Category Archives: Intrapreneurship

Challenge Assumptions

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The step to sharpen our thinking is to Challenging assumptions.

Challenging assumptions is developing our curiosity quotient. How do we practice curiosity? Start by asking Why? to things around. Why are we afraid of what we are afraid of?

Let me share my story. Long ago, I was afraid of the middle sex. When ever I saw them on the road coming towards me, my heart would pound. One day when I was with a good friend of mine, she noticed it and asked me. I told her. She asked me if I reasoned as to why I am afraid? I said no. The next week on a Saturday, she invited me to come to an NGO. I went. This was the NGO which was run by the middle sex for various social causes. She introduced me and told the gathering that I would be teaching them Fundamentals of Computers. With my inhibitions, I started to teach them. Over the next 2 months, everything changed for me. I got to know them better and I realized how wonderful and nice people they are. My fear was absolutely baseless. They loved me so much that after my sessions were over, they actually called me to come back few times.

Look around, start by asking simple questions. There are mostly no questions which have no answers. We just need to spend time with the question and we will get the answer.

If you are an Entrepreneur, ask yourself why you are solving the problem. If you work for a company ask why you are doing what you are doing.

Developing curiosity enhances your ability to challenge assumptions. When you challenge the assumptions, the way you look at dealing with things completely changes.

The power of Observation

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Yesterday, I was doing a virtual session for group of school students organised by GUSEC and UNICEF. These students are in 8-12 class’s. Initially, I was a little apprehensive if i can do justice to them in walking them through Business Models. How can I relate the examples? Also, many are also from Hindi medium and I really get very conscious with my Hindi, especially when I know the other person knows the language more fluently than me ?

The session started and I have to admit, these students are much more capable and matured than most of us are.

Let me give you an example. When I ask the participants How do you generate ideas?, many give different answers and mostly they don’t get the right word. Yesterday, when I started my session with this question, one girl (probably in Standard 8 or 9) instantaneously answered “By Observing”. I was blown away. This is the first time someone gave me the correct answer in the blink of an eye. I understood this session is going to be tough. Through the next two hours, many had questions and asked without any inhibitions. Questions ranged from,

  • How do I know I have a powerful idea,
  • Can I build a business without actually having to run the business
  • How do I license my idea to someone and generate income.

Can you believe these questions? Trust me, I have never come across any grown adult who had these questions in any forum I have visited till date.

Now, coming to the main aspect. From the first answer i got from the little girl, I started referencing Observation during most of the session.

Observation is very important and powerful for ideators. Only when you observe do you really understand the problem and the possible solutions.

Have you watched Big Vape? Its a limited series on Netflix. Its the story Juul, the vape which created a revolution. The keen observation of James Monsees and Adam Bowen (who were friends and smokers too) led them to create something which give the kick of smoking, but without the side effects. The story of how it created a revolution and then fell is a different story, but what I am focusing here is their observation to create the pod. The design, the convenience and the ability to charge it using your laptop, made it a huge success.

What Ideators need is the ability to see through the problem, experience it and then start working on possible solutions. Without experiencing the domain, you cannot build a solution.

Observe, it is the key to a successful idea.