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Success Doesn’t Require Perfection—Just One Strong Spike
A decade ago, I met an entrepreneur in Goa who had built a giant medical devices company (probably worth a few hundred million dollars today). So when I went to meet him, I expected to see a swanky office. But his desk was covered side-to-side with...
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The Hidden Power of Inexperience
When you are young and inexperienced, you don't know what is possible or what your limits are. You don't understand how the world works. So you try...
The Real Lesson from 12th Fail
Many have asked me to watch the movie '12th Fail' -- people are raving about this wonderful movie. Manoj's story (who battled extreme adversity to...
Stop Trying to Prove Yourself
If you are trying to prove yourself, there is bad news -- this game has no endpoint. There is no finish line at which you will feel, "Finally, I...
Focus on Your Own Journey, Not Someone Else’s
In a high-rise office building in New York, I was once looking across the street at the next skyscraper, craning my neck. And I felt so 'low down'!...
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Why Intelligent People Often Aren’t Rich
Why are intelligent people often not rich? Because they want to make money only using their intellect. For example, if a "non-intelligent" money-making opportunity shows up (say, wholesale rice trading), they wouldn't be interested. Further, I...
Everyone Feels Fear – Face It Anyway
Everybody feels scared: -- On the first day of a job. -- During a job interview. -- Before closing a big sales deal. -- Before the performance review. Fear is nothing to be ashamed of. It is not a personal weakness. Fear is universal -- what varies...
How to Know If Your Idea Is Real
Early in my startup days, I used to sometimes wonder -- am I doing something real or am I just fiddling around, fooling myself? How do I know this is not all in my head? The ONLY real way of knowing whether you are doing something real (and...
The Secret of Confidence: Focus on What You Know
As a rookie consultant at McKinsey, before the final client presentation, I used to feel very jittery. No matter how much work I had done, there would be so many things we were not sure of -- what if the client asked about them? But the senior...