Quote of the Day by Narayana Murthy : ‘Entrepreneurship is all about...’

“Entrepreneurship is all about deferred gratification,” a quote by Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys.

N.R. Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, believes that founders and teams put personal comforts and high compensation on the back burner during early phases.

Who is Narayana Murthy 

N R Narayana Murthy is an Indian billionaire businessman, software engineer, and the iconic co-founder of Infosys, one of India's largest multinational information technology companies. Often hailed as the "Father of the Indian IT sector," he played a pivotal role in pioneering India's global outsourcing model and putting the country on the international technology map.

In 1981, Murthy co-founded Infosys along with six other software professionals with an initial capital investment of just ₹10,000 (roughly $250 at the time), which was famously borrowed from his wife, Sudha Murty. Under his leadership, Infosys became the first Indian-registered company to list on the NASDAQ exchange in 1999, setting a benchmark for financial transparency and corporate governance in India.

Beyond business, Murthy is known for advocating corporate social responsibility and practising a relatively modest personal lifestyle despite his immense wealth. Through the Infosys Foundation and private family foundations, he heavily funds initiatives in rural development, education, healthcare, and arts and culture across India.

When was this quote said by Narayana Murthy?   

Narayana Murthy emphasised this principle during an interview in April 2024, where he detailed his philosophy on what truly builds a healthy corporate and startup work culture.

“Infosys Founder Narayana Murthy, on his idea of what constitutes work culture, said "deferred gratification" is very important.”

What does this quote mean?

Narayana Murthy's statement that entrepreneurship is about deferred gratification means founders must choose short-term sacrifices, strict cost control, and hard work over immediate luxury or quick profits to build long-term value.

During this discussion, he paired the concept of deferred gratification with other core tenets of his famous leadership style, such as the ability to "agree to disagree without being disagreeable" and maintaining humility and grace once a company reaches the top.