Category: Life System

I was discussing with a colleague recently about how we can accelerate growth in a specific geography. My suggestion was: instead of working on a plan to double in the coming year, what would it take to grow 10X in the same period? My point was that we would think and act very differently if we took a crazy outsized goal rather than build incrementally from a low base. I then gave the example of my “Project 275 for 2014” which I had proposed for the BJP in 2011. The best the BJP had done in Lok Sabha elections until 2011 was winning 182 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. In conversations that I was part of, the focus was on how to get to 200+ seats. I looked at it differently. I asked what it would take to focus on getting a majority (winning 272+ seats) rather than forming a minority government. Targeting 200+ meant going with the same approach of a summation of state elections, while aiming for 275 meant creating a national wave in favour of the BJP which transcended state politics. As it turned out, the BJP did the latter and won 282 seats in the 2014 elections.

The very next day after I suggested the 10X bigger approach to my colleague, I came across Sheena Iyengar’s book “Think Bigger.” The focus is on innovation. Sheena, a professor at Columbia Business School, writes: “I noticed that our many courses on entrepreneurship taught students how to implement a new idea—but not how to get that idea in the first place. Not all new ideas are equal, just like not all choices are equal. I found that the field of innovation offered methods to get new ideas, but these dated from more than half a century ago. They failed to take into account the recent breakthrough in neuroscience called Learning+Memory. It lets us actually see how imagination works in the human mind…In this book, I will show you how to deliberately form creative ideas—and most importantly, how anyone can be creative once they understand the roadmap to creative problem-solving.” The book offers a 6-step framework as the table of contents shows:

The question we should ask when we look at solving problems is how to “think bigger”. By changing the frame of reference from 200 to 275 seats (minority government to majority), by reframing the growth question from 2X to 10X, we can push ourselves to come up with bolder ideas and possibly very different paths to success. Too often, we let the safety of the incremental lead us away from the boldness of the disruptive. In some way, this is what entrepreneurship is about. By thinking big, we may risk failure, but the outcome is likely to be much better than the obvious ordinary.

So, the next time you are asked to solve a problem, ask yourself – what would it take to be much bigger and better? Even if that doesn’t make it to the final plan, you will have opened many new avenues which you would have perhaps not considered previously.

Airports and flights can be noisy. I use five things to create my own bubble: QC45 Bose Headset, iPad, mobile, Amazon Music, and my notebook. The headset with its amazing noise cancellation shuts me from most sounds enabling me to think and not be distracted with all the random sounds and conversations of those around me. The iPad has a lot of books and other reading material. The mobile with the Amazon Music app has a few hundred songs downloaded and available in offline mode; I tend to play them at low volume so while they fill the ears they do not disturb the chain of thinking. And finally, my notebook – in which I write everything that I think.

At a minimum, I need my notebook because I like to write everything as the ideas flow, rather than trying to remember. Long flights give me time to read books and think. In general, I try to avoid doing emails on long flights. For every email I send, I will get one back – and then they all become micro-distractions which I can do without and there is a different time and place to deal with them.

I can create a bubble for myself anywhere. I had to take my parents to the hospital recently for a check-up. My BB with my iPad and notebook helped me during the hour-long waiting time. I did not bother with my mobile for most of the time; it is very easy to see a message, start a conversation, and go down a rabbit hole of useless banter!

The bubble creation works well at conferences also. While most sessions tend to be generally useful, there are times when one ends up having to sit through what is a boring presentation or conversation. It is hard to walk out unless one is seated at the edge of a row. In such situations, I create my own bubble – no headset or music, but just my thoughts and notebook. I see a lot of people around me doing stuff with their phones or sometimes laptops, but they are just not good for a continuous stream of thinking. And that is when ideas come – as one thought leads to another, and so on. I like the notebook because I can write faster than I can type and because I can do much more freehand stuff. An iPad could serve the purpose but it’s simply not the same thing.

Whatever it is that suits you – create a toolkit to ensure you can create your own thinking bubble. While ChatGPT may have all the answers, we still need to read and push our own minds further and beyond.

Also see: The Zone.

I have written previously about what I have termed as Delta Dollar Decision Rule: “Set a threshold below which one will not waste thinking time – the answer should be a Yes. For me, that threshold is $100 (Rs 7,500). This simplifies decisions like buying a book, booking a better seat on a flight, going to a better restaurant for a business meeting – the answer is always Yes. The same applies in business also – the decision threshold can be higher. Always look at the benefits and the delta, rather than the absolute.”

On my recent US trip, I had many places where I put this in practice. I tend to choose a bigger airline rather than the cheapest flight, and one which is direct rather than with connections. They tend to be a bit more expensive, but the odds of delay or cancellation are much lower. And even if something happens, there are more flight alternatives available.

I also choose a hotel which is more conveniently located even though it is priced higher. My preference in New York is the Residence Inn Marriott at Times Square. It is a 5-minute walk from our WeWork office; it has a very good breakfast spread; and it has a kitchenette in the room which is very helpful for me given my dietary restrictions. There are many cheaper options available, but the location and facilities more than make up for the higher cost.

Here is another example. My return flight from LA to San Jose on Delta was scheduled at 8 pm. I had a meeting near the airport at 4:30 pm. I figured that if the meeting got over around 5:45 pm, then I could be pushed hard to make the flight – getting an Uber, doing the 15-20 minute ride to the airport through peak hour traffic, passing through security, and walking to the gate (LAX is a big, crowded airport). I then decided to upgrade to Business class for an additional $65, which would ensure that the security queue would be a shorter one in case I reached late. As it turned out, I didn’t need it – the person I met dropped me to the airport, there were no long security check queues, and I was at the gate by 6:30 pm. What the upgrade bought me was peace of mind, which ensured I could focus on the meeting without being mentally distracted and trying to rush a closure to the conversation with the clock ticking away.

For business meetings, I also tend to choose restaurants which have more spaced-out seating. They tend to be a bit more expensive but the conversation tends to be much better. I pay for extra legroom and an aisle seat when travelling, especially if it is a longer flight. This enables me to be more comfortable, which helps with thinking. The extra $10 for inflight Wi-Fi is also worth it if I use my laptop. I know all these things add up, but each individual decision is a small delta over the base price.

So, think “delta” not absolute when making decisions about money and time. It will make life better, and a month later, you will not even remember whether you spent $48 or $87! The better experience will more than make up for the incremental spend.

I was going with my colleague for a meeting in New York. We had just exited the subway. I did not pay attention to the two-levelled pavement, lost my balance, and fell. The fall was worsened because of my heavy backpack. (As a friend put it, my centre of gravity changed.) I hit my knees against the concrete, and for a few seconds, I was in a daze. Luckily, my friend helped me up, and I examined the damage. I had a few bruises on my knees with blood coagulating fast. There was a CVS nearby and we bought some wipes and ointment to ensure things did not get worse. The good news was that I did not seem to have broken any bones. I could walk, albeit slower than my normal pace. (As my same friend put it, there were 206 bones that could have been hurt!)

Back at the hotel room after my meeting, I used an ice pack to ensure things did not get worse. I needed to ensure that I could still move around without too much discomfort. I had a flight from New York to San Francisco the next day, and 12 days still left in my trip before I returned home. I had to make sure that the ‘morning after’ situation was not bad and painful.

Thankfully, the knees settled down. There was no swelling, and I could move around. It was a near-miss. The fall had not been on the agenda! If I had hurt myself more severely, I do not know how I would have reacted. Things had gone wrong, but it wasn’t bad enough to upset my plans.

As I reflected, there were the obvious errors: not paying attention as I was walking and talking, and a loaded backpack which made it hard for me to regain balance. I also realised that I was extremely lucky that I had gotten away very lightly. By chance if I had fractured some body part, it would have been the end of the trip for me.

A second incident also brought into play how things can go wrong. At a dinner table, a wrong nudge meant some water split on the table. It just missed my iPad and notebook. Small thing, but just goes to show how at times things can happen, and in an instant, life can change.

The incidents I described were small, but the lessons are big. We all rely on things going according to plan. And yet, so many things – some beyond our control – could rearrange life in ways we don’t expect. There is much to be thankful for each day – for things that do go right. And when things go wrong, we need to accept them and do our best to come out of it. Many of the mistakes are in our control and can be avoided. I will be more careful when walking and ensure I am more aware of my surroundings. I will not keep fragile things on a crowded dinner table. And so on. And in the event that bad things do happen, do the best and move on. There is a time for regret and reflection which can be later.

Netcore was a sponsor at an event organised for marketers and founders of eCommerce companies. As a sponsor, we were entitled to speak for 2 minutes. I had written up the speech, had it approved by the organisers, and practised to make sure I finished it within the stipulated time. When my turn came, I went up, paper in hand, and spoke. There was a countdown timer visible from the stage. With 13 seconds and 10 words left to speak, the anchor interrupted me and ended my promotional speech. I was taken aback, but quietly walked away. When I returned to my seat, I was seething with anger. What had happened was not right, but there was no way I could show my displeasure at that time. I was upset because I had done nothing wrong and the audience (to whom we wanted to sell) would have got the impression that I had gone overtime, reflecting poorly on Netcore and me.

I don’t get angry easily, but for the few minutes after I went off-stage, I was. The event was continuing, and so I could not afford to visibly demonstrate my feelings. I opened my spiral notebook and wrote out my thoughts. This calmed me down. What was in my mind was now in my book. I decided to put the incident behind me and move on. I thought about it from the anchor’s perspective – maybe he thought I was going overboard on pushing Netcore, had no clue how long I would speak, and did not notice the timer. Yes, it should not have happened, but I could not undo it now that it had. If I kept the anger going within me, I would not make the best use of the next two hours at the event. I still had marketers to interact with and persuade.

After the event, I made my displeasure known to the organisers, and they offered a formal apology with their version. It didn’t matter much, but I wanted to let them know that I had done no wrong.

There was a second incident on the US trip which also made me angry. A meeting with a potential investor abruptly ended before the scheduled time when the investor just got up signalling it was over, even as I was speaking. I got the message. I had mistakenly assumed that just because a calendar slot had been blocked, I had that much time. After coming out, I again wrote out my feelings in my notebook.

Bad things do happen, and it is at times like these that it is important to keep one’s anger under control. I did exactly what I had written in an earlier post on anger management: “It is not that I keep my anger bottled up inside me. I use my notebook to write down my feelings and get closure. I find that writing out my thoughts helps clear the mind; it is almost like talking to someone else. The writing forces me to reflect and that helps dissipate the momentary anger.”

The third trait is passion. It is about bringing our best self to work. Our infectious zeal can create positive energy even in the toughest of times. And yet, far too often, I see people focusing on all the things not going right, and deflating even their more enthusiastic colleagues. The entrepreneurial mindset is about staying away from such conversations, and working to change the narrative. There is no business, no family, no relationship which does not have problems. We can either focus on all the things that are wrong, or look at the positives and work enthusiastically to amplify them. As I told some colleagues at work in the context of Netcore, “There is a good core and a bad core. We need to make sure we don’t forget the good core even as the bad core’s troubles can overwhelm us at times. The good core is what we must all work passionately to build and grow, even as a small group of us works to fix the bad core.”

Michael Jordan said, “The greatest thing about the game of basketball to me is the passion and the love I have for it. Because when you have a love for anything, you’ll go to the extreme to maintain that level…To be the best at anything, you’ve got to have a certain love for that to make you overcome all the obstacles that will be thrown in your way.” Passion is what will give us the ‘fire in the belly’ to climb mountains beyond mountains, to walk on fire, to win even the toughest battles.

Many others have also written about the entrepreneurial mindset.

HackTheEntrepreneur: “[Entrepreneurial mindset is] a way of thinking that enables you to overcome challenges, be decisive, and accept responsibility for your outcomes. It is a constant need to improve your skills, learn from your mistakes, and take continuous action on your ideas…The biggest killer of the entrepreneurial mindset is not what you would expect. It’s not failure, the economy, or bad ideas. It’s doubt – in ourselves, our surroundings, and our abilities. Self-doubt kills many dreams, long before any external factors can come into play.”

MIT Sloan, quoting Rowena Barrett: “An entrepreneurial mindset helps leaders create value by “recognizing and acting on opportunities, making decisions with limited information, and remaining adaptable and resilient in conditions that are uncertain and complex..An entrepreneurial mindset is resilient, resourceful, and solutions-oriented — even when the conditions say otherwise. People with these mindsets are lifelong knowledge-seekers who are curious and creative, and they are critical thinkers. They’re self-directed, action-oriented, highly-engaged. They have optimistic interpretations of adverse events and see problems as potential opportunities. They’re about looking to others, and the value you can create for others by solving problems for others, and they surround themselves with an intentional community of positive influence and critical guidance.”

Accion: “A positive attitude and outlook is a must for successful entrepreneurs…Cultivating a positive attitude is not about sticking your head in the sand and ignoring things that could go wrong, but about learning how to mentally reframe your response. There is no point in wallowing in mistakes. One way to change your outlook is to look at a negative pain point and ask “How can I actively correct this?” By exploring your reaction and response to a perceived problem, you’ll soon learn to cultivate a positive approach to change. Positive people look to challenges as a way to improve and learn, so you should try to focus on this skill.”

Fashinnovation: “An entrepreneurial mindset is a set of skills that never keeps still in a certain moment. This mindset is always looking for constant innovation that can make a difference in your journey. The passion for what you do and seeking innovation can be life-changing.”

Entrepreneurial thinking is a state of mind – one doesn’t necessarily need to create a startup to experience it. All of us can bring this mindset to what to do: learn to solve problems rather than complaining, ask ourselves what we would do if we were not afraid to fail, and convert our passion into a viral energy that enthuses those around us to give their best.

I was recently giving a talk to colleagues at work, and I talked about some of my experiences as an  entrepreneur. In the Q&A, I was asked, “What is the entrepreneurial mindset? Can each of us be an entrepreneur while working in a company?” It was a good question; on most previous occasions, I have spoken to fellow entrepreneurs and so the answer was obvious. While I did give an answer then to my colleague, the question stayed with me and I realised it deserved a better response.

According to me, the entrepreneurial mindset has three elements: problem solving, not fearing failure, and passion. Let’s dig deeper into each of them.

First and foremost, an entrepreneur solves problems. There is little in the world that cannot be made better. An entrepreneur sees the friction, asks the questions, and comes up with a solution. As Uri Levine writes: “Start by thinking of a problem—a BIG problem—something that is worth solving, a problem that, if solved, will make the world a better place. Then ask yourself, who has this problem? Now, if the answer is just you, don’t even bother. It is not worth it. If you are the only person on the planet with this issue, it would be better to consult a shrink. It would be much cheaper (and probably faster) than building a start-up. If many people have this problem, however, then go and speak to them to understand their perception of the problem. Only afterwards, build the solution. If you follow this path, and your solution eventually works, you will be creating value, which is the essence of your journey.”

The entrepreneurial mindset is about bringing this same approach to the work that one does – what is it that’s not working well, why is that so, how can it be improved. An entrepreneurial mindset can thus be applied to any situation. There is no process which cannot be made better, there is no product that cannot be improved. Even as we go through daily life at work, we tend to become mechanical about our tasks, doing something today in the same way it was done yesterday and the day before. If we can just push ourselves to stop for a moment and think about a better way to do things, we can make productivity enhancements which can benefit many others. So, don’t just look for problems at work and complain; come up with solutions and solve them.

The second characteristic of an entrepreneurial mindset is to not fear failure. Too often, we stay away from the risky path because we are afraid of the outcomes and their consequences. Most of our life we are taught to eschew risk-taking, so it is not surprising that when given an option, we choose the path of caution. I tell my colleagues, “When you are working in a big company like Netcore, you have an opportunity to think differently and innovate – and you have a safety net. So, don’t let the fear that the idea will not work hold you back.” A mindset change is needed – where leaders and managers need to encourage their staff and teams to be bold, innovative and dynamic. Some ideas will fail, but a few will succeed. A culture of experimentation is a must for success. For those working, failures and setbacks must be seen as possible stepping stones to success. As Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”

One word we all like to hear is “Thanks” and yet we don’t use it enough with others. None of us are Robinson Crusoes living all by ourselves on an island; we are forever dependent on others. A “Thank You” is a good habit to cultivate – it brightens the recipient’s day and it makes us feel good.

There is a sound economic explanation for being thankful. Jon Stossel writes: “How many times have you paid $1 for a cup of coffee and after the clerk said, “Thank you,” you responded, “Thank you”? There’s a wealth of economics wisdom in the weird double thank-you moment. Why does it happen? Because you want the coffee more than the buck, and the store wants the buck more than the coffee. Both of you win. Economists have long understood that two people trade because each wants what the other has more than what he already has. In their respective eyes, the things traded are unequal in value. But this means each comes out ahead, having given up something he wants less for something he wants more. It’s just not true that one gains and the other loses. If that were the case, the loser wouldn’t have traded. It’s win-win, or as economists would say, positive-sum. We experience this every time we have that double thank-you moment in a store or restaurant.”

Irrespective of how many challenges life throws at us, there is much that we have to thank others for – not just our parents, teachers or colleagues at work, but also the kindness of strangers. The person in the bus who got up so we could sit, the person in the queue who let us go ahead because we were in a hurry, the bellman at the hotel who held the door ajar as we were trying to lug the suitcases with both hands, the bus conductor who waited a few seconds extra so we could get on board, the sales person in a store who went the extra distance to ensure we got what we wanted, the person who stopped for a few seconds to help us find what we are looking for in a foreign city. Every one of these interactions was done without expectation of reciprocity; every such moment is a “thank you” moment. We may probably never see that person again, but a gracious acknowledgement from us ensures the cycle of good deeds continues. In some cases, we may be the recipient, while at other times, we may be the doer.

From The Clean Space: “Martin Seligman, a leader in the field of Positive Psychology, wrote “when we take time to notice the things that go right – it means we’re getting a lot of little rewards throughout the day”– it’s a virtuous cycle that only makes you feel better and better. Every time you express or receive gratitude, your brain releases dopamine, making a recurring connection between the action and feeling good. It also helps reduce stress reactions in your body.”

We will all echo James Clear’s sentiment: “I’m starting to believe that “Thank You” is the most under-appreciated and under-used phrase on the planet. It is appropriate in nearly any situation and it is a better response than most of the things we say.” So, let’s make this small change in ourselves: thank others when appropriate. And hopefully, we will have our own experience of the “double thank-you” moment.

For anyone who likes reading mysteries and thrillers, a common theme is how many of the main characters have secrets which tumble out as the pages turn. These cause the twists which make the stories so exciting. Our own lives have their share of secrets which we do not want others to know about. We also want our private spaces that we don’t want others to intrude. It is as true for teenagers as it is for adults. These secrets make each of us a bit mysterious and life that much more ‘thrilling’. A key question that many of us will face at some point is whether we should share these secrets with the ones we love or not. More often than not, the right decision is to be open and transparent because secrets in real life, as in fiction books, have the habit of unravelling when we least expect them.

During my IIT days, I enjoyed the occasional alcoholic drink with friends. It started with wanting to be part of the group and not be left out. As long as one limited it to just one glass or two, it was fine. (Only once did I go overboard when I mixed a few drinks in the interest of experimentation. The result was not pleasant.) I don’t think I ever told my parents or close family members during those growing up years about it. I didn’t know how they would react and decided it was best to keep it hidden. When I was engaged to Bhavana, I told her about the fact that I did drink once in a while. While she didn’t say anything, I realised it was not something she liked. And soon thereafter, I gave up drinking entirely. What I am glad about is that I shared it and did not try to hide it.

Chrstina Herson writes: “We should share more secrets, and there are many reasons why. One is that we use a lot of mental capacity keeping secrets. A study showed that we are actually thinking about a secret three times more often than actively hiding it from others. This results in a cognitive burden that is associated with poorer mental and physical health…So, just thinking about our secrets can burden us and thus decrease our motivation seen from this cognitive perspective… Sometimes, we face adversities and here, our social relations are a very important resilience factor that enable us to hold pressure and bounce back. When we share our inner thoughts, we create a social reciprocity that creates trust and an even stronger relationship.” Michael Slepian adds: “The hard part of having a secret is not that you have to hide it, but that you have to live with it, alone in your thoughts. When the only venue to work through it is your own mind, you are not likely to find the most productive way of thinking about it. Like a carousel that just never stops, each time you think back on it, you may go through the same motions, having the same negative thoughts, reiterating the same regrets, and finding yourself getting nowhere. It often takes a conversation with another person to escape the loop… When you open up to others, others will open up to you.”

The fewer the secrets we have, the happier we are. We don’t want something gnawing at the back of our minds that one day someone will bring out the secret in the open – deliberately or accidentally. So, in life and at work, it is better to be transparent. And yet, there will be times when for various reasons, we may not want to share. Over the years, I have found my diary to be a good outlet because once I write it out, I can move on – especially if I have made a mistake. I have also realised sharing with family (Bhavana and Abhishek, in my case) is the best way to move on from an incident or experience we don’t want eating away our mental energies.

I wrote previously about my preference for business class when travelling outside India. “For me, business class is not about the food, drinks or networking. It is about sleep and comfort for my body and mind. For any travel longer than 4-5 hours, business class is a good investment. It provides excellent RoI (return on investment) in terms of thinking time and idea flow.” I also mentioned my liking for the non-stop flights, even though they are likely to cost more. I realised that I should have explained this better.

There are three benefits of non-stop flights. First is the obvious saving of time. Any connection means a minimum of two hours and probably longer. The second benefit is the lower risk of delays because of the possibility of missing connecting flights; there is also the problem of baggage getting misplaced during the transfer. Running from one gate to another gate at crowded airports is not very exciting! The third benefit is the elimination of the interruption in one’s flow (or sleep). It is much easier to plan out for a 16-hour flight than two 8-hour flights with a break; the latter leads to dead and unproductive time especially when one is tired and sleepy.

With Air India starting a non-stop to San Francisco from Mumbai, both the US coasts are covered. The time taken to get to New York or San Francisco is now the same – about 16 hours. The added advantage is that in the case of getting to another destination in the US, the time can be shortened. My hope is that as Air India buys more aircraft, it will cover more US destinations with their non-stop flights in the years to come.

There are a few disadvantages of non-stop flights, as Directnonstop explains: “There are often not too many nonstop flights between two cities, unless those two cities / airports are particularly busy. Thus making the nonstop flight harder to find than a connecting flight. Also, with fewer flights, that often means less flight time choice. [Also], while many airlines maintain extensive networks of airports they serve, most do not have nonstop flights between every pair of airports. Instead, they might rely on hub airports, or other connecting intermediate airports to get travelers from their starting airport to their destination airport. So, if going for a nonstop flight ticket, one has to sometimes put aside airline / frequent flyer miles preferences and go with whatever airline offers nonstops.”

Many friends I know prefer to avoid Air India for US travel because of some bad experience in the past. I think that’s a mistake – I have had my share of flight delays and unpleasant journeys on other airlines also. I just think the convenience of the non-stop makes Air India the preferred option from India – especially when going to the US. From Mumbai, it is the only option.

So, the next time you are travelling, consider the non-stop flight. It will be a better experience. The 16-odd hours on a US flight to either of the coasts can actually be made more productive with some planning. Going forward, I expect more direct connections between international cities from India – which is good. I still remember my early US trips with the connections either through Europe, South-East Asia, or the Middle East, and flight times exceeding 20 hours. Hopefully, they will stay memories of a world gone by!