Register

Category: brand

Growth mode

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

A startup (should) operate in a different way when it goes from survival mode to growth mode. When the idea is launched, it gets tested in the market. If the startup is solving customers’ problems, is entering a good industry, is competitive, timing is right, and many other things including luck, the startup takes off. There’s a certain type of leadership and management needed when it is focused on surviving in the market.

Once the startup gets some ground, it should operate in the growth mode. A growth mode is different and a certain type of leadership and management is needed in this phase. What got the startup to the growth phase does not guarantee it will take it to the next level. In the growth mode, hiring the right people, retaining the loyal employees, maintaining the culture, taking on newer challenges, and many other things are important.

Which mode is your startup on?

When you’re famous…

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

You’re magnetic. The press wants to talk to you, the celebrities want to be around you, and fans seem to be everywhere. You’re pulling everyone and everything towards you.

I would love to know who was there for you from the start before you achieved the fame. Who was the one or the few people who believed in you when you had that “crazy” idea? Who was holding you down when things were not going right or not going anywhere? Who gave you some real advice but still stuck with you through thick and thin?

When I see the newly crowned “celebrity”, I’d love to know the people around them who got them there. It’s easy to celebrate that one individual who is getting that spotlight but somewhere out there is a bad ass team that is making things happen behind the scenes.

Improving online users’ well being

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

Recently there was an article on Axios that “several of the biggest social media platforms are beginning to test changes that cut down on scorekeeping, discourage harassment and aim to improve users’ well-being.” A step in the right direction.

The article also noted that for many years social media companies aggressively focused on driving and creating engagement within their platforms. Some researchers now believe that those tactics have led to an over-use in social media, and may have had a negative overall impact on users’ health and wellbeing.

There is a lot that needs to be done to improve online users’ well being and social media companies seem to be taking few critical steps towards it. Let’s hope we continue to see improvements in the coming days.

Some of my favorite Nepali brands

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

Here are a few of my favorite Nepali brands (brands that started in Nepal that cater to the domestic or international market or both) in random order:

Himalayan Java – Love the ambience, food/coffee, and service

Mheecha – Love the simplistic design, look, and style. I have two Mheecha backpacks.

RedMud Coffee – Love the burgers, coffee, and overall vibe

Dulla – Love the look, color, and style of their hand made leather products. I have a
Satchel office laptop bag from Dulla.

What are some of your favorite Nepali brands?

What’s your ‘mandu?

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

Kathmandu is an oasis.

Here, you’ll find what you are looking for. Jazzmandu. Bookmandu. Shopmandu. Cafemandu. Bikemandu. And many other ‘mandus. We have our groups and communities based on our interests, age, gender, backgrounds and so forth. It’s hard not to find what you are looking for. Reach out to the community that’s already out there or build one.

The city is yours.

Chief Review Officer

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

Each startup or business should now have a Chief Review Officer.

The Chief Review Officer will need to look after all reviews that the company gets in their websites, social media pages, and any other public platforms. The officer will need to correspond with the right person/department as needed and address the customers’ concern/queries. As businesses face an ever increasing amount of customer feedback and love/hate messages on their platforms, it’s important to be proactive, prompt and professional in replying to them. These days a lot of people read reviews of a particular business before deciding to spend their money or time or both in it. When businesses spend more time creating new posts/stories and not enough time on replying to the customers’ queries, then the trust and businesses’ reputation will wane in the coming days/months/years.

Does your business have a Chief Review Officer?

Himalayan Java’s story

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

I love going to Himalayan Java. I love the store’s ambience, customer service, and obviously their coffee/food. Having visited so many of their coffee shops around Kathmandu, I was curious to learn about Himalayan Java’s story.

Celebrities speaking up

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

When celebrities speak up on contemporary issues, is it good or bad for their “personal brand”?

Do all celebrities have the luxury to speak up on contemporary issues and voice their opinion(s)?

What current or potential sports endorsements would be affected for the athletes if they speak up (or not speak up)?

Do consumers today believe that athletes should be more responsible and use their platform for the greater good of society? If they don’t use their platform “properly”, would we support them any less?

What topic(s) should the athletes stay in or can they comment on issues related to global events?

Just write it!

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

Writing has a lot of benefits.

Here are some good and helpful articles related to writing:

5 Benefits of Writing: Why You Should Write Every Day

The Benefits of Writing

The Psychological Benefits of Writing

Secrets of Himalaya | Nepal in 4K

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa
Pure. Calm. Peaceful. A video by Sergi Martínez Miró

just be YOU!

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

The best way to build a personal brand is to be yourself.

Being authentic is the most prized asset in today’s world. For people who want to become a personal brand or have their company connect with the customers, the decision is simple: be authentic. Your audience can easily see right through when you are not being authentic. It’s far more easier to just be yourself than trying to be someone else.

Here’s a good read on 4 Ways To Be A More Authentic Person

Does the brand make you or you make the brand?

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

A question that is up for debate.

A established company has been in the market for a long time. It has a name. It has a proven business model. It has been around.

A startup has been in the market for a short time. It is building its name. It’s business model is not proven yet. It is emerging.

When the company is a startup (new), the founder(s)/CEO is the face of the company. They represent the brand, make it what it is and what it will become. In essence, the founder(s)/CEO make the brand when the company is emerging and not established in the market. On the other hand, when the company is established and already has a recognized name in the market, the brand makes the person. The machine is already built and the person gets their recognition and reputation being associated with it.

Convoz

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

It’s refreshing and inspiring to learn about Convoz.

Convoz is an app for creating public collaborative conversation through video, which is what we call a convo. Users can create a convo to share their opinions and receive video responses from others. A convo allows individuals to communicate face-2-face sharing their thoughts and feelings as if they were speaking in the same room. – Convoz.com

Founder and CEO Chamillionaire talks passionately about Convoz. Confident, classy, and a cool presentation.

Gross National Happiness

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

It’s the people

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

Once upon a time, I read somewhere “Most tourists come to Nepal for the first time to see the mountains, they return for the people.”

People are what makes Nepal a country that tourists want to come back (again and again). If you talk to tourists who have traveled to Nepal, most of them talk highly about the Nepalese hospitality, humility and the human experience. As we plan to make Visit Nepal Year 2020 successful, we need to highlight those human experiences to the incoming travelers. The memories, moments, and experiences are what the tourists will cherish most from their visit to Nepal.

Once upon a time…

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

Stories are powerful. Evolution has wired our brains for storytelling. We all love a great story.

For over 27,000 years, since the first cave paintings were discovered, telling stories has been one of our most fundamental communication methods (Source). Stories help us connect with each other and are an important part of our existence. We feel more emotionally connected when we hear a good story, when we could relate our own experience(s) with the person sharing his or her story and when we experience a certain feeling (happy, angry, sad etc). Stories are amazing.

Good read on The Irresistible Power of Storytelling as a Strategic Business Tool

LinkedIn Speaker Series: Andre Iguodala

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner sits down with Andre Iguodala, three-time NBA champion to discuss insights from Iguodala’s new book, The Sixth Man.

Why The New York Knicks Are So Expensive

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

This Business Insider video provides insights on why The New York Knicks Are So Expensive ( valued at $3.6 billion) given that they have had a very poor performance on the basketball court in many years. Plus, the video also talks about the different NBA markets, TV deals, and TV market sizes etc.

Shoe Dog

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE by Phil Knight  was a book on my Book bucket list for 2019.

I wrote then “When I went to college, I wanted to work for one company 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 Nike’s European headquarters was located. At that point, I had planned to either get an internship or a field visit to it’s Hilversum office. Neither happened but Nike has always fascinated me. When I heard about this book, I was overjoyed and wanted to read it ever since. “

I really enjoyed reading Shoe Dog. One of the best memoir’s I’ve read. I loved reading about Phil’s journey of starting Blue Ribbon which later became Nike. There are so many gems inside the book-the high’s/low’s of starting a company, sacrifices made, cultural challenges, among others. I could go on and on about the book but I rather you read it for yourself. Enjoy the read.

Visit Nepal 2020

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

Why do tourists come to Nepal?

What is our country’s value proposition?

How can we offer them an experience that they won’t forget in their lifetime?

Are the messages across multiple channels consistent?

What are the numbers that we are targeting? (total number of tourists/daily spend/length of stay)

Subscribe

Subscribe to receive our blogs, information on upcoming workshops and exclusive content.

Nirmal Thapa

Linkedin
Register