Latest Post
Conviction and Delusion in Entrepreneurship
1 year ago, I met a VC who had told me that my first startup idea won't work. And you know what ultimately happened? He was right. Thankfully, when I met him this time, he did not remember that meeting. Nor did I remind him. 😊 But why did I not...
Recent Posts
Earning Respect That Lasts a Lifetime
A few weeks ago, I called a former boss of mine (the then Director General of Police, Kerala) to wish him a happy new year -- he is nearing 80 and...
Focus on the Problem, Not the Competition
In my startup journey, I learned more from one particular 5-minute video than from dozens of books and podcasts -- this video is that of Dropbox's...
Leadership Means Deciding Without Complete Data
A colleague of mine at McKinsey used to once work at Capital One, an extremely data-driven company. It was understandable that a fintech company...
Confront Procrastination by Facing Resistance
One of the common procrastination tactics is to become busy doing something else – we want to do anything other than the task we are trying to...
More Articles
Stop Outsourcing Your Life Decisions
We often ask people for advice on what to do with our lives. But how would they know? You know who you are and what makes you tick. You know your fears and dreams. You know how hard you can push and what makes you give up. Figuring out your life...
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 crazy things. Often, it is a disaster. But once in a while, you succeed. And when you do succeed,...
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 become an IPS officer) is inspiring beyond words -- and I am so happy for him! But we tend to forget...
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 have proved myself -- I can now rest easy." Because no matter how much 'proof' you have accumulated,...