sales

I am into sales now, since the product has matured and we are getting some traction via word to mouth.

One of my key learning has been, being honest makes life better for both parties. Sales are more about a relationship than profit. People are generally helpful and good. They appreciate your effort if you are open to sharing your vision and end goal.

Some of the folks who did not buy our product connected us to others who are our customers. This happened because the connection was honest and not transactional.

Lastly, I have realized I have to work with great people, who are empathetic and believe in our vision and be part of each other’s journey in the long run.

I happily mention my competitor’s name to those who ask me and also walk away or polity says NO to folks whom we feel will be a pain as our future customers.

Celebration

In the book Nuts, the author talks about the importance of celebration. Running any business requires a lot of trust and great people. These are some reasons why an organization should celebrate and what is there for us.

  1. Celebration provides an opportunity for building relationships.
  2. Celebration gives us a sense of history.
  3.  Celebration is a way of reorganizing major milestones. 
  4. Celebration helps in reducing stress.
  5. Celebration helps us envision the future.
  6. Celebration inspires, motivates and reenergizes people.
  7. Celebration builds self-confidence and removes fear.
  8. Celebration helps us mourn the losses associated with change.  

 I felt like sharing the excerpts from the book. 

Moving

Crossing road, moving on to a new journey in personal and professional life is difficult. A lot of this has to do with emotional quotient. The rage, blame, and commitment everything goes for a toss. All a sudden companies vision, founders drive comes in question.

It is a great learning for someone who has been on both sides. A few days of misalignment and changing attitude affects all the good work of the past.

While you are dreaming and oozing up for a new journey, someone has to clean up the leftover. We are all part of this hyper-connected world.

Don’t lie to your employer if you are moving to a new challenge. Don’t give false promises on project commitment before exit. Karma bites back.

mirror

A mirror shows your external: the dress you wear, your hairstyle, skin color, and et all. The outward representation of self is just one part of us.

The other hidden us beyond the mirror is our thoughts. Our thoughts play a key role in shaping who we are. It is less plastic or pretentious.

We can wear or makeup in front of the mirror, society, and pretend. We cannot lie to ourselves. Our thoughts will make us go nuts.

To cultivate thoughts, it requires observation with self and our relationship with externals.

Cultivate honest thoughts instead of pretending in front of the mirror.

community

Community is the new marketing hoopla. Humanity has existed this long because of the community. A community is centered around a common ideology, belief, trust, and faith.

Why are we talking about a community when we have our own ulterior motive behind it?

Community is more about giving and expecting least in return. Before starting a community one has to learn to be empathetic and have a real cause for others rather than self.

river

I like rivers, they are break free. They live on their own terms. They are powerful enough to make their own course.

When a river is gentle it is feeding ground for civilization. It is the center of many cultures. When a river gets angry it can destroy the existence.

Rivers are considered sacred in Hinduism. We pray to them and treat them like a mother. Many of our festivals are centered around them like Kumbh.

Sadly with the advancement in our living river has turned into our sewage deposit and source of disease. We have converted its nectar to undrinkable poison.

Ruskin Bond

Unlike other kids, my childhood had no love for reading. I was happy roaming in nature, playing cricket or fighting. A somber version of Huckleberry Finn. Off late I have got into the habit of reading Ruskin Bond and have been enjoying it. A few of my friends told me Ruskin books are for toddlers. What I liked about Ruskin Bond’s writing is simplicity. I put him in the same category as Roald Dahl.

I have not been to Nainital, Dehradoon or places Ruskin Bond mentions in his book but makes me feel I am there, walking on the streets or in the wild via him. His writing takes me back to my childhood, makes me think and feel my past.

Some other Indian writers like Khuswant Singh, R K Narayan, and Satyajit Ray follows the same style.

One requires complete idleness to craft a masterpiece. We need to look back to our past, dream and imagine.

market failures

In the book: in the service of the republic, the author talks about market failures. 

  • Externalities Where an external situation defines/effects a group in positive or negative ways. A university resulting in making city hotbed of innovation falls in externality. A factory emitting noise and smoke making neighborhood sick becomes a negative externality.
  • Asymmetric Information is found in situations where customers buy medicine with the premise that it is not adulterated. The fear of adulteration will change his buying behavior affecting manufacturers. 
  • Market power is when a bunch of companies owns the market. It is like Ola/Uber controlling the ride sharing. 
  • Public goods are the things that are non-rival and non-excludable like breathing air. 

I found it worth sharing. 

blame

It is very easy to blame others. It reduces our self-guilt, makes us better.

We are alone, we blame others because we are miserable and scared. We want to vent our anger and frustration. We want to prove ourselves right, our voices felt.

It takes time to build or cement a relationship but minutes to break.

We are responsible for our lives, why do we have to blame others for our mistakes?

education

I feel sad every time I get introduced by someone via their pedigree. The bias which we inculcate in us and filter it creates in our decision-making capabilities are enormous.

Education is a life long process, having a degree from some university is a small part of it. It does not guarantee your future successes.

Education comes from observing, listening and learning. It comes from going through the pains and coming out alive from it.

Since centuries our country has been producing mistics in large, what was their university degree? How well off were they?

Mother Teresa, who could speak no native changed the world with her empathy and care. What was her degree?