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You toss a coin. There is a 50% chance it will land as tails. But it doesn’t. Heads it is. 

You toss again. Heads again

And heads again

And heads again

And heads again

With 5 heads in a row, when you toss the coin the 6th time, guess what’s the likelihood of tails landing up? 

Again 50% 

Doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result is insanity (Einstein) 

It’s also probability (Warikoo) 

And probability only changes when you change something material. 

The next time you are working really hard, hoping that the work itself will influence probability, ask yourself – what did you change from what you used to do? 

If nothing – go back and change the probability. 

One always wonders – what makes people successful. 

Ambition

Determination

Hard work

Intelligence

Passion

Several other powerful words

To me, it’s a lot simpler. 

Those who are successful BELIEVE that they are worthy of that success. 

ISB taught me a lot. But I don’t remember much of the classes. 

Michigan State changed my life. And I aced the exams too. Wouldn’t be able to reproduce anything from the classes today, if I had to. 

Same for Delhi university. 

The best learning has come from what’s happened outside of the class. While I was living life. 

The best learning has come when no one was teaching.

Instead when I was listening. Observing. Not with the intent to reply. Rather with the intent to learn. 

It’s not what they teach you that matters. 

It’s what you learn instead. 

At the gym, You don’t burn out mentally. Because you always burn out physically. 

It’s opposite at work. 

Ironically, the side that’s still not burnt out, is the one that can get the other side out of its state. 

At the gym – it’s your mental state that can get you of the physical burn out. 

At work – it’s your physical state that does the same for your mental burn out. 

Don’t sit – stand and walk. 

Don’t take the elevator – climb up. 

Don’t type. Write

Don’t eat shit. 

Don’t whine. 

Smile. Jump. Play. Focus!

Energy grows where focus flows. 

I took a solo trip this weekend. The first planned one in my life. 

Intent was to be around things that I wanted to do but couldn’t find the opportunity to. And to gather my thoughts around them. 

I watched TED videos, saw Ship of Theseus again, read a whole bunch, wrote even more. 

And in one such conversation with myself, I started speaking out what is it that I truly want to achieve in life. Why do I get up every morning. What drives me. 

And as I thought about it and spoke about it, I realized I was crying. Involuntarily. 

And I didn’t stop. Crying. Or talking. Or thinking. 

And all three continued. 

And then I remembered this video

And I was suddenly at peace. Knowing that my emotions were my strength. Not my weakness. 

I am a founder. Also the CEO

A multi tasker by nature. A problem solver

Am always in a hurry. Am paranoid about losing. 

If there is something important, then it better start now and finish today. Perhaps tomorrow. 

Because of this I throw myself into virtually all problems out there that need a fix. With an impatience. 

And that’s fucked up. 

I become part of the problem. 

When I take on the onus to solve it, I cannot objectively assess it. Or hold someone accountable for its success. I take that on myself. And see myself defending it – “at least I picked it up. It was lying there for days with no one bothered.”

Doesn’t work

As a founder, especially of a 100+ people startup, you have got to dissociate yourself from the task. And focus on the outcome. 

Don’t become part of the problem

Guess the biggest reason why managers do not have a regular 1:1 session with their direct reports? 

They do not like uncomfortable conversations. 

Everything else is an excuse. Disguised as something else. But pointing to the same reason above eventually. 

Here is a trick that has helped me navigate through this

Before such conversations, ask yourself this question and respond honestly

“Do I want this person to win? Or lose?”

If you genuinely want the person to win, you will have a very different conversation. Right from its content to its tone to its impact. 

And if you want the person to lose, don’t fuck around. Any conversation you have will force to always find faults. They can try as hard as they might. 

“Why do I have to tell him to be there when there is a release. He should know it for himself. He should care”

Do you want him to win or lose? 

“I need this in the next 2 hours and I don’t care how you do it”

Do you want him to win or lose? 

“You are not hitting your numbers. And if this continues I will have to fire you” 

Do you want him to win or lose? 

“How could you not think of this? It’s so obvious”

Do you want him to win or lose? 

Good managers are always looking for ways to make their team members win. 

I am the head of the family. 

My job is to protect the family from all evil. 

To ward them off the bad news. 

To make their lives comfortable. And happy. And peaceful. 

It is my job to fight the evil. The bad news. The threats 

This is the family leadership style. The option I exercised all this while. And it dawns upon me that this option doesn’t drive engagement. Even motivation. 

The army leadership option is that of sharing the threat. 

We are (going to be) fucked. Here is why. And I need your help. Failure is not an option. 

You are likely to lose some people in this process. 

But the ones that will save you will be far more critical to your success than the one who continue delivering their best assuming it’s peacetime. 

Don’t assume people do not want to face the threat. They might surprise you.