If you are risk averse, it is not for you. Most startups succeed because, from the early days, the founders, team, and investors all took a plunge. They could have failed too. It’s a hedge and going against the odds that drives the crazy ones. The same applies to relationships, people fall in love and …
Author Archives: Atul
growth
In the last 7-8 years of our entrepreneurial journey, I have seen many of my friends’ startups peak and go bust. While the founders did make some personal wealth, the company suffered. Building a company is like raising a baby; it has its journey and shape. One cannot overfeed it to walk faster. The momentum …
Fragile
We are living in a fragile world. What can happen to us in the next moment, we don’t know. The actions of others can leave a lasting impact on us. Keeping ourselves close to our loved ones is what will keep us sane. Our time on this planet is limited and full of uncertainty. What …
Story
We tell our brains stories, some of which are real, and many are imaginative. It is self-created and, on several occasions, self-destructive. We create a world within our thoughts. What we think and how we lead life goes hand in hand. The story defines our interaction with the world. It can be as we would …
Creative Destruction
Creative Destruction is all around us. Our old industries are being replaced with efficient, cheap alternatives. In the case of technology, this happens more often. There has been a cycle, and the entire industry has been adapting itself—those that did not, disappeared or shrank in size. Who would have thought Amazon e-commerce sellers would also displace …
value system
Your value system plays a huge role in defining your vices and virtues. How you see the world, how you react to certain situations in life, your emotions — all of it is interwoven with your value system. Our value system starts with our parents, then comes society, books, and our friend circle. As we …
change
I have been part of many hype cycles in the past. I would say I built my career during these periods and benefited from them. Technological shifts often begin with a blip, but the cascading effects take time to surface. A notable example is Reliance Jio’s data plans, which triggered a surge in smartphone adoption …
Attitude
Building a successful company requires a team with a great attitude. Sometimes, between a winner and a loser comes a sense of who will outlast the other in the market. In most scenarios, the battle is won by those who are assembled with the attitude to win. If your team has people whose attitudes are …
strength
A founder’s life is a joyride. It is no less than a movie script. It has everything—joy, failure, happiness, and sadness. Every moment of the journey is filled with excitement. One thing, apart from luck, that defines a winning or quitting founder is their mental strength. Most startups die when founders give up. All auxiliary …
curious
A young child is curious. He has many questions—sometimes so many that even we adults get agitated. A child is fearless, and their mind is not yet corrupted by society. All they care about is food, sleep, and affection from their parents. We grew up and got onto the treadmill of life. What was right …