Strategy vs. Planning :: The Compass vs. The Map
In business, the terms “strategy” and “planning” are often thrown around interchangeably. But they are not the same. Think of your business plan as the road map. It lays out the steps, milestones, and resources you’ll need to reach your destination. It’s all about execution and ensuring you cover the necessary ground. But what happens […]
The Secret Sauce to Growth: Hiring Right Sales Talent
When it comes to driving growth, hiring exceptional sales and growth talent is non-negotiable. We all know the usual skills that we should look at. Yet, there are a few critical skills that one often overlooks during the hiring process. These can be the difference between a rainmaker and an average hire. 1) Positive Energy: […]
Capital vs. Talent: What Really Drives Growth in Scaling Businesses?
When scaling a growth-stage company, it’s easy to assume that capital is the kingpin. I always used to think this in the early days of Indus Net Technologies (INT.) But let’s rethink this for a moment. Yes, capital is crucial, but I argue that talent is the real game changer. Here’s why: Imagine you have […]
The Art of Decision-Making: Mental Models vs. First Principles
In today’s fast-paced world, making timely and effective decisions is crucial. Indecision can lead to missed opportunities, wasted resources, and stagnation. Two powerful approaches to problem-solving are Mental Models and First Principles Thinking. Each has its merits, but how do we choose which to use in a given situation? One fun way to decide is […]
Biology – Chemistry – Physics – Maths of Startup Investing
Everyone has their own investment philosophy. And someone as versatile and active as Rohit Chanana had to have a very interesting one. I met him at DLF Golf Resort Ltd in Gurgaon recently, and this is what I learned from him. Angel investing is all about investing in the founder. And this is how they […]
Taking & Giving Advice – Knowledge, Experience, or Ideas
Knowledge gets multiplied when shared. And this is the reason, humble professionals and leaders are open to ask and share advice. Here are a few ground rules that can make it effective, based on my “experience”. 1) When seeking advice, ensure that you summarise the context and highlight the problem statement. 2) Be specific in […]
The Right Way to Start: Problem First, Idea Second.
Never start with an idea. I regularly get pitched with new and unique ideas from aspiring entrepreneurs and my team mates. In the majority of the cases, the idea is the wrong place to start with. Thinking why? Idea = Solution. Where is the problem? Ideas are exciting, as it is linked with innovation and […]
War & Peace in Business – What should be your leadership talent strategy?
Business (can be a function within the business) goes through different times. One of the lenses to look at it is “war” and “peace” times. “War time” is when the business is facing a major challenge or opportunity, and it needs to respond and experiment (to figure out the path) to maximise favourable outcome in […]
Leading Change in a Dynamic World
Newton’s first law of motion and your business. – Why is it so difficult to start? – Why is it so difficult to drive a change in an organisation? – Why do some of the biggest companies fail? Because: “An object at rest remains at rest, or if in motion, remains in motion at a […]
My L+2 model of growing leaders.
In my simplest definition, a leader is one who can: – step up, take ownership, and get things done – create more leaders Getting things done ✅ is easier to achieve amongst the two. The more difficult task is to create more leaders, because this needs a permanent mindset change. I use an L+2 model […]