In conversation with Vikrant Vartak, founder-owner of a coworking chain called The Senate and a CEO peer group called Mavens. Vikrant terms his two books Guideposts and 50 Dilemmas as ‘derivative’ products that are specifically written for entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial organizations.
Q) Let’s start with the end in mind. There are so many books on entrepreneurship. How do Guideposts and 50 Dilemmas differentiate themselves?
I describe my books as curated and distilled works for entrepreneurs. Guideposts brings together three distinct sources: learnings from 21 The Senate Talk Shows, insights from 27 of the best management books, and extensive “manthan” from Mavens, a CEO peer group I founded. This synthesis makes it a practical, b-school-grade reference guide for entrepreneurs. 50 Dilemmas follows a similar philosophy, but through a different format.
A key differentiator is relatability. Much of management literature tends to revolve around global giants—Google, Facebook, Amazon, Tesla, Uber, and the like. As a result, most books are rich in case studies of large multinational corporations.
While Guideposts does draw from companies like GE, Nike, Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, Amazon, and Starbucks, its core strength lies in bringing in insights from businesses closer to home—stories and journeys that entrepreneurs can directly relate to. It also features contemporary Indian success stories such as DMart, IndiGo, MakeMyTrip, Zoho, Jaquar, Amrut, Paul John, and Amul.
50 Dilemmas, on the other hand, focuses on the everyday decision-making challenges that entrepreneurs grapple with—shifting the lens from storytelling to applied thinking.
Q) How did you foray into book writing? What encouraged you to write Guideposts?
The idea emerged organically from The Senate Talk Shows.
Most talk shows I had attended on other platforms were engaging and inspirational, but often lacked concrete business takeaways. This was partly because they were conducted by accomplished yet generic interviewers, rather than individuals with deep business and management expertise.
We wanted our talk shows to be more enriching. The focus was on blending storytelling with tangible business insights. Preparation, research, and subject understanding took precedence over pure oratory and entertainment.
Over time, I realised that these conversations were generating extremely rich, yet transient insights. Not documenting them felt like a significant loss to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The book became a natural way to capture, structure, and preserve this knowledge.
Q) What made you write your second book, 50 Dilemmas?
One of Mavens’ key initiatives is MSOD (Mavens School of Organisation Development), where I conduct full-day workshops and advisory sessions on topics such as strategy, innovation, growth, risk, culture, and branding.
As the program evolved, we introduced two models to make the sessions more relatable and application-oriented:
- Psy and Sci (Psychology and Science)
- Entrepreneurial Dilemmas
The second model became the foundation for 50 Dilemmas, with the MSOD sessions providing a strong starting point.
Q) How are Guideposts and 50 Dilemmas different from each other?
Guideposts is designed as a comprehensive management handbook for entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, making it a more exhaustive read.
With 50 Dilemmas, the intent was different—to create a sharper, quicker read that busy entrepreneurs can engage with in shorter sittings, while still deriving practical value.
Q) Can you explain the 3-dimensional approach in Guideposts?
Most entrepreneurship books remain at the level of storytelling. With Guideposts, I wanted to go a step further.
The book is structured in two parts. Part 1 captures curated conversations, not just as narratives, but as sources of actionable management insight. Part 2 distills these learnings across key functional areas, creating a more structured layer of understanding.
This combination moves the book from narrative to insight—and from insight to application—giving it a multi-dimensional (3D) character.
Q) Can you tell us more about 50 Dilemmas?
The book explores fifty dilemmas that entrepreneurs commonly face. These span multiple functional areas, making it a holistic and practical read. Where possible, I have attempted to offer clear rules of thumb or point solutions. However, in situations where no single answer exists, the book presents multiple perspectives and decision pathways—reflecting the inherent complexity of entrepreneurial decision-making.
Q) What’s next as an author?
The plan is certainly to continue writing. The Psy and Sci model is likely to form the foundation of my next book, as I continue to explore frameworks that help entrepreneurs navigate complex business realities with greater clarity
Order your copy here :
Amazon :
Guideposts : https://www.amazon.in/Guideposts-Vikrant-Vartak/dp/B09LTHW3NJ
50 Dilemmas : https://www.amazon.in/50-Dilemmas-Vikrant-Vartak/dp/B0C3B127N5
Flipkart :
Guideposts : https://www.flipkart.com/guideposts/p/itmb91661d842c51
50 Dilemmas: https://www.flipkart.com/50-dilemmas/p/itm41435e0624075
Contact Details
Mobile : 9823900090,
Email : vikrant.vartak@thesenate.in
About Authors :
Vikrant Vartak
Author of two books – Guideposts and 50 Dilemmas – Vikrant Vartakis the Managing Director of The Senate Business Center and the Founder of Mavens.
Spread over 21,000 sft through its two centers in Erandwane & Wakad, The Senate is one of the prominent workplace solution providers in Pune. Vikrant’s brainchild Mavens is a pioneer CEO Peer group engaged in fostering entrepreneurship through various initiatives like Talk Shows, Mavens School of Entrepreneurship Development, Mavens Huddle, Mavens Good Read, and so on.
An evangelist in entrepreneurship, Vikrant loves conducting business interviews and moderating panel discussions. He hosts a popular entrepreneurship event called The Senate Talk Show.
Follow him :
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikrant-vartak-31b99610/
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/vikrant.vartak.1/?hl=en
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/vikrant.vartak.1
