Content Type
Founder Note
This section collects posts that play a similar role in the archive, even when the topics differ.
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Journal Entry
(DAY 1132) March Had Other Plans
March 2026 brought unexpected churn in the team and a surprise hernia surgery, a reminder that life rarely follows the neat version of the plan.
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(DAY 1128) Endure, Master Wayne
Building a startup is a long test of endurance. A reflection on patience, consistency, and why the line 'Endure, Master Wayne' feels deeply true.
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(DAY 1127) Interviews, Interviews, Interviews
In a team of fewer than ten people, every hire matters deeply. A reflection on why founders must take interviews seriously and how that has shaped my work at Edzy.
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(DAY 1124) Back to the Office: A Smooth Return After Surgery
First day back in the office after hernia surgery—feeling comfortable, confident, and happy to reconnect with the team thanks to laparoscopic robotic surgery's shorter recovery period.
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(DAY 1108) Be Nice to Employees
A reminder that being nice to employees is not weakness; it is leadership, especially when building a bootstrapped company and growing people consistently.
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(DAY 1099) Field Sales in India Needs Better Incentive Design
In India’s non-enterprise sectors, field sales performance improves when incentives reward quality meetings, disciplined tracking, and tight customer-feedback loops.
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(DAY 1088) If You Don't Ask, It's Always a No
The simple truth that not asking guarantees a 'no' while asking and staying firm about what you want creates opportunities for alignment in business and relationships.
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(DAY 1085) AI Summit in Delhi — considering an Edzy exhibit
Quick note about the upcoming AI Summit in Delhi and a possible Edzy exhibit (16–20 Feb).
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(DAY 1077) Five Interviewers, One Candidate: The Panel That Probes
Thoughts on panel interviewing—why it's intimidating, how it probes a candidate, and how our dev team uses it to align everyone.
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(DAY 1042) Clear communication builds lasting recall
Communication turns out to be central to managing relationships with a boss or a team founder, often more so than raw output or intent. Over time, people do...
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(DAY 1036) How we hire at Edzy
Hiring at Edzy has gradually evolved into a process that prioritizes observation over projection. For college students and recent gr...
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(DAY 1030) A Familiar Conversation on Product and Growth
Catching up with Shreyash Seth from IIT Bombay at the office turned into a grounded discussion around product, g...
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(DAY 1006) Hilton GM Visit After Noise Complaint
The Hilton Baani City Centre General Manager, Harakaran Singh Sethi visited our office following my previo...
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(DAY 974) Productivity in Remote Work and Office Settings
I have been thinking about how productivity differs between remote work and office work, and the contrast has become more visible over time. When a team works...
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(DAY 966) Building Culture in an Early Team
In the early stages of any company, setting the right culture is one of the hardest and most important things a founder has to do. It’s not something that c...
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(DAY 965) Fixing the Bad Apples in a Team
It becomes clear over time that every team has at least one person who slows things down—not through lack of skill but through attitude. Recognizing that ea...
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(DAY 944) A Product Team Member's Calendar
A product team member's calendar is not merely a schedule of tasks; it is a structural representation of priorities and a defense against the constant pull of...
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(DAY 941) The Shifting Ground
We held a backend Hackathon at Edzy today, an event intended to simulate real-world problem-solving under pressure. The premise was straightforward: candidate...
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(DAY 933) The Interview Marathon of Hiring
Hiring has transformed into an exhaustive process that spans multiple touchpoints, from traditional interviews to hackathons and coding challenges. The mode...
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(DAY 917) Understanding the aspirational buyer
The aspirational buyer has become one of the most important segments for marketers to understand. This group is not defined by what they currently own but by ...
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(DAY 916) Paying for exclusivity in services
Paying for exclusivity is at the core of many products and services, especially in travel and events. Business class tickets and VIP tickets are built on this i...
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(DAY 913) Settling down in Baani City Centre Gurgaon
Moving the office to Baani City Centre in Gurgaon feels like a practical step for Edzy. The location is not directly on the metro line, which can make daily...
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(DAY 912) New office in Gurgaon and building the team
Moving into a new office in Gurgaon for Edzy feels like a small but important step. For a company at an early stage, the space is less about walls and desks and...
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(DAY 910) The Inevitability of Interview Ghosting
Conducting interviews for the Gurgaon office has become an exercise in managing expectations against a predictable pattern of attrition throughout the hiring pr...
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(DAY 903) Quick purchase decisions when parameters are clear
Purchase decisions accelerate dramatically when buyers have clearly defined parameters and sufficient understanding of available options in the marketplace. Thi...
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(DAY 902) Older Salespeople often take rejection personally
Experienced sales professionals who have spent decades in the field sometimes develop counterproductive habits that stem from taking customer interactions too p...
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(DAY 898) Recognizing salary expectations and the risks associated with LLMs
It is strange how in a time when AI can write reports, summarize meetings, and predict trends, simple human coordination still slips. Tonight at 11 pm, while ...
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(DAY 897) Communication gaps and missed deadlines in AI era
Expectations with salaries hardly ever deal with figures only. It's an amalgam of financial requirements, personal benchmarks, market conditions, and value with...
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(DAY 894) Measuring employee productivity in startups
Measuring productivity of employees versus independent contractors requires fundamentally different approaches that affect both short-term performance evaluatio...
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(DAY 889) AI search transforms e-commerce marketing
The rise of AI-powered search through large language models fundamentally alters how consumers discover and purchase products online, forcing e-commerce busines...
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(DAY 888) AOV patterns drive food delivery strategy
Average order value in food delivery apps follows predictable geographic patterns that shape platform economics and user targeting strategies. Metro cities cons...
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(DAY 869) Sunak Joins Goldman Sachs
Rishi Sunak's appointment as a senior advisor ...
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(DAY 856) The Mathematics of Getting Ghosted
The silence after sending a carefully crafted email feels different from other forms of rejection. There's something particularly unsettling about the void that...
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(DAY 844) The Business of Beds
Hospital chains operate on a simple yet complex equation - maximizing revenue per bed while maintaining occupancy rates. The metric that drives boardroom di...
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(DAY 835) Free Office Meals in Tech Companies
Tech companies, particularly in Silicon Valley, have popularized the concept of offering free meals, coffee, and micro-kitchens in the workplace. This trend sta...
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(DAY 826) Optimists vs Pessimists
Optimists and pessimists approach life differently, and these differences manifest clearly in financial outcomes. During bull runs or economic cycles, optimists...
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(DAY 825) A Lesson in Human Dynamics
I recently met an ex-C-level executive from a well-known Indian consumer-led company in the college education space. He had recently left his position and start...
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(DAY 824) Statistics to Data Science to AI
This week, I met a semi-retired data science professional who had worked in top-tier startups during the early waves of data-driven decision-making. He mentione...
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(DAY 823) TomTom Traffic Index
The TomTom Traffic Index is an annual report that measures traffic congestion levels in cities worldwide. It provides data on how much extra time drivers spend ...
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(DAY 822) Multidimensional Value of Skills in a Changing Economy
Most people assume that a single skill leads to a single job, and that job determines their income. This linear thinking no longer holds true in today’s economy...
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(DAY 822) Shift to Clickless Searches
The internet's economic model has long been driven by the "blue click economy", where businesses monetize traffic through clicks on search engine results. Googl...
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(DAY 820) Big Fish, Small Fish
We all operate in a pond—whether in business, careers, or personal growth. Some are big fish, others small, and many somewhere in between. Recognizing where you...
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(DAY 815) Not All Money Is Equal
The money earned from a salary and the money earned from building a business are fundamentally different. When I worked in banking, my paycheck was predictable ...
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(DAY 800) The Carefully Constructed World of LinkedIn and Twitter
LinkedIn and Twitter have become carefully constructed worlds where influence is built through repetition, engagement hooks, and algorithmic familiarity. Recent...
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(DAY 792) The Limited Impact of LinkedIn Posting
During a recent conversation with a friend, we discussed the effectiveness of LinkedIn as a platform for professional growth. He argued that while many users ...
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(DAY 787) A Lesson in Acting Fast When Trouble Looms
Recently, SEBI ordered a startup to halt operations due to fraudulent activities by its founders. The news came as a shock to many, especially employees who had...
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(DAY 782) Letting Go of Non-Performing Team Members
Managing a team requires making difficult decisions, and one of the hardest is letting go of members who are not meeting expectations. While it is never easy to...
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(DAY 773) Medical Tourism from Kazakhstan to India
On a recent flight from Almaty to Delhi, I noticed a significant number of elderly passengers accompanied by family members. Many appeared to be traveling for m...
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(DAY 760) From Scarcity to Abundance
India’s economic and cultural transformation over the past few decades has been nothing short of remarkable. One of the most significant changes has been the ...
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(DAY 759) Brands are no longer owned by Companies but co-created by users
Brands have traditionally been seen as entities owned and controlled by the companies that create them. However, in the digital age, this dynamic has shifted dr...
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(DAY 757) Reflection on Brand Design and Communication
The recent launch of IKEA in Delhi NCR has sparked considerable interest, not just for its products but for the way the brand has positioned itself in the India...
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(DAY 681) Contrasting Work Cultures - India and Dubai
During a recent meetup with friends working in Dubai, our conversation naturally steered towards their transition from India's corporate environment to Dubai's ...
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(DAY 662) Recognizing Sales Achievers with Reward Trips
In many Indian companies, a common practice has emerged to reward high-performing sales teams and revenue contributors by sending them on fully-sponsored trips ...
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(DAY 652) Human Touch in Customer Relationships
In the digital age of customer support, organizations have increasingly relied on ticketing systems as their primary mode of communication. These automated plat...
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(DAY 645) eAuctionsIndia and BankeAuctions - Consolidating Bank Auction Listings
Platforms like eAuctionsIndia.com and BankeAuctions.com have become essential tools for anyone ...
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(DAY 643) Ramphal Chowk - The Emerging Hub of Civil Aviation Education
In the Coaching market, certain geographical locations emerge as transformative centers of learning and opportunity. Ramphal Chowk has quietly but definitivel...
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(DAY 630) The Subscription Economy
The subscription model has become a cornerstone of modern business strategy, transforming how companies generate revenue and how consumers access products and s...
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(DAY 580) Global Phenomenon of E-commerce Sales Events
E-commerce sales events have emerged as pivotal moments that shape consumer behavior, drive massive revenue streams, and showcase the cutting edge of retail tec...
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(DAY 568) How Making Charges and Gold Prices Shape the Jewelry Industry
What meets the eye is often just the tip of the iceberg. Behind every sparkling piece of jewellery lies a complex interplay of factors that significantly in...
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(DAY 550) Art of Prize Framing in High-Value Event Sales
In event organization for weddings and social functions, a fascinating psychological strategy has emerged: prize framing. This approach, often employed by lux...
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(DAY 524) Balancing Rationality and Optimism in Business
The dichotomy between pessimists and optimists is more than a personality trait; it’s a strategic approach to success. Pessimists often seem intelligent and...
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(DAY 519) Building Trust - The Bedrock of Success for Companies with Heavy Operations
In the world of heavy operations, trust is more than a virtue; it's a necessity. For companies that depend on precise coordination, reliability, and consistency...
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(DAY 504) The Hidden Cost of Luxury
In a recent development that has sent shockwaves through the luxury fashion industry, a Milan court has launched an investigation into the supply chain practice...
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(DAY 503) Hidden Agendas of Banking Relationship Managers
Navigating the banking world can be a complex task, especially when dealing with Relationship Managers (RMs). While RMs are ostensibly there to assist customers...
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(DAY 474) The Price of Convenience in Quick Commerce
In today's fast-paced world, convenience reigns supreme. This extends to how we shop, with the rise of e-commerce and quick commerce fundamentally changing the ...
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(DAY 459) Innovative Brand Messaging - Highlighting Social Responsibility and Good Behavior
Brands are constantly seeking innovative ways to capture the attention of consumers and stand out from the crowd. One effective strategy that has gained tractio...
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(DAY 431) When Marketing Communication Goes Awry
Daily, we find ourselves inundated with an avalanche of communications from various brands and organizations. From promotional emails to transactional notificat...
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(DAY 429) The Makings of a Successful Business Conference or Event
Staying ahead of the curve is paramount. One of the most effective ways to do so is by attending well-organized business conferences or events. These gatherings...
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(DAY 396) Unlocking Your Entrepreneurial Leverage
As a founder, especially when you're bootstrapping your venture, understanding and leveraging your strengths is crucial for scaling your impact. In the current ...
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(DAY 385) The Art of Letting Go - Navigating Unnecessary Negotiations
In the ever-evolving landscape of our lives, we often find ourselves in situations where negotiations become unavoidable. Whether it's in the realm of business,...
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(DAY 382) The Challenge of Monetizing Gated Content
In the ever-evolving landscape of media consumption, the challenge of monetizing gated content remains a prominent issue for newspapers and news channels. Despi...
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(DAY 363) The Power of Customer Centricity
In the fast-paced world of business, staying true to your vision while meeting the needs of your customers can be a delicate balancing act. As founders and entr...
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(DAY 358) Navigating Work and Career
In business and work, success isn't just about putting in the hours; it's about crafting a strategic approach that aligns with your goals and values. Whether yo...
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(DAY 348) Learning from Those Who Walked Similar Paths Before Us
In our journey through life and career, the wisdom of those who have trodden similar paths before us can be invaluable. Recently, I several meetings with MB...
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(DAY 347) The Power of Writing to Streamline Business Decision-Making
In scenarios, where decisions can make or break success, the ability to cut through the clutter of thoughts and uncertainties is invaluable. One effective t...
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(DAY 345) The Role of Educational Franchises
In today's competitive educational landscape, educational franchises play a significant role in providing access to quality education and coaching services. The...
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(DAY 342) How to Recognize When You're Being Played
In business negotiations, it's not uncommon to encounter situations where you feel like you're being played. Whether it's subtle manipulation tactics or outrigh...
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(DAY 341) Navigating Contracts with Established Organizations
In business, entrepreneurs often find themselves in negotiations with long-established organizations, which have honed their structures and contracts to prior...
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(DAY 330) Decoding Brand DNA
In the vast marketplace of ideas and products, the concept of a brand is a beacon that guides consumers through the noise. Whether it's a business, an individua...
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(DAY 325) Navigating the Business Development Maze - Why 99% Might Feel Like a Waste (But It Isn't)
Hey, fellow founders and trailblazers! Let's dive into the world of business development. Buckle up, because here's a little secret - almost 99% of the activi...
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(DAY 317) The Fast Fashion Frenzy
In the kaleidoscope of human expression, clothing stands as a vibrant canvas, telling stories of personal style, cultural identity, and societal shifts. Fro...
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(DAY 258) Arranged marriage matchmaking and changing trends
Arranged marriages have been a longstanding tradition in many cultures, including India. In recent years, however, the concept of arranged marriages and match...
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(DAY 242) The Power of Half-Day Working Sundays
Striking a balance between work and personal life is a challenging feat. However, what if you could harness a small portion of your Sunday to upskill and prepar...
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(DAY 241) The Importance of a Mindful Day Off - Recharge, Reset, and Reconnect
In our fast-paced and increasingly digital world, taking a mindful day off every month has become more important than ever. In a society that often glorifies bu...
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(DAY 240) The Quirky Tale of Uniqlo
Uniqlo, the beloved Japanese clothing brand, has a name that is as unique as its fashion. But did you know that the name Uniqlo was born from a hilarious typo? ...
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(DAY 220) Quarter 2 of 2023-24 - Time Flies, Business Strategies Soar
In the blink of an eye, we find ourselves bidding farewell to yet another quarter in the financial year 2023-24. The inexorable passage of time reminds us of ...
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(DAY 219) The Rise of YouTube Influencers Like Tanmay Bhat
> YouTube has become a breeding ground for diverse talents. It is extremely competitive and rewarding as well....
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(DAY 176) High and Low Performing Team Members
In any professional setting, teams are the driving force behind success. The dynamics within a team can vary significantly, leading to divergent outcomes. O...
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(DAY 171) 9 Years of Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana
In a country as diverse and populous as India, ensuring financial inclusion for all citizens has been a significant challenge. However, with the introduction ...
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(DAY 119) Shifting the Blame - When Businesses Pass on Responsibility to Service Providers
In the new customer-centric world, businesses strive to build trust and loyalty by delivering exceptional products and services. However, some companies resort ...
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(DAY 110) Reflecting on Life's Fragility and Gratitude
Life has a way of reminding us of its unpredictable nature, and sometimes, it delivers heartbreaking news that leaves us shaken. Recently, I received the devast...
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(DAY 109) Negotiating service based business deals
Today, I was trying to close a business deal with one of the biggest coaching institutes in India for design-related courses. I was prepared for a challenging n...
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(DAY 108) Disappointing shopping experience at Wooden Street Golft Course Road
During shopping for shifting houses, I had an unfortunate encounter with Wooden Street, specifically with the store located in Golf Course Road, Gurgaon. With t...
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(DAY 97) Ghosting and collections in B2B business
B2B business with SMBs...
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(DAY 93) Furlenco's disappointing customer service and technological mishaps
Moving to a new city is an adventure that often entails furnishing a new living space. Seeking convenience and flexibility, I opted for the [Furlenco](https://w...
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(DAY 90) Monopoly player in a niche
Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training...
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(DAY 87) Information is power in services
Residential retail broker model...
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(DAY 78) Audible subscription model
Audible usage stats...
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(DAY 77) Whatsapp business spam blast
Whatsapp is the new SMS...
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(DAY 76) Standardization vs Average Quality
Standardization of products...
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(DAY 75) Last mile delivery of digital services in Bharat
Bharat vs India...
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(DAY 73) Showing confidence in your team
Your role as a boss...
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(DAY 72) Conversation with a startup founder
Old friends...
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(DAY 68) Retail shopping at Ambience Mall
Ambience mall...
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(DAY 63) Unprofessional retail businesses
Petrol pumps...
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(DAY 47) Getting squeezed in a deal
No where else to go...
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(DAY 17) Silicon Valley Bank
What happened to Silicon Valley Bank?...
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(DAY 10) Hidden cost of Inefficiencies
There's no such thing as a free lunch...