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At 18 yrs: I went to check the JEE results, with my father, on our scooter. I did not clear it.
At 24 yrs: I dropped out of my PhD program in the US, came back to India, not knowing what to do next.
At 29 yrs: I quit my consulting job to join a startup, and was fired from it after a year. 

This is who I was.
A failure. 

However, more than a decade later, what I have realised is that over time, everything falls into place.

That insecurity of not making money.
That guilt of probably letting your parents down.
That fear of never being happy in your career.

Over time, every failure passes away.

ONLY if you reflect on it.
ONLY if you ask yourself: Why did it happen?
ONLY if you change the way you do things. 

Because we will all fail.
That is inevitable.
But few of us will win in life.

If I could, so can you.
Trust me.
Trust yourself! 

If you are not having fun while doing it, people will see through it.

Ankur Warikoo

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We own the screen we own. Not the other way around!

Ankur Warikoo

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True respect is when you respect someone even after you’ve got to know them.

Ankur Warikoo

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The best form of content is not you in action, rather you in reflection.

Ankur Warikoo

It has become fashionable to startup today. 

In the world of Shark Tank, everyone thinks they should start their own business. 

Worse, people think that those in a job are losers.
They have sold their soul.
They have become part of a rat race. 

That’s a lie.
A corporate job early in your career can shape you up meaningfully. 

1. It gives you financial stability. Which sets up a good foundation. 
2. It teaches you the power of planning, of systems, of processes. 
3. It shows you the magic of teams and how your individual contribution at a micro level comes together with that of several others, to create impact at a macro level.

What is the one thing you have learnt from your job?

No matter how much you give to your work, your manager would move on to finding a replacement once you move on.

This does not mean they are brutal. This simply means they want to get their work done. And they are right.

This also does not mean that they don’t care about you. They do. More than you could think. However, that does not mean they stop caring about work once you move on.

Work is important. Very important. But no matter how indispensable you are, you will be replaced in your absence.
However, it is not the same with your family and friends. They love you. And they cannot replace you with anyone. Anyone. Ever.

The wisdom of falling in love, then, eventually boils down to spening time with your family and friends more often. They are the places you are truly irreplaceable.

Whenever we make a big decision in life, we only look at the rewards it would bring. 

However, there is a big element most people miss out on: 

The risk associated with that reward.

I would want the higher salary this job brings, but am I willing to add two hours of daily commute to my life?
I would want to have that extra beer or slice of pizza because it makes me happy right now, but am I willing to risk my long term health for it?
I would love to invest in this get-rich-quick scheme, but will I be okay if I lose all my money? 

Every reward in life comes with an associated risk. 

I would never ignore the risk, for a higher reward. 

I did something similar in late 2019, when I decided to be a full-time public speaker, after stepping down as the CEO of nearbuy.

The new income source had rewards – of following my passion, sharing my knowledge, choosing when to work and when to take an off.
However, it came with associated risks of saying no to a monthly salary while having a home loan. 

It was only when I was okay (physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially) with the risk that came with that reward, that I went ahead with that decision. 

Smart people do not eliminate risks.
They manage risks! 

Find the colleague who saw you at your worst and still helped you perform better. 

Find the manager who saw you faltering and still chose to listen instead of scolding. 

Find the friend who saw your lowest points and still chose to support.

Find the partner who saw you through all this and still chose to love.

When we started working from home in the last 2 years, we learnt a few important lessons. 

One of which is work is NOT our life.
It is an important part of life.
But that is just it.
Just a part of the whole pie.

I am so grateful to have realised this almost a decade before the pandemic, when I was working from home.

In 2012, while recovering from a hip bone surgery, I had to build a new team and set up new offices for Groupon India. 

Vidur was born in 2011, which was the year I started the Groupon India business. 

It turns out that surgery in 2012 eventually turned out to be a blessing in disguise where now I got to spend a lot more time with Vidur. 

Your work is not your entire life.
Reminder for your entire life :))

Imagine going to IIT Delhi on a scooter with your father and NOT qualifying for it.
Imagine coming from USA dropping out from a scholarship, and not knowing what to do next.
Imagine quitting a 30LPA consulting job in 2009 to join a startup, only to be fired from that startup.

I was all of that in my 20s.

What the world calls as failure, I was that.

However, with time, everything falls into place.

That insecurity of not making money.
That guilt of probably letting your parents down.
That fear of never being happy in your career.

Over time, every failure passes away.
If you reflect on it.
And yourself the time.
You have the time.
You are not a failure, my friend.

If I could “make it” in life, anyone can.
Trust me.
And trust yourself.

Ask for help.
Ask for the advice you need.
Ask for the problem that you are stuck with, so that you can finally reach a solution instead of being married to the problem forever.

Help is ingrained in our culture for the longest time. We grow because we help others thrive. Not because we focus on “figuring it out on your own”.

You don’t weaker when you reach out for help.
You rather become stronger because you knew your weak spots and decided to fill them instead of let them destroy you.