koolhead17
Most brands are built on a story crafted in the early days. Everyone is responsible for it, most importantly companies culture. If employees are il treated, it will reflect outside. The same goes with vendors or other associates. The saying monkey sees monkey has a reason.
A founder has to hire trainable leaders to replace them with the brand value intact.
Crisis tests leadership. When things run smooth, we don’t notice much about the pillars or fundamentals of any business.
COVID was one such situation that defined a company, especially how they treated their employees. There were mass firings and, many businesses got shut down.
When the Brazilian frost hit in the early days, green beans price skyrocketed. The coffee chains like Starbucks had a tough choice to make. In the end, they went and increased the price apart from fixing inventory leakages and building a robust system.
Every adversity throws doorways of opportunity to us. In the end, it is on us how to take the situation and move forward.
One filter that has worked for me last 5+ years is duality check. Seeing what people tell you in one on one, what they do in real life and how they project on social media.
We are all craving for importance and, social media is a melting pot for the same. It is also a place to distinguish between Zebra and Donkey.
In the end, our life is short, and we need to be with people who believe in us and are virtuous enough.
I feel most successful organization ensures their principles are not just presentation slides.
An employee is not working for a founder or team lead but an organization and its stakeholders.
I see principles taking a backseat sometimes because of the founder’s ego and maligned culture. It can hurt an organization and its stakeholders badly.
An open culture gives voice and opportunity to everyone, not just founders.
Startups with VC money take years before the product hits the market. It takes multiple years before the product starts making any revenue and, some companies never make any revenue.
There are multiple schools of thought, one championing growth, a bigger market, and first movers. Another school suggests going slow, growing on customers money.
In the end, it is on the founder to decide what path they take because it’s their baby and, they are putting a major chunk of time building it.
kitne gamo ko sanjoi baithe hai, kitne kahaniyo ko dafan kar diya hai humne. Na zane kya khawaih rahi hai dil ki.
Koi kehta hai ki hum tanha he sahi magar manmarji ji rahe hai. Koi raah chalte hamare akelepan pae kasheede padhe chala jata hai.
Apne muqaddar ko khud he likhne ki jo kawayat hai mere gamo ke raah hote gujarati hai wo.
Kaise kar sakte hai apne taqdeer ko khuda ke hawale bina kisi kawayat ke, koi khud he chal kar thore aa zaiga duniya me hamare?
Jiye ja rahe hai khud se apni zindgi ko, chale za rahe ha apne muqaddar ko sang liye, badal rahe hai haatho ki lakroo ko.
One of the life learning in life has been Be Yourself. I keep sermonizing this to everyone. Authenticity is what keeps us going in the long run, not mask or lipstick.
I have seen many relationships falling apart because of the lack of authenticity. Employees join with a promise, serve something else. People get married just to know they are living with a different partner. At the same time animosity grows within partners in tough times.
If one thing we could share, teach our loved ones is authenticity. I know we will not be liked by the most and a few will stay with us, the bond will be stronger.
Our society is setting up the wrong precedence by creating cult leaders in entrepreneurship. It’s ruining the future generation and taking them in the wrong direction.
Instead of solving pain, it has become a race. The success has become fundraising announcements and Twitter followers.
Instead of creating long-term value, it has become camaraderie and groups.
Sirji bas English me baat karna zaruri hai kya, wo thulla thulla bolte hai hame aur batamezze karte hai. (They speak in English and treat us disrespectfully).
Early morning I was at Ber Sarai sipping tea and eating bun-omelet after a night out; sleep and hunger were killing me.
Mukesh Yadav was sipping tea next to me, In his early 30’s, a tall man with a movie star-like physique. Mukesh had finished his night shift at beat near the Priya complex.
He mentioned heading back to Palwal, his hometown and, a few Haryanvi greetings prompted him to open up.
Mukesh told me about the night brawl. It was a fight between two drunk youngsters and when he went to calm them, they misbehaved and told him to stay out of it. (Thulla, nikal yahan se). Mukesh called others from beat and tried to take them to a nearby station and, they hit him and disappeared into the darkness.
I could see a mix of tears and blabber from Mukesh. He was saying how rich he is and about lands he owns and farming. I realized he must have had a bad last night. I don’t know why he opened up to me. Are we all alone and need someone to listen to us? For a change, I was the listener.
It was Mukesh’s dream to do something for the country, could not qualify for the army so joined the police and the job is so thankless
Kuch bhi na rakha is naukari me. Ek thulla mare, koi farak na pade desh ne, Ek politician mare, desh ki chutti.
It’s a thankless job no one gives a dam about policeman’s death, life goes on, unlike a politician, the entire country gets a holiday.
I silently watched and listened to him and asked if he would care for a bidi which he accepted. We exchanged greetings and, I headed back home to Munirka.
Sir aur kuch padhaun ya nai, bacho ne angerji zarur sikhana hai. (I will ensure my kids learn English)
I heard him shouting and giving a broad smile and, I smiled back.
We should dream and strive towards making it a reality. Having a dream alone is not enough.
There was a dreamer behind most innovations and, it was their itch: an airplane, cars, electricity, or computer.
We, humans, are gifted and, our will to go against the odds has taken civilization beyond: Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King are a few examples.
Our humanity will thrive and go beyond the unimaginable by the dreamers: keep dreaming and working hard towards making it a reality.
It is not easy to be a misfit and, most will reject you.