12 Podcasts About Startups

As Entrepreneurs we are often left alone to handle a problem, a situation or sometimes a very important life & death scenario. Its very tough to find answers, to find the right advise, and get help.

Entrepreneurs are different people and should not take advise from everyone and anyone. Trust me, your cofounder may be great at what he does, but may necessarily not be an entrepreneur. And you should not take advise on your startup from Family, Friends and grand-mother.

When you venture out you will definitely find a lot of mentors. I was lucky to find great mentors.

How ever in the absence of a mentor, I found the below podcasts helpful

How To Start A Startup - This podcast is straight out of the EDX / Coursera hosted Standford University's CS183b course "How to Start A Startup" organized by YCombinator head Sam Altman. Like the title says, its about starting a startup. There are many publications available on this and makes it very resourceful for anyone looking for advise on starting up. 

a16z - an infamous podcast from a top tier VC firm as they try to establish themselves as thought leaders. They are very well planned, carefully chosen and highly impactful podcasts that cover technology product startups, industry analysis, analysts, Q&A with some of the top entrepreneurs, and so many important things covered, its a must for me as I learn key ingredients needed to deal with my startup

How To Start A Startup - This podcast is straight out of the EDX / Coursera hosted Standford University's CS183b course "How to Start A Startup" organized by YCombinator head Sam Altman. Like the title says, its about starting a startup. There are many publications available on this and makes it very resourceful for anyone looking for advise on starting up. 

The Competitive Edge - How to stay ahead of competition, how to look out for that USP, marketing differently, customer engagement, leadership and so many ways to stay competitive in daily life/startup. This is something I trip on when I go on my long walks

Dorm Room Tycoon - Interviews with some of world's most Influential innovators put together incredibly to inspire the world to innovate, to create, to believe and keep solving problems to make the world a better place. I would spend an entire day on this one while I would have the world think I am listening to music; because the impression of listening to some great people talk their sincere best out, it shows on my face as well when I am listening :)

500 Startups Podcast - The Baap of all startup gyan for someone who is looking for a structured storybuild for someone who has just stepped in the entrepreneur waters and is about to take a plunge, this is all about living the toughest form of life in the most nichest way to create the coolest startup

Gimlet

A very interesting podcast by Alex Blumberg, as he documents his entrepreneur journey.  It covers everything from idea, naming, cofounder negotiations, funding, mistakes, hires... Its really worth listening to him talk honest and straight. Some of this problems I can relate to as some of my own and helps me feel good knowing there is a better way to solve it

Product Hunt is an informational chat hosted by Ryan Hoover based on new startups and products. Its a bar camp, discussion over a drink sorts but the guests are some of the elite members of the startup ecosystem and their problem solving, perspective about a problem, strategy and leadership are entirely different due to their experiences with a startup.


Rocketship.fm hosts 91 effective interviews by Michael Sacca, Matt Goldman and Joelle Steiniger has many interesting stories, failed and successful entrepreneurs as they bring out actionable insights you can apply it in your daily startup life. 

The other I found good are 

The Full Ratchet

NYRD Radio

Few more I found on Quora

• Exponent
• Product People
• Foundation
• Planet Money
• 99% Invisible
• This Week In Startups

Hope this helps

Thank you

Impactful Writing - Blog Zero - How to be an impactful writer?

Is writing so hard? 

I get many requests to write for people/friends/family even simple things like a thank you note to writing to an investor to writing a business communication to complex relationship problems! 

I'd like to help, I genuinely do to the best of my ability but I'll have to device a framework or a better way of helping all the requests and pings. I am sometimes hard pressed against time that I fail to assist in the hour of that emergency need. 

If you are one of those to whom I haven't responded, please accept my humble apologies.

I'd like to clarify I am not a writer, I am just passionate about it and have learnt a few lessons on writing with impact. Rest has been observatory learning from the regular books I read and some experiential learning

I am glad to have been helpful, but know this - anybody can write, if you can talk you can write... just a few rules, few techniques and once you know them, with a little practice - you too can write to create the impact you intend to.

I will try and come up with blogs every Friday and every Wednesday with several tips and creative ways to write and help in a minion way to create an impact in your writing.

Why is writing so important? There was a study done by McKinsey Research Institute that an average knowledge worker spends about 20% of their time processing emails. There are different conventions used in different companies, however, emails are going to stay as a medium of documentable communication, virtual teaming , culturally diverse teams and especially when you are working with someone whom you have never met or heard of.

The tone of your email represents you, your team and in some cases your company. It also creates a picture of you in the mind of the reader of your email. How can you be assertive, righteous, courteous, avoid common mistakes, Indianisms especially and some unforgiveable errors.

Be it movie making, videos, projects, speech, audio or any form of content, what goes behind is writing. And things like Email, Blogs and other direct media, too have a direct impact on the reader.

Writing is very important just as dressing good is important. And like staying healthy is important, a well written email shows a healthy communication.

I hope to interview some of the top business executives and get their insights on how they write impactful articulations and what their best practices are.

Know this - You dont need to have a great vocabulary, do not undermine your writing quotient, you do not need to be a great novelist to write. You have to be thinking clearly and express freely with a certain level of awareness and creativity. Dont worry, it will all fall into place and I will help you so you get there.

In this Blog Episode lets unshred and unlearn a bit of what I have seen as many carry as a "baggage" of so many obstacles to your thinking. Please continue reading with an open mind so you can let the 'fear' out and get the 'clear' in.

Lets deal with this from an example: You are at your office and you just see that you have missed on a promise. Your boss will be very angry. You have to now write to that customer, deal with this situation and also with your boss.

How would you do it? I'd normally say, dont write an email when you have missed something. Just pick up the phone and call. But if you are in a different timezone and/or you have another reason to write an email, go on.

1. Email is about the reader (recipient) and not only about you. Just say " I am writing this email immediately upon realising that I have missed calling you. I apologize for the delay....

2. Keep it short - Keep emails short. To the point and end it.
Hi Clara,

May I know the status of shipment SKU123431?

We are awaiting delivery of the above SKU whose ETA was yesterday.

I am afraid, it appears there has been a delay. 

Please help
Thank you


Jump straight to the point. Save readers time. Be polite, professional and neutral to any emotion.

3. Think of the end purpose - what the reader would think? If its a condolence, essay, obituary, thank you note, apology, resignation - think of the purpose, why you are writing and then gauage what the reader would think.

4. Take feedback - Best way to deal with is ask for feedback before sending an email or a note, make changes needed and learn from it.

5. Dont be Emotional - Especially when you are dealing with another person's ego. We all carry ego, and its an endless fuel of nuclear sort of energy that keeps poisoning your day. Keep away and stay rational, not emotional. I have learnt this the hardway, trust me its no use. So when you get a finger pointing email, instead of finger pointing back, think hard, breathe, take a break, come back and write a mature forgiving email. Dont do that "Dog bit me, I'll bite the dog back" thing.

I will try and share more excercise and tips as we go. I am very short knicked on time, however, will give my best to keep sharing some best practices. Next blogs will be many examples of some of the coolest of emails ever written.

Thanks for reading. Please share and comment your feedback
(Ignore Brevity. This Blog was published from a Mobile Device)

5 Reasons Why You Should Not Be An Entrepreneur but Stick To Your Job

90% of startups fail, 42% of  products fail to identify the market need for their product or service, 85% of them dont get funded, yet I took on this journey of Entrepreneurship. 

Over the last few years I have had the opportunity to meet and interview some of the great and successful entrepreneurs while also interact with those who have failed and inspite of which they are still in pursuit of their passion.

What pains me is that I hear from people about entrepreneurship, about why they want to quit their job and get into this world of misery, struggle and agony- Many think its just show-off, being an Entrepreneur is cool and easy - you can be your own boss and the money is great. You hardly need to work anything, just manage the team, You are the CEO of your startup and can boss around.

Huh! This is so wrong!

So I tried to bust some of such myths and also clear some of those who have wrongly assumed what this whole "Entrepreneur" thing is

These are some of the common assumptions that many have - and I wrote them down from a few people who reached out to me constantly asking me about starting up. This is what they said when I asked them why they wanted to become an Entrepreneur?

Reason number 1. There is so much money I can make from a startup that I cannot from my job's Salary! 

This is completely false! It might be right that a successful founder will make money, but do not overlook the years of struggle and sacrifice he has made to get there. There is hunger, there is bankruptcy, giving up on all thats fond to you including friends or worse sometimes even family (in my case for sometime). And the penultimate truth is "If you are chasing money as an Entrepreneur there is ZERO chances of you getting it"

If you cannot passionately create a product or service that is of value to your customers and solves their problems then there is no way you can make money! and this money definitely doesnt come overnight.

You have to go through sleepless nights of product building, testing, validation, Business model canvas, changes, pivoting from product to product, market research,, then sell the product, show traction, grow customers, keep them happy and then run from investors to investors, raise money, invest in your startup so much more.

You will not make money at this point of time, not here.

So instead I would advise stick to your job, make some savings, invest in real estate or mutual funds or stocks perhaps and work hard. You might as well save money.

Reason number 2. I can be famous, I can be a celebrity! People will "Wow" me for all the awesomeness in me.

YOU WILL FAIL IF YOU THINK SO! And FAIL MISERABLY! 

I read a book very recently called "Good to Great" by Jim Collins, he takes an example of the infamous Lee Iacocca, who took over Chrysler as the CEO and turned it around, later however, he got into a lot of media, news paper, personal promotions and branding that he cared less about everything else and tried to be his own celebrity. He was so obsessed about himself he even got his own autobiography out, which had terrible reviews. Chrysler fell 40 points down in NASDAQ and was later taken over by Diamler as their CEO could not come out of the centerstage.
While Darwin Smith of Kimberly Clarke, Colman Wokes of Gillette etc., they changed the world, saved their company from shutting down and today we have sensor and Mach3, Huggies, Kleenex etc., because of them. They never took centerstage, they never called themselves a hero.

If there is no Humility, you can never be successful. 

You have to be stoic while keeping the balance of humility and humbleness. But if you think you will be famous and thats why you want to be an entrepreneur, its like planning to make a 5star meal with stone and mud!

Reason number 3: I can be my own boss

I get this everywhere. Why do you want to be an entrepreneur? the answer is, I can be my own boss, I am sick of my boss, I can show him and the world what an amazing boss I can be blah blah etc., This is BULLSHIT!

As an Founder of your startup you will be accountable to everything. From customers, to investors, to   Employees, you will be working for all of them, you will report to them, beg them, plead them, service them and dedicate your life to make sure they are happy. You are never a CEO, you are ten levels below a slave. 

You work three times more than you do at your current job, your bank balance is 50 times at risk, there is no shift start and shift end, as you work day and night (even in your sleep), there is no holiday, no specific weekend and vacations too come at a cost.

Reason number 4: I am sick of my current job I will start my own company

Its alright to look upto great entrepreneurs. If you are inspired by such successful greats and what they have managed to accomplish, thats certainly a very noble aspiration. However, if you go on to relate what entrepreneurs do with who they are - and are a part of it to become a brand in and of yourself - then you are off target.

If you are more interested in working on developing your personal brand, getting yourself fame than developing a company this is not for you.

Reason number 5: I have this greatest idea, its unique, only I know it! I am the best coder in my company. I will startup

Look mister, unless you validate your product, no idea is a great idea. Guy Kawasaki says "Ideas are cheap, its the implementation thats all it matters" I hate to discourage you buddy, but if you cant show traction, quickly, in no time, and solve a genuine problem, articulate it in one line sentence then you are as good as dust! 

Also, Great products dont sell, great sales men sell. 

I quit my job and took the plunge knowing the risk, the uncertainties but certainly not for any of the reasons above

You dont choose your passions. Your Passion choose you

Starting a business requires unquenchable passion, high focus, extraordinary persistence. Its a commitment for life. If you are not "All in" you'll one hundred percent not going to make it. Its about how you see passion in solving those customer problems with your exciting new idea, how you plan and most importantly how you execute it, then those are the things that need to excite and inspire you. Thats the truth about being an entrepreneur. And thats what motivates the best of them. 

If you think any of the above reasons is why you planned on being an entrepreneur, then its best you stick to your job. This is not for you! Work hard on your job and perhaps when you reach the level of humility you need, then take the plunge. Its never too late with the right attitude but its always too early and disastrous with the wrong one.

Good night.

Shopping Experience on Koovs.com

Just wanted to share that I had a great experience using grabon.in finding the best collection of Koovs Coupons got upto 50% off on men and women clothing.

The best part was that I got an additional Rs. 500 off on my first purchase!

This is what I call "Incredible". Not everyday that you get to spend 10k and save 5k at checkout and by end of day I got the best clothing collection and apparel

Loved it

Thanks Grabon.in and Thanks Koovs.com

Aspiration - this is what that matters

Drawn to the future, not standing still
Aspirations works like gravity frees all evil
Strive to build the imminent
life's supreme irony is change, stay persistent for more
freedom is the ionosphere, happiness will form the core

staring at the sky chasing the horizon
setting up a footprint large than the shoe
small appears the shadow, reflection unveiled opaque
hopeful is thy mind and dreams taken wings
one piece of advise and a lot of hard work

when you effort to be what you aspire to be
Future seeming familiar will welcome you see
expanded minds shrink those skies
world then becomes a marble in your palm
within your aura within your reach

Happy new year 2015