Where to buy
Carried by Amazon in every market, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Waterstones, Booktopia, Kinokuniya, Flipkart, Google Books, Apple Books and Kobo. Printed on demand close to wherever it is ordered.
Listed with the worldwide trade network, so any bookstore or library can order it. Ask for it by ISBN: 978-1957456041 (paperback).
What is inside
Stitching It Right by Rajat Sikka takes a grounded look at entrepreneurship by examining the obstacles, uncertainties, and practical realities that can influence a growing business. Drawing on his experiences building Saivana Exports, Rajat moves beyond the romantic image of entrepreneurship to explore the challenges that founders may encounter along the way.
The book follows his journey from the back roads of Tughlaqabad in the 1990s to experiences in Paris and Harvard, using these moments to reflect on the lessons that shaped his approach to business. It examines factors that can disrupt even a promising venture, including red tape, labour disputes, rejection, changing circumstances, and decisions that require entrepreneurs to reconsider their original plans.
Rather than suggesting that every obstacle can be avoided, the book encourages readers to recognise potential roadblocks early and understand when adaptation or a change in direction may be necessary. Rajat’s experiences illustrate how setbacks can provide valuable perspective when entrepreneurs are willing to examine what went wrong and respond thoughtfully.
At its core, Stitching It Right helps readers place entrepreneurial ambition in a realistic context, balancing opportunity with preparation, resilience, and awareness of the environment in which a business operates.
The book is written for aspiring entrepreneurs, first-time founders, small business owners, students, and professionals considering entrepreneurship.
It is particularly relevant to Indian entrepreneurs who want to understand common business roadblocks, learn from real-life experiences, and prepare more realistically for the challenges involved in building and sustaining a venture.
Excerpt
0.67. This story begins with the number, 0.67. It might seem arbitrary as it is not even a whole number; I mean, it is not even 1. It is just a tad more than half. However, this number carries great significance in my life. If you were to hazard a guess as to what it stands for, a few of you may even get it right.
However, even if you have guessed it right, you might still harbor an inkling of doubt, questioning if this really could be true. “No one is capable of that,” you would probably think. People may fail to ascend great heights but no one is capable of having such a great fall, down to rock bottom. Well, here is someone who managed to do exactly that.
This number, which is etched deeply in my memories, is my cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) in my first semester at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. How I wish I could say that this was the difference between a perfect GPA and my actual GPA. I wish I could paint a pretty picture of my stellar performance in the first year of my study at Drew.
Well, if I did so, I would be lying and you would be left with only an abstract image of my imaginary excellence. The American GPA is measured on a 4-point scale. It is next to impossible for one to get 0.67. I mean, even if you just showed up in class, you were assured of a 1.0 or even 1.5.
Just mere attendance to classes and tests should net you that grade. But here I was, an Indian, sitting in a small New England university with a miserable GPA of 0.67. I had achieved the impossible. But this feat did not warrant the sweet champagne of success; just a mucky feeling of misery remained.
Now, having heard me mention the bare minimum to get a 1 or 1.5 GPA, I am sure that some of you might have a pertinent question. How did this happen? How was I able to score that low? I have a simple answer. I have always been a backbencher. I was the quintessential poster boy for all the stereotypes that are usually associated with that label.
Yes, obviously I will blame this debacle on everything else but myself, but we will come back to that later. I had come across a quote some time ago. It went like this: “Backbenchers always think about creating their own company while frontbenchers think only about working in big companies.” I can tell you with relative confidence and personal proof that this quote did manifest itself in my life.
Trailer
About the author
Managing Director, Saivana Exports Private Limited · Delhi, India
Rajat Sikka is the Director and Co-Founder of Saivana Exports Private Limited. Drawing on years of entrepreneurial experience, he shares lessons from building his business, navigating setbacks, and learning through challenges.
Published by Stardom Books — written from the author’s own words, in the author’s name. Browse the catalogue
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