Month: March 2019

For many of us, the first impulse upon waking up is to check our Whatsapp messages, social media feed and emails. The by-default option when we want to ‘pass-time’ or take a break is to stream videos on YouTube or scrolling endlessly on Instagram.

While this is the present day norm. It pegs content consumption over creation. It becomes harder to produce something after getting lost in feeds, trending topics, and endless updates.

Instead, why not diver your impulses to create content FIRST and consume second. Write your blog and then pay a visit to your regular blogs, publish a video and then stream YouTube. You get the drift.

Go, make some Galata.

The larger your mind is the larger is your world! Most of us have a very limited vocabulary, narrow exposure and scattered experiences.

There are many ways to expand your thinking, grow your perspectives and widen your world-view.

I have implemented these and have found them to be of value.

1: Reading extensively beyond my field of interests. Even if the material is dry, boring or doesn’t make sense initially.

2: Watching worthwhile international and independent films to gain perspectives and understanding. Netflix is a fabulous Pandora’s box.

3: Openly interacting with international students. From how to use Indian toilets to celebrating Indian festivals and re-looking at India from their eyes.

4: Interviewing those that are making something happen in their industry through The Galata Podcast.

Is it the one that sells the most? The one that the experts recommend? The one that reviewers, users just like you can’t stop raving about? Is it the cheapest one?

While more information seems to aid us in making decisions. It ends up confusing us and delaying decisions

We are not spoilt by choices we are paralysed by them. Individuals are finding it hard to decide, from what to have for lunch to which career option to choose and whom to vote for!

Many end up choosing the ‘popular’ or the default option.

Choose wisely, instead.

Tricky pricing doesn’t work anymore.

Why?

Because Now everyone knows the trick. Your customers see your grin right through the veil of your pricing. So, If the price is ₹1000 don’t make it ₹999.

Instead, price it at ₹1000 and let the customers get the hint that you are serving them and not tricking them into a purchase.

Build trust and get richer (+₹1)

If you’ve sat down to write something, create content or just pen down your thoughts and it’d been past 5 minutes and you haven’t committed a single word to the sheet or typed on your machine then you are over-thinking!

Catch yourself and tell yourself to just write. Writing is more important. Once the flow gets going you can gradually lead yourself to the main topic.

Many of us ‘wait’ for inspiration, ideas, images to drop upon us to get going. Don’t wait for the creative deity to bless you. Show up and get to work. Get it down on the paper or your gadget, then get it right and get it out. Don’t hold your work hostage, ship it. Get on to the next one.

Universities and colleges are no more educational ‘centres’. Students cram subjects in tuitions and crash courses. Are referring to videos, articles and looking it up rather than finding it in their textbooks. Most assignments are breezed through repacking articles, stock images. They are no more a fancy placement office.

So, What could they possibly do other than non-stop construction?

They can be cultural centres! A place where you feel cultural thrill instead of cultural shock. A place where you can discuss openly, debate about topics that matter to you, display your talents, encouraging collaboration across their student communities.

They may be different for you. So, what’s a college for?

It doesn’t matter.

There’s always a confusion of matching a quote to its originator. Many end up crediting it to anonymity instead. But it rarely matters.

Many times, who said it first isn’t as important as who got it to the masses.

The dialogues in Bollywood are not written by the actors but they get credited for it.

Many celebrity books are written by ‘ghost writers’ That research, write the drafts and the do the heavy lifting. However, are not permitted to mention their names in the work and are ok with it. But the readers credit the book to the celebrity.

It doesn’t matter who started the clean India project. But Narendra Modi is credited for driving the point home.

The person attributed to the quote may give contextual understanding but it rarely adds significant value. Sample this, “There are better starters than me but I’m a strong finisher.”

Right off the bat this sounds and seems like a motivational quote. Sure, it gets amplified when you learn that it’s said by Usain Bolt. However, the irony is that the reason behind him being a weak starter is that he is just too tall for a 100m dash! But because he has longer legs he can cover move distance per stride and hence a strong finisher!

Now, does it take the punch away from the quote?

You are better off adding your own meaning to the quotes you come across.

There’s the beginner’s luck that stokes you initially but doesn’t last long. Early victories may be terrible in the long term. However, an early loss is a graceful blessing. It makes you step back and re-evaluate your decisions, demands your focus and dominates your thoughts for a long time.

I got my batchmates at college to play the legendary Cash flow game as part of a simulation exercise. They were apprehensive, disinterested and confused. Even though they were MBA students they struggled to understand the business principles behind the game initially. However, things took a U-turn when they started going bankrupt!

They were sold on the idea and eager to restart the game. The interest levels spiked, some were on the edges of their seats and it was hard to get them to stop and move on to another exercise!

Failing is a good way to start. I failed 9 times before setting up my first company and each time I failed, I was back to the drawing board. Contemplating my mistakes, poor approaches, lack of leadership and communication skills, 0 professionalism, anxiety to ask money and orders. That’s where I learnt commerce.

You may be occupied from 9-5 at a job or 8-3 at a University. But, how are you spending your time from 6-2?

Yes, from 6 pm to 2 am.

Can you start a part-time company, a side-project or create space for that hobby which you have been wanting to take up?

Exchange your fun-time, TV time, friends-time, chilling-time, pubg time or whatever that takes up your attention to create a space for yourself to make something happen.

Make it a priority and get at it.