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When is it too late to do something?
Once I got an email from a doctor who started his post-graduate degree in anaesthesiology a bit late (in his 30s). Feeling that he is behind his peers, he lacks confidence, fumbles while speaking, and procrastinates. And it is not just him -- one...
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Less is More
During my IPS training, we were attached to a CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) unit that was fighting militancy in Tripura. In this remote CRPF...
Leadership
During a training program at McKinsey, we were split into groups of 4-5 people and given a task – we had to build paper planes using a kit given to...
Life is short
As a fresh consultant at McKinsey, for the first time in my life, I had to go around seeking time for meetings with clients or senior leaders at the...
Prioritizing Thoughtful Work
When I was serving as the Trivandrum Police Commissioner, I once skipped a useless meeting called by a senior government official. The next week,...
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How to build a startup?
Conventional wisdom (some of which I also fell for): - Leave your job. - Chase VC funding. - Spend all the money on ads and a huge team. - Pray for the next round of funding. A better way: - Don’t leave your jobs until much later — start by working...
Value your time
An email you almost never get: I need your money. An email you often get: I need your time -- can we jump on to a call? Is your time less valuable than your money? Of course, not. If you clutter your calendar with calls and meetings, you can say...
Focus on Today
In my previous startup, we once reached a point where only had cash left to survive three months. Even worse, we had huge expenses coming up over the next 8 months – the office rental itself would kill us. I personally did not have the money to...
The Realities of Careers
Job loss is not a blot on your career. It is an unfortunate feature of the free market economy. Gaps in your resume are also not a blot on your career. They reflect the realities of human life. One of my best hires at HabitStrong was freelancing...