focus

Is multitasking the need of the hour? Can’t we focus on one thing and give our best in it? Is multitasking a byproduct of modernization and the connected world we are?

We are running so fast that we are getting injured more often. The precision with which work was done earlier is getting scarce. Deep work and Flow are things of the past. We want to know everything, give an opinion on everything and not an expert in anything.

Is it because we are competing with the human race instead of ourselves? We have lofty goals, like get rich quick or become successful in no time? Everyone want’s to be as successful as Sachin Tendulkar, but very few want to work as him for decades to reach perfection.

Our focus should be the mantra resulting in performance. It has taken a backseat. The world is swimming in shallow knowledge and, mediocracy.

vulnerability

We are all vulnerable one or the other way. I blame it on our monkey mind. We are building our castles, switching to the next thing with the hope of being satisfied. The race to succeed, feel good, or garner appreciation from the loved ones or colleagues at work.

We are in a constant fight within. We value ourselves less than we deserve. We stop trusting ourselves and our capabilities and adversely affect ourselves, our health, and loved ones around.

A leader is also a coach of his league; he/she should ensure that none of their team members are vulnerable. That will happen with open culture, trust, and freedom. It is not easy, but for a rocketship to sail a leader has to do everything.

broken

A founder’s life is lonely. It is always day zero. It circles around uncertainty. Someday the trusted best-performing employee will resign or the other your customer. From cook, negotiator, coder, mentor. Everything comes on a single plate.

I know there are million-odd videos on youtube and a million other podcast guiding how to start a startup. Searching on Amazon will throw a great number of books as well. Social media is full of entrepreneurship Gyan(teachings). The fun part is none of these will fit your creation. We are all different, our journey of building a startup is different.

The journey is full of pain and uncertainty. The thing which works out is self-belief and grit. This world is fucked up place, everything is broken. That gives us more reason to work hard and fix it. As long as you are or your company is not dead, there is the hope of building something incredible.

I remember getting mentored by AB, my boss at minio. He told me the company sails through anything and everything and becomes successful as long as founders have not given up. I truly believe in it.

This journey of entrepreneurship is tough, full of uncertainty and that is why you need believers, coaches, and mentors. Someone you can trust, talk about everything, who have seen your ups and downs. People you look upon, seen them sailing in their life closely.

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.
— Murakami

founders

Silicon Valley, tech crunch, and abundance of money have glorified founding a company. In the early ’90s, people built a company because they had the option to pursue their dreams. It was more about innovation. Most of them worked for many years out of their garage. The capital was limited.

Fast forward to 2020, media and press have made founders and starting a startup like some mystic ceremony. People raise money to kill their competitors by offering discounts. Second-time founders raise money as much they like on their terms showing past success. The positive side of it is we are innovating at a rapid scale. The negative side of it is the fast pace at which companies are formed and shut at a rapid pace. It has also resulted in founders looking for funding or idea which will get them funded first, profitability and exits got the least importance.

change

Change has a switching cost. It results in cognitive overload. As a result, we miss out on newer innovation or trying a new process.

I have been thinking more off-late on what all I have missed and the associated opportunity cost for the same. Be is running my company or overall trying newer things in life.

My learning has been: change is inevitable. It should be part of our mental model. We should be aware of the side effects. Most things do not work as planned in our life. We have to keep trying, moving on, and learning to adapt from the change.

risk-averse

Are we making our kids more risk-averse? Are western parents doing right by letting their kids explore the world by themselves?

I have seen only one side with it being an Indian. I am lucky that the ways that most decisions in the last 15 years have been my own and the risk/rewards. My father retired ten years ago. They are independent in financials as well as health. I think I am one of the lucky few. I keep seeing more and more friends and kids coming from tier2-3 cities sending money back home. I am not sure if it is expectations from parents or they send money under obligation.

Since families are so close-knit most of the decisions of youngsters in India are taken care of by parents. Someone said you not only marry a husband or wife but got into a relationship with entire relatives and village.

While growing up with the parents we get emotional support, financial stability. But does it adversely affect our individuality? Do we get drowned in emotions and end up taking many decisions of our life by our parents and relatives? Does it affect us from getting out of our comfort zone, doing the impossible, taking the risk?

decide

What would you do if you develop some infection on your arm? Will you cut it off? What will you do if someone close to you walks out of your life-giving all wrong reasons? Will you become bitter with them? These decisions should be taken by ourselves. We are called adults for a reason.

We have to own our life. Others and situations are secondary. The guiding principle should come from the self.

Impermanence is the only constant. Everything else is cyclic: weather, relationship, situations.

fragile

As a leader, it is necessary to understand the other side and team. Everyone looks at the leader, tries to match or clone their virtues as well as vice.

We are living in a fragile world, and we are all broken one or the other way. The complexity of personal life, finance, society pressure is enormous on us. A true leader has to understand this and treat the team with a lot of respect and care.

As a leader, if you are not in the zone of talking, giving feedback: disconnect for the time being. Come back and talk to the team, give constructive feedback. Don’t be an asshole. It harms employee morale. Nobody likes to be treated with disrespect.

Religion

Religion came into existence so that it could bring society together. It was for the oneness. As we progressed, a few men gave different colors to it for their benefit. It kept them in power and garner followers to establish their dictatorship. Some of them ended up erasing our past and infused radical ideology.

An ordinary citizen with time got brainwashed since he is afraid and scared. Religion came as bait. It did more harm to his soul rather than doing good.

Agriculture and domestication had its impact on making us less animal but, religion and the authoritarian leaders and preachers made it lethal by spreading hatred and venom against each other.

Colonial Cousins track has said it all in their 5 mins soundtrack.

dream

Is dream affiliated to wealth, caste, color, or origin? Is it not free?
Anyone and everyone can have a dream. Nothing can stop us from dreaming.

A vegetable vendor’s son can be a ballerina, a rickshaw puller daughter can become a successful doctor, or a uber driver can be an IAS officer.

Our dreams are manifest of self, so we have to believe in ourselves more, love ourselves more. We can go at any length to make our dream come true. We are not dependent on accumulated wealth for dream fulfillment: our aspiration and seeking is our guide.