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1/ Really interesting questions yesterday in the @PMInstitute Karachi Chapter Reader club session on Reboot around wealth, success, starting up, first time founders, lessons learnt, regrets and advise to a younger self.
Looking forward to the video.
Looking forward to the video.
2/ A big theme yesterday was interconnected paths and destiny.
I came into Computer Science because of actuarial exams. An MBA because despite my consulting background I really didn't understand how businesses worked.
Rather I didn't understand how I would make one work.
I came into Computer Science because of actuarial exams. An MBA because despite my consulting background I really didn't understand how businesses worked.
Rather I didn't understand how I would make one work.
3/ I moved away from programming because I was easy to distract and got bored once 95% of a problem was solved. Not a good recipe for a developer.
Realized early that I was good at building bridges and connections and there was value in that.
It was also more fun.
Realized early that I was good at building bridges and connections and there was value in that.
It was also more fun.
4/ Building bridges got me into product management roles. Product management led to startups. Startups led to Enterprise Risk and a path back into actuarial science.
Like a virtuous circle.
Film and documentary shorts happened because of my kids taking up track and athletics.
Like a virtuous circle.
Film and documentary shorts happened because of my kids taking up track and athletics.
5/ All I wanted was an excuse to see them run. They ran and won on the same field I trained on as a teenager.
But the footage I shot would have been boring for everyone else. So I shot more and it eventually led to Dalmia Dreaming -
But the footage I shot would have been boring for everyone else. So I shot more and it eventually led to Dalmia Dreaming -
6/ Editing was easy because I had been editing video courses for http://FinanceTrainingCourse.com
That happened because I had been teaching for 15 years and because a student pointed me to @salkhanacademy
Teaching happened because @fastnuces was stuck in a hard place in 1995.
That happened because I had been teaching for 15 years and because a student pointed me to @salkhanacademy
Teaching happened because @fastnuces was stuck in a hard place in 1995.
7/ I got into @fastnuces because the year I was supposed to enroll in the actuarial student program at a local insurance company, they decided to not open the program.
They advertised it every year for ten years before and after. Not just in 1989.
They advertised it every year for ten years before and after. Not just in 1989.
8/ @Columbia_Biz opened many doors. One door lead to Orange County California.
The tech incubator that underwrote my first startup was run by the same team I had interned with as a 14, 16 and 19 year old.
The tech incubator that underwrote my first startup was run by the same team I had interned with as a 14, 16 and 19 year old.
9/ The business. E-education.
Because I had already been teaching for the last 5 years. Even though we eventually shut down, the lessons I learnt led to a thriving training practice three years later.
Because I had already been teaching for the last 5 years. Even though we eventually shut down, the lessons I learnt led to a thriving training practice three years later.
10/ My life and career has been a series of fortunate accidents.
Times when destiny knocked on my door and I opened them. There were other instances when I kept on sleeping.
Understanding this is difficult and hard. But it's the truth. There is nothing special about me.
Times when destiny knocked on my door and I opened them. There were other instances when I kept on sleeping.
Understanding this is difficult and hard. But it's the truth. There is nothing special about me.
11/ Yet the me you see today is because of the paths I picked many many years ago.
Given a chance would I go back and change things? That is a really though question. I don't know the answer but I would guess not.
Because then I would end up with a different me.
Given a chance would I go back and change things? That is a really though question. I don't know the answer but I would guess not.
Because then I would end up with a different me.
12/ Yet there are three things I would tell a younger me.
a) Ship early
b) Learn to sell first, build later
c) Anger is just not worth it
(c) is tricky. If it wasn't for anger, there wouldn't be the founder me. I quit because I was angry. I became a founder because of anger.
a) Ship early
b) Learn to sell first, build later
c) Anger is just not worth it
(c) is tricky. If it wasn't for anger, there wouldn't be the founder me. I quit because I was angry. I became a founder because of anger.
