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English is not my first language.

But I grew up at a time where English was considered the only way to be respected, acknowledged, or heard.

Even though my parents worked really hard to send us to a lovely English medium school, it didn’t help me get better at the language.

What helped, as luck would have it, was having neighbours whose daughters became my best friends at a young age.

Their first language was Konkani.
So the only common language for us was English.

Everyday, speaking to them in English gave me the training that I couldn’t have ever afforded.
It set me up foundationally.

Public speaking then honed the skill.

But I still think in and speak Hindi as my first language.
It’s my comfort language.
My mind language.

Today, I see India very differently.

Yes, English still remains the dominant business and administrative language.
But there is acceptance, learning, and growth through your mother tongue.

When I meet people who speak English only to operate with the external world, I remind myself where I have come from.

Your command over English is NOT equal to your strength in communication.

I was 21.
Studying at Hindu College, Delhi University.

Back then, everyone’s favourite drink on campus was Banta (also called nimbu soda or kancha bottle.)

However, the seller’s setup at the time had a few shortcomings:

Dirty hands.
Glasses used again and again.

I thought there had to be a hygienic way of executing the business.

Enter “warikoo Banta!”

Plastic gloves.
Disposable glasses.
Charged at a premium (Rs. 7 instead of Rs. 3 at the time.)

I made a business plan for 300 stalls.
Projected revenue of Rs. 1.2 Cr/year.
Profit of Rs. 30 L/year.

However, it needed an investment of Rs. 15L upfront.

Since I didn’t have the money, I went to the only investor I knew.
My parents.
Turns out, not surprisingly, they didn’t have the money either.
This was more money than we had ever had in our lifetime, haha!

So I dropped the idea.

BECAUSE I couldn’t arrange 15L, back in the year 2001, to start 300 stalls of warikoo Banta.
Not even for a second did I think – should I start with just one and see where it goes?
No!

Because in my head – I had to start BIG.
That was the only way to start.
BIG!

Today, I am wise.
Life taught me a very important life lesson.

DO NOT confuse starting slow as starting small.

I was absolutely wrong about the world, while in school.

I was the diligent, studious, and obedient kid.
But there were kids around me who weren’t.
And I looked down upon them.

I thought those who smoke, drink, do not study and do not obey were evil people.

I felt righteous in my approach.
And felt right to judge them!

But I was wrong.

Most of those kids have gone on to do meaningful things in life.

One of them runs a big chemist shop.

He went out of his way to source medicines for my mom during the 2nd wave of COVID.
When we had lost all hope.

I am not proud of the judgemental person that I was back then.
And I am glad that life taught me to act better and be better, in the best manner possible.

In the end, how you treat people defines who you truly are!

When I first met my wife, Ruchi, I thought she was someone I would never hang out with.

I was very clear about what I wanted to do in life.
She, instead, was going with the flow — no visible goals, no desire to control her life.
The exact opposite of me!

But as I got to know her, I realised I was wrong about one thing.
She never lost control over her life.

She started earning while in school itself, by giving tuitions.
She funded her own college education.
She worked all through college.
Did a Master’s degree.
Got a great job.
Bought her first car at 24!
Started investing at the same age.
While having fun, travelling, eating out, buying things – everything.

She worked for 8 years.
Then she quit.
Travelled for a month.
Became a mother.
Spent 3 years devoted to it.
Then, decided to get back to work.
Represented creative outfits as their sales agent.
Then worked for an organic farm, helping people build a sustainable livelihood.
Earning 20,000 a month – 1/10th of what she was earning 10 years back.
But she didn’t care.
She wanted to do this.

One day, I asked her if she would become my manager.
She said yes.

This is her life.
Fluid.
Adapting to change, on her own terms.
Not the other way around.

We have been together for 20+ years now, and the only thing she ever wanted in life was to be happy.

Growing up without money or today, when we have it in abundance.
She chose to be happy.
When things were tough, or when they were a joyride.
She chose to be happy.
Whether life felt hopeless, or whether everything felt full of hope.
She CHOSE to be happy.

She is the happiest person I know.
That is her goal.
That is her success!

And I wish there were a lot more people like her.

For the past 3 years, our (now) 12 year old son, Vidur, has been setting up a game stall at our society’s Diwali mela. 

This year, he earned 12K in profit.
And he can’t believe it!

While his objective was to have fun, I had a selfish motive.
To teach him about money. 

1st year lesson: Sales.

3 years back, I wished for him to learn sales. 

How to drive conversions?
How to select the prizes?
How to price?

He ran a “Break the can pyramid with 3 balls” game.
Made a sale of Rs. 4,000.
Had no idea about costs or something called profit.
But he understood that he could have charged more. 

2nd year lesson: Costs.

Last year, I wished for him to learn costs.
Fixed costs (stall cost, game cost, etc.) and variable costs (prizes).

He had a budget to work with.

He ran the same game.
Made a sale of Rs. 8,500.
Spent Rs. 5,000 in prizes and Rs. 3,000 in fixed costs.

He thought he made Rs. 8,500.
Cute :))

3rd year lesson: Profits.

This year, I wished for him to learn how to make money.
And I saw a different Vidur at work!

He decided on a new game.
Players had to throw table-tennis balls into 10 cups arranged as a cone, each with a score of 1-10.
You total the score and win prizes on that basis.

I asked him how much he wanted to make in profit percentage.
He said, “At least 75%.”

Wow!
I said, “Okay – let’s play Excel Excel.” :))

Sales:

His game pitch was “Earn Rs. 15,000”
Score more than 30 points in 3 or 4 tries and pick any of the prizes – which included a Marshall speaker for Rs. 15,000 (he didn’t buy it – we already had one).

He priced 3 tries for Rs. 20, 4 tries for Rs. 40.

Costs:

He wanted most people to walk away with a prize. 

So he set 5 slabs:

1-5 points: Lollipop (worth Rs. 5)
6-10 points: Frooti (worth Rs. 10)
11-20 points: Frooti + Oreo (worth Rs. 20)
21-30 points: Coke + Oreo + Kitkat (worth Rs. 30)
30+ points: Pick from the grand prizes

He went about buying these on a returnable basis from the local shop, which was smart.

Invested 2,700 to do so.
2,000 for the stall.
500 for misc setup. 

Profits:

I was the cashier handling the money.
He was the one selling and making people play.
Enticing them to go for 4 tries (for Rs. 40).
Celebrating each ball dropping into a cup.

Mid-way, he realised the game was harder than he thought it would be.
So he encouraged people to play again, because it is a skill game eventually. 

End result:

Sales: Rs. 16,600

Costs:
– Rs. 2,500 fixed
– Rs. 2,200 prizes

Profit: Rs. 11,900

He couldn’t believe he did it. 

He kept 1,900 with himself and asked me to invest 10K.

While he gets a fair bit of money on his birthday and other family events, this is the most he has made on his own.
And I don’t think anything else will come close to making this money feel sweeter!

PS:
He has been investing nearly all the money he has got till date, through me.
Has invested 1.05L so far, which has reached 1.23L at an XIRR of 24%.

I am staying at a wonderful place for a week and I am paying more than what I earned in the entire year, in my first job. 

Am I surprised everyday at how far I have come?
Yes! 

Do I believe it’s all my doing?
Not at all. It’s insane luck at play. 

Does that stop me from showing up everyday?
Thankfully not. Grateful for everything.
Entitled to nothing.

When we point a finger at someone else, we are unable to join hands together.
When we think someone else is wrong, we hardly stop to think they could be right in their shoes.
When we confront, it is in accusation mode instead of access mode.

It’s easy to win conversations by gathering all the evidence against someone, it’s difficult to gather all the reasons why they could be perfectly right.

Instead of winning conversations, having one helps.

If given a chance to trade anything of the wealthiest people, what is the right thing to trade?

Their money? Status? Network? Hard work? Life Lessons?

The best thing to trade for is their curiosity.
What do they think about the most? What is the pattern of their thinking? What are their mental models?

Curiosity can make us figure out a way to make a motor car in a world where everyone wants a faster horse cart. 

Lack of it, can make us believe we are meant for slow commutes forever.

Having the wealth of the wealthy is like eating fish.
Having their curiosity is learning how to fish. 

Your biggest enemy is not your competitor.
Or a newbie changing the world.
Or a viral trend you missed.

These are parts of life.

Your biggest enemy is someone who tells you that it is impossible for you to think beyond what lies in front of you. They make you think small because they want you to be one, even if unintentionally. It could even be your closest friends or family.

“You cannot move further.” 

Anyone who tells this to you, is the one who is your responsibility to move further away from your life. 

You’re starting something you’ve never done. It’s making you anxious. You find yourself lacking confidence.

What if I fail? What if I’m laughed at? What if my critics say: “I told you!”

It’s impossible to have 100% confidence when you’re starting something new. 

It’s 100% possible to know that you will figure it out.
That you care about your progress more than what people think of you.
That even if you fail, you will own it and make it better.

Confidence that you don’t have confidence as of now but will figure things out is the only confidence you ought to have.