Why you no blog!

Do exactly as written - Count on the instances when you were absolutely alone in a day. No phone, No TV, No one around, No distractions at all.

How many could you count? None, Right? It's hard in this age to think of anytime without distractions. We have become a species with an attention span of a rodent. Where not only people but technology also is pushing hard to get a piece of our attention.

I can think of a few times when you can't be distracted, while driving (of course with radio off and assuming you don't use your phone while driving) and just before sleeping or in the rest rooms.

Can you recall the thoughts that cross your mind at these times. These are Ideas, about your current job, your business, family and other general things. But mostly they are possible solutions to the problems you face in your life and if you are good at imagination, these thoughts are just beautiful.

As soon as the distractions step in, these thoughts puff into the air like smoke. To pen these thoughts and use it for later reference and in the process help others is the best reason for 'Why SHOULD you blog.'

Some Facts:-

- Did you know that more than 70% information sharing on internet happens through blogs. Yes it's that big.

- We don't get the kind of environment these days to freely voice our opinions. Hence applications like 'Secret' are successful :). In fact a lot of doctors recommend blogging to relieve stress.

- Blogging makes you better at expressing your thoughts. You become more confident about what you think and talk.

- In today's time, it is extremely important to market your own brand and have your own POV, what could be better than writing a blog.

- Its a fact that a lot of people have become rich and famous by writing blogs ONLY. For instance - Neil Pasricha, find out who he is and then see his blog which got the best blog award in 2010. He even spoke at TED.

Why do we 'NOT' write blogs:-

- Fear of getting judged.
- No time
- Just don't like writing

Or 

- No internet

All these problems now have solutions:-

- If they judge you with what you write, they are not the ones you are writing for

- Having no time is not a reason, it's an excuse, get over having 'no time.'

- Even if you don't like blogging, just write and post. If someone likes or comments on your post, experience that feeling.

- 'No internet' is solved at the coffee shops these days. Almost all of them have free internet. Go get yourself a cup of coffee :)

Most importantly you should write because you care about what's going on and you do give a damn about it. All the best.

Share this blog if you liked it. You can write back @prateekb11 or email at prateek@polldance.in

Be the Shahrukh Khan of your life!

"Haar kar jeetne wale ko Baazigar kehte hain" 

"Oops!! Not an SRK fan, me neither, but wait till the post is over - smiles guaranteed."

I am ready to put my money on it, when you read that dialogue, you didn't think of anyone but SRK. By the way I am not an SRK fan, but I admire what he has achieved in this one life and how!

He came from a very humble family, we all know that. But what we may not have seen is the otherwise glowing entrepreneurial streak he possesses. As an entrepreneur he has a lot we can learn from.

Wit:- He is by far the most witty celebrity you would ever come across, unless of course, if you are 'Tony Stark'.

As a kickstarter one needs to be intelligently witty and smart in communication. Communication is of utmost importance, this can help you save your words and still be able to convey the message exactly how you want it.

Focus:- You must have heard the story that in his struggling days, he announced that he will own a bungalow at the same spot he was standing and he did. We will never know if it was a true story but, We all say things like these to ourselves when we want to lift ourselves up. But how much do we work towards it. It is that focus towards the goals that you set which should be unwavering and rock solid.

Drive:- There is one question that I want to ask all the successful people I can find. The Zuckerbergs, The Steve Jobs, The Bill Gates, Sir Richard Branson, Narendra Modi, Obama, Larry Page, Elon Musk, The SRK and all the ones I could not name here.

Here is that question. "You have everything you always wanted, name, fame, money, wisdom, knowledge, unquestioned access and authority. What is it that makes you get up every morning and go to work, and work so hard?" If we have this level of drive in us, there is nothing, believe you me nothing, that can stop us from greatness. In fact, this drive is one common trait in all the heavyweights mentioned above.

Confidence:- Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the most confident of all, it's you SRK. In a recent Comedy Nights ad that's doing the rounds on TV, SRK is asked to deliver a dialogue angrily and he says with all the flair that for being angry I need to got to the Wankhede.Cheeky but confident.

Confidence brings audacity in you, it has brought some in me :). Hence the post on SRK ;). Confidence can change things for anyone at anytime. It is the biggest gift god gave us to keep going when it's not easy. Be confident about yourself.

This and a lot more is what I have learnt from SRK and still am. Let's all go and be the SRK of our own lives "kyuki picture abhi baki hai mere dost" :)

Thank you for reading this post, you can write back @prateekb11

When do you cross the bridge?

Have started my own venture 7 months ago. A start up, specially if it is your own, teaches you more than any teacher in the world can and will, sometimes the most obvious of the things.

There are lessons at every step, some you can look at and learn, some you choose to overlook and some you just don't see. One such lesson I learnt recently and would like to share with you here -

The Error

When you are an entrepreneur, you are the most restless and most eager of the pack (a very common mistake), almost like a child with a toy, the only difference is the attention span of the child is a little longer. You want to go ahead and do everything and even worse, all at once.

We are making a product, so I was focused on getting all the features and all the plans integrated in the first release itself. Pushing the team and myself to dish out a flawless product in the first go. This was making us loose the following:-

- Early reaction of users and a chance to incorporate their feedback
- Another chance to get in touch with our users about a new release
- Most of all, killing the joy to let the ship in the water and see it sail.

The Learning

My Co-founder then gave me my recently acquired wisdom, to not worry about all the features, because we will never have enough, It is an ongoing process. Look at any product in the world, it keeps upgrading itself, it keeps dishing out newer versions and features, We will never have control on this aspect of business, what we do though have a control over are the efforts to make sure that every release works perfectly. Simple words these were, but made me learn something very important. Cross the bridge only when it comes.

I do not mean to say that you should settle for mediocrity. Do nothing if you can but don't be ordinary. What I do want to share through this experience is that, creating something is an on-going process, it never ends and it should not. So do not worry about perfecting it, just focus on releasing versions that work just fine.

Remember "never worry about crossing the bridge that hasn't come yet."

Thank you for reading, you can write back @prateekb11

Sale is just a 'by-product'!

"Once a Salesman, always a Salesman". This statement is as true as the gravity that's pulling you down right now.

We all do Sales, sometimes while convincing the parents to delay the marriage, sometimes justifying it to your boss on why is your decision the best and sometimes negotiating the auto-rickshaw fare with the driver (yes, we do that in India).

A sale has 5 stages:-

- Finding the prospect

- Meeting the prospect

- Showcasing product/services

- Negotiating

- Closure

All of us know about these 5 stages, but the focus is mostly on the last stage, rather than focusing on all the stages equally and aptly. Statistically, if the process is focused on more, the sales triple.

Case:-

One of my friends was not getting any reply from a big prospect. Every time he would go to the client to find him busy. One day he asked him a straight question, "what occupies your time that you can't take this discussion ahead?" Client replied, "competitive analysis". Next day when the client reached office, he saw the competitive analysis email in his inbox. There were 4 other vendors trying to get this business. You won't get any points for guessing who bagged it.

Case in question shows one thing, while all other vendors focused on how to get the client's time and close this deal, the real salesman found out what took most of client's time and shared client's responsibility and hence surprised the client.

Focusing on each stage of the sale, being creative at each step and not getting overwhelmed with the sale's outcome are the keys to a perfect sale. Remember,"A Sale is just a by-product." 

Thank you for reading, you can write back @prateekb11

How to zero in on a business idea!

We are all entrepreneurs, in our own different world's and ways. In most cases the fixation to the idea does not last long and hence it never springs up to reality.

The most important thing in starting up a business is the IDEA. Then the Team and then the Implementation. To find the right Idea is the key. That Idea should not only appeal to you monetarily but also emotionally. To find out :-

Make 2 Lists

Make a list of all the things you love and cant live without. Don't hold back or restrict, get a sheet and pen everything down from your hobbies like swimming and philately to interests like cooking, watching movies, hanging out with friends. Basically a list of all the things close to your heart.

Now make another list of skills that you have and you can acquire, do not shy away from penning down anything. Write whatever you think you are good at from excel skills to people skills and writing good blogs to public speaking to even coding, jot down everything.

Compare the lists

Now compare the two lists, and more often than not you will find one thing where your heart and your mind will coincide. You could be a food lover and coding could be your skill, you can start a food blog or a product for eateries. Or you could be a motor enthusiast and have public speaking skills, you can then start a video blog on motor sport or your own motor reviews channel.

There are many things you can be, but the ones which will bring a smile to you will be the ones closest to your heart.

Remember "we are all entrepreneurs!"

Are you ready for the 'marriage'?

Entrepreneurship is a journey like marriage, and is often shared with others. Choosing the right partner is a paramount, because this choice can make the difference in how things will shape up in the future. Infact, some VCs consider the business idea secondary to the founding team itself.

Some tips can help you find the right partner in your business. There must be some common and uncommon qualities, habits and values that should drive the partners.

There is no set equation or a formula to help you find the right person but these tips will help you zero into your search better.

Go with who you know (please read - 'trust')

Always prefer a person you have known prior to your current association as partner/co-founder. 

This does not mean that you always try to spot a co-founder in a childhood friend, instead it should be a person you know, someone you can trust and someone with whom you are comfortable to share your fears and in-capabilities.

You should be able to trust your co-founder with your money, future and your professional life.

No 'Yes Men'

One should always be able to introduce the elephant in the room to the other co-founder and the other way round. It should be a partnership on principles and rightly aligned to the goals and values of the company and not a 'mutual admiration society'. 

Both the co-founders should be able to highlight and raise flags for each other whenever needed 'CONSTRUCTIVELY'.

Remember, "dialogues can be heated but the people delivering them should be cool".

Drive

A start up or a new venture for an entrepreneur is the reason to get up in the morning and not be able to sleep in the night. When the magnitude of your's and your co-founder's drive are equal you move faster. 

Imagine a chariot with two horses one very strong and the other very weak, after some time of pulling the chariot, both the horses will be exhausted, worse, never reach the destination.

Each one should be able to inspire and infuse zeal and confidence in one another and keep the momentum up at all times.

Opposites attract

Its a yin and yang situation. If one is a spendthrift, the other is a 'Warren Buffet'. If one is impulsive, the other is calculative. If one of you is a risk taker, the other one is thoroughly planned. 

With these attributes and more, the co founders should also distribute their roles and responsibilities and hence be able to compliment each others strengths and weaknesses. 

Skill & Grit

When looking for a co-founder, always pay attention to the skills of the person and how can those be helpful in bringing the idea to reality. 

Once you have the idea, you should be able to pursue it to the 'T'. Even against all odds, you and your co-founder should be focused and aligned towards one common goal to make the start up successful. 

When investors evaluate a team, they want to be completely confident that the team believes in the idea and will do everything possible and beyond to make it a success in the most adverse environment.

While there are endless reasons for partnering in ventures and being co-founders, the most important of them all is to be able to become a team that is inseparable and is always up for the task together.

Thank you for taking out time to read this blog, you can write back on twitter @prateekb11