As an underdog, I consider myself fortunate to have received the opportunities that have come my way. It takes small, consistent steps, a tremendous amount of hard work, and an almost unimaginable level of self-belief to wake up every day and compete with well-established players. What has worked for me so far is building a …
Author Archives: Atul
integrate
An organization doesn’t die solely because of a funding crunch—it also falters for many other reasons. For example, a founder may fail to cultivate a sense of ownership within the team, or individual team members may have personal goals that are misaligned with the organization’s long-term vision. Another commonly overlooked issue is the divide in …
Noise
We live in constant noise and chatter from inside and outside. Our brain acts as a router, receiving thoughts and external signals. It results in us swimming with bias and confusion, crowding us through all corners. When we were kids, we were experimenting and asking questions. We had all the curiosity. As we grew up, …
wrong
When you’re successful, no one cares about your mistakes. You’re rewarded even for your smallest wins. Our society adores achievers. Time and again, we’ve seen this blind admiration lead to the rise of Ponzi schemes that dupe millions. Get-rich-quick schemes have a shelf life. The sooner you, as a participant, realize this, the better. The …
fragile
Our life is short-lived. The connection we make and, the moment we spend with our loved ones should matter most. We are so occupied with our wants and running with the capitalistic treadmill that we forget to live a life. When our day comes we are in the grave. The time that we should have …
simple
We were simple people, born without thoughts, raw and pure. As we grew older and saw the world, we became complex. Our needs and desires did not come at birth. They emerged over time. Our social interactions and status were imposed upon us, even though they were constructs. Our simplicity eventually became our foe. We …
Rejection
I know, I must have written a post about rejection for the nth time. It has become a core part of life. In the early days of building our company, I would feel frustrated and humiliated. But with age and years of selling, I’ve come to hold a different opinion. I’m more at peace with …
contentment
I’m not sure if contentment comes with age, is part of our nature, or is shaped by the thoughts we cultivate from observing society around us. Both Stoic and Hindu philosophies have emphasized contentment since their inception. Unfortunately, the world we live in today teaches the opposite—urging us to accumulate more and more. Many families …
Tradeoff
We have to accept life as it comes. Like the seasons, it can be rainy at times, while other days are cold or scorching hot. Some struggle to accept this reality, falling into madness or depression. In short, life is no utopia. Instead of crying over not having oranges, we must learn to make lemonade …
Click
What makes you click? That one thing so important to you that it becomes part of your daily habit or ritual—something you dedicate every moment to without hesitation? The masterpieces of Van Gogh’s paintings, Michelangelo’s Madonna of Bruges, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Edison’s Lightbulb, and the Wright brothers’ quest for flight—all emerged from the click of their internal drive. They …