Adi's Newsletter #007
Entrepreneurs, Laapataa Ladies, Anderson's 700!
I was waiting for this week to end. It was a long one with travel, work, and life in between. I am yet to get used to the new sleep schedule. I work the US shift as most of our customers are in the US, and I own the onboarding and support at Clazar. I signed up for the job, knowing it was the US shift. If you have any personal advice on how to get the body used to the nocturnal schedule, please share it in response to the email.
What character flaws make the best entrepreneurs?
I watched this episode of Nikhil Kamat's (Zerodha) WTF podcast series over the week. It is 4+ hours long and, hence, right up my alley. Ghazal (Mamaearth), Manish (Rare Rabbit) and Ritesh (Oyo) spoke about their background and entrepreneurial journeys. Nikhil’s approach to letting the guests talk at their own pace and probe organically is the core strength of the podcast.
I’ve always believed that to be ‘successful’ in the sense of material success, one needs to have a monkey on the back. The ones who have a psychological setback early in their lives have a point to prove to the world. This is, not surprisingly, a powerful motivator to work hard and accomplish great things.
Interestingly, though, all three guests in the above podcast come from a world where they have not experienced any psychological setbacks early in their lives. Their self-belief in their abilities to figure things out on the go sets them apart from the crowd. Ghazal googled and networked her way to build a harmless solution for babies in India. Manish bent his back with no ego to learn about the textiles industry, and Ritesh applied for a Thiel Fellowship after learning about it in the Social Network movie!
In addition to self-belief and confidence, entrepreneurs need to be creative, have incredible clarity of thought, be risk-takers, pay attention to detail, and have a sense of imposter syndrome that keeps them pushing to achieve more.
“What’s the worst that can happen?” is a question these successful entrepreneurs ask themselves. They have a safety net to dive into in case things go south. Some folks risk it all, but that does not always lead to success. I’ve asked this question myself and the worst thing has something to do with health or death and nothing financial. Yet, taking the plunge into entrepreneurship is not easy for people who don’t have examples in their lives.
Have you thought of starting up? If yes, what gave you the confidence, and if not, what stops you?
Below is the screengrab of the word cloud Nikhil made after his conversation on the podcast. I recommend watching the episode. It’s long; you can watch it in multiple sittings. Though it's intended for 21-year-olds looking for startups, the content is relevant to people across the age spectrum.
Laapata Ladies
I was reading rave reviews about Laapataa Ladies on Twitter, and I couldn’t wait to watch it over the weekend. The movie did not disappoint. It’s a refreshing, optimistic tale of a bizarre incident in which the young, recently married brides get swapped inside a train.
Thirty minutes into the two-hour movie, I wasn’t sure where it was heading. Once the scene is established, it is an endearing tale of love, identity, patriarchy, and women caught in the crossfire of a maligned society.
The director, Kiran Rao, has displayed incredible restraint in handling key moments within the movie. She could have played to the masses, yet she holds herself together and delivers a movie that shows the strength of her craft.
The young actors in lead roles have performed with their innocence intact. The music is uplifting, and Arijit’s voice in Sajni Re's song is magical. I recommend watching the movie in a theatre near you. Do not miss it.
700!
James Anderson, at the age of 41, became the first pacer in Cricket to get 700 wickets. No matter how you describe this feat, it’s not going to do justice to the sheer magnitude of the achievement. Age is only a number that has a new poster child.
Tasty Morsels from Groovy Hubs
QR code menus in Restaurants are on their way out. I couldn’t be happier!
How calcium CT scan can save your life.
Great advice on performance culture.
Listen to Sajni Re song from Laapata Ladies :)
Knowing what work path works for you is a superpower. You need to try out many things until you know what works for you and, more importantly, what doesn’t work for you.
It’s my sister’s wedding next Sunday, so I am unsure if I will get to write the next volume of this newsletter. But I will show up and see what comes out of it. Until then, please take care and be kind to everyone. Thanks!