Many years ago, I met this person who had degrees from the world’s top-tier universities and an exceptionally stellar career. The only thing this person had not done was a startup. In fact, she had come up with a startup idea but to be doubly sure, she asked each of...

A few weeks ago, I tricked my family into going for a morning trek. I told them about this beautiful place near Trivandrum but when they asked how long the walk was, I said it was just a short walk. So the next day we started early, and when the uphill climb started...

The hyperactivity and constant busyness at work are placebos -- they lull you into believing that you are making progress. No, you are not. Most of the real progress you make in life happens only during deep, focused work. Focus is the real deal. So get rid of the...

When I saw how much some of the most coveted jobs suck, I realized that there is no perfect job. And if no job is perfect, how can our life be perfect? Everybody with a perfect life is sharing their story selectively. Be careful in what you choose to believe. -...

Today morning when I woke up, I was not feeling good. But after an almost hour-long meditation, I felt like a different person – calm, mindful, and in control. A long run does exactly the same thing to me – it virtually flips a switch, brightening my mood, driving...

Some guy wrote an abusive comment accusing me of joining the Civil Services because I enjoyed the crumbs of power. And he said many other nasty things. So how did I take my revenge? I did nothing. He wasn't worthy of even my revenge. In your life journey, some people...

For some reason, I don’t feel super motivated today. So what? Our goals are still alive, and so are we. Then what is there to wait for? Time won’t stop flowing, nor will the clock stop ticking for us to find the right mood. The world waits for no one. I have never...

During my stint in the IPS, once my IGP (Inspector General of Police) flared at me in anger because he did not get a good seat at a cultural event. It was a celebration to mark South India’s film star Mohanlal’s 25 years in films. With almost 40,000 people jampacked...

When I launched my current startup, HabitStrong, I decided to not go the conventional route of painting a growth story and trying to impress the VCs. Instead, here is the startup guide I followed: 1. Don’t worry about scale – instead focus on impact. 99% of the time,...

If you keep hearing that startup life is about non-stop hustle and working 16 hours a day, rarely sleeping before 2 am, let me assure you – that is total nonsense. Of course, if you choose to go that crazy, nobody can stop you. But there is absolutely no need. I have...

One fine morning in 2001, when I was heading the Trivandrum City Police, students from a particular political union in Trivandrum’s University College went on a rampage. But since we were anticipating the violence, we were ready. With a good number of police teams...

During my stint with a private equity firm, we lost hundreds of millions of dollars because of a simple reason: We could not accept the truth when it was unpleasant. One of our investments was in a tech company that was blowing up money from day one. It was impossible...

Over the years, I have discovered this recipe for simplifying life and getting rid of melodrama. Allow me to share it: 1. Don't chase goals at the cost of 'peace of mind.' 2. Your health comes first – mental and physical. Everything else comes fifth (or lower). 3....

After serving a few years in the Indian Police Service (IPS), I felt like a (very comfortable) frog in a well, missing out on so many experiences the world has to offer. So instead of living with regret, I quit IPS. What followed was a long struggle, first as a...

I would attribute half of my struggles and disappointments in my startup journey to just one factor: "Doing too many things." This may seem weird – aren’t you supposed to do a lot of things in a startup? No, no, no. Don’t do that, please. And this applies to all of...