burn

One part of my brain cannot comprehend seeing P&L and cash flow-related stories of popular startups news like Meesho, Fi, Snapdeal and dozen others.

Like their cash burn, why these companies exist, or if a bot had replaced the founders, companies might have burnt less cash. But the other side speaks another story.

The reason startup exists is to build high-growth companies that attain market leadership, becomes defacto, and brings innovative technology play. The resource and technology required come at a price. What works and what does not in a short period.

You have to fly or die quickly. It is like a race where everyone invests in repetitive winners.

The people putting money into these ideas are private players and AIFs. So even if all ideas fail, the country is not going into recession.

Most employees working in these companies are well paid; some bring their generation out of poverty by constructing houses, buying lands, or saving enough for higher studies.

In short, these startups are making dreams come true for some by employing them in all sectors, sizes, and classes, be it a white or blue color.

build

One of the learning in the early days of building taghash is about what to add or extend. Listening to customers and learning from them and their workflow, the pain has been helpful.

We are a small team and don’t have a product or growth team for guiding with surveys and analyzing customers.

Time and again, what has worked for us is listening to customers and building the next product set. We have a list of features mapped to customers who requested and asked for them.

Knowing what to build when you know who you are building for eases product adoption.

Dhandho framework

I am halfway through the book: Dhandho investor. I liked it as the author shares stories about many businesses built on frugality, long bets, and arbitrage.  

The author talks about the Dhandho framework, and I felt like sharing. 

  • Invest in an existing business. 
  • Invest in a simple business.
  • Invest in distressed businesses in distressed industries. 
  • Invest in businesses with durable moats. 
  • Few bets, big bets, and infrequent bets.
  • Fixate on arbitrage. 
  • Margin of safety – always. 
  • Invest in low risk, high uncertainty businesses.
  • Invest in the copycats rather than the innovators.

Victim

You have to get over the victim mindset. You have to stop blaming others for your failures. You and feeling that will make you move and take steps forward.

No one can teach you how to be happy. You have to have your rules and habits to get into happiness.

Lastly, get over the status game and comparing your life with others. Stop competing and falling into the wrong comparison. You have to be authentic and be who you are.

2023

2023 is waiting. How bad is it going to be? Are we going back into lockdown? I understand we are already fucked economically, and healthcare globally has given up long back.

What more do we need in 2023 other than sailing in it without dying?

paint

We have painted ourselves with pedigree, caste, color, and nationality. Our existence is painted self.

Who are we? Is it the reality we make choices and take decisions in our life or the painted monster “me” basking in the glory?

Some realize this in their later life about this painting, while many others die living a painted life.

change

Change has to come from the inside. You can teach someone how to swim; you cannot cross the lake replacing.

There are situations in our life where we think of helping our friends and loved ones. We end up giving them pep talks and teachings. We feel good, hoping they will get better by changing moods/lifestyles.

Most of the time, people don’t need you and your philosophy of change. They love their current life, pain, and misery.

regret

Want to live a sane life or die in peace: one way to do this is to avoid regrets. Don’t let your past decisions come and haunt you. Do what it takes now. Don’t leave things unfinished for the future.

Our thoughts appear like recorded cassettes of a tape recorder, and memory will keep appearing. Be strong enough to bear it with a strong heart else the wind of regret will kill you every moment.

Optimism

Optimism is a way of life, like a virtue.
We have the option to live like a scared lamb, worried and pessimist about everything, or live like a radical optimist.

The world is falling apart.
Our media keeps reminding us how miserable the world is.
We can keep living in fear or worry.

There is another breed of a radical optimist.
They see the world through a different lens, where positivity trumps negativity.

Our time on this planet is limited: the choice is ours to live a life like a lamb or roaring tiger.

cure

What is the cure for your crib, complain and itch? In all instances, it is about you taking the challenge. It is about going against all the odds and fixing things your way.

We can die complaining about our relationships, work environment, or nth world problems. Most of the time does not focus on the solution or cure.