Weekend Musings - Ventures, Product Management and Enabling Innovations

As I plunged into a few of the global consumer apps this morning and let my mind understand the nuances of online platforms,

It takes me back to one of the most prolific books across startups, consumer apps, and leadership: How to Build a Billion-Dollar App by George Berkowski.

Losing count of the number of apps that have been analyzed or gained inspiration from in the last few years, the subtle sense of shipping a consumer app has led to building one-of-a-kind global platforms: Ador with good products, relevant brands, and marketing tangents.

I see leaders making it irrevocably easier for anyone to translate the entire vision into a mix of numbers and words backed by an achievable roadmap. Throughout the process of building a consumer app with a global vision, it becomes a privilege to learn from such leaders and how their easy-going approach makes someone consider the tangible aspects of launching an online platform.

A vision outlined with a top-down approach forged with broader numbers and a lean team can create impeccable wonders, given that the product proposition and innovation are creating significant shifts for the target audience.

Any note-worthy leader that I have worked with or come across in meetings, interactions, work-setups, or engagements with the actual startup quotient has that innate skill: to showcase the big picture, or, in other words, he or she shows you the bigger picture first, post that number comes into the scenario, and then the planning/roadmap exercise.

And it happens very fluidly.

The next big question that grounds the founder into reality is, "How to bring this to the real world with a small team in a frugal way?"

Approach 1: Spend good bucks, hire immensely experienced people, get everything in the phase of perfection from the onset, and get your app shipped.

Approach 2: continuous learning from insights; build with extreme frugality; keep on iterating for continuous improvement. Get a small team of people with a few months of experience or freshmen and inspire them into heroes upgrading the world. Get a 5x upgrade in their performance after coming out of their comfort zone. Have frugality and inspiration at your core. Keep iterating and sharing insights. Get your app shipped.

Frugality is a boon. You need to have determination, insights, and a user value proposition; possess a clean plan of what will be shipped; and have the mindset to launch a global product on a tipping edge. As exciting as it sounds, it is a risky proposition not only at the company level but also at a humane level in terms of responsibility for upgrading everyone involved.

And that makes it extremely tough. And that is why it is not recommended for everyone. If you do not love being tough on yourself, you should reconsider the decision to take so many risks.

For the last 2 months, I have been learning to cook and eat mouth-watering dishes for 30 days. On top of it, I made some delicious dishes or made a genuine attempt to cook a few of them for relatives. On February 23rd, everything suddenly changed. I took on the fast for 16 continuous days and announced the same to close family members.

Yes, that was a shock for them.

It included no food for the next 16 days, only fruits and water. And that's where pressure builds up—to confirm and take the acceptable path of consuming food at least once a day.

Your integrity in yourself is the most important determinant in anything you do in life, given that you aim to lead a life of conscience and self-love.

It has been 11 days without food, and yes, I cook food for close people and at the same time visit the recipes of delicious foods online to quench my curiosity. And I do get that sympathy call and love to break this fast and take over the normal regime so that it does not affect me. And amidst everything, the fast continues.

How can a small group of people impact millions if they are themselves not upgraded by 5x times, not evolved, bigger people in important scenarios, tough on themselves when the going gets tougher, and enjoy pain for something larger than life?

Venture building is all about that, and that brings me closer to one of the most important principles that I consider very relevant for different ecosystems.

a. Inspiration is an essential element for innovative ventures.

A. Managers manage, plan, and execute

B. Leaders encapsulate a vision, inspire, upgrade, strategize, and mold things as they progress.

Both are very crucial titles.

For ventures, inspiration is an impeccably important element.

Without inspiration as a core element, individuals will fall into their usual tendencies. It is a core element of the ecosystem. With this ecosystem alone, leaders create the next set of leaders, go on to create mission-worthy companies with lots of impact creation with a small team, innovate, frugally exist, and emerge as entities that upgrade the world.

b. Growth mindset is a second note-worthy element, not only in ventures but also in ecosystems where there are long-term bonds.

A friendship cannot exist without a growth mindset; a long-term marriage receives the required completeness with a growth mindset; and a small team goes on to create impeccable ventures with a growth mindset.

Two lines of thought led to the evolution of human DNA. If I faced this particular concern or issue, then it must pass on to other individuals. The second line of thought includes that if I pass through this concern or issue, everyone or my close individuals must pass through it. The first one in itself is a form of evolution rooted in growth. It includes empathy and compassion. The second form of thought is impeding, which ultimately leads to the buildup of negative tendencies for everyone involved. Over time, it does not only affect one individual; it goes on to impact multiple individuals involved.

Example of Growth mindset: If I pass through dyslexia or someone closer to me passes through the same, I will make efforts towards impact and to curb the enablers of the same.

Example of rigid, toxic, or self-restricting mindset: If I go through a painful injury, my other half or my best friend must also pass through it. If I am stuck in a relationship of no concern and addiction, I want my close friend to also pass through the same. In this way only, I will gain empathy and understanding. While this mindset arises from a lack of security for the self, it goes on to create a chain of suffering from people involved with an increasing lack of empathy, understanding, and concern.

And that brings us to the third most important point.

c. Enabling Love vs. Creating Karma

I recently understood that we are all karma-creating machines, while the goal of life is to free ourselves from the same so that we are evolved beings.

Subconsciously, it is very usual that only through karma creation can we neglect the negative tendencies. However, it goes on to create more karma for everyone involved, and the loop keeps on increasing.

Mature leaders, irrespective of age, know the fact that ecosystems, teams, and bonds work phenomenally well when we are not karma-creating machines and instead enable love across our work, hobbies, and relationships.

Love is the most intangible and unconditional form of expression, and it dwells in the exact opposite state of Tit for Tat, or revenge mindset.

Love is how families grow immense bonds, teams go on to create noteworthy impact, communities thrive, students and teachers create an immense sense of value for each other, coaches enable leadership in ambitious individuals, and siblings and friends thrive.

Responding instead of reacting is one of the lines that requires an immense amount of thought and learning. And it is even tougher to imbibe the same in our daily activities. By being conscious enablers of love, there can be an immense sense of light and creation.

d. Human Element

Few leaders understand that humans are imperfect, and very few of them have skills at their fingertips on how to differentiate between systems, processes, and humans.

Yes, there are SOPs, guidelines, and roadmaps around every element; however, getting that element imbibed in core work is extremely crucial.

The way we treat a toy, there cannot be the same sense of treatment with an individual. The magnitude of pressure, setting the right KPIs and timelines, and figuring out innate skills for long-term goal creation are extremely important.

e. Humility

Humility is knowing that an individual cannot learn, execute, and do it all single-handedly. Humility is understanding that, irrespective of the current state, whether growing or showing de-growth,

There will be an upgrade in the next phase.

Humility means having a sense of understanding for people across different life stages and professions.

And adapting, or having that innate sense to adapt to newer environments and people.

Some of the most impeccable leaders that I have observed working have an immense sense of humility, irrespective of the amount of impact that they have created till now.

f. Continuous Learning

Curiosity leads to continuous learning. An individual who understands that there are still information sets that he or she is not aware of and has a sense of urgency to learn or know the same goes on to create thriving upgrades for himself as well as everyone around him.

g. Multi-alignment

Multi-alignment is a mixture of both growth and inspiration. It is aligning a set of groups towards a common goal selflessly for the best possible output.

It is forging harmony, creating win-win situations by roping in collective wisdom, and striving for the good of everyone involved.

An individual who has learned the systems and processes of a bigger corporation imbibes the same in his innovative venture with an inspirational ecosystem that he has learned from his learning in the venture ecosystem. With this, he or she goes on to create impeccable results, create more leaders, deliver outputs, work as per industry standards, and enable a win-win situation for everyone involved.

f. Spiritual Foundation

Every course has its own ups and downs, different phases, and different situations. Only a spiritual foundation provides the required foundation to enable goodness across all scenarios.

In short,

"Spirituality Ships Serenity."

Without spirituality, there will be no human element in tough situations.

no sense of control in the events of chaos or crisis,

no stable plan-out and execution during tough times, and constant deviation amidst unfathomable scenarios.

Extremes in anything are unnecessary and need to be avoided. Spirituality encompasses the right approach to creating thriving organizations and having a conscience for the right actions across all events.

There have been uncountable stories where leadership succeeded just by owning the spiritual foundation or chaos turned into opportunities by owning the spiritual mindset.

Relationships, friendships, and organizations that thrive on a spiritual foundation may encounter minor obstacles in their paths, but the unwavering foundation leads to immense upgrades at both organizational and individual levels.

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