journalism

What is wrong with media off late? The journalistic ethic has gone bonkers. More and more post I read over web seems like written by the PR team, not journalists.

The journalism I have witnessed comes with courage, research, and finding the truth.

Do I have to blame the internet for this or new breed of journalists who have gone lazy? Or is page click, followers on social media, or likes have become new pillars of journalism?

Back in 2007 at NewsX, I remember journalists fighting for stories at editorial meets. One has to prove authenticity, source. Modern-day journalists serve the story in a platter, PR folks share a puff piece, it gets published.

Have journalists turned into story/post crunching machines who have forgotten to fact check and publish with due diligence?

I am wondering if independent journalism will change it. When you are running your show, you are less worried about pleasing others or getting free trips to attend product demo launches. The few sane voices will remain the odd one out, but for how long?

I am lucky to have worked with three media houses and have friends spread across a dozen others. The learning and experience have resulted in my writing this.

Small Things

Small things make a huge difference. It brings priceless joy. It can be meeting a lost friend at a coffee shop after a decade or buying a monitor for your team members.

These incidents are a little burst of joy. I was talking to my mentor. His advice was to take a small step, subdividing bigger goals into micro and evaluating, celebrating.

Things take time. We have to persevere and celebrate small things.

On sales

There are a million hours of a podcast recorded, thousand books written on sales. Each book has something to offer. Each podcast has some advice. My limited learning in sales has taught me a few lessons. 

  • Customers will buy if they are in pain. In other cases, discounts or other offers might get you closer. The renewals will not happen. 
  • A customer has to like you. They believe in your and companies vision. 
  • A customer wants 10X return for the money he is paying you. 
  • You have to provide comfort to the customer that you are there with your support.

Your product has to get customer’s love. A founder has to be least worried about competitors. In the early days, you need believers who work closely with you. You have to solve them in the beginning.  

Seek for believers, not customers. Work on solving their pain. It will save your future marketing cost. The power of the word to mouth will take your product to a new height. You will not need to worry about the NPS score and all. 

My learning is limited to building early-stage B2B products. 

posturing

I disregard the evangelicals from the valley and their posturing to we Indians. Our country has just opened up to the digital revolution. The millions of customers for most valley companies are going to come from India.

The posturing by valley companies reminds me of the British Rule, you illiterate Indians, we have got this for you and use it. The western press happily ignores the fact.

Indian challenges are different from other countries. We are a growing economy and still building. Cash on Delivery, Sachet sales, UPI is all catering to our specific needs.

I am not asking the government for protectionism or fostering nationalism. All I am asking from folks is to stop posturing and making us local builders feel that we depend on your advancement.

siblings

Siblings and rivalry go hands in gloves when you have a small age difference. I was talking to my team about their siblings and fight. We all agreed that those fights on petty things. But we all fought.

With time as we grow old, we start becoming more responsible and respectable for each other.

We are living in an idiot world as we grow old. We get busy with our little world. We have time for everything other than talking to our loved ones, people we grow up seeing, idolizing and playing.

That mango eating competition, fighting for remote, sitting in front of a motorbike. Those moments are priceless.

crazy

Innovation requires little craziness. One has to be crazy to go against all the odds. A lot of it comes from inside, not to prove someone or for the status quo.

Mozart, Kalam, Beethoven, Ford, Picasso, Einstein, Jung, and living legend Elon Musk. Each has been crazy in their own ways. The world made fun of them, their innovation, and going against the tide aka default.

moments

There are moments when people would try to run over you. They will try to show you your worth, or what you are selling. They can do that because they are the decision-makers.

It does not mean whatever their opinion is about us is universal. Do not get disheartened, keep building, shipping, and delighting your believers. You cannot win or please everyone.

For how much is Lettuce sold? Fifty cents, for instance. If another, then, paying fifty cents, takes the Lettuce, and you, not paying it, go without them, don’t imagine that he has gained any advantage over you. For as he has the Lettuce, so you have the fifty cents which you did not give.

— Epictetus

Customer needs

Reading Customer Culture by Micheal D. Basch has been a refreshing read focused on building an organization, managing team, and delighting customers.

In one of the chapters, the author talks about customer needs. He defined the journey in these stages. These are related to his experience in logistics service, as the book revolves around FedEx.

http://www.stoicdoodler.com/customer-needs/

Physical
Will my goods be shipped?

Informational
Where is the package at any instance of the shipping journey? Can I track it at any moment of the shipping journey?

Emotional
The package is going to be delivered on time. It gives me peace of mind.

Spiritual
I can associate with the brand. It is part of who I am as a person.

Each startup is solving a unique challenge. Knowing customer needs help in delighting our customers.

Cats or Dogs

The success of any enterprise product depends on the team it caters. These teams have their working comfort. Some teams work like a herd of dogs, all in together. Success is for everyone resulting in shaping the organization.

Some teams like to work as a herd of cats. Each is unique, in its own way of doing things in silos. It is like a pack tied together. Each has their own opinions and incentives. One heavy hitter defines success for the organization.

Selling to teams with the persona of dogs is always better than that of cats. No solution can please a herd if they are not in it together.