Unconscious Competence

A few years ago, I was interviewing an expert physics teacher for my previous startup. And to any question I would ask, he would rattle off formulas like a machine gun. But I was not getting a sense that he really understood things. So I asked him, “Can you...

Immortality Serum Experiment

I have cracked the ‘immortality serum’ and you can take a sip. But there is a catch — once you drink it, you HAVE to live forever. No matter how much you love or hate your life, you will have to continue living — no escape. People around you...

To become a student, empty your cup

A few years ago, my Indian Police Service training boss, Shri Atul Karwal, told me the story of his commando training with India’s elite National Security Guards (aka black cat commandos). When he, along with another batchmate of his, reported for the training,...

Don’t stay busy to escape reality

Believe it or not, hard work can be counterproductive. And staying busy can be like morphine — it numbs the pain of not knowing what to do in life or career. When we want to escape that pain of feeling lost, doing inconsequential things is very tempting. Alas,...