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I work with super smart people everyday. Individuals more driven and way smarter than I can ever be. 

But there is a common thread when I see how they work

They love solving. 

Anything! And everything! 

That comes their way

Being in constant solution mode will make anyone look and seem powerful. 

There is a situation – let me solve it 

The product is broken here – let me solve it 

Sales are not happening this month – let me solve it 

This guy is not performing – let me solve it 

I haven’t slept for 48 hours – let me solve it

But solving situations isn’t ever helpful. That doesn’t ensure the problem will not come back. It is tactical. It is short term. 

And some problems aren’t even problems, the way they are described. They are mostly reactions. 

Hence, ask yourself what is it that you are truly solving for? 

Is it worth your time

And your smartness

Don’t become a victim of your own smartness

Don’t solve all the time 

  
The journey has been nothing short of fascinating. I wouldn’t trade this for anything else in my life. 

Humbled. 

Excited. 

Scared. 

If someone sends a thank you note, out of the blue, to you or your team or someone else

There are 2 options you have
1. This guy seems genuine. He believes in thanking people and in comforting them. And maybe that’s what I need to do to him, because this is his worldview
2. Nonsense. Sending this note to earn brownie points. Fraud!

It is not hard to realize which of the two paths above has a higher chance of success
Suddenly, it doesn’t matter which of the two options are true!

Views on my Quora responses crossed 2Mn this Saturday – that’s a lot of people! 

My followers on Quora are touching 20,000 – adding me to the list of the Top 100 followed people in the world 

My TEDx talks on YouTube have now garnered over 200,000 views

I get fanmail. People even call me an online celebrity! 

You know what’s the truth about celebrities? It’s easy to become one. 

It is easy to garner respect from a distance. 

To say the right things in a considered manner 

To be immaculate and trained in front of a crowd 

It is easy to be liked, when people don’t know who you really are. 

What is hard – is to be respected when people get to know you. When they know your faults. And how you react to situations. And how you treat others. And how you treat yourself. 

Known respect is always greater than unknown respect 

And way more valuable 

Reminder about all our present lives 

• We are not in the best relationship we could have been in. There are better 
• We are not in the best paying job we could have been in. There are better 
• We are not driving the best car in the world. There are better 
• We do not work with the best manager. There are better
• We do not live in the best country. There are better 
• We do not have the best life. It could be better

Whatever is it that you do and whosoever is it that you are, there is something better

In that case, why are you afraid to change things around you? Why don’t you speak up? Why don’t you challenge the status quo. Why don’t you question the wrong? 

What is it that you fear? 

That feeling of security. That is a farce. You  have created it. The world hasn’t granted it to you. 

When do you feel the shittiest about yourself?

Someone criticizes you? 

You fail? 

You eat too much? 

Someone says they hate you?

Your loved one doesn’t love you back? 

You aren’t inspired. Or can’t inspire? 

Feeling shitty is self imposed. You have created it. You can destroy it too. It doesn’t exist. 

What does exist is the reason behind it. And if the reason for your feeling is someone else, then don’t blame yourself. Don’t be harsh. It will pass. 

And if the reason is you yourself. And your actions. Then don’t blame anyone else. Fix it. 

The key to not feeling shitty is to find the source. And who not to blame. 

The biggest challenge when building a large company, is communication. 

How do you get everyone on the same page? 

How do you ensure everyone is working towards the right goals? 

How you dissapate information rapidly? And effectively? 

The trick lies in realizing that every hop will lead to 50% reduction. In clarity. In conciseness. In direction. In all the good things that matter 

So suddenly the first hop becomes the most critical layer. 

Chose the first hop wisely. 

It doesn’t matter what you say to them. What matters is what they tell the others. 

There are three kinds of people that we need

• Those who tell us what we should be doing
• Those that tell us how to do it 
• Those who tell us how we are doing 

We live in a world where all three are mostly the same person. Our school and college teachers, our parents, our friends, our own selves, our bosses. 

Sub optimal. 

The first person should be you 

The second person should be your teacher 

The third should be your enemy

Create a portfolio of people 

Sometime back, I was asked to answer the following question on Quora

What qualities does Ankur Warikoo expect when he says, “If you are awesome”?
In many answers he mentioned that apply if you are awesome. What is his criteria? 

Here was my response to the question

I was at the ISB Admissions Interview yesterday.

A candidate walked in.
Asked him his biggest achievement till date
He replied “the fact that I can read and write today”
Perplexed, we asked him to elaborate

2 years back he met with a motorcycle accident.
Suffered 2 skull fractures. 1 in his collar bone.
After 2 days, he lost his memory.
He couldnt remember words, he couldnt remember how to dial numbers, how to read, how to do things that one learns by simply growing up.

After 10 days, he was watching a football match with his brother. Between Liverpool and Manchester United. He didnt even know that this was football. But somehow it looked familiar.
He asked his brother why it was looking familiar.
His brother replied that Man Utd was his favorite football club.

A visual had triggered his memory.

Over the course of the next 3 months, through doses of music, films, re-enacting incidents from before, travelling to places, and a thorough language training, he regained a large part of his memory back.

He is now an Income Tax Officer, after clearing the IAS with an All India Rank of 41

Awesome cannot be defined.
I do not know what awesome is.
I just know when I see it.

80% of the comments on this page were about correcting the fact that one doesn’t become an Income Tax Officer after clearing the IAS.

They missed the point completely.

Reminded me of the the most powerful lesson I have learnt in life

If you spend enough time – everything will have flaws.
But that may not be the best use of your time.