profitable

Running a startup is like sailing in a sea, your course depends on external factors like the tide and weather. One can strive to build an unsinkable ship. There is no perfect template for startup success. It requires much more than reading a book or taking advice from Twitter or a medium blog post.

While some people start the startup with a mission of changing the world or fixing a problem. Many have got their other incentives which can be getting rich and famous quickly, which is glamorized by the media.

Meeting a dozen friends over last week’s trip to Ahmedabad and Delhi showed me the importance of profitability. A lot of my friends are in traditional business and some have taken ancestral business. All they strive for is being profitable and floating comfortably in any weather or tide.

In the hi-tech era we are living, the pace at which we are growing how difficult it is to become profitable while cutting all the noise?

conversation

Last week in Delhi I met with Manish Jain , a seasoned entrepreneur and owner of BPB Publication.  

Some learning:

  • Be honest to yourself and the journey of life will become much easier
  • Money makes people change. Don’t be a slave to it, use it as an entity.
  • Stop comparing your life with others. You have your world and destiny is defined by you. You are the actor in your life.
  • Work hard, live in this moment and make the best of it now. 
  • Do not assume, do not hold grudges, forgive and move on. 
  • Give more and ask none.
  • Do not say money is not important. Money is the payoff for the hard work you have put in. 

We caught up without any prior agenda and ended up making a fruitful conversation. 

Delhi

Coming to Delhi is no less than nostalgia for me. The city is very close to my heart, almost a home. I have spent 12 years of my life here. With the rapid pace of Delhi’s development, every visit welcomes me with a surprise.

I have missed Delhi winter for a very long time, December 2019 is an exception. Here I am sitting at the SDA market and writing this post. Winter in Delhi reminds me of my childhood and laziness to attend classes or going at work. Winter is also the season for the foods in Delhi. I am lucky that some of my old friends are still in town and gave me a company graciously.

Delhi has existed since eternity, many ruled it, many destroyed and plundered. The city emerges out from the ash like a phoenix and becomes even more beautiful.

I keep hearing and reading about the unbearable air pollution, crime, and a plethora of other negativity about the city. I cannot deny them. I feel with time and technological and civic advancement city will rise again. The caretakers aka elected representatives are working on it. Not everyone has given up.

This trip reminded me of SF for wearing multi-layered cloths apart from buzzing nightlife, iconic eateries, and Delhi metro. Some in the past have called Delhi a paradise while others the city of Djinn. For me, it is just nostalgia for my past.

Some photos and tweets.

  • Ashish & me
  • Chiken Changezi
  • Rathi Saheb 🙂
  • Delhi haat
  • Kulfi
  • Vivek and family

Assumption

Our human mind is tightly wired for our advantage. We deny reality because as it makes us feel bad and does not match with our construct/assumptions. We start living in our fantasy world expecting things to be the way we like which might be wrong for others.

Another side of living is giving benefit of doubt to others. Living life in real without assumptions.

If you would like to live a life without burning your blood pressure or heartbeat start living life in reality with fewer assumptions.

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.