We had done it. A difficult project. Finally launched. Not after days or weeks of toiling. But after more than 12 months of trial and error. We had found and solved countless problems. Not only were we proud of our new product, but we also had a few delighted customers to vouch for it. —-…
Starting a new business: Go it alone or partner with your employer?
“I have an idea for a business. Should I speak to my boss about it and suggest a partnership with the company I’m working for?” “Or should I go out on my own? And risk everything?” A friend (who works for a very well-known brand) asked me the above question a few days ago. He…
Stress is good
My writing tool of choice is called The Most Dangerous Writing App Here’s how it works: Let’s say you plan to write for 20min. Once you start writing, you can’t stop until your 20 minutes are done. If you pause for more than a few seconds, you lose everything you’ve written so far. Sounds stressful?…
Your mind is an answering machine. Use it wisely.
“You are already complete.” You may have heard the above statement. What does it mean? Here are 3 interpretations: 1. If you took the spiritual route, you could interpret it as a nudge toward looking inward with the belief that you’ll eventually find the “why” of your existence within yourself. 2. Or you could consider…
Respect
I had to let go of someone at work. While she wasn’t a full-time employee, it was still something that I didn’t enjoy doing at all. Only a week ago, I had shared the big picture of our business with her. And she was excited to be on this journey along with the rest of…
Word-of-mouth marketing on steroids!
How do you know if a customer is truly delighted with your product or service? – Is it when they actively spread the word about your service? – Is it when they give you 5 stars in your feedback forms? – Is it when they thank you profusely for providing your service? (that they’re paying…
What to do when an asteroid hits you
Like most mornings, I got up early yesterday. And went through my morning routine like clockwork. Finished my Yoga, showered, finished my morning prayer, meditated, finished my breakfast, and sat down to work. I’d also planned my day well ahead of time. Get X done, then Y and then Z. I was ready to take…
Work Remotely or Together? That’s the wrong question.
San Francisco. It’s 11 AM on Monday. The office is buzzing with activity. People sitting in halls plugging away at their computers. Animated discussions happening in meeting rooms. Everyone is visibly busy doing their thing. Right? Nope. At the office of Automattic – the company that makes and ships WordPress and employs over 250 people…
Hiring the first 5-10 employees at your startup
Abhi, a friend of mine, and his brother run an early-stage consulting company out of the UK. Here’s an email he sent me recently: “How do you synchronize your capacity with your sales? It feels like a chicken and egg problem, no capacity means no sales, and no sales would mean that I cannot afford/sustain…