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The Corruption of Startups
Apparently, standing on the World Startup Convention stage in Noida, are not the investors from Sequoia or Accel, but cops from the Uttar Pradesh Police. This convention was billed as a mega startup event, with a not-so-implicit promise that...
Recent Posts
Leadership
During my Civil Services training in Mussoorie, an IAS officer conducting a class once asked us, “What are officer-like qualities?” Soon we rattled...
Determination
The MBA at Wharton turned my life into a one-pointed quest: Find a summer internship. At any cost. When you are an international student with zero...
Loving-kindness
Two years ago, our landlord cheated us -- when we vacated our office building, he refused to hand back most of the security deposit on some flimsy...
Disasters
What I learnt from a lifetime of anticipating disasters and nightmare scenarios: - More than 90% of the disasters I worried about, never...
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Building habits
This is a true story -- at the ripe old age of five, I briefly became a thief. But before you judge me, hear me out -- I promise you, there is a lesson here. When I was in first grade, in Bangalore, some neighbors used to play badminton near my...
Survive
In Apr 2020, my startup’s revenue went to zero. The Covid lockdown shut us down overnight. The day after the lockdown, I was at home, staring at the walls. Years of struggle and crores of investment were gone -- in a blink. In those moments of...
Multitasking
During my stint in the Indian Police Service I noticed something interesting -- I felt most energized during crises, riots, and public order disturbances. And I assure you, I am not a violent person. I used to assume that it was just an adrenaline...
Unlocking the flow state
In the summer of 2006, in Colorado, I saw this lone rock-climber high up there, hanging from a massive rock formation. I had no idea how he got there or would climb down. Any mistake would have been his last. Why do people seek out such extreme...