Serial entrepreneur, AFoundery venture studio founder, angel investor, mentor, and public speaker. Harvard Business School alumnus. 20+ years building ventures across USA, Mexico, India & Nepal. 30+ startup investments via TheSeedFund.vc.
166 posts
Every year on my birthday, messages arrive from a company that no longer exists. This photo is from that dinner two months ago. The cake was cut. And like every year, the calls came. Dukanline.…
The future belongs to people who invest their intelligence ... not just rent it. For more than a century, we've built careers by renting our intelligence. We join a company. We solve problems. We create…
Here is what 48 years of jumping without a net looks like. Six companies. Six industries I had no business being in. At 20 — landed in Sydney with two cheap suits and no idea…
Last night, past midnight. Founder application number 972. One line stopped me cold: "I have the idea. I have the fire. What I don't have is anyone who believes me." Had to put the laptop…
Most startups don't die from bad ideas. They die from the 18 months before they find their first customer. I've watched it very closely over the years ,As a hands-on builder and as an investor.…
Billion ₹ in sales in our first year. I still lost millions of my own money. That contradiction taught me everything. The metrics I worshipped were GMV and valuation. The metric that mattered was Positive…
"I'll quit my job the day you fund me." For over a decade, that line made me close the deck. My logic was simple. If you can't bet on yourself, why should I bet on…
When I started, there was no one beside me. No one to hand a task to. No one to catch what I dropped. No mentor. No team. Just me, and the mistakes I couldn't see…
Ninety days. That is all it takes to know if your startup is real. Yes, some businesses truly need years. Deep science. Hard infrastructure. Real R&D. But far fewer than the founders who claim it.…
Six years of uncertainty. Or ninety days of clarity. That is the only real choice a founder makes. Six years chasing a valuation = Six years chasing funny money on a term sheet. Ninety days…
My pager beeped in the middle of a meeting at 1-800-FLOWERS. I knew exactly what it was. Another order on my own website. This was 2001. I was 22. A DBA in their Long Island…
I want to admit something most founders never will. In my fourth startup, I called employees co-founders. Not because they took the risk with me. Because investors felt better when the deck said co-founders instead…
Most business plans die in the planning. Not because the idea was wrong. Because the planning never ends. One more market study. One more projection. One more version of the deck. It feels like progress.…
A 22-year-old was ready to turn down two job offers to start a company. I told him he was making a mistake. Last Winter, India. Sharp kid, fresh out of college. His parents are senior…
The other day my son and I were talking about the difference between VC and PE. He is majoring in Finance and Business at NYU Stern. His interest in finance is growing fast, but he…
"Hire slow, fire fast" almost killed my startup. I had 3 weeks of runway left to launch. Traditional wisdom said take 8 weeks to find the perfect and expensive senior developer . I ignored it.…
80% of job applications get auto-rejected before a human even sees them. The ATS filters killed your resume in 12 seconds. Here's what actually works in 2025: Skip the job boards. They're graveyards. Find the…
Everyone chases the unicorn. Less than 1% of startups ever raise venture capital. Of those, fewer than 1 in 40 becomes a unicorn. Across the whole field, the odds are 1 in 1,500. Let that…
The AI hiring wave is creating an unexpected problem. Companies are drowning in applications. One startup I know got 15,000 applications for 3 roles last month. All AI-generated resumes. All perfectly optimized. All completely useless.…
Everyone thinks raising money validates your startup. It doesn't. It validates your pitch deck. In 20+ years as entrepreneur and investor, I've watched countless founders measure success by funding rounds. I've never raised external money…
I genuinely don't enjoy LinkedIn anymore. And that makes me sad. Because I remember when this place felt real. Real people sharing real wins. Real failures. Real advice. Now open your feed. "I'm humbled and…
Anthropic just burned through $2.7 billion in 18 months. Google spent $13 billion on AI infrastructure last quarter alone. OpenAI is raising at a $150 billion valuation which is higher than most Fortune 500 companies.…
The AI hiring wave is over. Companies hired AI teams in 2024-2025 like they were collecting Pokemon cards. Head of AI. VP of AI Strategy. Chief AI Officer. Most didn't know what these people would…
The founder’s pitch deck had 47 slides.I hung up after 7 minutes.That was March 2026. Another Tuesday, another overproduced presentation.The deck looked like a design masterpiece. Every animation perfect. Every transition smooth. Every font choice…
Most founders think the best hires come from their network.I used to believe this too.Until I hired 2 people from my inner circle for my one of the business few yearsback.All two were talented. All…
4 months ago Y Combinator graduates raised $40M in Series A rounds. Today they're shutting down. I've watched 17 companies go from "we're the next unicorn" to "we're out of runway" in under 6 months.…
My friend's 8-year-old son asked me last week why I stare at screens all day. "Uncle, don't you get bored talking to computers?" I paused mid-email. This kid spends hours building Lego cities, racing bikes,…
If ChatGPT can replace what you built in 3 weeks . you didn't build a business. You built a feature. Klarna proved it. Fired Salesforce. Built their own AI stack. Then rehired hundreds of people…
Two founders. Same AI pitch.One is wrapping AI on top of a broken process.One built the process for AI from day one.Same market. Same service. Completely different destiny.The first will always carry the old cost…
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.Launched 18 months ago. A living room in Los Angeles. $20,000.Matthew Gallagher ,A self-taught entrepreneur from…
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…
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…
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 City at almost…
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,…
This was my iPay Dukanline team. Every one of them. When we started in 2013.Oracle sent 30,000 termination emails on March 31.The math is simple.Every month Oracle paid salaries.Now that same money pays for AI…
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.Nobody is preparing for what AI is actually doing.McKinsey today runs 20,000 AI agents alongside 40,000 humans.One year ago they had 3,000 agents.Their human headcount did not shrink.It…
$500M AI rounds. $0 revenue models. We've seen this movie before - it ended in 2001.Pets.com raised $82M in 2000.Spent $11.8M on a Super Bowl ad.Dead 9 months after IPO.Sound familiar?Today's $500M AI rounds are…
They sold AI that didn't exist. Then built a $1 billion company.In 2017, Sam and Krish had $0. Six failed startups behind them. Backs against the wall in San Francisco.They had an idea - an…
Most founders I meet are solving the wrong problem.They spend months perfecting the product. Zero time figuring out who is actually going to buy it.I have built five companies.The ones that struggled - we fell…
Startups don’t break because of bad numbers.They break when founders feel alone.Around a decade ago , The board call ended. Every investor logged off uncomfortable.Quarterly update. The numbers were bad.The startup was burning double what…
$12,000 per year in AI tools replaced a $300,000 team. One person. $80M exit. Six months.....Maor Shlomo opened his laptop in December 2024 and built alone. No co-founder. No pitch deck. No funding.Six months later:…
One year after landing in the US, I started my first business making $0.50 per sale.My friends laughed."Fifty cents? That's it? What are you going to do with that?"I didn't argue.Maybe because I wasn't looking…
The new business plan is no plan.In 2020, you needed 6 months to validate an idea. A business plan. A pitch deck. A market research report.In 2026? You need a Tuesday afternoon.AI has collapsed the…
While I’m excited about what AI can do to software… I’m concerned about what it can do to software jobs. Last Sunday morning, I walked into my home office with a simple business idea. By…
I have books in almost every corner of my home. Coffee tables. Stair corners. Random stacks near the TVs. If you walk into any room, you’ll find a book waiting for you. So people keep…
There’s a difference between running a startup and building a business. When you operate with a startup mindset, you focus on valuation. Every decision, from the tech stack to the branding, is designed to look…
You are unable to scale your business because you keep optimizing your workflows. I see many founders obsessed with the idea of efficiency and improving ROI that they keep experimenting with systems and fixing things…
If you’re bootstrapping and feel small next to funding headlines, read this… Some days it feels like everyone is raising money except you. Your feed starts to look like a funding scoreboard. LinkedIn will show…
Build a $1M business in 90 days. No money. Start from zero… Sounds insane, right? That was the challenge on a reality show I watched .. During the 2021 lockdown in Hyderabad ,Undercover Billionaire, where…
If your team doesn’t lose sleep like you, nothing is broken. It just means they’re employees. You’re the founder. You chose to start a business. You signed up for financial risk, reputational risk, and the…
I once spent thousands of dollars on a business coach who had never built anything real. A founder friend once asked me: “Should I hire a business coach or find a mentor?” I didn’t give…
When I was 27, I sold my first company in New York. Right after signing docs in Jackson Heights. I called my father from the car. My wife beside me, driving home to Long Island.…
From Keyboard to Dashboard: BlackBerry’s Comeback story...... What I Learned from it... Late ’90s, I was on a pager. Then came my first BlackBerry... "A small phone, tiny physical keyboard, little trackball. Tap-tap, scroll, send.…
India’s Next Digital Highway Is Here... It’s Called Bima Sugam Every few years, India quietly builds another digital highway ..... each one changing how an entire industry works. ✳️ RuPay India’s own card network to…
Forget Investors. The Smart Founders Are Raising AI Leverage. The next wave of entrepreneurs won’t chase investors. They won’t start with a business plan. Every great founder used to build a team that could execute.…
Oracle’s Trillion-Dollar Turnaround Larry Ellison Surpasses Elon Musk Here’s how it happened and why Oracle still cut jobs the same week: Oracle stock soared 40% in one day (+$300B market cap). With his 41% stake,…
Align your interview prep with your career goals - A simple guide 1) Start with your dream Write your 1–2 year goal and the kind of work you want. List 3 target companies that fit…
Great leaders don’t copy AI. They challenge it. Use AI to: · Stress-test your ideas · Ask it to find holes: “What could go wrong? What breaks first?” · Clean up your thinking · Turn messy notes into 5…
Real Estate Meets Culture: The Untapped Indian American Senior Market. The first wave of Indian immigrants to the U.S. came here to build careers and raise families. Today, many of them are entering retirement —…
Most people sell shovels. A few dig the mine. Founders keep building “AI tools” for old workflows because it feels safe. That’s yesterday’s playbook. Don’t sell GPS to taxi companies—build Uber. Don’t sell an “AI…
Starting a business can be a tough ride that requires a lot of hard work and dedication. We often believe that success comes from pushing ourselves harder and harder, but it's important to realise that…
Sometimes, misunderstandings arise, and we feel the need to explain ourselves or defend our actions. However, not every situation requires our defense. It's essential to trust the process and let time do the talking. Time…
Life is more than just reaching our goals. It's about the journey that gets us there. Every step we take, every twist and turn we encounter, contributes to our story. So, take a moment to…
It's easy to fall into the trap of depending on others and blaming them when things go wrong. But this approach will never lead to success. True achievement requires self-reliance, not dependency. Think of a…
Direction is more important than speed when it comes to achieving success. Rushing into things without a proper plan could lead you off course, far from where you intended to be. It's better to move…
Focusing too much on the future can distract us from the present's focus and opportunities. It's natural to worry about what's to come or to dwell on past mistakes, but doing so can prevent us…
When our intentions are pure, we always win. Acting with sincerity is the key to unlocking our potential. It may not be in the way we expect, but good things come to those who approach…
Until it's our turn, let's keep clapping for each other! In a world where competition and comparison are often encouraged, it's easy to see others' successes as a threat. But what if we changed our…
Our job titles and awards may be important, but they are only temporary. What will truly define our legacy is how we treat others. Regardless of our position, we must prioritise kindness and respect in…
Have you ever wondered if our imagination is a blessing or a curse? While it allows us to innovate, create, and dream, it can also lead to endless worrying and thinking toomuch, preventing us from…
Pain is an inevitable part of life, but not all pain is equal. There are two types of pain - the one that tears you down and the one that builds you up. The former…
A bonsai tree, when grown in a small pot, remains small and stunted. But when planted in the ground, it can grow tall and strong, reaching its full potential. Like the bonsai tree, we too…
Struggling to close sales? Wondering why your product isn't resonating with customers? It's time to shift your focus from selling the product to selling the problem you solve. Customers aren't interested in features and specs…
Decision-making can be challenging, but what if there was a technique that could help us make better decisions? Use this 'Stepping out of the circle' technique. By taking a step back and looking at the…
Entrepreneurship is a dance between risks and rewards. Every decision is a step along a winding path, balancing the potential of rewards against the uncertainties of risks. Diving into opportunities without measuring their depth is…
How true this quote is and it resonates deeply with me. It instantly took me back to a rejection I faced during my first job interview after completing my diploma at 18. That day was…
Every experience in life, success or failure, is a lesson. It's about perspective. Embrace each moment as an opportunity to learn and grow. As entrepreneur James Dyson said, "Failure is interesting - it's part of…
Each challenge we encounter shape our path, often in surprising ways. If you're navigating a tough phase, perhaps my tale will offer some inspiration. At just 18, As a young dreamer, I aspired to attend…
Entrepreneurs are dreamers, but they may not always effectively showcase their visions. What matters is that they try. With well proven methods. When you need capital, show investors where they'll profit, not just what you…
Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Resilience is the ability to weather the storms, withstand the lows, and rise stronger every time. Entrepreneurial resilience isn't about avoiding falls, but learning to get back…
Meet the extraordinary team that makes up AdventInfotech’s Mexico operations! 🇲🇽 Each one is an individual contributor, consistently giving their best, shaping our journey, and setting new benchmarks. 🚀 Humberto Aguirre Villalvazo - IT Sr…
"Everything you want is on the other side of fear." -Jack Canfield It's amazing how accurate it is. Achieving our desires often requires us to overcome our own fears. Fear is natural. It's a sign…
Do you think AI tools like ChatGPT will change education and learning methods for future generations? ChatGPT is capable of generating text on any subject, has been hailed as a breakthrough in natural language processing.…
Time management is key for leaders in our fast-paced world. A 9-minute morning journaling routine can help you set clear intentions and priorities without distractions. Here, we'll share easy tips to help you incorporate this…
Boost Leadership Team's Productivity with These Simple Tricks and Tools As a leader, maintaining productivity within your team is crucial for success. Here are some easy-to-implement tips and tools to help your leadership team reach…
Propel Your Leadership Journey: Essential Tactics for Rapid growth. 1. Be proactive and take responsibility: Identify areas where you can contribute and deliver results. Own up to mistakes and embrace a mindset of continuous growth.…
Embracing Risk for Greater Rewards - A Tale of Two Entrepreneurs In the world of startups, taking risks is often the key to unlocking great rewards. Entrepreneurs who dare to venture into the unknown and…
The Impact of Safety Net on Startup Success - A Tale of Real Entrepreneurs Elon Musk Vs Caterina Fake When Musk invested his own money in SpaceX and Tesla, he was taking a considerable risk.…
Do you think AI can replace Human learning curve and Knowledge ? In today's world, it is often argued that with the availability of Google and ChatGPT, humans no longer need to learn or remember…
"Unlocking the Secrets of Scaling Your Startup: Key Strategies for Sustainable Growth" Scaling your startup is a crucial step in the growth of any successful company. The process of scaling requires careful planning and execution…
"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." - Franklin D. Roosevelt Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson faced skepticism and competition as they built Basecamp, a unique project…
Will ChatGPT-like AI tools eventually become smarter than humans? Pause for a moment and ponder this question. This thought might lead you to wonder: If AI generates content based on human-written materials, will we eventually…
Embracing Failure: A Key to Entrepreneurial Success "Failure is not the opposite of success; it's a stepping stone to it. As entrepreneurs, we often encounter setbacks and obstacles that may seem insurmountable. But remember, each…
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill In the world of entrepreneurship, perseverance is key. This quote by Winston Churchill reminds us that…
Learning from Failure: Real Stories of Startup Founders In the world of startups, success stories often steal the spotlight. However, there is immense value in learning from the experiences of founders who faced challenges and…
The Importance of Effective Communication in Startups: A Founder's Real-Life Experience. Allow me to share a personal experience that underscores the importance of effective communication in the fast-paced world of startups. In one of my…
In a follow-up to my previous article, I'll share my experience as an entrepreneur who made a wrong choice in hiring, and the lessons I learned from it. I employed a long-time acquaintance for a…
Life is very simple but as humans we make it complicated . Today after my meditation some how I have this thought came into my mind. If we keep life simple how beautiful it would…
I was 21 yrs old when I started my first business that too with an intention to earn phone expenses It was in 2000.During those days calling India from US was very expensive,I use to…
