StartUp | Make a difference

How To Launch Your Business in Just 48 Hours: Insights from Noah Kagan

Another video summary that I found very relevant. I find Matt Gray’s messaging very relevant and this was powerful.

These are some timeless tips of wisdom shared by Noah Kagan, a business mogul who’s been rocking the entrepreneurial world for over a decade. If you’re dreaming of starting your own venture, here’s what you need to know:

Keep grinding, no matter what. Ever heard of perseverance paying off? Noah’s a living example. He’s been pushing out content and connecting with his audience consistently for 15 years. Take it from him: success isn’t overnight. It’s about showing up, day after day.
From Ordinary to Extraordinary: Guess what? You don’t need to be a tech whiz or a Silicon Valley insider to make it big. Noah’s met all kinds of people, from ice cream sellers to customer support stars, who’ve turned their ordinary skills into extraordinary businesses. Start where you are with what you have.
Fear is Just a Four-Letter Word: Most of us are scared of starting because we think we need that ‘perfect idea.’ But here’s the kicker: There is no perfect idea. It’s more about solving everyday problems and just getting started. Turn your daily annoyances into your next business venture.
Leverage the Digital Goldmine: We’re living in the golden age of entrepreneurship. With tools like social media, email marketing services, and payment processors, you can kickstart your business with practically no cash upfront. The world is your oyster – all you need is an internet connection.
Embrace the Ups and Downs: Noah shares his personal lows, like getting fired and facing rejection. But here’s the thing: those setbacks can be the start of something new and exciting. It’s all about perspective. Remember, every successful entrepreneur has faced their share of challenges.
Turn ‘No’ Into Your Fuel: Rejection isn’t the end – it’s just the beginning. Use it as fuel to propel you forward. Noah’s journey teaches us that a string of no’s can eventually lead to a yes. Keep pushing, keep experimenting, and never lose sight of your dreams.

So, what’s stopping you? Take a leaf out of Noah Kagan’s book (literally and figuratively) and start your own business journey this weekend. Remember, the only real failure is not starting at all. Let’s turn those dreams into reality!

Mar.21

Adding VALUE in every engagement you have drives customer delight

Posted by Haja in Personal Brand, StartUp

I remember reading these three words in a Reader’s Digest from the 90’s (more than 30 years ago) that has stuck with me since then. It said- “3 words that changed my world”.

Make a difference.

That has governed my thinking for a long time. And today, as I engage with clients on my own, I remember those words and they are the tenets we operate in.

In the dynamic landscape of customer experience, the difference between a good business and a great one often lies in its ability to not just meet but exceed customer expectations. Creating delightful experiences is not just about forging transactions but also about making connections that resonate with customers on a personal level.

As aptly put it, “The greatest technology in the world hasn’t replaced the ultimate relationship-building tool between a customer and a business; the human touch.”

Shep Hyken

To truly elevate customer delight, consider these refined strategies:

1. Personalize Every Interaction

In a world awash with generic, automated responses or corporate-style DIY (the horrible intranet links), personalization stands out as a beacon of warmth and sincerity. Take the time to personalize your approach to how you talk to them; do small things that matter to them. Personalization shows that you see your customers as unique individuals, not just numbers on a spreadsheet.

2. Exceed Expectations with Proactive Service

Waiting for customers to reach out with problems is a reactive approach. To truly delight, be proactive. Anticipate their needs and offer solutions before they even realize they need them. Sometimes it is okay to challenge their thinking and ask them questions to make them question their own positioning. Proactive service not only solves problems but also demonstrates your commitment to their satisfaction, making your customers feel valued and understood.

3. Create a Feedback Loop and Act on It

Feedback is a gift, and acting on it closes the loop, showing customers that their opinions are not just heard but valued and implemented. Encourage feedback through various channels, and make it easy for customers to share their thoughts with you. When you make changes based on customer feedback, let them know. Taking feedback and, more importantly, acting on it (and acknowledging the change you are making) also builds trust and loyalty by showing that you are a business that listens and evolves according to the needs of its customers.

Implementing these strategies requires sincerity and a genuine desire to add value, which creates customer delight. It’s about going beyond the transactional nature of business and fostering emotional connections that leave a lasting positive impression. By personalizing interactions, exceeding expectations with proactive service, and creating a responsive feedback loop, you can transform ordinary customer interactions into memorable experiences that not only satisfy but truly enchant your customers.

Feb.06

How Forrest Gump, Don Corleone and James Bond helped our Startup

Posted by Haja in Motivation, StartUp

Note : This article was published on LinkedIn.

I am hazarding a guess that most people would have watched The GodFather, Forrest Gump, and at least some of the James Bond movies. Either when they were young, or for the younger folks, as classics.

I continue to watch them now and again. But over the years, I have started to view them and see messages that are relevant to us in many walks of life. And once we were a Startup, I picked some messages from the dialogues in these movies, that made a lot of sense to us.

Here are 3 famous quotes from these movies that I thought, fit the Startup DNA.

Actually, it applies to any company or employee as well.

Attitude

“Life is a box of chocolates, Forrest. You never know what you’re gonna get”
Mrs Gump/Sally Field in Forrest Gump (1994)

Attitude is everything.

Remember, the things you planned before you set out? The blueprints, the business plans etc.? Most probably, you will throw them out (or threw them out) once you started running your business. Your plans constantly evolve. Your customers change. The Segments you are addressing may evolve to include more or go deeper into a niche. But change will happen.

And change follows challenges. Challenges, that you will invariably face in the early days of your startup.

Don’t have a closed mind about the purpose of the business. Keep your options open and evolve with the business as you go along. You never know what you get next. Where your next order comes from. What your future holds.

Have a positive attitude. Irrespective of what hits you.

Just remember.

Life is a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get next.

Branding

“Bond. James Bond.”
Sean Connery in Dr No (1962)

What is your brand? Do you have a brand at all? Are you just one more of those startups or companies or employees trying to get by?

Are you working on it? If not, you should. How you position yourself and carry yourself and your company makes a huge difference.

Everything about you that touches your customers, clients, or other people should carry your brand- and make it stronger.

And it is not just the Logo.

The presentations you do. The communications that go out of your company. The mails. The proposals. The Website.

How do you carry these off? Are you seen as a “me too”? Do you see anything “different” about it?

Look at every communication as an opportunity put you and your company as being “different”.

If it does, you are in the right path. If not, it is time to look at it and start the rebranding exercise.

Bond. James Bond.

You are not just another Agent.

Remember, you are not just another Startup.

Offer

I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.
Don Corleone/Marlon Brando in The Godfather (1972)

For a Startup, the first chance you get to tell your story and offer a solution to a customer, is the window of opportunity to blow his socks off. To do that, you need to do your homework. Understand the challenge the customer is facing, get into his boots, and then work on the solution from inside out. You are not bound by any restrictions of having to follow their rule book. You have the opportunity to show a bigger, broader vision to your client.

Design a proposal and an offer that makes it compelling for the client. Something by which he transitions from a “do I need this guy” to “how do I get this guy to help me”.

Make an offer he cannot refuse. Remember he has problems for which he is seeking solutions. Make the offer compelling. Make it relevant. Make it memorable.

Make it an offer he cannot refuse.

All the best. The journey is exciting. The opportunities tremendous. There is an opportunity behind every desk. Start somewhere and start making those changes today.

May.09

The 1 thing you should do before you quit your job and become a full time entrepreneur

Posted by Haja in StartUp

When the bug bites, you want to quit the job and move on and set up your business immediately. Every day counts. The road all set out. The world of fortune beckons.

I know the feeling. Been there, done that.

Before you start, hold on a bit!

Chances are, you have already done a lot of reading, and all those books of how people made their millions is not just making your impatient, but also giving you a sense of urgency of time being wasted doing nothing.

Before you jump in, consider doing this one thing before you jump in.

Invest some money-

– and buy some stakes into one start-ups that is new and struggling for money and guidance. In today’s start-up world, there are a number of companies that need both a little investment and a lot of guidance and advice. Both are difficult to come by unless they are willing to part with some stakes. With a little money, you can get a stake (and I am not talking of 50% kind of stakes- but more like a 10-20% of stakes) in return for guidance/ support.

I say invest money instead of giving time – because by putting your money in, you secure a seat in the table as a stake holder- and enforces your commitment to get a return on your investment (apart from just the learning) while ensuring the company also looks at you as a partner instead of a coach or a guide. Most start-up’s are quite averse to parting with stakes – and it is important they see the value of what you bring so that they are willing to give you some stakes. In return you help them with your skills that will enable them to grow faster (hopefully).

This will help you in many ways.

· Gives you an inside view of how a startup actually works (or tries to work).

· Support the Founders in a number of activities that may be your speciality. You will go beyond the scope of your “job description” and discover new skills (we all did).

· Learn the concepts of cash-flow and how the company works & how they grow.

· Understand the challenges regarding hiring and managing a team.

· Decide on processes you need to put in place to make a company run smoothly.

· Work out various marketing programs that you can design on a bootstrapped model and understand ROI.

· Help the founders in making proposals for investments. This could include making a business plan & a pitch document (significant learnings).

Most importantly, you learn how to manage your money better- and learn while you work.

The list can go on.

You super-charge your learning of how a startup works and after a period of 6 months to a year, you are better positioned to know how to really start and run a company.

Also, as a bonus, your stake in this company could help you as a cushion when you start your own company.

The benefits are numerous. And your learning is significant.

Don’t give up on your dreams of starting off on your own. I am just suggesting you give it a bit of time, and effectively learn what you will anyway have go through when you start a company – while you are still earning a salary.

It could be one of the best decisions you take.

We learnt this after we started 🙂 Sharing this with you so that you could learn from this – and optimize your investments- and maximize your learnings.

Get moving Tiger!

May.02

The ONE reason Uber will survive in the long run

Posted by Haja in StartUp

India is a battleground today. Between two of the taxi giants who are fighting tooth and nail to gain the market share leadership in India. It is a battle of equals, or is it?

While they both have investors pouring money into them- and they are waging a battle of epic proportions, both on the technology front and the infrastructure front.

Think about it.. The way the industry has changed in less than a year –

· App – The Uber app is an experience. But the others are not too much behind. Though they may lack the finesse or the sleekness of the Uber App, their apps are fairly nice and usable as well.

· Building a franchisee of cabs– Instead of investing millions in buying cars and then making them run- as would have been the case otherwise, they have created a new opportunity for these drivers who used to struggle to make ends meet.

· Created an ecosystem of budding entrepreneurs from these drivers, who now, make as much money or more money, than the professionals they ferry around.

But having been on all these cabs over the last few months, I believe, Uber, is going to succeed in the long run.

The reason? Not the technology or the infrastructure they have built. Only this!

The Customer Experience.

The company has thought through every single step. Both from an App perspective, as well as the entire experience the customer goes through in his journey with Uber.

· “Remaking” of the Indian Taxi drivers– This is one of the most difficult challenges to overcome. How do you take people who drive taxis for a living, most of whom have never been through a complete education- and train them to be nice to customers. To be friendly and wish them when the get into the car. Uber has managed to make that happen. Not all drivers, but a better part of them – and that is one of the biggest changes required. Their regular trainings (this I heard from the drivers themselves), is looked forward to by the drivers- and is making an impact. Many speak in English, are more polished, and more importantly, keep their cars fresh and clean.

· The Customer Support team– they blow you away. For a company that is managing so much of business, the speed at which the customer support team responds has been outstanding. And it is usually with a Resolution – instead of asking for more clarifications. And if money has to be refunded, there is no doubt in their mind, and they seem to have been given the authority to take the decisions locally – which allows for instant closure- and delight the customers.

The customer experience has been awesome and something that most companies struggle to provide in their early days. Let alone, sustain it.

If Uber is able to sustain this over a longer period of time, they will be able to carve out a significant niche for themselves.

Of course assuming there is profitability in their business model 🙂

May.01