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By Andrea Faiad

PANKAJ ARORA isn’t waiting until he’s 21 to give business a try. In fact, the opportunity to own a business is so important to this 16-year-old high school student from Rochester, MN that he recently turned down a $100,000 salary offer from a consulting firm that wanted his advanced computer skills.

The virtual reality of Pankaj’s life is that dropping out of school or selling his talents to the highest bidder is not an option. He’s determined to do things his way, juggling his business ventures as well as a full-time school load while keeping up with the latest trends in computer technology.

Nothing to Fear

"A lot of this computer stuff seems complicated, but it’s not when you really get into it," he says. "To get started, I just tried things. I monkeyed around with my dad’s VT 101 terminal as a kid. I experimented. I wasn’t afraid of ruining the whole computer, so I tried things. Fear stops a lot of people from fooling   around with their computer. They think they’ll mess it up. But, you know, messing it up is sometimes the best way to learn how computers work. That’s why I sometimes intentionally create problems on my machine — after I’ve backed everything up on disk."

He no longer uses outdated, hand-me-down computers from his dad, Jagdish, a computer consultant who often works with IBM through a contracting company. Instead, Pankaj creates and distributes software through his company, Pankaj Arora Software, and designs Websites and custom-builds computers through his other company, paWare.

Everything to Gain

"Some people like soccer — some people like building computers," he says, sitting in his bedroom in a plush chair with three large monitors and his self-built dream computer perched on a wrap-around desk behind him. "Each to their own, I guess."

Of course, someday he’ll have to leave the comfort of his parents’ home and turn his greatest pleasure into a livelihood. But, for now, Pankaj is content to enjoy his business ventures like other students enjoy extracurricular activities and team sports.

Pankaj started his software company after people showed interest in his early program-writing efforts two years ago. Since then, he’s expanded the company to include a cast of international authors who help him create software that he markets and distributes on the Internet in association with ZDNet,a company that owns several computer magazines. Together, they have received much recognition in the computer industry, including kudos from software reviewers in prominent magazines like PC Computing, which gave a five-star rating for a Pankaj Arora Software program in its June 1999 issue.

More than Money

In addition, the software company has received lucrative offers to create programs for businesses. However, Pankaj continues to put monetary temptations aside and, instead, distributes software via shareware and freeware online.

He also earns little cash from paWare. He charges less than market price for Website consulting and design, and assembles computers at near-cost for customers.

"I could be making a lot of money," says Pankaj, who recently declined a $100,000-plus salary offer from a Minneapolis computer consulting firm." But I’m not totally money-oriented. I’m doing what I like to do, and that’s my main motivation. I just want to get my name out there, earn some recognition, and have fun."

Pankaj also wants school to be his first priority. "After two years of college, I’ll see where I am and what business I totally want to pursue," Pankaj says. "Maybe I’ll continue in school. Maybe I’ll start another business if I find a niche somewhere — something I really like."

Born for Business

Either way, Pankaj plans to be in business for himself. "I want to go off on my own," he says. "I like making decisions and doing things my way.

"Maybe entrepreneurship is in my blood — my grandpa ran his own business in India," Pankaj continues. "There are a lot of Indian business people — not to say Americans or anyone else can’t be successful in business. I mean, look at Bill Gates, the richest man in the world. He’s living the American dream. He’s my idol because he does what he likes, does it well, and goes to work everyday. He could have retired a long time ago, but he still feels passion for his work. Without passion, it’s just the same old job and you’re just doing it for the money."

Pioneer Ventures

To prepare for his full-time future endeavor, Pankaj pays close attention to computer business trends and innovative forthcoming technology. "People my age will be running this industry at the rate we’re going," he says." There already are 14- and 15-year-olds taking their companies public." He also believes the state of computers will be different in the future. "They’ll be hidden in a way. There will be a lot more of them, but you’ll see a lot less of them."

Essentially, he thinks computers will be in control of most machinery, even home appliances. "For instance, your refrigerator will do a diagnostic test on itself and let you know if its motor is bad," Pankaj explains. "Or, your alarm will go off and establish a wireless connection with the coffee machine to activate the brewing process . In some cases, that technology exists, but in the future it will be commonplace. It’s possible I could become a pioneer of that."

A pioneer like Bill Gates? "Even though I’m still a student, I already feel like an entrepreneur, because I took a leap and I came out with a business," Pankaj says.

Positive Leading Although Pankaj hopes to be successful someday, money isn’t the only way he’ll measure success. He hopes to be a kinder, gentler boss than the often cutthroat, eccentric examples of Microsoft’s Gates and Apple’s Steve Jobs. "Not to brag, but I think I have leadership qualities," Pankaj says." A good leader helps people figure out what they do best, provides them the opportunity to do it, and gives them recognition for their work."

What advice does Pankaj have for other young entrepreneurs who want to become strong leaders? 1. Think at several levels. Albert Einstein once said," The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." In other words, before you can make a decision, you must consider and prepare for the possible out-comes of that decision: How will I feel about my decision? How will my decision affect the short-term? The long-term? What do my trusted advisers and peers think of my decision? 2. Know your stuff. Before you pursue an entrepreneurial challenge, study the industry in which you’re interested. Take the time to learn all the necessary skills, from human relations to decision-making to the technical end of your chosen industry. If you need help, hire people who can do the job, and empower, not micro-manage, them. 3. Never quit. A good leader needs to be motivated, energetic, and able to take success — and failure — in stride. Don’t expect overnight success. Plan to work long and hard to turn your dreams into reality. And don’t be discouraged by naysayers and rivals. Be confident in yourself, your abilities, and your business partners.