progress

If progress means having an iPhone on loan, we have.
If development means wasting unlimited hours on YouTube with cheap data we have. If development means switching to the Western way of living nuclear and becoming more individualistic, we have certainly progressed.

If progress is about being overworked and having no personal life, we have progressed. If progress is about selling our soul for money, we definitely have progressed. If an abundance of unwanted materialism is progress, then we have.

nothing

There are some days when I feel like doing nothing. These are the days when utmost laziness creeps in. These lazy days are creative bursts for me. I believe I am doing nothing, but in the true sense, the subconscious mind comes with flowing ideas.

The art of doing nothing, leaving the phone away lying idly must be unproductive to the outside world.

Decide

We should take responsibility for our decisions. It is easy to blame others. Some people die blaming others. Instead of putting in their best effort, they nitpick about others.

It becomes significant to understand the world around us. Imagine having a boss or partner who does no work but blames you for missing out. This constant pressure will suck you.

race

We live such a modern life that the hustle and bustle has become part of us. We are running for one or the other things. What we get out of it depends from person to person.

There are some days when I feel like absolutely doing nothing. Those days have their significance. It helps with rejuvenating newer energy.

We are humans and not machines. The sooner we realize our significance and reasoning ability. We will become free.

Time and again, instead of living for ourselves, we end up running a race to prove others wrong or for their attention. It adds more bitterness in us than any fulfillment. Our own identity ends up being reverted to winning over others. In most instances, we fail. We lose respect and attention.

psychopath

In the last 6-12 months, I have ended up meeting a few people via connections who had narcissistic behavior in them. Some will not even admit their wrongdoings. At times, they will act super sweet to get their work done. The agenda would be to get what they want. These kinds of people are the reason for our unstable society. Since most of us grew up in a protected society, we are not able to comprehend what these psychopaths are up to. They can go at any length to destroy you. They will lie, deceive, play the victim card, or try to boost their stature to make you feel low.

You should deal with such people with an iron fist and know them that we know their moves. That is the only way they will leave us. Otherwise, they will keep manipulating us, mare mortals. 

: a mentally unstable person

: a person having an egocentric and antisocial personality marked by a lack of remorse for one’s actions, an absence of empathy for others, and often criminal tendencies

source: Webster

There is no cure for psychopathy. No pill can instill empathy, no vaccine can prevent murder in cold blood, and no amount of talk therapy can change an uncaring mind.

source: Yale

monk

Met half a dozen monks sipping green tea and laughing at Marina. Theirs was the only table that was buzzing with laughter, banters, and frolic; something so uncommon in our stressful world.

The extrovert in me got curious and the next moment I was sitting with them and laughing over green tea. All of them were from different South Asian countries, and a few spoke in English.

Against all odds, obstacles, and detachment, they are living. All of them were happy. Letting go of the past, living moment to moment, and being grateful was key. This ego, attachment, vices, and seeking are making us all go nuts. We are getting sicker day by day. All your achievements, money, and status gloating mean nothing. Lastly, no one gives a damm. You are alone, you have to make peace with it.

relationship

What I dislike about our startup ecosystem is people trying hard to please others. Building a startup takes courage. It is painful and requires an unlimited grind. It is not for the faint-hearted or people for glitters. With all the money in the bank and your IVY league degree, you can still fuck up.

We need to be empathetic towards ourselves and the world around us. The “frog in the well” approach will make us bitter. All these founder awards or whatnot will add more burden on you. It does not matter.

Build relationships that last beyond your startups.

process

A growing organization can bring pain on many fronts. One of them being well-defined product development documents and timelines. You accept that even the 10X engineer in your team will miss things.

A well-defined process helps and takes lots of pain away from the testing team, support engineers, and customers.

The best of the best developers are known for losing focus too quickly. Not having a well-defined scope, timelines, and managerial supervision will result in a science project not shipping a saleable product.

The airline industry has a practice of SOP for the same reason. A pilot with thousands of miles flying hours is mandated to follow the same as a newbie joining a job fresh from an institute.

Thank

There are so many things to be thankful for. Like reading what I wrote means you can read, understand English, and see through. You have the internet and an electronic gadget to read this.

Now if you run some analytics, you will find you are among the top 20-30% population or less on this planet with these luxuries.

The world we are living in has made us run on a checklist, society has given us a ladder to climb. As a result, we die or head to the grave realizing our true selves.

Dubai

Walking on the streets of Dubai and chatting around gives a different meaning to life. Some made a fortune out of nothing, while many others live each day as it comes. It’s a cosmopolitan of its kind. The city welcomes everyone from super rich to super poor. Each one has its place.

The city has high and low in it. The best of everything is here: the costliest cars to restaurants. Some who are here for work would have died without food in their native countries, while many others would have gotten killed in the ongoing war.

The city is a utopia of its kind. It is like one of the wonders, with well-maintained infrastructure for governance. It’s an extended Indian arm, so many Indians with all states. I have been interacting in Hindi in most instances.

Living in Dubai is much easier than living in the US because of its vicinity to India and the availability of Indian cuisine.

I like nature and long walks. I miss the same here. Once a week, I go for a long walk to the beach.