koolhead17
People will always tell you what you cannot do, your inefficiency. It is easy to blame, criticize and form an opinion on others.
Our existence and our purpose should matter most to us. People have their motives and bias in blaming you. We have to grow a thick skin and have an amplified bullshit meter.
We have to work towards getting better every day instead of dissecting criticism.
I have been part of this startup ecosystem for some time now in different personas: investor, employee, and founder. I am starting to see a new trend where many people have started schools to churn a startup.
The journey of starting a startup is different than getting an educational degree. I wonder why are we again thrown on a template of building a startup? Is it because we are selling the mantra: starting a startup is the best way to get rich quickly?
A lot many successful founders I have met personally told money/glory was the byproduct. Starting a startup was more of an itch to prove ourselves, solving a problem, working closely with friends and like-minded people.
No two founders are the same, nor are their journeys. Why do they all have to go through formal teaching of how to run their business?
Putting lipstick on a pig will be not of any help.
Mihir has written “The untold Flipkart story”. It seems like a plot of some Hollywood/Bollywood movies. It has every element from perseverance, treachery, power struggle to drama. Founders struggle to stay relevant, board the urge to hit all the numbers, and investors urge to get an exit.
Running a startup is no different than running a country. It has many faces and personas. Each of these comes with their expertise, ego, and expectations. What plays is the incentive, the power dynamics.
Sachin had a dream of building 100 billion company but execution at scale was not his forte. But does this make him less important? I don’t think so.
Every stage a company is a different beast and requires a different set of execution.
The positive side of what Sachin/Binny created has left a long-lasting effect on our country.
Flipkart paved the way for creating a startup ecosystem that will have a lasting effect for centuries to come to India. The Flipkart mafia is no less than the PayPal mafia of the valley.
There is a thing called positive Ego. It consists of self-belief, faith, and perseverance. Always keep it. It will take you ahead of dead mortals, naysayers and slaves.
We have to stay away from the noise and signals. What matters most to us is our consciousness. Since early adulthood, we have been told what we cannot do.
The lazy brain of ours likes continuity. As we grow up, the conditioning takes over. Our brain keeps telling us what we cannot do. This gets amplified by people, noise around us.
Positive ego ensures that we are willing to go against all the odds and ensures that our life is in our control, not others.
I know in this fast-paced world where negotiation trumps over ethics. People lie, there can be numerous reasons. One being fear and another being judgment.
I have bought this belief that people do everything because of the current frame of their minds. Although I feel bewildered knowing the fact that people give up on their trust over winning a negotiation.
I read about the 80/20 principle, a book written by Richard Koch. The central belief suggests that 80% of outcomes (or outputs) result from 20% of all causes (or inputs) for a given event.
The author has picked many examples in his 20 chapters to confirm his 80/20 principle. On self-examining various events in my life, I am willing to buy his narrative. The theory applies everywhere from business, love, friendship, entrepreneurship, team, productivity, et all.
But does it makes sense to buy and read this book, I don’t know. I am an impulsive book buyer and bought this few months back. I read it this week because I heard over a dozen times about the 80/20 principle.
Not sure if it is my age or past few years of experience. I have realized drive is an important piece that defines our pathway to success. The definition of success differs from us all. For some, it could be glory, money for others.
Finding what drives you keeps journey more simple. It should also be noted that the drive changes with time and situations. As an entrepreneur, it is very important to understand what is your drive.
India is over a billion population. We have our unique challenges. Not all copy clone business ideas or solutions for a problem works. That is why few winners are solving local problems. From Fintech to Agritech to E-commerce, the way business is done in our country is unique.
I understand quitting is easy but a few who will stick to the last will survive with rewards. They are the ones who will change and shape a newer India.
Expecting everything from the government is not rational. To see the change in this new India we have to believe in ourselves more.
The amount of data that are coming with these new avenues will reshape our country.
It is easy to blame others.
It is easy to remind what we are missing from our life.
It is easy to crib about everything.
I take over us. They get blamed for my failures.
The life of a leader is a journey full of surprises. Sometimes it is full of joy while others in pain, pressure. The success of a leader depends on the company of his counselors and distinguished members. These are the key stakeholders and sail the journey. Some of them stay by till the very end while others leave.
Leaders life has every element of human emotions: happiness, pain, guilt, rejection. Sometimes others think he/she is a fool with their approach to a challenge.
A leader has to move against all the odds, continue the journey. He/She has to listen to everyone but cruise on his own with a deeper conviction.
One thing which keeps him/her going is their self-belief and other the guiding principle by which he started the journey. As long as these are intact, a leader has nothing to fear.