HDFC AMC - what Nicolas Darvas discussed at length about his box theory.

1/ Thread: "A Silicon Valley Ponzi Scheme"

Thanks to @chamath for laying this out in Social Capital's 2018 annual letter.

I've always appreciated his outspokenness.

2/ The hardest thing for most startups today is the path to market: first finding product-market fit & a way to reach customers, then building a ruthless machine to acquire, monetize & retain them.

3/ Because of this, when the VC industry invests capital into fast growing startups today, the plurality (if not majority) of invested capital will go into user acquisition and ad spending, for better or worse— usually worse.

4/ Todays massive venture-backed advertising, sales, and user acquisition playbook has morphed into one that champions growth at any cost.

This is creating a big bill that will soon come due...

5/ Ad impressions and click-throughs are bid up to outrageous prices by startups flush with venture money, and prospective users demand more and more subsidized products to gain their initial attention.

How did I go from a busily scheduled life to one with substantial unstructured time?

1/ More creating, less consuming

I stopped obsessive mindless scrolling and started creating. Instagram for artworks. Twitter for thoughts. Unsubscribed from other apps. Saved a LOT of time.

2/ More deep focus, less context switching

I loved to be involved in many projects, but didn’t take into account the cost of making the mind switch between works. I decided to choose one important project and pour all of me into it.

3/ “It’s either hell yeah, or no”

I dropped projects that didn’t make me feel all fervent. I ruthlessly purged the guilt and FOMO. It was hella scary and uncomfortable at first, but was liberating over time. Knowing your why is the key.

4/ More focus on health and people

I was generous with time when it was for my health and people. I exercised, did yoga, went on for walks, and slept whenever I wanted. Same way, I didn’t look at the clock when I was with people. I resolved to be there and only there.

5/ Less worrying about saying no

Well, this was perhaps the toughest one for me. I was so used to being involved in many projects, that retracting myself from them was almost impossible. It was SO painful. Yet, I trusted it would be a wise choice long term and bore the pain.

X : Our executive team is concerned that we need to up our game in order to out innovate Amazon.
Me : Do you map?
X : Yes
Me : Like this?
X : No. What's that?
Me : A map of a tea shop.

X : Why is that a map?
Me : Long story, all to do with how space has meaning. To keep it short, maps help people to focus on user needs, the components involved, to communicate missing components and scenario play ideas like staff becoming robots.

Me : They’re also good for measuring and managing capital flow, making investment decisions, removing bias and getting rid of duplication.
X : I don’t see how that helps with innovation?

Me : Well, innovation is a tricky word because we use it to describe many things. If you’re talking about differentiation with the adjacent unexplored then you’re experimenting in the “uncharted” space e.g. immortality with magic provided by the special custom built kettle.

X : That sounds like nonsense.
Me : A lot of what people think will be the next great innovation is nonsense. Actually, most of it is. That’s the nature of the uncharted space, it’s experimental, high risk and generally results in failure.
X : We need more reliable innovation.

Most software founders, particularly in B2B, need to get radically better at sales. @Steli , who is the best person for explaining the scrappy stages in the beginning and then building out a team with scripts and processes, wrote a guide to:

For technical founders it is irrationally, obscenely hard to reverse years of programming (ba dum bum) that sales is a value-destroying activity. Sales is CLEARLY a value-creating activity, contingent on you have a value-creating product.

The world will not drop what they are doing to adopt your work. This is particularly true in B2B, where simply building a better mousetrap won't overcome the activation energy required to get people with additional non-mice problems to prioritize changing mousetraps today.

This is very non-obvious for founders because founders are not often people who *want* to be sold to. We often come from a background where trying out tools is a bit of a fun hobby. We like looking at all the options, making charts, and ripping out partially complete tests.

"This week I unsuccessfully trialed four software options for automating that thing that has been killing us. Our actual production process remains the same as last week. Don't worry; this was a great use of time." is not a thing you want to write in a progress report to manager.

Tamboola - Brings Turning Point in Life

People who offer Tamboola daily to Devis swarupas are blessed with apaara ashta aishwaryas and beyond.

Maa Lalitha Tripurasundari is seen doing Nitya Taamboola Charvana.

"Tamboola Poorita Mukhi, Daadimi Kusuma Prabha"

This nama from Lalitha sahasra describe Maa lalitha parmeshwari as one who has her mouth with Tamboola rasa and looks like one who shines in the hue of pomegranate flowers.

It is said suvasini sthree and kanyas should do Tamboola charvana daily to gain aishwaryas, hve a great health, be always energetic and happy. Men also do it to get a clarity in thoughts and also peaceful mind and bliss.

People who think we are lacking that spark in life should try this and see the benefits themselves. All you need are

Nagavalli Paan
Mishri
Elaichi
Jaiphal
Supari Full
Lavang
Javvadi
Madhu (Honey)
Gulaab Petals / Gulkand
Kesar

People can add all fragrant things additionally

If you dont have all of it, do it with what best is available at home. Maa wants the samarpan and prem. In a family count the number of people and offer that many of the paan to the goddess.