Growing up in a household or being in an environment where you get mostly or only positive feedback, you will expect that type of feedback in all areas of your personal and professional life. How helpful is the (mostly or only) positive feedback for the person receiving it in the long run? Is that positive…
Category: experience
Asking questions to understand better
Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why and other books says that “asking questions doesn’t mean you’re the stupidest person in the room; it usually means you’re the only one brave enough to speak up.” Some of the reasons why we aren’t asking enough questions even when we don’t understand the topic of discussion are…
the perspective
With new adventures, everyday challenges, feedback from others, conversations between employees and managers, and many other moments in our daily experiences, it’s important to keep them in perspective. Imagine a scenario of a manager giving an employee honest feedback. It’s tempting for the employee to expect all positive feedback from his/her supervisor and vice versa….
Reflections from running a startup
Once upon a time, I was very passionate about creating a better platform for writers of Nepalese origin. I pitched the idea at a Startup Weekend event, met my team members there and then eventually registered a company. Reflecting on my startup journey, I can share some learnings. -Move fast with your product/service idea. Develop…
Grooming innovative companies
Airbnb’s co-founder Joe Gebbia stated that the company’s early days and exponential growth were actually fueled by a series of questions. Warren Berger’s book “A More Beautiful Question The power of inquiry to spark breakthrough ideas” covers at length how Airbnb’s cofounders, Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky went from jobless young San Franciscans with a decent apartment…
Can you learn how to ask better questions?
You certainly can. Asking questions is a skill. As with all skills, it can be learned and used everyday. If you want to ask better questions, you can learn them if you care deeply enough about it. There are many ways to become better at asking questions. One simple technique is by starting to ask…
A better manager
In the beginning of anyone’s career, the company you choose to work for, your team, and the managers you have can shape your career trajectory. Your manager is a key facilitator to your professional growth. There is a lot of truth to the phrase that employees don’t leave companies, they leave bad managers. On the…
Few books I’ve loved reading
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE by Phil Knight – When I went to college, there was only one company I wanted to work for after graduation and it was Nike. This was one of the reasons why I studied abroad in Amsterdam, The Netherlands which was very close to Hilversum where…
Storytelling is your authentic superpower
With the enormous amount of data that is being generated every minute of the day across various media platforms, it’s becoming harder than before for brands and creators to reach their targeted audience with the right message. The message, no matter how well crafted it could be can get lost in the sea of data….
What does success look like?
Two years ago, I was taking a podcasting workshop. One of the prompts was to pair up with a fellow workshop member and practice our podcasting skills using the tools we have. I scheduled a call with a team member and was ready to practice my newly created intro pitch and ask relevant questions to…
30 Stories: The Hiut Denim Company
@hiutdenim Story Our town is going to make jeans again Cardigan is a small town of 4,000 good people. 400 of them used to make jeans. They made 35,000 pairs a week. For three decades. Then one day the factory closed. It left town. But all that skill and knowhow remained. Without any way of showing…
30 Stories: Arthur Gunn
@arthur_gunn Story by @thestorieshub When I got my first guitar from my mom, I was ecstatic and started singing and playing songs I heard on the radio and TV. That’s how I fell in love with music. After high school, I moved to America from Nepal and settled in Wichita, Kansas. Living in Wichita really got me…
30 Stories: Nirmal “Nims” Purja
@nimsdai Story by @thestorieshub “Everything in life is possible armed only with a determined approach and positive mindset.” This attitude helped me climb the world’s 14 highest peaks (the 8,000ers) in just six months and six days, which I called “Project Possible.” Looking back, I did not grow up in the laps of the Himalayas, instead I…
1,000 business cards
Bryan was excited about printing 1,000 business cards for his new business. A founder starting his entrepreneurial journey, he wanted to let the world know that his business had arrived. That excitement carried over to me and I was just as ecstatic about the business cards. A college friend who wanted to start an online…
Trying to become the next Steve Jobs
I’m going to be the next Steve Jobs. That’s what I was thinking to myself. I had a business idea that I believed was going to change the world. It was an idea I had been pondering about for the last few months. Upon researching start up events, I found out that the first ever…
Perspectives on life
I’m always curious to hear about different perspectives on life. Perspectives are windows to how people see the world. Two people can be looking at the same thing and have two different perspectives. Here’s a perspective that I really enjoyed listening to: Harvard Business School AASU Conference: Kasseem Dean Keynote Some thoughts shared by Kasseem…
Our town is going to make jeans again
I love this story. From Hiut Denim Co.’s website: Cardigan is a small town of 4,000 good people. 400 of them used to make jeans. They made 35,000 pairs a week. For three decades. Then one day the factory closed. It left town. But all that skill and knowhow remained. Without any way of showing the…
The Vision
Vision is a powerful thing. A big and meaningful vision has a gravitational pull. It attracts people and can motivate them at a deeper level. In this blog, Why You Need to Create Visions (Not Just Goals) it states that Vision is your why. Vision gives something direction. It’s your desired future. Although words like…
The Fortune Cookie Principle
Bernadette Jiwa talks about The Fortune Cookie Principle and its application all around us.
Some good podcasts…
I love podcasts. There are thousands of podcasts out there covering every topic that one can imagine. Some of the good podcasts that I listen to on a regular basis are: Akimbo – https://www.akimbo.link The Tim Ferriss Show – https://tim.blog/podcast/ The Knowledge Project – https://fs.blog/the-knowledge-project/ If you’re looking for a wider selection of podcasts, here…