Recent Posts
Cash in the door this month tells you more than any forecast for next year.
Cash in the door this month tells you more than any forecast for next year. Originally posted on X (Twitter)
A 40 percent margin business paid in 120 days beats a 10 percent margin paid tom…
A 40 percent margin business paid in 120 days beats a 10 percent margin paid tomorrow. Patience is an edge….
The customer’s payment is the only opinion that keeps the lights on. Everything …
The customer’s payment is the only opinion that keeps the lights on. Everything else is feedback. Originally posted on X…
Profit is not what is left over. Profit is the plan.
Profit is not what is left over. Profit is the plan. Originally posted on X (Twitter)
If ChatGPT can replace what you built in three weeks, you did not build a busine…
If ChatGPT can replace what you built in three weeks, you did not build a business. You built a feature….
A coach has frameworks. A mentor has scars. Know which one your problem needs.
A coach has frameworks. A mentor has scars. Know which one your problem needs. Originally posted on X (Twitter)
Don’t sell the AI shovel. Mine the gold yourself.
Don’t sell the AI shovel. Mine the gold yourself. Originally posted on X (Twitter)
Margin is a choice you make at the start, not a thing you find at the end.
Margin is a choice you make at the start, not a thing you find at the end. Originally posted on…
You cannot scale what you keep changing. Freeze what works. Grow the volume, not…
You cannot scale what you keep changing. Freeze what works. Grow the volume, not the mechanics. Originally posted on X…
The boring parts of your business are usually the ones quietly saving you money.
The boring parts of your business are usually the ones quietly saving you money. Originally posted on X (Twitter)
Build a real offer. Earn a real customer. No decks. No permission. Just the work…
Build a real offer. Earn a real customer. No decks. No permission. Just the work. Originally posted on X (Twitter)
Ninety days. That is all it takes to know if your startup is real.
Ninety days. That is all it takes to know if your startup is real. Yes, some businesses truly need years….
The fastest way to find out if your idea is real is to ask someone to pay for it…
The fastest way to find out if your idea is real is to ask someone to pay for it. Everything…
A Foundery is for builders who jump first and learn to swim in 90 days.
A Foundery is for builders who jump first and learn to swim in 90 days. Originally posted on X (Twitter)
A Foundery is not an accelerator. Accelerators teach you to pitch. I teach you t…
A Foundery is not an accelerator. Accelerators teach you to pitch. I teach you to land a paying customer in…
Stop chasing a unicorn that needs constant outside money. Build something that p…
Stop chasing a unicorn that needs constant outside money. Build something that pays you this year and still stands in…
A business built for an exit serves a buyer who may never come. A business built…
A business built for an exit serves a buyer who may never come. A business built for profit serves a…
I am not looking for the most polished applicant. I am looking for the one who a…
I am not looking for the most polished applicant. I am looking for the one who already talked to a…
I spent 30 years learning this the hard way. A Foundery is the shortcut I never …
I spent 30 years learning this the hard way. A Foundery is the shortcut I never had. Originally posted on…
If you are waiting to feel ready, you will wait forever.
If you are waiting to feel ready, you will wait forever. Ready is what happens after you start. Originally posted…
The 90-day clock does not care how you feel. That is exactly why it works.
The 90-day clock does not care how you feel. That is exactly why it works. Originally posted on X (Twitter)
Most programs hand you a network and a demo day.
Most programs hand you a network and a demo day. I hand you a deadline and a customer. Originally posted…
I did not know what an invoice was when I sent my first one.
I did not know what an invoice was when I sent my first one. You do not have to know…
Every company I built, I built before I felt ready.
Every company I built, I built before I felt ready. Ready is a feeling that arrives after you start, never…
You do not need a co-founder, a deck, or a round.
You do not need a co-founder, a deck, or a round. You need a real problem and 90 days. The…
I have never missed a payroll in 25 years.
I have never missed a payroll in 25 years. That is the one trophy I carry with real pride. Originally…
I have started from zero five times.
I have started from zero five times. It never gets easier. You just get less afraid of it. Originally posted…
India does not need more funded startups.
India does not need more funded startups. It needs more functional ones. Originally posted on X
Hyderabad gave me my hunger. Mumbai gave me courage to dream , Sydeny gave me showing up…
Hyderabad gave me my hunger. Mumbai gave me courage to dream , Sydeny gave me showing up every day,New York…
I never invest in the pitch. I invest in the person who already started without me.
I never invest in the pitch. I invest in the person who already started without me. Originally posted on X
Growth hides every problem. The downturn introduces you to all of them at once.
Growth hides every problem. The downturn introduces you to all of them at once. Originally posted on X
Revenue you cannot explain is a luck, not a skill.
Revenue you cannot explain is a luck, not a skill. Originally posted on X
Six years of uncertainty. Or ninety days of clarity.
Six years of uncertainty. Or ninety days of clarity. That is the only real choice a founder makes. Six years…
I do not bet on the smartest founder in the room.
I do not bet on the smartest founder in the room. I bet on the one still in the room…
Funding is an amplifier, not a badge.
Funding is an amplifier, not a badge. It makes a good business bigger and a bad one die faster. Originally…
Most startups are not built. They are assembled.
Most startups are not built. They are assembled. Decks, rounds, narratives, held together by the next fundraise. Originally posted on…
The richest builders I know in India are not on any funding list.
The richest builders I know in India are not on any funding list. They are too busy being profitable. Originally…
At 25 I cried for two weeks after losing everything.
At 25 I cried for two weeks after losing everything. Then I went back to work. The crying did not…
A founder with receipts answers in 30 seconds.
A founder with receipts answers in 30 seconds. A founder with only a deck needs 30 slides. Originally posted on…
Show me the bank transfer from client, not the projection.
Show me the bank transfer from client, not the projection. Originally posted on X
My pager beeped in the middle of a meeting at 1-800-FLOWERS.
My pager beeped in the middle of a meeting at 1-800-FLOWERS. I knew exactly what it was. Another order on…
I have made more than forty bets on founders.
I have made more than forty bets on founders. The ones who won could all describe their boring work in…
My first employee was a housewife with no experience.
My first employee was a housewife with no experience. She closed four placements in six weeks. 21 years later she…
I flew to Mexico. No language. No network.
I flew to Mexico. No language. No network. 90 days. I built a million dollar business anyway. You learn fast…
Fraudsters drained my entire inventory overnight.
Fraudsters drained my entire inventory overnight. Bank balance near zero. I rebuilt it by hand in three months. Two years…
The best hire I ever made had the worst resume in the pile.
The best hire I ever made had the worst resume in the pile. Talent is mostly hidden. Resumes only show…
Most founders confuse being needed with being valuable.
Most founders confuse being needed with being valuable. The first traps you. The second frees you. Originally posted on X
Cusotmer Churn: Loud churn you can fix.
Cusotmer Churn: Loud churn you can fix. Silent churn you never see coming. Originally posted on X
You do not need perfect conditions.
You do not need perfect conditions. You need a clock and the courage to start. Originally posted on X
Stop polishing the deck. Spend that week getting one more receipt.
Stop polishing the deck. Spend that week getting one more receipt. Originally posted on X
We celebrate the fund raise like it is the win.
We celebrate the fund raise like it is the win. It is not. It is borrowing the right to be…
The salary is nothing. What you learn in year one, you keep for life.
The salary is nothing. What you learn in year one, you keep for life. Originally posted on X
Why Founders find co-founders instead of solo founder and his team
I want to admit something most founders never will. In my fourth startup, I called employees co-founders. Not because they…
A partnership without a written agreement is a slow disaster waiting for a date.
A partnership without a written agreement is a slow disaster waiting for a date. Originally posted on X
I bought a finance company older than I was, in a market everyone called boring, and…
I bought a finance company older than I was, in a market everyone called boring, and 10x’d it. Boring is…
I grew up watching my father farm ..
I grew up watching my father farm .. one field his whole life. I have planted in five countries. Same…
The company that survives the downturn is the one built on receipts, not on a story.
The company that survives the downturn is the one built on receipts, not on a story. Originally posted on X
A 100-person call center becomes a 10-person team of problem solvers.
A 100-person call center becomes a 10-person team of problem solvers. AI did not end the jobs. It ended the…
AI will not take your job. It will expose whether your job was ever real work.
AI will not take your job. It will expose whether your job was ever real work. Originally posted on X
Most business plans die in the planning.
Most business plans die in the planning. Not because the idea was wrong. Because the planning never ends. One more…
Less for 22 year old
A 22-year-old was ready to turn down two job offers to start a company. I told him he was making…
The other day my son and I were talking about the difference between VC and PE.
The other day my son and I were talking about the difference between VC and PE. He is majoring in…
“Hire slow, fire fast” almost killed my startup.
“Hire slow, fire fast” almost killed my startup. I had 3 weeks of runway left to launch. Traditional wisdom said…
80% of job applications get auto-rejected before a human even sees them.
80% of job applications get auto-rejected before a human even sees them. The ATS filters killed your resume in 12…
Everyone chases the unicorn.
Everyone chases the unicorn. Less than 1% of startups ever raise venture capital. Of those, fewer than 1 in 40…
The AI hiring wave is creating an unexpected problem.
The AI hiring wave is creating an unexpected problem. Companies are drowning in applications. One startup I know got 15,000…
Everyone thinks raising money validates your startup.
Everyone thinks raising money validates your startup. It doesn’t. It validates your pitch deck. In 20+ years as entrepreneur and…
I genuinely don’t enjoy LinkedIn anymore. And that makes me sad.
I genuinely don’t enjoy LinkedIn anymore. And that makes me sad. Because I remember when this place felt real. Real…
Leadership books are written by people who never built anything that mattered.
Leadership books are written by people who never built anything that mattered. Originally posted on X
The companies that survive in Ai Era
Anthropic just burned through $2.7 billion in 18 months. Google spent $13 billion on AI infrastructure last quarter alone. OpenAI…
Your startup will fail. Your relationships don’t have to.
Your startup will fail. Your relationships don’t have to. Originally posted on X
The loneliest job in the world has the best office views
The loneliest job in the world has the best office views Originally posted on X
Hiring fast and firing slow will kill your startup faster than bad product.
Hiring fast and firing slow will kill your startup faster than bad product. Originally posted on X
2022: 50 cold emails daily, 2% response rate
2022: 50 cold emails daily, 2% response rate 2024: 3 warm intros weekly, 90% close rate Networks beat numbers Originally…
AI will kill 40% of SaaS startups by 2027.
AI will kill 40% of SaaS startups by 2027. The other 60% will become AI-first and dominate. Originally posted on…
The AI hiring wave is over.
The AI hiring wave is over. Companies hired AI teams in 2024-2025 like they were collecting Pokemon cards. Head of…
Well designed deck does not run the business or attract Investors
The founder’s pitch deck had 47 slides. I hung up after 7 minutes. That was March 2026. Another Tuesday, another…
Before: 80 hour weeks, no revenue.
Before: 80 hour weeks, no revenue. After: 40 hour weeks, $2M ARR. Focus beats hustle. Originally posted on X
Your first 10 hires will determine if you scale to $100M or die at $10M.
Your first 10 hires will determine if you scale to $100M or die at $10M. Most founders hire for skills….
Most founders think the best hires come from their network.
Most founders think the best hires come from their network. I used to believe this too. Until I hired 2…
4 months ago Y Combinator graduates raised $40M in Series A rounds.
4 months ago Y Combinator graduates raised $40M in Series A rounds. Today they’re shutting down. I’ve watched 17 companies…
Everyone says work life balance matters for retention.
Everyone says work life balance matters for retention. Wrong. Top performers quit boring jobs, not hard jobs. Give them impossible…
My friend’s 8-year-old son asked me last week why I stare at screens all day.
My friend’s 8-year-old son asked me last week why I stare at screens all day. “Uncle, don’t you get bored…
If ChatGPT can replace what you built in 3 weeks .
If ChatGPT can replace what you built in 3 weeks . you didn’t build a business. You built a feature….
Two founders. Same AI pitch.
Two founders. Same AI pitch. One is wrapping AI on top of a broken process. One built the process for…
$1.8B Rev company with 2 employees
Same market. Same product. Same customers.One company: 2,442 employees. $2.4B revenue. 5.5% margin.Other company: 2 employee. $1.8B projected. 16.2% margin….
I’ve watched people get the promotion, the house, the relationship they wanted.
I’ve watched people get the promotion, the house, the relationship they wanted. Then within months they’re restless again. The happiest…
Reading people. Really reading them.
Reading people. Really reading them. I’ve done hundreds of funding meetings. The best deals came from watching micro-expressions, hearing what…
If your entire business depends on one platform, one client, or one revenue stream – you…
If your entire business depends on one platform, one client, or one revenue stream – you don’t have a business….
Been there both ways across 6 exits.
Been there both ways across 6 exits. Solo gives you speed and control, but co-founder brings complementary skills you lack….
Been there couple of times. Launch is just day zero.
Been there couple of times. Launch is just day zero. The real work starts when the notifications stop and you…
The market doesn’t care about your feelings, your effort, or your intentions.
The market doesn’t care about your feelings, your effort, or your intentions. It rewards results. That’s not harsh. Those are…
It’s been a while since I wrote an article.
It’s been a while since I wrote an article.
I spent years in financial services. Acquired and scaled a 40-year-old NBFC – 10x in 8 years.
So when AI started showing up inside real business workflows,
Hot take: Most thought leaders on X just learned to format opinions better than everyone…
Hot take: Most thought leaders on X just learned to format opinions better than everyone else. The real thinkers are…
The 5% Rule – Why Entrepreneurs Will Win the AI Era
The 5% Rule – Why Entrepreneurs Will Win the AI Era
Last weeked I was listening to Dario Amodei (CEO of Anthropic) said something on Nikhil Kamath’s podcast that hit hard.
“Even if AI does 95% of the
The two biggest clients we ever landed almost took the whole company down.
The two biggest clients we ever landed almost took the whole company down.
This was 2008. Infovision was growing fast.
Our team had started IT consulting assignments with Lehman Brothers and Circuit C
AI washing is the new way to get funded.
AI washing is the new way to get funded.
A similar thing happened during the dot.com bubble in 2000.
Companies added ‘.com’ to their name and the valuation doubled.
Today you connect a GPT API, put ‘A
Oracle sent 30,000 termination emails on March 31.
This was my iPay Dukanline team. Every one of them. When we started in 2013.Oracle sent 30,000 termination emails on…
A few years ago, if someone said, “I am building a company alone,” most people would think it was…
A few years ago, if someone said, “I am building a company alone,” most people would think it was just a freelance side hustle.
Not anymore.
Look at Midjourney.
Nearly $500 million in annual revenue.
Everyone’s preparing for AI to steal their job.
Everyone’s preparing for AI to steal their job. Nobody is preparing for what AI is actually doing. McKinsey today runs…