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A thread of interesting thought provoking ideas by Kunal Shah ( @kunalb11):
1/
Any subscription product that’s about improving yourself has massive retention because cancelling it means you’re giving up on yourself.
1/
Any subscription product that’s about improving yourself has massive retention because cancelling it means you’re giving up on yourself.
2/
Inefficiency is the largest employer of the world.
Remove inefficiency too quickly with tech and you are setup for a major civil unrest.
Inefficiency is the largest employer of the world.
Remove inefficiency too quickly with tech and you are setup for a major civil unrest.
3/
Retention is symptomatic of dependence.
True for products. True for relationships.
Retention is symptomatic of dependence.
True for products. True for relationships.
4/
Price of extreme creativity is natural resistance to all things structure and rules.
Price of extreme creativity is natural resistance to all things structure and rules.
5/
Early adopters of products are special people. They put their faith and help do-build a product with their feedback.
Without that bunch of enthusiastic lot, rarely companies would become successful in any domains.
Early adopters of products are special people. They put their faith and help do-build a product with their feedback.
Without that bunch of enthusiastic lot, rarely companies would become successful in any domains.
6/
All products that offer hope, have room to upsell, irrespective of the price tag and often achieved by providing affordability in installments.
Utilities on other hand are super easy to downsell unless it has any signaling value attached to them.
All products that offer hope, have room to upsell, irrespective of the price tag and often achieved by providing affordability in installments.
Utilities on other hand are super easy to downsell unless it has any signaling value attached to them.
7/
As a founder, books, knowledge from startup events, YouTube content bingeing are all ointments that work magically only if your skin is porous enough with scars of trying and failing.
As a founder, books, knowledge from startup events, YouTube content bingeing are all ointments that work magically only if your skin is porous enough with scars of trying and failing.
8/
Often leaders confuse busy activity and launching new things as progress but most of them don’t move any metric.
Progress is about moving a metric positively without negatively impacting other metrics.
Often leaders confuse busy activity and launching new things as progress but most of them don’t move any metric.
Progress is about moving a metric positively without negatively impacting other metrics.
9/
Explosion of information and free flowing knowledge is extremely flourishing time for people with growth mindset and probably also a time for others to shut off and avoid being overwhelmed.
Explosion of information and free flowing knowledge is extremely flourishing time for people with growth mindset and probably also a time for others to shut off and avoid being overwhelmed.
10/
Gamification is not merely a product skill but a life skill.
Gamification is not merely a product skill but a life skill.
11/
Biggest impediment for most people studying human behavior as a subject is the wall of denial they face which starts as an ugly mirror before it becomes a tool to create wealth.
Biggest impediment for most people studying human behavior as a subject is the wall of denial they face which starts as an ugly mirror before it becomes a tool to create wealth.
12/
“Content is King.
Distribution is God”
True for any B2C initiatives.
“Content is King.
Distribution is God”
True for any B2C initiatives.
13/
If a society doesn’t know how to be productive with their time, will probably never trade money to save their time.
If a society doesn’t know how to be productive with their time, will probably never trade money to save their time.
14/
We are our biases.
We are our biases.
15/
Poor physical infra: high cost and unreliable shipping of goods (atoms).
Great digital infra: low cost and futuristic stack for moving money (bits)
No prizes for guessing which of the two will be wealth creation category for next 5 years.
Poor physical infra: high cost and unreliable shipping of goods (atoms).
Great digital infra: low cost and futuristic stack for moving money (bits)
No prizes for guessing which of the two will be wealth creation category for next 5 years.
16/
Hyperconnected world is a super conductor that will make good startup ideas spread faster than ever.
This shift will force capital to move at earlier stages for all investors out of fomo, resulting in chaos as not all pools of capital can play high speed without data.
Hyperconnected world is a super conductor that will make good startup ideas spread faster than ever.
This shift will force capital to move at earlier stages for all investors out of fomo, resulting in chaos as not all pools of capital can play high speed without data.
17/
Signaling goods is a high margin business.
Maintenance of signaling goods is also a high margin business as the signaling good becomes part of social identity of the owner and is taken care of like a body part.
Signaling goods is a high margin business.
Maintenance of signaling goods is also a high margin business as the signaling good becomes part of social identity of the owner and is taken care of like a body part.
18/
Skills don’t pass genetically.
With accelerated change in the world today, anyone can become useless in a decade if they don’t upskill constantly.
While we learn a lot at school and work, we haven’t been trained how to learn quickly and effectively and that will change.
Skills don’t pass genetically.
With accelerated change in the world today, anyone can become useless in a decade if they don’t upskill constantly.
While we learn a lot at school and work, we haven’t been trained how to learn quickly and effectively and that will change.
19/
It’s natural for humans to consider the history and brand of entity when they deposit their money with these entities but not bother about their backgrounds when they borrow from them.
Thus, lending can never be “winner takes all” market.
It’s natural for humans to consider the history and brand of entity when they deposit their money with these entities but not bother about their backgrounds when they borrow from them.
Thus, lending can never be “winner takes all” market.
20/
People who don’t know the chemical process of converting failures into lessons and fuel to propel in life spend most of their life avoiding them.
People who don’t know the chemical process of converting failures into lessons and fuel to propel in life spend most of their life avoiding them.
21/
A plant becomes widespread if it bears good fruits that attract animals to consume it & spread the seed that came along with the fruit.
If a product creates an incentive for customers to use it but forgets to plant a seed that spreads the product, it fails to be viral.
A plant becomes widespread if it bears good fruits that attract animals to consume it & spread the seed that came along with the fruit.
If a product creates an incentive for customers to use it but forgets to plant a seed that spreads the product, it fails to be viral.
22/
Instagram perpetually demands novel taste.
In this quest of new new things, people will want to stay at, party at, eat at, travel to, shop at... new new places.
Potentially creating entropy of many brands as we know it.
Instagram perpetually demands novel taste.
In this quest of new new things, people will want to stay at, party at, eat at, travel to, shop at... new new places.
Potentially creating entropy of many brands as we know it.
23/
Branded certification is getting more expensive, education and knowledge is trending towards free.
Branded certification is getting more expensive, education and knowledge is trending towards free.
24/
Great ideas and realizations have magical ability to make you feel stupid for hours.
Ability to feel stupid everyday for new things is sure shot way to compound.
Great ideas and realizations have magical ability to make you feel stupid for hours.
Ability to feel stupid everyday for new things is sure shot way to compound.
25/
Zero to one startups is more art than science. Some can do it consistently. Many need luck and pivots to get product market fit.
1 to 100 is more rigorous science than art. Many can do it consistently without luck.
0 to 1 initiatives within scaled startup need art again.
Zero to one startups is more art than science. Some can do it consistently. Many need luck and pivots to get product market fit.
1 to 100 is more rigorous science than art. Many can do it consistently without luck.
0 to 1 initiatives within scaled startup need art again.
26/
Taking off is easy for startups. But landing it safely is the real challenge, even if it’s well funded.
Despite ridicule, pain & numerous failures, what drives humanity forward is those few who keep trying to shoot for the moon.
Only when we celebrate failure, we progress.
Taking off is easy for startups. But landing it safely is the real challenge, even if it’s well funded.
Despite ridicule, pain & numerous failures, what drives humanity forward is those few who keep trying to shoot for the moon.
Only when we celebrate failure, we progress.
27/
Don’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from.
Don’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from.
28/
When a product that was used as status before and is reduced to becoming a utility, the fall of its margin is steep and quick.
Desirability creates the room for big margins to exist.
When a product that was used as status before and is reduced to becoming a utility, the fall of its margin is steep and quick.
Desirability creates the room for big margins to exist.
29/
In trust nations, people trust regime, attracts & grows wealth.
In mistrust nations, people don’t trust regime, repels wealth & wealth creators.
Borders & currencies prevented wealth and people to move seamlessly from mistrust to trust nations.
Crypto is making it easy.
In trust nations, people trust regime, attracts & grows wealth.
In mistrust nations, people don’t trust regime, repels wealth & wealth creators.
Borders & currencies prevented wealth and people to move seamlessly from mistrust to trust nations.
Crypto is making it easy.
30/
We become what we celebrate.
We become what we celebrate.
31/
Critical thinking is like swimming.
Only when you learn and practice it early in life, you like it instead of fearing it.
Critical thinking is like swimming.
Only when you learn and practice it early in life, you like it instead of fearing it.
32/
Self awareness is a bug that cells got in their AI tech which often slows down propagation.
AI Tech being humans.
Funny that humans are worried of same bug in their attempt to recreate that tech.
Self awareness is a bug that cells got in their AI tech which often slows down propagation.
AI Tech being humans.
Funny that humans are worried of same bug in their attempt to recreate that tech.
33/
Often people who don’t act their age or their wage are disliked for breaking unwritten level rules.
Often people who don’t act their age or their wage are disliked for breaking unwritten level rules.
34/
Obedience is the price of dependence.
Obedience is the price of dependence.
35/
Product managers should:
1) like coming up with ideas
2) like building a product from an idea
3) like to get that across to users soon
4) like to see it appreciated for its quality
5) like to see it spread widely
6) like to see users depend on it
7) like to expand with step1
Product managers should:
1) like coming up with ideas
2) like building a product from an idea
3) like to get that across to users soon
4) like to see it appreciated for its quality
5) like to see it spread widely
6) like to see users depend on it
7) like to expand with step1
36/
If you are a tech entrepreneur from a developing world and want to see how tech driven future looks like, spend few weeks in A̶m̶e̶r̶i̶c̶a̶ China
If you are a tech entrepreneur from a developing world and want to see how tech driven future looks like, spend few weeks in A̶m̶e̶r̶i̶c̶a̶ China
37/
Creative investors thrive by investing in many companies with their ability to connect dots at scale and help portfolio companies.
Issue remains in everyone thinking they are creative.
Creative investors thrive by investing in many companies with their ability to connect dots at scale and help portfolio companies.
Issue remains in everyone thinking they are creative.
38/
Only a few people become masters at learning skills by observing great people operating.
Specially if they’ve been only good at cracking exams from a fixed set of books and questions.
Great learners are masters of osmosis.
Only a few people become masters at learning skills by observing great people operating.
Specially if they’ve been only good at cracking exams from a fixed set of books and questions.
Great learners are masters of osmosis.
39/
Hobbies and games are more exciting than life as it has more frequent feedback loop.
Hobbies and games are more exciting than life as it has more frequent feedback loop.
40/
Clarity of thinking with relentless execution can create fortunes. Amazon won with selection. And if you expand this need to have everything on your store, you can eat the world.
Clarity of thinking with relentless execution can create fortunes. Amazon won with selection. And if you expand this need to have everything on your store, you can eat the world.
41/
Efficient hyper connected world gradually eliminates profits from businesses that thrived on information asymmetry.
Efficient hyper connected world gradually eliminates profits from businesses that thrived on information asymmetry.
42/
Life hack: look at your last weeks calendar every Sunday and see the volume of stuff you didn’t enjoy doing or shouldn’t have wasted time in first place.
Note down the %. Introspect.
Repeat every week till it’s under 10%.
Life hack: look at your last weeks calendar every Sunday and see the volume of stuff you didn’t enjoy doing or shouldn’t have wasted time in first place.
Note down the %. Introspect.
Repeat every week till it’s under 10%.
43/
Don’t hate, create.
Don’t hate, create.
44/
Creativity is output of burning desires meeting constraints.
Creativity is output of burning desires meeting constraints.
45/
Insights are the fruits you get by following the religion of curiosity and suffer the curse of truth seeking.
Insights are the fruits you get by following the religion of curiosity and suffer the curse of truth seeking.
46/
Easily offended are poor learners.
Their ability and speed to reject a contrarian thought hampers compounding that usually comes by being punctured regularly.
Easily offended are poor learners.
Their ability and speed to reject a contrarian thought hampers compounding that usually comes by being punctured regularly.
47/
Creative people who do well also come with the deep desire to be right all the time.
Often at cost of 1000s of trials and hundreds of failures, reducing the failure rate over time.
Creative people who do well also come with the deep desire to be right all the time.
Often at cost of 1000s of trials and hundreds of failures, reducing the failure rate over time.
48/
All companies with good cultures feel alike; each company with bad cultures are messed up in unique ways.
All companies with good cultures feel alike; each company with bad cultures are messed up in unique ways.
49/
A sure shot way to not do well in life is to only desire the possessions of people you envy.
A sure shot way to succeed in life is to desire the skills of people you envy.
Focus on their possessions will never allow you to learn their skills.
A sure shot way to not do well in life is to only desire the possessions of people you envy.
A sure shot way to succeed in life is to desire the skills of people you envy.
Focus on their possessions will never allow you to learn their skills.
50/
Curse of poor metric design is that it can result in achievement of that metric and not the mission.
Such poor designs lead to scenario akin to a hospital saying “operation was successful but patient died”.
Curse of poor metric design is that it can result in achievement of that metric and not the mission.
Such poor designs lead to scenario akin to a hospital saying “operation was successful but patient died”.
51/
Startups are a test of character.
Unlike a corporate job there are far fewer places to hide your incompetencies and lack of compounding.
Those who survive and ace this game, keep changing the world around us.
Startups are a test of character.
Unlike a corporate job there are far fewer places to hide your incompetencies and lack of compounding.
Those who survive and ace this game, keep changing the world around us.
52/
Earlier workplace was to acquire skills and apply but the hyper connected world allows you to learn at great speed and apply at work place.
Those who are waiting to learn it all on the job and not fast track learnings will have much slower growth trajectory.
Earlier workplace was to acquire skills and apply but the hyper connected world allows you to learn at great speed and apply at work place.
Those who are waiting to learn it all on the job and not fast track learnings will have much slower growth trajectory.
53/
Humans love mirrors. Specially the ones that make you better than what you are.
Any product that acts like a mirror that makes you look better, becomes an addiction.
Humans love mirrors. Specially the ones that make you better than what you are.
Any product that acts like a mirror that makes you look better, becomes an addiction.
54/
Luxury goods are high gross margin products that high status individuals sell to people with lower status as a ladder to higher status.
Luxury goods are high gross margin products that high status individuals sell to people with lower status as a ladder to higher status.
55/
Status seekers buy more high gross margin products than non status seekers.
Financially dependent cohorts like kids often engage in high gross margin products to elevate status in peers.
Status seekers buy more high gross margin products than non status seekers.
Financially dependent cohorts like kids often engage in high gross margin products to elevate status in peers.
56/
Pen is mightier than sword due to its reach.
Pen is mightier than sword due to its reach.
57/
Often people assume people who know how to make money, know how to manage money.
A bulk of profits in financial services relies on this gullibility of people who make money.
Often people assume people who know how to make money, know how to manage money.
A bulk of profits in financial services relies on this gullibility of people who make money.
58/
First time founders with sharp consumer insights, not solutions/ideas, are likely to succeed.
Solutions change and pivots. Good and correct insights likely become sharper.
First time founders with sharp consumer insights, not solutions/ideas, are likely to succeed.
Solutions change and pivots. Good and correct insights likely become sharper.
59/
Political leaders of large democracies understand the business tactic of gaining market share (winning elections) by deep discounting (subsidies).
Political leaders of large democracies understand the business tactic of gaining market share (winning elections) by deep discounting (subsidies).
60/
In societies that don’t value time, majority of profit pools are in businesses that address luck, status and fear.
In societies that don’t value time, majority of profit pools are in businesses that address luck, status and fear.
61/
“If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them.” — George Orwell
“If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them.” — George Orwell
62/
UI/UX alone can’t make startups win the neo bank game anywhere in the world. Trust and financial value prop is the delta 4.
UI/UX led cool neo banks can drive people to open accounts but not move their saving deposits and will meet the same fate as empty digital wallets.
UI/UX alone can’t make startups win the neo bank game anywhere in the world. Trust and financial value prop is the delta 4.
UI/UX led cool neo banks can drive people to open accounts but not move their saving deposits and will meet the same fate as empty digital wallets.
63/
Often brands that increase status of its employees can get away by paying them lesser than the market.
Often brands that elevate status of its customers can get away by charging them more than the market.
When a brand can do both, it becomes a money printing machine.
Often brands that increase status of its employees can get away by paying them lesser than the market.
Often brands that elevate status of its customers can get away by charging them more than the market.
When a brand can do both, it becomes a money printing machine.
64/
Individuals whose favorite people or favorite things keep changing with evolution and time, eventually give up playing favorites and become free to explore and seek.
Maybe being fanatically loyal to favorites is a way to stop evolving.
Individuals whose favorite people or favorite things keep changing with evolution and time, eventually give up playing favorites and become free to explore and seek.
Maybe being fanatically loyal to favorites is a way to stop evolving.
65/
Advanced games have DDA: Dynamic Difficulty Adjustor.
This feature allows gamers to remain in flow and not get bored or anxious in a game by automatically adjusting difficulty based on performance.
If careers and education came with DDA, life would probably be fun.
Advanced games have DDA: Dynamic Difficulty Adjustor.
This feature allows gamers to remain in flow and not get bored or anxious in a game by automatically adjusting difficulty based on performance.
If careers and education came with DDA, life would probably be fun.
66/
Ability to learn from mistakes compounds abilities.
Learning from mistakes is a skill that’s acquired by deliberate effort & never living in denial.
Most humans keep repeating same mistakes as they jump to non nuanced and non analytical conclusions when a mistake is made.
Ability to learn from mistakes compounds abilities.
Learning from mistakes is a skill that’s acquired by deliberate effort & never living in denial.
Most humans keep repeating same mistakes as they jump to non nuanced and non analytical conclusions when a mistake is made.
67/
Being fan of a particular source of knowledge requires one to be less smart.
Fan comes from the word fanatic. Fantacism means devotion thus shutdown of brain to new ideas.
Being fan of a particular source of knowledge requires one to be less smart.
Fan comes from the word fanatic. Fantacism means devotion thus shutdown of brain to new ideas.
68/
In status driven societies (versus wealth), it’s easier to underpay someone at workplaces if you give them a fancy designation, a uniform to wear, tons of certificates or applause, etc.
In status driven societies (versus wealth), it’s easier to underpay someone at workplaces if you give them a fancy designation, a uniform to wear, tons of certificates or applause, etc.
69/
It’s quite unfortunate and ironic that it takes onset of much bigger problems in life to realize many of our earlier problems were quite silly and trivial.
It’s quite unfortunate and ironic that it takes onset of much bigger problems in life to realize many of our earlier problems were quite silly and trivial.
70/
Living on essentials gives you a great visibility on what’s extra.
Living on essentials gives you a great visibility on what’s extra.
71/
Social distancing gives you the golden opportunity to meet yourself.
Social distancing gives you the golden opportunity to meet yourself.
72/
Our imagination is limited by our experiences.
Reliable methods to enhance it, is by studying history, fiction and biographies.
Our imagination is limited by our experiences.
Reliable methods to enhance it, is by studying history, fiction and biographies.
73/
Crisis brings clarity.
Crisis brings clarity.
74/
There are no new insights, only late realizations.
There are no new insights, only late realizations.
