Startups Bunch

ENGINEER, DESIGNER, ENTREPRENEUR

I am an engineer. Well, I paint the image of a middle-class Indian citizen with educated white-collar parents and who underwent fairly ordinary schooling under the Indian education system. This comes as no surprise to anyone who meets me for the first time, or knows of me indirectly. Sometimes with little or no proof needed other than seeing my thick glasses and skin color. But I’m okay with that, since it’s true.

I am a designer. This raises some eyebrows sometimes. People who have known me all my childhood, others who consider themselves exclusively designers consider this something of a trespass on their fields (pun unintended). However, when people learn of my slightly less ordinary undergraduate education, and of the people I spent my time with there, they come to forgive my claims to such an artistic title. Some even endorse it. Since graduating but recently, I have embarked on a journey to solidify my claims with the things I build. I think I have made significant progress.

But that inevitably brings them to ask (usually after I briefly describe the school) : Why did you go to that school? Why didn’t you go to ? And to this, today, I can answer in four words.

I am an entrepreneur. This elicits far more interesting reactions. Here I don’t mean I run around starting companies and trying to get people to pay me for things they probably don’t need. At least not until more recently. No, that’s not what I mean.

Only a few people in my life understand what I mean here. Especially given that I’m in Silicon Valley and actually one of five crazy people doing something crazy that not enough other people believe in yet;
And something else not enough people know about yet;
And maybe two or three other projects (this blog being the latest addition);
And in light of my undergraduate school, known for its entrepreneurship-centric education
— I’m living up to the more classic modern-day definition of entrepreneur. And so folk misinterpret my claim to entrepreneurship as being exclusive to that. But what I actually mean when I call myself an entrepreneur is that I would run headlong into scenarios many of my peers shied away from, while I yelled over my shoulder “What could possibly go wro—” as I get clotheslined by a hypothetical tree branch. Only to get up, grin and keep running in the same direction, with no regrets. I just mean I have always naturally been a *cough*calculated*cough* risk-taker. That’s what I call entrepreneurship. Being enterprising.

Here you will find the ramblings of such an entrepreneur, and his attempts to just be enterprising, be a productive denizen of the world. I have made some interesting choices and faced some intriguing situations as a result, that I believe have significance to more people than know of it. I hope to voice my thoughts and experiences on some of these things. Maybe someone who finds themselves teetering on an edge I stood on (or fell off of) once will find something useful here. Maybe the powers that be will be able to understand how better to treat us, the “Denizens of the World”.
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Founder do’s and don’ts

I really enjoyed this article and felt like it’s extremely helpful. http://ryancarson.com/post/25580650719/7-dos-and-donts-for-founders

Do you agree? What would you add to the list if you were going to update it?
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How to skilfully praise people

People do not live on bread alone! People need food for the spirit as well as for the body. Remember how you feel when a kind word or complement is given to you? Remember how your whole day or evening is brightened up by that kind word or compliment? Remember how long the good feeling lasts? Well, others will react just as you do. So, say the kind or things that people want to hear. They will love you for saying kind things; and you will feel good for having said them. Be generous with your praise. Look for somebody and something to praise and then do it. But –

The praise must be sincere. If it isn’t sincere, don’t give it.

Praise the act, not the person.

Praising the act avoids embarrassment and confusion. It has a much more sincere ring to it. It avoids charges of favoritism and it creates an incentive for more of the same act. Make the praise specific – pinpoint it.

Example: “John, your work this past year has truly been excellent.” (Rather than, “John, you are a good man.”)

Example: “Mary, you did a splendid job on the year-end reports.” (Rather than, “Mary you’re a good worker.”)

Example: “Mr Smith, your lawn and landscaping is simply beautiful.” (Rather than, Mr Smith, you work hard.”)

Happiness formula: Get into the habit of saying daily one kind thing to at least three different people. Then see how you feel for having done so! This is a happiness formula for you! When you see the happiness, gratitude and pleasure you bring others by doing this, you will feel good. There is more joy in giving than in receiving. Try it!
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Any fundraising ideas for raising money to help Breast Cancer?

I am a 31 year old Breast Cancer survivor, and I have created a team to run the CIBC Run For The Cure in October, in Nanaimo, BC. The teams name is Cancer Who? Just like my website :) I put together the website to help young women with any form of cancer. I could not find anyone to “connect” with during my battle, so I created one.

So as my question states, I am looking for any ideas, tips or tricks to help raise money for Team Cancer Who? And the Run for Breast Cancer :) If you would like to donate, or would like any more info, you can visit me here —> http://www.runforthecure.com/goto/cancerwho
You can also vist my website here —> www.cancerwho.ca
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Finding the Right Partner

Finding the right partner is really tough. Who are you going to trust to help develop and create the vision? Who do you want to win with? Even more likely, who do you want to fail with and try again?

I was reading this on finding the perfect business partner, and most of them ring true. What about you guys?
http://www.inc.com/guides/leadership_strat/23041.html
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So I’m outsourcing my love life…

Being an entreprenuer and dating aren’t exactly ‘friends’. It’s been tough to meet solid guys outside the tech space. So I decided to outsource my online dating to my virtual assistant. We both blog about the experience here… http://outsourceyourlovelife.com It’s been quite the journey. Super fun.

My girlfriend Raychel is all about Tinder app. And WednesdayNight.me, a new start up with professional match making, contacted me so I am trying them out too.

What resources have you found to work best being a start up nerd and attempting to have a life outside of that?
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How to skilfully set peoples moods

You can make nine out of ten people like you immediately! You can make nine out of ten people courteous, cooperative and friendly in one second! (With the same magic.) Here’s how:

Remember that the first few seconds of any relationship usually sets the tone and spirit of it.

Utilize the 2nd Basic law of Human Behavior – People strongly tend to respond in kind to the behavior of other people. (Let’s shorten this to People respond in kind) So, in the first second, that instant when you first establish eye contact before you say anything, and before you break silence – give people your sincere smile.

What will happen? They will respond in kind – they will return your smile and be pleasant. In every human relations act – a dealing between two persons – there is an atmosphere, a mood, a stage set. The skill here is for you to set the atmosphere, the mood and the stage. Either you or the other person will set it. If you are wise, you will set it to your own advantage.

One of the tragic facts of human relations is the failure of people to realize that what they put out to other people they get right back from them. If you put out sunshine to people, sunshine will come back from them. Put out a blizzard to them and a blizzard is what you’ll get back. They key lies in the timing. The smile should come from before you break silence. This sets the stage in a warm, friendly mood.

Your tone of voice and facial expression are important, too, for they reveal your inner thoughts. Don’t forget to start your smile the same way the professional entertainers and models do, by saying this one word to yourself: “cheese”. It works!
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Don’t Go to Prison

Something comedian, actor Jim Carrey one said that I really liked and not spoken from his butt was, “I hope everyone could get rich and famous and will have everything they ever dreamed of, so they will know that it’s not the answer.” Alrighty then.

Let’s focus on one section of that- “have everything they ever DREAMED of.” Your dream of your future, this is your vision. And it is what is driving the endeavor you’re in. It’s both the ultimate goal and the roadmap to it. This is a weird place to be mentally, because it’s a little like a dreamworld. This dream is a vivid place in your imagination that is basically, your desired future. Not to mention, you must be fully immersed in and dedicated this alternative universe known as your vision to make it.

Ok, that’s true and fine but…

When starting a venture or enormous project, there is only one thing you can be SURE will happen. There is only one certainty: it will TAKE TWICE AS LONG, AND COST TWICE AS MUCH.

Oh I know, I know but this is you! And you’re special. What you’re producing will be immediately embraced by the whole world. Who wouldn’t want to throw funding at you and carry your product in all their stores and endorse your service to the world elite? Trust me.

Get ready for the long haul. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Even though the majority of entrepreneurs start thinking, “I’m going to focus only on this, pound this project out in six months, just go 100% and get out there.” Nope, not happening (or, it’s rare at best).

So what happens when you must be mentally inside this vision, going 100%, and for a long time? IT’S LIKE BEING IN PRISON.

Being separated from life, just wishing you can get out and be your vision. Now, this is understandable. I mean, isn’t being an entrepreneur ‘doing what others won’t, so you can live how others can’t’? And it always requires sacrifice…

But you’re already sacrificing so much (stability, pay, vacation, etc.). And being ‘in prison’ will only hurt your venture…

In order to be successful, you must learn to enjoy the journey and find happiness now by not separating yourself from the world. If you ‘go 100%, only thinking of work’ you’ll burnout because it takes a long time. Going back to Jim Carrey’s quote- you won’t be suddenly happy once you ‘arrive’/’are released from your cell.’

All the things you’re holding off until you’re off the ground. Just do them now. Waiting to travel. Waiting to date. Waiting to tell people about what you do. Just figure out a way to do it now. You have to live. Don’t lock yourself up into a venture too much.

Also, when you’re out and about and living your ‘vision’ now (as much as you can) you’ll find opportunity through networking with new friends, maturity growing within yourself as you experience new things, as well as creativity that will bring new ideas.

Allowing yourself to be happy now, will bring success- not the other way around. Success does not bring happiness.

If you’re like me, this will probably give you anxiety. I mean, there’s so much to do! Just remember that not only is this good for you (i.e. good for your project), but will make you work harder when it’s ok to be 1000000% in. I do not work on Sunday no matter what, so on Saturday you know I get shit done to not have that guilt the next day…

*Side note: This is a part of ‘coping’ with the necessity to be an obsessive loner, as I mentioned last week regarding Tony Stark. Essentially, go deep into your creative vision, but also be out of it living and not waiting until things happen to do so.

What are you holding off until your company makes billions off its IPO and you have a pet tiger?
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