Would you like to work for a biotech company?

This is the question I received from an Indian student I know at Buffalo. I met this guy, let's call him 'pseudo-Mallu', a week before I got his call at the campus-shuttle bus stop. Seemed like a nice guy, very talkative, inquisitive, wanted to know all my history-geography in a matter of minutes. We got down at our final destination, exchanged phone numbers and I completely forgot about him. So pseudo-Mallu knows that I'm doing PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences and says that he has an interesting project in collaboration with a biotech company and he wants to involve me in it (with the added incentive of extra money). I say sure & we decide to meet the next day (Friday) at a Starbuck's at 5 pm.

I reach there on time and this guy turns up a few minutes later looking very professional, carrying a leather bag and all. We buy ourselves coffee, find a nice secluded place to sit and exchange pleasantries. Then we get down to business. He starts the discussion by asking weird questions like how much free time do I have everyday and what do I foresee for myself in the future. Suddenly, I smell fish instead of the sensuous feeling of coffee. He then mentions something which I recognize immediately - 'Quixstar'. Its multi-level marketing, I said. Call it whatever u want, dude, but this is the next big thing he said. He then goes on to question why we should buy Pepsi when Britney Spears gets paid for it, buy Nike and Tiger Woods goes all the way laughing to the bank. He gave me a brief history of how a guy started McDonald's, which is now the biggest chain of fastfood joint in the world. Apparently, he had his own restaurant, started giving training to other restaurants or people who wanted to open restaurants, asked for a lifetime cut for each sale and became rich without investing a single cent in opening a new outlet. Pseudo-mallu says that there are people who have taken early retirement from their jobs since this thing pays them so well and they have all the time in the world to do anything they wish. He gives me a booklet and a couple of CDs to listen to, basically talks by highly successful people in this field. I go home really disappointed. By the way, did you notice that not a single time does he mention the word biotech!!!

I had learned about Quixstar a few months back when the eldest son of a friend of my father drove all the way from Washington DC to explain me this concept. Pay around $250 to get started, buy products online from Quixstar, convince other people to do the same and you get a cut each time a new member joins in because of you. I had recently moved from Fargo to Buffalo and said that I was sorry but I neither had the time nor the inclination to do it.

So I read the booklet, listen to the CDS, one by an American named Bill Hawkins and the other by a guy from Orissa, now in the US and apparently, retired at the age of 29 because now he was earning 4 times more than he would have earned doing his job. This Oriya guy spoke horrendous English but was funny at mocking people who did not join this 'business'. I seriously recommend him to do some stand-up comedy.

So, pseudo-mallu calls up a week later and we decide to meet the next day, same place, same time. I was very busy and somehow forget about it ( not too difficult to do if you are not interested). I realized this later when he called me up at night. So we decide to meet the following day at his place. I reach there and am really surprised to see many people inside. One of their more succesful business partners, actually their mentor, had come all the way from Chicago to convince other people to join this scheme. There were around 10 people listening to him, including a Russian. Basically, it was a sophisticated version of what pseudo-mallu had explained to me. The other members of his team including pseudo-mallu were listening and watching him with awe, as if Moses himself had come down the mountain to deliver the 10 commandments. I noticed that most of the people there were students on the verge of graduating or who recently got jobs and were looking for ways to pay off their student loans asap. Apparently, this company had recently tied up with a biotech company I had never heard of. So later, pseudo-Moses talks one-on-one to me, asks me what my primary concerns were. I said I'm a student and have other priorities. I don't have financial problems, am busy with my studies and in my spare time want to do some recreation instead of chasing people around. He gives me another CD to listen to, take my time and tell pseudo-mallu my decision.

So pseudo-mallu calls me a week later, comes to my place and then I tell him 'Heck, I'm in'. Just kidding!!! I politely say no and his face was worth watching. Disappointment was writ all over his face. He said that he respected my decision but then asked for a more difficult task; giving him the contacts of 2 of my friends who I think would be interested in this. Now who shall I make the 'bakra'?

So in future, if I do face some financial problem, don't be surprised if I call you and ask 'Would you like to work for a biotech company?'