Aslam is in his early 40s, a chubby man with a beard and a big smile.He reminded me of Santa Claus but in a white kurta pajama.He was a co-passenger on the train to Mumbai. I am not sure if he was fasting during Ramzan.His lips were dry, and in a monotonous tone, he greeted …
Author Archives: Atul
itch
A lot many innovations happened because of personal itch. Be it a bicycle mechanic building the first airplane or an entrepreneur building a rocket, an electric car, or a solar company. A patent commissioner coming up with innovation in the area of physics or a philosopher coming up with mathematical formulas. Also, it is not …
changes
I see climate activism picking up. Everyone is talking about it. Who is going to suffer most: the poor and underdeveloped countries? We do thought leadership about the adversity even after: Sitting in our luxury condos with air conditioners switched on 24/7. Concrete and glasses are all around our plates. We spend thousands of liters …
agreements
Why are we living a life divided over boundaries and agreements?Is it our insecurities?Are we broken and scared from the inside that is pushing us towards living in agreement? I understand our society and upbringing come with this invisible barometer for settling down with whatever and living in agreement. Millions of failed marriages and broken …
past
How much should our past matter to us? We can sulk in pain or celebrate. In either case, it is gone. Past is a mere experience. We try to dive for numerous hours into our past for happy or sad moments. It depends on the current state of our mind. How much does it help? …
Believe and build
I keep asking founders who come to pitch for intros and funding why they are building this. On a few occasions, people walk away being angry. It comes as a rude shock to them. Our media and glorification surrounding startups have made entrepreneurship some fashion parade. As a result, many of us are not in …
PPP
We live in a world where most don’t like the grunt of PPP: pain, patience, and persistence. Nothing creative or marvelous came without it. Van Gogh, Leonardo Da Vinci, Wright Brothers, Monet, Edison, Tesla, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King. All went through it. Our generation wants everything with a click: food, medicine, sex, etc. The …
faces
We all carry distinct faces, which we bring out in different scenarios or with people we are dealing with. As a son, we act differently with our close friend’s circle. We are different from a uniqueness when we are with our lover than in a formal setup. Sometimes in the journey, we get at loggerheads …
Learn by doing
How will we know the depth of the river? By measuring it. How are we going to measure it if not by swimming in it? A painful journey will lead to the destination. Every piece of advice, book, or teaching will have a limited influence on our life if we are not living in the …
know thyself
Who are we?What do we want and don’t want?Are we living our life or the one told us by our parent’s society or education system?Are we just living our life for the heck of it? During a conversation with my grandparents, I heard him saying what else he could have done better for himself and …