Chapter 13: Guerrilla Marketing Madness
Delhi — February 26, 2009 — 5:00 AM
Shiva woke up with a fire burning inside him.
There was no hesitation anymore.
No second-guessing.
Today, the world would start noticing Rickshaw Rush.
He brushed his teeth in a daze, mind buzzing with plans.
Today wasn't about code.
It wasn't about design.
It was about hustle.
It was about getting seen.
---
6:00 AM – Packing the Arsenal
Shiva neatly packed his "marketing kit":
10 freshly printed Rickshaw Rush flyers
A roll of clear tape
Scissors
A stack of homemade beta invite cards (small pieces of paper with "Join Rickshaw Rush Beta – DM this number!")
He tucked everything into his school backpack, right next to his tattered textbooks.
The revolution wouldn't wait for perfect tools.
---
7:00 AM – Strategy Session with Rohit
At the bus stop, he met Rohit.
They reviewed the day's mission:
Primary Target: SRCC and Hindu College notice boards.
Secondary Target: Local cyber cafes and chai stalls near Kamla Nagar.
Stealth Mode: Post flyers quickly, avoid getting caught or asked for permission.
"Act like you belong there," Shiva coached Rohit. "Confidence is the uniform of winners."
Rohit grinned nervously, but nodded.
They weren't just two boys anymore.
They were founders.
They were warriors.
---
10:00 AM – The First Posters
During a "school project outing" (a lie they told their teacher), Shiva and Rohit slipped onto the crowded streets near Delhi University.
Their first target: Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC).
The bulletin board by the canteen was chaotic — covered with job postings, tuition ads, event posters.
Perfect.
Blend in. Dominate quietly.
Shiva quickly taped up three flyers between the mess.
"Experience the Chaos — Play Rickshaw Rush!"
Students walking by glanced at it.
Some laughed at the auto-rickshaw cartoon.
Some just nodded absently.
Shiva's heart pounded.
We are live.
We are really live.
---
11:30 AM – Cyber Café Blitz
Next stop: Cyber Mania Café, a tiny internet joint famous for college gamers.
Shiva didn't ask for permission.
He just slipped one flyer onto the wall next to the ancient printer.
While Rohit "accidentally" dropped a stack of beta invite cards near the entrance counter.
It was messy.
It was risky.
It was perfect.
---
12:30 PM – Unexpected Battle
At a busy tea stall, while taping up another flyer, Shiva heard a loud voice.
"Oye! Kya kar rahe ho? (Hey! What are you doing?)"
A burly shopkeeper stormed toward him.
Shiva froze for half a second.
Think fast.
He smiled wide. "Uncle, game ka poster hai! Free hai! Bacche enjoy karenge!"
(It's a game poster! It's free! Kids will enjoy it!)
The man frowned. Looked at the cartoon rickshaw. Snorted.
"Thik hai, thik hai. Par ek hi lagana!"
(Okay, okay. But only one!)
Shiva bowed theatrically. "Shukriya, uncle!"
They both laughed.
Crisis avoided.
---
2:00 PM – Reality Check
By afternoon, Shiva and Rohit had placed:
15 invite cards at cafés
7 posters on walls, boards, and tea stalls
It didn't seem like much.
The city was massive.
Millions of people.
Their reach today? Maybe a few hundred.
But hundreds became thousands.
Thousands became millions.
One spark could set the entire forest ablaze.
---
4:00 PM – First Signs of Life
Back at home, exhausted and sweaty, Shiva checked his cheap Nokia phone.
One missed call.
Two texts.
All from unknown numbers.
> "Hey, got your card at Kamla Nagar. How to play Rickshaw Rush?"
> "Saw your poster bro! Game looks mad fun. When is full release?"
Shiva's heart almost exploded with excitement.
Real people.
Real curiosity.
They weren't friends.
They weren't family.
They were strangers.
And strangers were the real audience.
---
6:00 PM – Post-Mission Debrief
Rohit came over with two mango shakes to celebrate.
They sprawled on Shiva's balcony, watching Delhi's chaotic skyline.
"So," Rohit said between gulps, "what's next?"
Shiva smiled, eyes blazing.
"Now? We get feedback. We polish. We launch on March 25th."
"And then?"
"And then," Shiva said, voice low but unshakable, "we start building NovaEdge."
One game.
One empire.
---
8:00 PM – Planting the Next Seeds
Before sleeping, Shiva listed new tasks:
Set up Rickshaw Rush Facebook Page.
Create a beta tester group chat.
Record a gameplay video for YouTube.
Approach gaming bloggers with polite emails.
If people didn't find you, you had to find them first.
No gatekeepers.
No excuses.
Only momentum.
---
10:00 PM – A Glimpse into the Future
That night, Shiva dreamt not of school exams or homework.
He dreamt of glowing screens across India.
Phones buzzing with notifications.
Friends laughing as their rickshaws crashed into cows.
Students sneaking games between lectures.
Office workers escaping boredom for five minutes of chaos.
He dreamt of freedom.
Not just for himself.
For everyone willing to believe in dreams bigger than their fears.
And when he woke the next morning, he wasn't tired at all.
He was ready.
---
[End of Chapter 13]