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Conversation with my Ola driver this morning 

• There is no difference between Uber and Ola and Meru or any other. Difference lies in my willingness to work 
• If I tell myself that I can do it, anything is possible 
• Key is not to be lazy. If I have to get up and go to work, nothing else matters 
• How I treat passengers (people) is not determined by rules defined by the company. It is determined by me. 
• How much I earn is determined by the company rules. How much I earn from the money I earn, is determined by me 
• I am 23. And I have my own car. I do not know the owner of Uber. Nor does he know me. That makes me the owner of my own life. I am CEO of my car. 

This guy just wrote a bestselling self help book in 35 minutes! 

Every single day we are making mistakes 

Taking the wrong decisions 

Misunderstanding situations

Hurting people

Prioritizing urgency over importance 
And every single day, life will send signals our ways

To tell us that it’s the wrong path 

We have to read the signs 
Keep asking the world to save you

And the signs will become obvious 

Seth Godin saved me today! 

The very instance you say these words, you set yourself free. 

You come clean

No more guilt 

No more presence 

It doesn’t matter if people are still judging you 

You now know what to fix

And how to win tomorrow 

Strangely enough, people feel that saying “I am sorry” has the same impact. 

It doesn’t 

Accepting a fault doesn’t require one apologizing for it. 

The reverse isn’t true. 

When I started working out 2 years back, my instructor told me 2 things that have immensely helped me
Never close your eyes, even if in intense pain. 

Always look in front. Never down. 
It was later that I realized. He wasnt talking about working out.

He was talking about life!

How do you react when someone says no to you?

Try and convince them again

Do it anyway

Argue why it’s the wrong decision

Blame yourself for the defeat 

Gather a mob

Seek sympathy 

Stop caring 

Consider for a moment – that the no sent across your way was not directed at you. It was not a no to the person, or the idea. Rather to the moment 

No = Not right now 

Knowing that it is just a matter of time now, now how would you react? 

Don’t convince people of why something will work. 

Spend time convincing them why it needs to be done right now. 

This was something my professor told me several years ago and I didn’t make sense of it back then. Now I realize the power of what he said. And I think it applies to you too

My colleague Ajay Singh at a get together last week.

He continued

People like us worry a lot. All the time. Our minds work overtime.

Because we get tired easily. Very very tired

My professor had told – Ajay, whatever happens, don’t ever get tired.

You have to be ready at all times and address everything in the right manner.

If a conversation needs to happen face to face, you cannot do it over phone.
If a matter is to be addressed urgently, it doesn’t matter if ts 3 AM or you are drunk or on a date with your crush
You ll have to run when you can’t stand and you ll have to smile when you are sad.
You just cant be tired.

And that’s what I have to tell you as well.

It makes so much sense. Now that I think of it, the reason the last few years have been fantastic is because I chose not to get lazy.

Not just at work

But at life

Even if it means getting up early, or eating right, or not taking excel sheet decisions.

And that goes to everyone out there who worries.

Don’t get lazy! Don’t get tired!

Should we go after 18-24yrs or 25-35yrs? 

Should we go after market 1 or market 2? 

Should we focus on mobile or desktop? 

Should we focus on merchant or customer? 

Should I focus on work or life?

Both is wrong 

Both is the average 

Both is not equal to doing more 

Both is not what will make you win

Both might just make you lose 

If unsure between two choices, both is almost always the wrong response. 

Pick one. Do more. 

Your colleague invites you to her wedding, by sending a personal email with the invitation card attached 

Response 1:

Open the email 

Read it

Reply back 

“Thanks <insert colleague name> 

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. I am traveling and will unfortunately not be able to make it. Thanks for inviting me :)

Wishing you both a lovely wedding. All the best and God bless”

Response 2:

Open email

Open card

Read the details

Reply back 

“Thanks <insert colleague name>

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. I am unfortunately traveling on the 19th and will be unable to make it. Sorry about that and thanks for inviting me 

Wish you and <insert bride’s name> a wonderful life ahead. All the best”

Time check

Response 2 > Response 1 by 10 seconds 

Respect check

Response 2 > Response 1 by infinity 

Respect doesn’t come from title. It comes from conduct. 

Gut is an awesome thing 

It supercedes data

It drives immediate action 

It’s based on experience 

It’s already rationalized 

It’s you 

Your judgement 

Precisely the reasons why gut is also a bad thing 

Because most people end up using gut to express fear. 

“I know I know, all the facts are right, but it just doesn’t feel right”

Gut is your enemy when you use it to represent your fears

If, as a leader, you take all your decisions based on excel sheets, devoid of emotional labor, you are a victim of excel sheet leadership. 

Here is the deal about excel sheet leadership. 

It’s an oxymoron. It doesn’t exist. 

The hard part is going through each cell on that sheet. 

The hard part is listening and responding to all exceptions. 

The hard part is looking at the world from someone else’s perspective. 

Excel sheet leaders die young. And they die as managers. 

The rest become leaders