late-night ideas to early-morning pitches, this community has quietly but powerfully shaped the way I build, think, and dream. I’ll always be grateful for the way eChai creates spaces where founders don’t just grow businesses — they grow together."
Koumal Kalantry
Founder, Bignano Ventures
“You don’t plan to build a company via eChai. You just keep showing up … and one day, you realize you did.” I’ve known Jatin since 2012, when I was still deciding what kind of second innings I wanted to play as an entrepreneur. Over the years, through events, chai breaks, intros, and seemingly small conversations, eChai helped shape not just Upsquare but also refined the lens through which we see collaboration. At Upsquare, we’ve hired talent, met partners, discovered co-investors, and built lifelong friendships. One of our joint ventures exists today only because a casual eChai memory sparked a deeper trust. Now, as we build House of Starts — our venture builder — eChai continues to fuel our mission: co-creating a shared future. eChai isn’t just a startup network. It’s a trust network. And for business builders like me, that makes all the difference."
Utpal Vaishnav
Founder @ Upsquare & House of Starts • Angel Investor + LP
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