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10 times I almost gave up hope.
A thread...
A thread...
Class 6
Dad had just lost his job. We were under severe debt. Desperate for money, he started working at a corporate gifts biz.
That night, we had to fill ball pens with refill, to be paid per 100 pens.
The room was full of pens. And I was like "how will we ever fill them all?"
Dad had just lost his job. We were under severe debt. Desperate for money, he started working at a corporate gifts biz.
That night, we had to fill ball pens with refill, to be paid per 100 pens.
The room was full of pens. And I was like "how will we ever fill them all?"
Dad was like, "we are 3 of us. We can fill 3 pens each every min. So 9 pens every min. Which means in a night we can do 3000 pens! Wow"
And I was like "wowwww!"
We filled pens the whole night.
He gave me hope.
We made it! :)
And I was like "wowwww!"
We filled pens the whole night.
He gave me hope.
We made it! :)
Class 12
The IIT results came out and I hadn't made it to the list.
I was devastated.
The years of hard work, sacrifice had amounted to nothing.
I had failed everyone. I had failed myself.
The IIT results came out and I hadn't made it to the list.
I was devastated.
The years of hard work, sacrifice had amounted to nothing.
I had failed everyone. I had failed myself.
Ma wiped my tears.
"Why did you want to go to IIT?"
"Because I want to go to the US for my PhD"
"And do only IITians go to the US for a PhD?"
"I guess not"
"Well, then you will be one of those!"
She gave me hope.
We made it! :)
"Why did you want to go to IIT?"
"Because I want to go to the US for my PhD"
"And do only IITians go to the US for a PhD?"
"I guess not"
"Well, then you will be one of those!"
She gave me hope.
We made it! :)
Age 23
I am a PhD student in the US.
Doing really well, but not enjoying it.
I want to drop out of it and come back to India.
Everyone in my world is advising me against it.
Who does this?
Who drops out of a PhD program on a 100% scholarship, in the US?
I am a PhD student in the US.
Doing really well, but not enjoying it.
I want to drop out of it and come back to India.
Everyone in my world is advising me against it.
Who does this?
Who drops out of a PhD program on a 100% scholarship, in the US?
I send an email to a college batchmate.
He did an MBA after Physics.
I asked him if I should drop out?
He replied
"There is no way to know if this is the right decision or not. But do you want to live life asking what if I had taken the decision?"
He gave me hope.
We made it!:)
He did an MBA after Physics.
I asked him if I should drop out?
He replied
"There is no way to know if this is the right decision or not. But do you want to live life asking what if I had taken the decision?"
He gave me hope.
We made it!:)
Age 24
I had dropped out of my PhD and come back to India.
No goals, no direction, no plan, no money.
I had a master's degree in Physics. Which basically made me unemployable in the country.
Survival was key. I needed a job. We needed money for the family.
I had dropped out of my PhD and come back to India.
No goals, no direction, no plan, no money.
I had a master's degree in Physics. Which basically made me unemployable in the country.
Survival was key. I needed a job. We needed money for the family.
I sat for an interview.
"We aren't really sure. But we can try you out. How much salary are you expecting?"
(anything that paid me 10Kpm would be awesome, I thought)
"I have no idea. How much can you pay?"
"15Kpm"
The job gave me hope.
We made it! :)
"We aren't really sure. But we can try you out. How much salary are you expecting?"
(anything that paid me 10Kpm would be awesome, I thought)
"I have no idea. How much can you pay?"
"15Kpm"
The job gave me hope.
We made it! :)
Age 29
I have recently exited from my first startup.
Things didn't go down so well with my founder.
I am figuring what next to do.
I apply to Google and Facebook - rejected.
I think of starting on my own - rejected by investors.
It's been 3 months now!
I have recently exited from my first startup.
Things didn't go down so well with my founder.
I am figuring what next to do.
I apply to Google and Facebook - rejected.
I think of starting on my own - rejected by investors.
It's been 3 months now!
I open my ISB alumni emails one day.
"European Internet company is looking for India MDs"
The company runs a mega fashion ecommerce company in Europe.
And is looking to enter India.
I apply.
The network gave me hope.
We made it! :)
"European Internet company is looking for India MDs"
The company runs a mega fashion ecommerce company in Europe.
And is looking to enter India.
I apply.
The network gave me hope.
We made it! :)
Age 32
The pain in my right hip, which started 2 weeks back, has intensified.
It is unbearable.
I can't even walk properly.
The doctor recommends a hip MRI.
I have something called AVN.
My hip bone is dying.
Doctor writes on the prescription
"Stop walking. Use crutches"
The pain in my right hip, which started 2 weeks back, has intensified.
It is unbearable.
I can't even walk properly.
The doctor recommends a hip MRI.
I have something called AVN.
My hip bone is dying.
Doctor writes on the prescription
"Stop walking. Use crutches"
The next day, he suggests a surgery.
The surgery is standard.
A small bone piece is taken from the calf bone, crushed, two holes are drilled in the hip and the crushed powder is inserted.
The pain will go away in 1-2 years.
80% chance it works.
He gave me hope.
We made it! :)
The surgery is standard.
A small bone piece is taken from the calf bone, crushed, two holes are drilled in the hip and the crushed powder is inserted.
The pain will go away in 1-2 years.
80% chance it works.
He gave me hope.
We made it! :)
2015
Groupon had its own share of problems in the US and UK.
And understandably so, their focus on a market like India was limited.
We, on the other hand, were witnessing the market everyday. Full of potential.
We wanted to run it our own way.
Make Groupon India independent.
Groupon had its own share of problems in the US and UK.
And understandably so, their focus on a market like India was limited.
We, on the other hand, were witnessing the market everyday. Full of potential.
We wanted to run it our own way.
Make Groupon India independent.
We proposed a management buy-out.
It had been 9 months of back and forth.
The progress was slow.
Competition in the market was heating up.
I didn't know what to do.
Mohit from Sequoia proposed we go to US, sit face to face and close the deal.
He gave me hope.
We made it! :)
It had been 9 months of back and forth.
The progress was slow.
Competition in the market was heating up.
I didn't know what to do.
Mohit from Sequoia proposed we go to US, sit face to face and close the deal.
He gave me hope.
We made it! :)
2017
As the nearbuy CEO, I had made some terrible calls and we were paying the price of my inadequacies.
We were running out of money.
We tried to raise but were rejected by everyone.
Eventually we got one term sheet.
Finally a ray of hope.
That term sheet was also withdrawn.
As the nearbuy CEO, I had made some terrible calls and we were paying the price of my inadequacies.
We were running out of money.
We tried to raise but were rejected by everyone.
Eventually we got one term sheet.
Finally a ray of hope.
That term sheet was also withdrawn.
I made a presentation to the board.
A survival plan.
nearbuy would be reduced to 19 people.
Sales will crash.
But we won't die.
I then made a call to a founder.
He said, "sounds interesting. Let's talk!"
He gave me hope.
We made it! :)
A survival plan.
nearbuy would be reduced to 19 people.
Sales will crash.
But we won't die.
I then made a call to a founder.
He said, "sounds interesting. Let's talk!"
He gave me hope.
We made it! :)
2017
nearbuy was going through a tough time.
The founders had taken salary cuts - it had been a year.
Our expenses were more than the inflow.
Our savings were wiped off.
Credit cards were maxed out.
We took loans from friends.
It was Vidur's 6th bday.
He really wanted a cycle.
nearbuy was going through a tough time.
The founders had taken salary cuts - it had been a year.
Our expenses were more than the inflow.
Our savings were wiped off.
Credit cards were maxed out.
We took loans from friends.
It was Vidur's 6th bday.
He really wanted a cycle.
We didn't have money for even a cycle.
I felt the lowest ever. I had let down my company, my investors, my colleagues and now even my family.
Ruchi said, "He so wants a cycle. What will we do keeping this?"
In her hand was a gold bangle.
She gave me hope.
We made it! :)
I felt the lowest ever. I had let down my company, my investors, my colleagues and now even my family.
Ruchi said, "He so wants a cycle. What will we do keeping this?"
In her hand was a gold bangle.
She gave me hope.
We made it! :)
2020
I stepped down as the CEO of nearbuy
But we had no money. Everything is paper wealth.
I had to find an income source.
So I started to give talks at corporates, charging for my time.
COVID struck.
The lockdown was announced.
There would be no more talks.
I stepped down as the CEO of nearbuy
But we had no money. Everything is paper wealth.
I had to find an income source.
So I started to give talks at corporates, charging for my time.
COVID struck.
The lockdown was announced.
There would be no more talks.
I had 4 months of cash in the bank.
Speaking to a friend, she suggested, "You go to companies to give these talks. Why don't you give the same talk to people directly. Maybe some of them will pay?"
She gave me hope.
We made it! :)
Speaking to a friend, she suggested, "You go to companies to give these talks. Why don't you give the same talk to people directly. Maybe some of them will pay?"
She gave me hope.
We made it! :)
Things are tough right now.
There is collective despair, anger, sadness, anxiety.
At a scale most of us have never witnessed before.
But each one of us still has a story.
A story around hope.
There is collective despair, anger, sadness, anxiety.
At a scale most of us have never witnessed before.
But each one of us still has a story.
A story around hope.
Hope that someone offers.
Hope that we see in others.
Hope that we see in the world.
Hope that we see in ourselves.
Hope that pulls us up when we are down.
Hope that gives us strength.
Hope that lifts someone else, through us.
Hope that we see in others.
Hope that we see in the world.
Hope that we see in ourselves.
Hope that pulls us up when we are down.
Hope that gives us strength.
Hope that lifts someone else, through us.
I have had hope save me multiple times in life.
Still continues to.
And I know as long as I have hope, I have a reason.
During these tough times, don't give up on hope.
Spread hope.
We all need it.
Still continues to.
And I know as long as I have hope, I have a reason.
During these tough times, don't give up on hope.
Spread hope.
We all need it.
I pray for your well being and safety and that of your loved ones.
You hang in there, ok?
We will get past this.
The human spirit will get past this!
We are collectively bigger than a pandemic, the government, any system and any opinion!
You hang in there, ok?
We will get past this.
The human spirit will get past this!
We are collectively bigger than a pandemic, the government, any system and any opinion!
"Remember Red, hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies"
- Shawshank Redemption
- Shawshank Redemption
PS: Thank you @typefullyapp for helping me write this thread.
