Entrepreneurship

How to become a authentic speaker…

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Do these 4 things:

The intent to be open with your audience.
– How can you be more open? Try to imagine giving your presentation to someone with whom you are completely relaxed. This is the state you need to be in if you are to have an authentic rapport with your audience.

The intent to connect with your audience.
– Think about wanting – needing to engage your listeners. Imagine that a young child you know well isnt heeding you. You want to capture the child’s attention however you can.

The intent to be passionate about your topic.
– Focus not on what you want to say but on why you are giving the speech and how you feel about that.

The intent to “listen” to your audience.
– What they are feeling or expecting before you begin as a speaker?

Unseen Impact…

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I am the co-founder of Kopykitab, a digital education platform built around technology.

Recently, due to financial crises, we had to shut down our B2C site, which provided online eBooks to students for studying.

At its peak, we had a remarkable run, with almost 4 million Indian students using our site for studying every month. I believed we were making a significant impact. While revenue through B2C was never great, we kept it running as a vertical because of the tremendous traction it received.

But yesterday, something happened that made me realize the kind of impact our site truly had. Of course, I’ve changed names for privacy:

FYI from my friend Ritesh:

Ritesh: Need one help

Do you know the founders of Kopykitab?
Their site is down for some days now.
My daughter uses them for the books; she is having exams.
If you can check with them, that will be helpful.

Ritesh: My friend Kris messaged, his daughter is blind by birth.

Though we couldn’t act immediately, this is the kind of impact that fills you with pride yet leaves you sad…

Even though we have not made money and are still struggling because of the challenges in India’s education system, I hope we can make a quick turnaround for all the students who rely on Kopykitab and bring it back soon!

Perform at the next level…

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“If you’re waiting for that Promotion to perform well and change the World, it ain’t gonna happen. Ever. People get promoted when you’re already performing consistently at the Next Level. And the best way to strategize is what if you were doing the Manager’s job itself”

– Satya Nadella

How to make a better team…

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Step 1: Hire Slow, Fire Fast
Step 2: Continuous Hiring – Even when you don’t need resources, keep hiring, at this time you get the best candidates because you get to be choosy.
Step 3: Fire Bad Performer(s) ASAP – Keep firing as work is not progressing because of the bad performer(s).

Keep repeating this process and you will find the best team.

2x vs 10x

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A 10x idea starts from basic principles, it questions the basic ingredients and rebuilds something different. But the idea needs boldness & resources to rebuild from scratch.

A 2x idea is built on existing basic principles, it brings more efficiency to the system, maybe something cheaper or faster but with the same ingredients. It is cheaper and less riskier to implement.

Decide which one to go after.

How to Pitch an Unconventional Idea…

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Challenging the status quo can lead to innovation and process improvements at work. But it can feel risky to speak up and share unconventional ideas. Here are some steps to help you start the conversation—and increase your chances of success.

Be prepared for the right opportunity. Odds are that it will be an informal or chance encounter that allows you to introduce your idea. You never know when you might have the ear of the right stakeholder, so if you have a great pitch, keep it in your back pocket.

Ask for permission. When the opportunity presents itself, explicitly ask for permission to raise your idea. For example, “May I have your permission to push back on this?” or “Do you mind if I offer a different perspective?” or “May I suggest another way to look at this?” This allows you to position your interaction as a contribution, not a confrontation.

Frame your idea as a question. Packaging your pitch as an inquiry will invite a conversation rather than a defensive response. Your tone should be curious, not contradictory.

Be poised, humble, and sincere. Remember that respect diffuses defensiveness, and humor de-escalates tension. If the topic is sensitive, raise it privately. Show your stakeholders that you’re acting in good faith and that you’re open to their concerns and objections. 

Get More Comfortable with Failure…

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We’ve all been there: you make a New Year’s resolution and…it doesn’t stick. Why? It’s often because we don’t allow ourselves to be bad at it at first. We fail a few times and then decide to give up. But adopting any new habit is going to feel clunky at first. 

The key to taking on something new is to get more comfortable with failure. Here’s how.

Start by immunizing yourself against big letdowns by trying out experiments that allow you to fail in tiny ways. For example, if your goal is to write every day, start by committing to one short paragraph each morning. If you don’t like what you write, no big deal! It’s just a paragraph. Write another one tomorrow.

Next, make your goal known to others before your self-doubt creeps in and you chicken out. This layer of accountability will help you actually follow through on your goal — no matter how bad you are at it the first time.

And finally, keep a log of your efforts. Over time you’ll notice how far you’ve come. Rather than focusing on the small, inevitable failures, you can appreciate your overall progress.