Tag Archives: Entrepreneurship

The 100 Days Project

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In September 2023, I personally wanted to have 100 day plan which will be completed on 31 December. I wanted to focus on one things – Discipline.

I wanted to develop good habits and improve myself. Here were the goals I was thinking about:

  1. Write every day for 100 days.
  2. Run 2 KM’s every day.

In the second week of September, I saw a post on Facebook from Kiruba saying that he is planning to do a 100 day project and people can join him in the journey. I immediately pinged him and signed up.

We kicked off the project on 22 September 2023 with a call where all of us got introduced to each other and shared what we wanted to accomplish. We decided to have a call on Saturday evenings ever alternate weeks to sync up and motivate each other.

This group is an amazing one and each one is highly accomplished in their own fields, but the best part is each of us were procrastinating about something or the other and this 100 day project is something to stop that. Each of them have build their own success stories and this is kind of group which gave me the motivation that failures are just show-stoppers before the big success arrives.

All my writings are on my blog and also on my LinkedIn

Outcomes

  1. After a month into the project, listening to each of them about their stories and their book writing projects, I decided to bring all my blogs into a book and I am working towards getting it published by March 2024. Also, this gave me the idea to work on my PhD too.
  2. I am still not running, but started to cycle.
  3. My passion towards my work increased many folds.

Here are the people I met in the group. Please connect with them and see what amazing work they do.

Anupriya Chowdhary

Bharathidasan Moorti

Dr. Sundaram Chintamani

Dewdrop Shaheena

Edward Eltham

Krishne Gowda

Lakshmana Narayana V

Lokesh Rajendrababu

Mia Liljeberg

Ra. Ma. Palaniappan

Sunil Gupta

Sivakumar Palaniappan

and I saved the best to the last, the initiator Kiruba Shankar

Well, just look at the profile of each one and if this group does not bring change in your life, no one else can.

Thank you everyone, lets definitely initiate this project every year.

How access to data changed the last 100 Years

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Since the beginning of 1900’s, lots of things changed or transformed the world. In just 100 years, we are talking about saving soil, saving the environment, saving lives etc.

Modern humans came into existence more than 300,000 years ago. So, for 299,900 years everything was going well and suddenly in the last 100 years everything changed. How and Why? Simple. Access to Data.

The Reed Pen was first created in 3,200 BC. In 600 AD, the Quill came into existence. In 1822, the first steel point pen was used and in 1827 the fountain pen and in 1888 the ball point pen came into existence. Just look at the numbers, it took 3,800 Years for the first iteration from a Reed pen to Quill; then it took 1,222 years for the next iteration to steel point pen; then in just 5 years the fountain pen came into existence and then it took another 61 years for the ball point pen to come into our lives.

It took 3,800 years for the first iteration to a better tool and then then the timelines started reducing for the subsequent iterations. How is this possible? Because of data.

With the accessibility to pen and paper in the last 2 centuries, many experiments have been recorded and this is helping us evolve faster. In the last 100 years, more and more experiments came to light which have bene recorded in non-traditional ways and then few eminent people translated them to a more traditional recording which we can use.

With access to technology gaining more prominence and easier in the last 70 years, we now have access to experiments and their results with a click of a button.

Success of an idea depends on deeper understanding of the subject and results of various experiments. Many entrepreneurs miss this key point.

If you are an entrepreneur or ideating to creating something, spend time on the research and understand how the problem came into existence and if there are any meaningful solutions which are not yet been used and then add your algorithm so that the output can be better.

Serendipity comes from differences.

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“Diversity of opinions and circumstances increases the likelihood of “happy accidents” – John Maeda.

May creative ideas come when we least expect them. I never thought of writing a book, yes, it was in my checklist, but at a later stage. However, when I joined the 100 Day project, hearing to all the members, I got inspired and when I started writing everyday, that gave me the inspiration to compile all these thoughts and ideas into a book. Very unexpected.

Co-working is another great place to get ieeas. There are people from various backgrounds who ccome to a common place to work and when you start interacting with them, there are high chances that your ideas are better and meaningful. Probably, this is one reason why corporates struggle with building a culture of innovation. People sitting together are often thinking of their job and also the same topic is being discussed with his/her colleagues. Hence, innovation quotient is less.

The more different thoughts you have, the more different personalities you meet and discuss, the better are your ideas.

How insights happen?

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Insights happen at the intersection of different cultures, fields and industries is what Frans Johannson says in his book The Medici Effect.

What does this mean?

From childhood we have been told that if you study hard, you will get a good job and settle down in life (You will mostly hear this in the Indian and Chinese cultures). Because education will give you insights into various things in life. Math, Science, Economics, Language etc. every subject provides a deep insight into that particular stream. Starting from the basics to advancements in that stream. You learn the subject from school to a masters degree or probably a Doctorate and even Post Doc. When you learn a subject with understanding into how other subjects operate, you will gain insights into specialising in that subject matter. For example, a combination of Math and Computer science can help you understand programming better. Economics and Math will give you the required insights into how economy works and how you can solve economic problems with various mathematical models.

This is with respect to education and subject matter expertise. But, how do you apply to solving bigger problems? By understanding cultures.

I very commonly hear from my family and friends in the US that their education system is the best in the world and hence people don’t want to come back to India. It definitely might be true, but here is my argument; why are people from Indian education background in the top positions? (You might argue saying we are better at management and leadership, which is also correct). Many scientific discoveries happened in the US, so people there are better at going deeper into the subject. This is a never ending debate. Why I bought up this topic is not to compare education systems, but wanted to share my perspectives on insightful things get when you grow up, work or life in various cultures.

Cultures provide a deeper understanding of subject matter. They are the sources of innovation.

Let me give you an example of my experience. US has always been driven in being a super-power since a long time. People there are constantly working towards to inventing something new or creating something which enhances the quality of life. Hence, there are more people thinking of new things. This culture might be there for various reasons, but yes, it does exist. After world war II, Germany wanted to ensure they come back to life quickly and strongly, and hence they adopted to longer working hours and focused on outcomes. Japan, a land of constant natural calamities always has to comeback to normalcy post a natural calamity. This is the reason, even after the only nuclear bombing in the world took place in their country, they bounced back and are a strong economy. India, post Independence struggled for a bit in transformations. The transformations have been solw because inherantly we are little lethargic in nature. Post the economic reforms, everything changed overnight, like the whole nation was on a constant dose of Redbull.

In summary, Education, Culture and Economy will help you with an insightful eco-system.

Value Selling

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What is Value selling? It is the ability to demonstrate the true value of your product or service and the passion with which it was built.

Not every product is a necessity for everyone. For example, packaged drinking water is a necessity, and it need not showcase any value. Consumer already understands the value. All you need to do it put it in the market.

Now, let us look at the Black drinking water, which is not commonly consumed. Does this need an advertisement or demonstrate value? It might not need marketing, but definitely their target consumers know the value. Sports people are the one’s who use and for them, reference selling is the key.

For any product, identify the value and how you want to sell to your potential client.

One of my all time favourite story is that when Audi entered Indian in around 2005. When it entered, it did not have any ad’s and they bought they top end SUV to the market. What they did is that they sold it to film stars and businessmen and when these people used that car, people wanted to know what brand was it and which model and how much it costs. It became an aspirational brand and the rest is history.

Not every product can be aspirational, but you can make it one. Just focus on deriving the true value and demonstrating that to your consumers, this will make the sale.

The why

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Have you seen the famous Ted talk by Simon Sinek, Start with Why? ? If you have not, here is the link to it.

This talk really changed the way I operate. I heard this while i was in my job and for every project, I used to Start with the Why. Now, after being an entrepreneur, I use this more often and it has helped me a lot.

When I speak about value creation, first we need to understand WHY the solution is being created. For instance, let me share the why statement of HAPLO,

We are passionate about simplifying technology for the non-technology establishments. With this in mind, we started by automating everyday tasks to reduce the manual workload. We created a simple pay-to-use subscription platform to address this problem. Why don’t you try us?

and for Studio NAVAKA, I have a simple Why,

Being a corporate professional and entrepreneur myself, having gone thorough the challenges of bringing an idea to life, I curated my experiences clubbed with my passion to coach and help others into a framework I call thinkStrategy. Let me share my experiences and help you bring your idea to life.

Even though people understand, I have not heard a single company selling their product or service by answering the why. They do understand the value, but their customers don’t. They go with what the market perception means.

Having a clear why will help you understand your product better and this will always keep you in focus with the features and enhancements you keep adding.

What is your Why?

Kill ideas liberally

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Usually, when you get an idea, we get emotionally connected to them. What happens when we get emotionally connected is that we loose the ability to see through all aspects of the idea.

How to address this?

Here is a simple exercise to look at the idea objectively.

Document the idea completely and as much detail as possible. Once you are confident that the idea is documented in detail, we start the exercise.

For one complete week, keep thinking on the idea and only look at positives of the idea. Only positives. Be as optimistic and positive about the idea. Keep documenting all the points you can think of. If possible share the idea with your friends or closed ones and ask them to also share their optimistic thoughts. Document them.

The following week, only identify all the challenges and pessimistic thoughts about your idea. Now, find another set of close friends and family (who have not been part of the previous week). Ask them to critic your idea and document all of them.

Now, objectively look at all the optimistic and pessimistic comments and club them to the respective components of the idea.

Look at the results and by now you will understand if you wish to take the idea forward or not.

In short, if you have to kill the idea, do it liberally, but not for any other reason.

When to leave it to chance?

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When to leave it to chance?

As an Entrepreneur, every day we want to give up. But, we don’t. Many a times we sleep thinking tomorrow is going to be the day when a miracle happens and LUCK will have a chance. This repeats the next day too.

What is LUCK?

L – Location

U – Understanding

C – Connection

K – Knowledge

I read this long ago, and this stuck to me. In the last 3 years of HAPLO, there were many nights I went to bed deciding that I wanted to close shop, but never did even after 4 years. Why?

I will mix a bit of spirituality and consciousness in this post.

When ever there was a crucial day, I don’t know why, but something came around and helped me next morning to focus on what needs to be accomplished and things fall in place. I don’t know if you want to call this LUCK, but I strongly feel it’s the blessing of my Guru’s.

How do you know if you want to leave it to chance?

The day you are in a crucial state and the day you want to give up, some miracle comes around and helps you to get past the day.

Let me be honest. I owe a lot of money to 3 people in my life (I am purposefully not tagging them in this post even through they are available online and active). The reason is that this is a blessing. I was under tremendous pressure to repay the loas and I still am(and am not wanting to avoide), but something is telling them to give me a chance and I will not give up before I close their accounts. Its been 3-4 years now and believe me, they have followed up and I gave the same answer all the time, that I am unable to repay, but am not giving up. How did this happen? I think, its not just me, its the higher power which is also telling them to give me a chance and they are obliging.

The day’s when I get messages or calls from them asking about repayment, I sincerely sit down and meditate/pray and tell the universe that I am unable to pay today, but am sure I will one day. When is that day? I don’t know. But, still, tell the universe the same. They never follow up again. Is this God’s blessings or their greatness, it is their greatness and acknowledgement that I am trying hard, but things are not working for me.

You should leave it to chance when you are giving your best and things are not falling in place. The universe knows and conveys the same to them too.

So, be sincere in what you do and your prayers or your message to the universe (in case you don’t believe in spirituality), things will fall in place and your message will be communicated.

Believe in your self-power.

Progress begets progress

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Many a times, we don’t celebrate as much. Yes, thats true. When was the last time you celebrated an achievement?

In the corporate world, when a release goes through or when a certain milestone is reached, there is a team lunch, a pep talk from manager or a round of drinks in the evening. That’s it. The next day, we are back to the grid. Accomplishments are forgotten and the next release or update is being worked on.

Instead, one day a week, celebrate past achievements. Look at what you have accomplished the previous week or any past milestone. Write a few of them on your board to keep seeing them regularly or jot down on post-it’s and put them around your table or desk. Keep looking at them.

Trust me, this reminds you of your passion, persistence and strengths. This is what drives you to the next success.

In essence, celebrate more often and this will help you achieve more.

Focus on Method, NOT Outcome

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After you have finalised your idea, and decided to jump into execution, it is very important to do the bigger planning.

You can use the Business Model Canvas to fine tune your plan. However, you should also focus on the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).

Many entrepreneurs (including me) get fixated on the bigger goal of what we want to achieve and forget to look at how we want to get there. This is quite frequent. But, the key to achieving what you need is to ensure you focus on the method to get there.

I want to get to becoming a successful entrepreneur and the go-to Ideator in the world. How do I get there? Sub-consciously i started writing about 13 years ago. Was not regular, but was writing something or the other. When YouTube came into existence, I created a Channel to start sharing video stories. I did few videos and after that stopped. After seeing many YouTubers, I thought I should have a pretty good setup to do, but on the other hand, when you see how these YouTuber’s started, every one had a humble beginning and over the years they migrated to better tech.

This year (2023), I finally started to focus on writing, didn’t want to see the number of views I am getting or the comments, but just write for 100 days, everyday. I opened my notion and started planning. I planned for 20 days posts and started to write. Over the last 80 days, there were days i could not (Could not write for 3 days since there was a death in the family), but remaning 77 days, I never missed a day. This post is also part of the 100 day writing project.

What this gave me is the amazing idea of turning these posts into a book. My book on Ideation now has a framework and my goal is to get this done by end of Jan and hand it over to the publisher.

What changed in the last 80 days?

My inhibitions of not bothering about what people think, how many views am getting or the number of comments. I am sure one day, this will be a huge source of knowledge and reference for many visitors and my writings will come on the top. It’s just a matter of time.

So, don’t get fixated on the destination, focus on the method and what you want to accomplish each day, am sure you will get there with your product too.

I can also give reference to HAPLO, my first startup completely self-funded. What started as a SaaS platform for Co-working spaces, now is a SaaS for Commercial Real Estate. At times, I feel a small $150,000 funding would really help push the sales, but unfortunately no one wants to invest in PropTech. Biggest question is the returns in the domain. But, I strongly believe this sill definitely be a million dollar idea (it will be way more, but using the word). But this will take time and there were many days when I felt that I should just close the company. Still need to pay loads of loans back to people, but either will blessings or my commitment, they are just being patient with me. I am sure I will give back everything.

Will share the story of HAPLO in a later post in-detail****.****

So, keep going. Focus on how you are getting things done.