While reading The Viral Storm, got to know about the history of Smallpox. Out of all the places it came from Camel, shock and amazed at same time.
Excerpt from the book The Viral storm.
Smallpox
Drowning
I quit twitter temporarily because I was drowning with advice from thought leaders across the sectors. At this time Corona is one thing and financial meltdown is another.
Everyday common news is how founders are giving up entire years’ salary or the whole organization is taking a 25% pay cut.
While some VC’s are sitting next to founders, having regular one to one, webinars another is full of their advice on Twitter and blog.
At this time above everything, we need to treat humans like humans aka with respect and empathy. I liked what Manish has written.
virus
Most of the lucky ones are in social isolation. Trying to read and learn more about the Virus.
Martinus Beijerinck discovered and coined Virus while finding the reason in his father’s tobacco plant. TIL moment for me, maybe because I hated biology in my school days. 🙂
Excerpt from the book The Viral storm.
March Readings
Is your brand buyable?
I liked reading How brands grow: parat2. Narendra had recommended me this book. If you are building a consumer online/offline brand for an emerging economy, it is a recommended read.
In one of the chapters, the author talks about the relevance of your brand.
Effort and Incentive
We are lazy. All technological advancement: the washing machine, mixer grinder, and many others invented for the same.
We don’t like changing habits as well. Making someone adapt to a new system is super challenging.
Unless we are incentivized or rewarded 10X our effort, we are not switching our existing workflow.
An incentive for your customers should be number #1 priority in the journey of product development.
luxury
Since IMF is formally announced we are in a recession, a tough time is here. They also mentioned that this one is going to be worst that 2007. I am sure time will tell us more about it.
But in the current scenario, things are messy. We are all indoors, everything is shut and the government is putting all it can to keep people’s life in priority.
Everyone will be harmed by recession including startup. I remember AB, my boss at Minio telling me: companies die when founders give up.
So if you are married to your idea, a startup you will do everything it takes to survive in this tough time. Hang in tight and this will pass.
As a founder one has no luxury to cry. You have you lead as a captain of star fleet from the front in the uncharted territory.
If running a startup was easy everyone would have been building one.
little
We are in a lockdown. Our maid, cooks are not allowed to come to help us. While we can celebrate, chill, cook, crib they are in pain.
We can do a little by paying them for these days they are out of work.
break
Twitter is a great place for connecting, learning sharing ideas. Unfortunately in the current scenario, it has a little sad for me. I am taking a couple of week’s break from it. I have discontinued my account for 20 days.
ww3
It is humankind vs invisible virus, who would have pictured world war 3. This time around we don’t have two camps fighting for superiority or resources. This time it is different, it is about our survival.
War and corona are alike. They both take lives and wealth. Both make the global economy paralyzed.
A war that requires no ammunition but doctors and precautions.