Dear Phaneesh Murthy,
Two days ago, a press release from your erstwhile company woke me up to tell me that you have been fired. I called up your ever-efficient media manager to ask him what the hell was going on. The events that have unfolded since have left me numb, sad and angry. I will tell you why.
I don’t want to sit in moral judgment of what you did or didn’t do. Frankly, I don’t care about your personal life. If what you have done is illegal, I suppose you will have to pay for it. Like you did the previous times. But that’s not the reason for my anger.
What I am most upset about is - WHY - Phaneesh Murthy would you do this to yourself again? That morning I was numb as it dawned on me that sometimes idols do have feet of clay. Yes! I was a fan boy, Phaneesh Murthy. I admired your professional achievements as a business leader and how you rebuilt yourself after your previous attempts at self-destruction.
The first attempt in 2002. You were the rising star of Infosys. Your scorching pace of growth ensured you exclusive access to the high table of ivy-league brahmins who ran India’s IT industry. You belonged there. It was from this pedestal were you hurled headlong to burn for the acts you committed. You deserved it then, Phaneesh.
But what fascinated me about your story was not the rise or the fall but your resurrection. How you remarkably dusted the past off and built a new future. I wondered how you found the inner strength and energy to start all over again. The world watched as you started a small company which got acquired by iGate.
Then as CEO of iGate, I remember distinctly how after every quarter you spoke passionately about your growing business, in your words, “Growth despite a challenging environment.” I noted the measured staccato, your attention to detail and your indefatigable drive to take on the world. It was with this drive that you audaciously led iGate acquire a company twice its size and make it a billion dollar enterprise. I heard from people who know you well that you worked fourteen-hour days and ran a mile daily.
Phaneesh, a lesser mortal would have crumbled by the weight of shame and ignominy of the past; Not you. You chose not to be written off. You meticulously built brick by brick, even as your clan sniggered, to get back on that pedestal arguably even taller.
As iGate completed the merger with Patni, and the company delisted from the exchanges, I thought, your life had come a full circle. I could almost hear you say “Yes, I f*cked up personally. But I still have it in me professionally to build a successful enterprise”. I, like many others, thought you made good and had proved your point. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Because for you Phaneesh, the lines that divide professional and personal lives never existed. So look at you now....You have come crashing all over again. This time with a louder thud from where I am not sure you will ever be able to recover. Respect, Trust rebuilt painstakingly in the past ten years, all jerked off.
Sad.
So long Phaneesh, and oh before I go here is a piece of unsolicited advice...If you can, try therapy.
Get well soon!
Harsha
(Picture Courtesy: indianexpress)
