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Category: experience

Asking questions to understand better

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

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 beliefs/thoughts/internal questions we have going in our head:

By asking this question(s), will it make me look “stupid”?

Would I look like the person who doesn’t understand this topic if I ask this question?

It’s actually not relevant to me at all so why ask this question.

I am the “expert” or “smartest” person in this room. Why ask questions and make myself look like a beginner?

Do I have the “authority” to ask questions in this group or in this context?

the perspective

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

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. Yet do we really grow from just positive adulations? If the employee uses the honest feedback to gain awareness of their strengths/improvement areas and then gathers new skills and knowledge, it’s actually much better in the long term for both the employee and the supervisor. On the other hand, if the employee does not have the proper perspective on the manager’s honest feedback, then he/she can feel down, angry, or even hurt by their words or behavior. The same goes when parents are giving honest feedback to their children, coaches talking to their players/teams, teachers talking to their students etc. It’s all about the perspective.

In her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol S. Dweck says it’s tempting to create a world in which we’re perfect and we can choose partners, make friends, hire people who make us feel faultless. But think about it- do you want to never grow? Next time you’re tempted to surround yourself with worshippers, go to church. In the rest of your life, seek constructive criticism.

Reflections from running a startup

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

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 the product or at least a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) before doing too much marketing.

-Seek help in areas that is not your domain expertise.

-Research and understand the challenges in the industry or the market you are entering.

-Understand the market size of your product/service.

-Collaborate where possible.

Grooming innovative companies

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

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 to leaders of the sharing economy. An excerpt from Warren’s book covering that section can be found here.

When you closely observe innovation at companies, research shows that innovative business leaders typically share certain qualities as mentioned in the “The DNA of the World’s Most Innovative Companies.” They are always asking questions, experimenting, observing and networking. While building on past successes, they keep the doors open to future innovation.

Hal Gregersen, INSEAD Senior Affiliate Professor of Leadership and Director of the Learning to Lead executive education programme says innovation starts with a question.

Can you learn how to ask better questions?

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

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 questions as you go about your day. Nothing complicated. Just start by building a habit to ask one question. Let’s take some regular day to day scenarios. If you grab a coffee and bagel from your local bakery, ask the person at the counter a question. It could be as simple as “how are you doing today?” At work, if you are in a meeting, make it a point to ask one question related to the topic of discussion. If you are in a group discussion, prepare questions and ask at least one question.

When you are working to become better at asking questions, you are essentially building a new habit. You want to look for consistency and simplicity is the key. Everyday you ask one question no matter where you are or what you are doing, you keep building the questioning muscle. Overtime you will build more confidence and have less anxiety to ask questions.

Here are some good resources that dive deeper into questions:

The Surprising Power of Questions | Harvard Business Review

The art of asking the right questions | Tim Ferriss, Warren Berger, Hope Jahren & more | Big Think

We are also starting our Ask Better Questions Workshop soon. If you want to learn the art and science of asking good questions, ask questions that show curiosity and empathy, and develop better relationships with your audience, this is a workshop you can join.

A better manager

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

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 same note, some employees will stay longer at a company because of their manager, even though they can easily switch jobs, earn more somewhere else, or have a choice to do something else.

A better manager takes time to understand their team better, mentor them, challenge them, and expect the best from their team members. A better manager holds themselves to the highest standards and also expects the team to be at that same level. They appreciate their team members when they get results and coaches them where needed. Companies have managers because of their organizational structure, but becoming a better manager is their choice.

Are you choosing to become a better manager?

Few books I’ve loved reading

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

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 Nike’s European headquarters was located. At that point, I had planned to either get an internship or a field visit to Nike’s Hilversum office. Neither happened at that point but Nike has always fascinated me with its creative ads, innovative products, and the athletes it endorses. When I heard about this book, I was overjoyed and couldn’t wait to read it. I borrowed this book from a friend and finished reading it in a few days. This book is definitely 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, cross-cultural challenges, among others. I could go on and on about the book but I rather you read it for yourself.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie – In 2007, I had picked up a copy of Business Week and on its last pages was the list of bestsellers. One of them was How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie. I read the book and it has become one of my favorite books. The book has many stories that explain the simple principles and psychology of human behavior. I would recommend this book to anyone no matter what field or life stage they are in. I believe anyone can read this book, understand the characteristics of human nature, and apply the principles to their daily life.

Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life by Jim Kwik – This was definitely a book I wanted to read soon as it was published. Once I read it, I wished I had found a book like this sooner. The book helped me become aware of our limited mental and cultural beliefs, common learning challenges, and techniques to unlock our limitless mindset. Having attended Jim’s weeklong Limitless Reading Challenge to several of his Instagram live sessions, I’ve always enjoyed hearing his insights, tips and strategies on unlocking our limitless mind.

Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio – A book that is full of management lessons and ideas that Ray followed throughout the course of his life and journey of building his investment firm, Bridgewater Associates. I first learned about Ray Dalio’s book Principles on The Tim Ferriss Show and the title on Tim’s podcast was, Ray Dalio, The Steve Jobs of Investing. I followed up with reading Principles’ reviews on goodreads which made me want to read the book even more. Some readers on goodreads had said that Principles is one of the best books they have ever read. I couldn’t wait to read it myself and see what the book was all about. Once I got this book, I finished reading it in my daily commute to work.

A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas by Warren Berger – In my research on the art and science of questioning, I came across the book “A More Beautiful Question The power of inquiry to spark breakthrough ideas.” I listened to several talks and podcasts that featured the author and became more interested to read the book. The book has a lot of interesting insights and detailed analysis on questioning from our environments at home, school, and in the workplace. It also makes a strong case of why the skill of asking really good questions is important now more than ever.

Storytelling is your authentic superpower

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

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. The audience also is overwhelmed with the amount of information that is being thrown at them and what they are exposed to on a daily basis. Compared to a few companies with financial resources to spend on ads and other forms of paid advertising, a startup or a company with limited resources would be way behind or just playing digital catchup to their much resourced counterparts.

So, as a company, how will you get your messages heard in this sea of information? With the mountain of data increasing day by day, how can content creators reach their audience? Is there a way to stand out amidst the digital noise and really connect with your audience?

We believe the answer is Authentic Storytelling. Storytelling is the use of visual, literary, auditory, or other creative media to educate, inform, entertain, or inspire an audience to take action. As a creator, you are the best person to tell the story of your brand and communicate the narrative as you wish. It’s a personal and authentic journey and you know the experiences (successes/failures and everything in between) better than anyone in the world. As a brand, your authentic reason(s) to start a company, your core values, and identity will certainly be different than anyone else out in the market and that narrative is what your audience can emotionally connect with you on. As Simon Sinek says in his book “Start with Why”, being authentic is not a requirement for success, but it is if you want that success to be a lasting success. Again, it goes back to WHY. Authenticity is when you say and do the things you actually believe. But if you don’t know WHY the organization or the products exist on a level beyond WHAT you do, then it is impossible to know if the things you say or do are consistent with your WHY. Without WHY, any attempt at authenticity will almost always be inauthentic.”

Storytelling is your authentic superpower.

What does success look like?

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

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 my mock podcasting guest. My team member wanted to help me by providing feedback on how I conduct the podcasting interview.

Before we started the podcast interview, my team member had a question for me. He asked “what would success look like to me once we are done with the podcasting interview?“

By asking this simple and important question, he was able to identify and focus on the type of feedback that would be helpful for my growth and podcasting career. His feedback after the mock podcast interview helped to refine my intro pitch, make the necessary changes, and hone my podcast story. Similarly, when starting a new project, working on a vision, or any activity that you will be spending considerable time and resources, I find it really helpful to ask the same question that my fellow podcasting team member asked me. This has worked for me when starting projects and especially when collaborating as part of a team. By posing this question to everyone at the beginning of the project, all team members are aware and understand what success means to the project at hand. Otherwise, each team member will have subjective interpretations of what the success is or should be.

30 Stories: The Hiut Denim Company

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

@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 the world what they could do.

That’s why we have started The Hiut Denim Company. To bring manufacturing back home. To use all that skill on our doorstep. And to breathe new life into our town. 

As one of the Grand Masters said to me when I was interviewing: “This is what I know how to do. This is what I do best.” I just sat there thinking I have to make this work. 

So yes, our town is going to make jeans again. 

Here goes. 

Text credit : The Hiut Denim Company website

Image credit : GQ website

30 Stories: Arthur Gunn

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

@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 into Bluegrass and Country music. I had not listened to those kinds of music before, but I was pulled towards it. This attraction was magnetic.

I made my American dream come true by being runner up in the American Idol 2020 competition. Thank you to all of you beautiful people around the world for supporting my @AmericanIdol journey. American Idol gave me a universal platform to share my love for music with you and I hope you will join me on the road ahead.

Peace&Love!

Bio: Dibesh Pokharel who goes by the stage name, Arthur Gunn came 1st runner up on the American Idol 2020 competition. He won many hearts from fans all around the world and judges alike with his talent, style, and personality. His 7-track EP “Self-Titled” was released in the summer of 2020. Follow him @arthur_gunn

Image credit: The Wichita Eagle

This story was first published on https://www.instagram.com/thestorieshub/

30 Stories: Nirmal “Nims” Purja

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

@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 was raised in the flatlands of Chitwan, Nepal. My journey of mountain climbing started much later because my initial dream was to become a Gurkha in the British military like my father and brothers. That dream became a reality in 2003.

My passion for mountaineering began on a trek to Everest Base Camp in December 2012, while on leave from my Special Forces duties. The 6,119-meter Lobuche East was the first peak I climbed. The mountaineering continued whenever I could and ultimately led me to embark on a project so impossible that nobody thought I could do it: to summit the world’s 14 highest peaks – the 8,000’ers, in an astonishing 7 months window. At the time, the record stood at just under 8 years. After accomplishing that mission in under 7 months, I can definitely say that the right mindset, planning, and team can make all the difference and change the impossible to possible.

I am equally excited for the next chapter of my enterprise, Nimsdai. Here I share my knowledge and approach of big mountain climbing by teaming up 1:1 and providing commercial client opportunities for breath-taking high-altitude special projects.

Bio: Nirmal “Nims” Purja MBE broke the Guinness world records for climbing the world’s fourteen highest peaks (the 8,000ers) in less than seven months. His book “Beyond Possible: One Soldier, Fourteen Peaks — My Life In The Death Zone” will be released September 2020. Follow him @nimsdai

Image credit: nimsdai.com

This story was first published on https://www.instagram.com/thestorieshub/

1,000 business cards

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

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 jewelery business, Bryan reached out to me to help him out on business development. A young me who had just finished college was totally on board. I was always fascinated by startups and Bryan’s pitch was an easy sell.

A budding business needs clients and we get clients by giving out business cards. Business cards make us credible and confirm that we have a presence. We thought “How will we get our upcoming brand promoted at events, conferences, and seminars without business cards?”

Do we really need 1,000 business cards?

When Bryan told me that he had found a good deal from a printing place on 1,000 business cards, I was like of course we’ll be going through them quickly. So he ordered 1,000 for himself and another 1,000 for the business development wizard (that’s me!). Little did we know that a few months later, I would have used only 30 of them. The rest of the business cards would be collecting dust on the desk.

Trying to become the next Steve Jobs

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

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 Startup Weekend was coming to town on February 2013 in Nepal’s capital-Kathmandu. This would be a great place to test out my business idea, so I registered to attend this event.

The day before the event, I looked at myself in the mirror and asked one question repeatedly:

What are the consequences of publicly sharing my idea at the Startup Weekend Kathmandu?

I weighed the pros and cons of sharing that idea at the Startup Weekend Kathmandu. I was thrilled to be participating in the competition and wanted to fully utilize my time in it. However, the above question kept coming back to me and I couldn’t decide what would be the best course of action.

After much contemplation of various scenarios, I decided to share the idea because the benefits of sharing outweighed not sharing it. By sharing my idea to an audience, I would know if the idea could become a business. Holding on to an idea that could not become a business would not be useful to me.

On that Friday evening at the Startup Weekend, I stood behind 10 individuals waiting for my turn to pitch the idea on stage. Behind me, there were about 30 more aspiring entrepreneurs equally excited to share their ideas. Waiting in that line had my nerves excited and my heart beating faster. The abundant energy in that hall invigorated me and I couldn’t wait to get on that stage to pitch my idea in 1 minute. 1 minute was all I had to explain my idea that could change everything.

When my turn came, I went on the stage and pitched my idea of a mobile/web app that allowed users to download books from Nepali writers and read them through the app anywhere in the world.

Over the course of the three day Startup Weekend Kathmandu, we created a team and built the idea. After working and iterating the idea for more than 50 hours, we had a prototype ready to be presented to the judges on the final day. The three judges actively listened, looked at our prototype, and asked us questions. At the end of the event, the results were announced and we had earned the 1st runner up position in the startup competition. Our team was ecstatic and we were congratulated by many attendees that night. That was a special evening for our team and in the ensuing days, we were featured on tech blogs and national newspapers.

If I had not participated in that event, the idea of a mobile/web app for book lovers would have stayed in my head forever. Additionally, I would have never received such amount of valuable feedback in a short period of time and validated if the idea made business sense. There are moments in our lives when we are presented with an opportunity and we have to strike it when it’s hot. That moment for me came in the form of Startup Weekend Kathmandu. I also realized that you can make a difference in the world if we shared our ideas rather than holding on to them.

After the Startup Weekend Kathmandu, I didn’t become the next Steve Jobs, but I became a much better Nirmal Thapa.

Perspectives on life

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

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 that I really liked were:

No matter what you do in life, you should always be a student. You can be a boss and a student at the same time. You can be a leader and a student at the same time because I feel that when you stop being a student you cut off all of your areas for learning.

We need to invest in ourselves more. We can tell the world about what everybody else is doing but when was the last time we looked in the mirror and made a better us.

My saying is sky is not the limit, it’s just your view.

My leadership style was transition…… transition is the most critical thing in your business because it can be the result of you making a lot of money or losing a lot of money.

The best advice always been do whatever you feel. Do whatever your heart tells you to do. Follow your passion. Follow your goals. Follow your dreams.

Our town is going to make jeans again

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

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 world what they could do.

That’s why we have started The Hiut Denim Company. To bring manufacturing back home. To use all that skill on our doorstep. And to breathe new life into our town.

As one of the Grand Masters said to me when I was interviewing: “This is what I know how to do. This is what I do best.” I just sat there thinking I have to make this work.

So yes, our town is going to make jeans again.

Here goes.

The Vision

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

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 vision, goals, and purpose are commonly used these days, having a vision and following through it can work wonders. When you write down your vision in a notebook (I prefer notebooks over notepads), it becomes real, motivating and reinforcing.

What’s your vision?

The Fortune Cookie Principle

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rRJtNKCz_U&w=560&h=315]

Bernadette Jiwa talks about The Fortune Cookie Principle and its application all around us.

Some good podcasts…

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

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 are more:

The 50 Best Podcasts to Listen to Right Now
34 of the best podcasts in tech, culture, politics and more
The Best Podcasts Of The Year (So Far)

Holiday shopping

Posted on by Nirmal Thapa

Shopping during the holidays can be exciting, challenging and even overwhelming. Most of the time we feel that there is not enough time or places to shop for the holidays. There’s definitely ways to shop smarter. Here are some blogs/articles that can guide you to shop smarter during the holidays.

7 SMART HOLIDAY SHOPPING TIPS
7 Smart Tips for Avoiding Holiday Shopping Madness!
How to keep your holiday spending on budget

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